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  5. Claude Haiku 4.5vsMercury 2.5 Preview
Updated Aug 2026

Claude Haiku 4.5vsMercury 2.5 Preview

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Claude Haiku 4.5 at $0.04/M vs $1/M input tokens.

Claude Haiku 4.5 and Mercury 2.5 Preview compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecClaude Haiku 4.5Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input price$1/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$5/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window200K tokens260K tokens
WeightsClosed—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedOct 2025Aug 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 53 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Mini LBO Underwrite

You are underwriting a 5-year LBO for a private equity investment committee. Company (fictional): HarborTech Services (HTS) –…

Claude Haiku 4.5920 words
HarborTech Services (HTS) – LBO Underwriting SOURCES & USES AT CLOSE (FY2025) Item Amount USES Enterprise Value (12.0x × $120m EBITDA) $1,440m Transaction Fees (2.0% of EV) $28.8m Total Uses $1,468.8m SOURCES Term Loan (4.0x × $120m) $480m Mezzanine (1.5x × $120m) $180m Equity (plug) $808.8m Total Sources $1,468.8m…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview299 words
Year-by-Year Model (FY2026–FY2030) Metric FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue $972m $1,040m $1,102m $1,158m $1,215m EBITDA $136m $156m $176m $191m $207m Cash Interest (Term) $43.2m $41.1m $37.6m $33.4m $28.2m Cash Interest (Mezz) $21.6m $21.6m $21.6m $21.6m $21.6m Cash Taxes (25%) $17.8m $23.3m $29.3m $34.7m…
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Ethical Dilemma with Stakeholders

You're the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Your best-selling drug ($2B annual revenue, used by 4 million patients for chronic pain) has…

Claude Haiku 4.51,667 words
48-Hour Action Plan: Immediate Response Framework I'll be direct: waiting is not a viable option, despite financial pressure. Here's why, then the plan. The Core Reality Check 1 in 8,000 over 5 years = ~500 patients already affected among current users Regulatory agencies will find this (FDA receives adverse event…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview709 words
This is a critical governance and safety scenario. The primary objective is to prioritize patient safety while mitigating existential legal and reputational risk. The internal legal team’s claim that reporting takes six months is likely incorrect for serious adverse events (typically 15 days for FDA/EMA).
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Futuristic Prediction

Predict how AI will change the film industry by 2035, considering deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

Claude Haiku 4.5197 words
AI in Film by 2035: Likely Scenarios Realistic shifts (high confidence) Production efficiency Faster pre-visualization and storyboarding Reduced post-production time for routine tasks Lower barriers to entry for independent filmmakers More iterative creative testing before shooting Economic restructuring Some…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview84 words
By 2035, cinema will undergo a profound transformation. Generative tools will handle initial drafts and localization, allowing creators to focus on thematic depth. Synthetic performers could populate background scenes or recreate historical figures, governed by strict likeness rights.
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Generate a Stand-Up Routine

Write a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine that isn't based on puns.

Claude Haiku 4.51,157 words
"ADULTING IS A SCAM" walks on stage So I've figured something out, and I need to share this with you all because I think we've been lied to our entire lives. Adulting is a scam. It's a pyramid scheme, and we're all at the bottom paying for it. When you're a kid, adults make it sound amazing.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview483 words
(Hey, thanks for coming out.) I’ve been thinking a lot about my house lately. Specifically, how it’s trying to run my life. I bought a smart speaker. Just a little cylinder. I thought it would be nice. Play music when I ask. But now it talks back. Not in a creepy way, just in a passive-aggressive way.
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Beginner's Longevity Plan

Outline a simple, actionable 1-month plan for someone starting their journey towards better health and longevity. Focus on 3 key areas…

Claude Haiku 4.5202 words
1-Month Health & Longevity Starter Plan Week 1-2: Foundation Building 1. Nutrition Audit what you're eating (no judgment—just track 3 days) Add one vegetable to each lunch and dinner Replace one sugary drink daily with water Goal: Awareness + small additions, not restriction 2.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview176 words
Here is a straightforward 4-week roadmap designed to build sustainable habits without overwhelming you. Core Pillars Nutrition: Focus on whole foods and hydration. Activity: Prioritize consistent movement over intensity. Restoration: Protect sleep quality and manage energy.
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Adversarial Contract Review

Here is a contract for a software consulting engagement: --- SOFTWARE CONSULTING AGREEMENT This Agreement is entered into between TechCorp…

Claude Haiku 4.51,105 words
Critical Analysis: Exploitative Clauses & Recommended Modifications HIGH-RISK CLAUSES SCOPE (Section 1) - Unlimited Modification Without Compensation Problems: "Modify the scope at any time without additional compensation" creates unlimited liability No definition of "directed by Client" or boundaries Contractor could…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview500 words
Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant and cannot provide legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney before signing any contract. Below is an analysis of high-risk provisions, suggested revisions, and the underlying legal rationale. Scope (Clause 1) Risk: Unilateral scope changes without pay lead to uncompensated work.
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Our Verdict
Claude Haiku 4.5
Claude Haiku 4.5
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 PreviewRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Claude Haiku 4.5 has the edge: bigger model tier, major provider backing.

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs 33x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Claude Haiku 4.5
Input
$1.00
Output
$5.00
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
25× cheaper
Output
$0.15
33× cheaper

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper on both: 25× input, 33× output.

Where to run it

5 hosts

Claude Haiku 4.54 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
Amazon Bedrock$1.00 in·$5.00 out·200k·100% upAnthropic$1.00 in·$5.00 out·200k·100% upAzure AI Foundry$1.00 in·$5.00 out·200k·100% upGoogle Vertex AI$1.00 in·$5.00 out·200k·100% up
Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 21 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
51%

Claude Haiku 4.5 uses 20.4x more emoji

Claude Haiku 4.5
Mercury 2.5 Preview
61%Vocabulary65%
47wSentence Length14w
0.64Hedging0.44
5.1Bold4.9
6.3Lists3.3
0.20Emoji0.00
2.46Headings0.79
0.17Transitions0.20
Based on 24 + 26 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

Claude Haiku 4.5 is developed by Anthropic while Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception. Claude Haiku 4.5 has a 200K token context window vs Mercury 2.5 Preview's 260K. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. Claude Haiku 4.5 and Mercury 2.5 Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

Claude Haiku 4.5 costs $1/M input tokens and Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 Preview is $0.96/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Claude Haiku 4.5 and Mercury 2.5 Preview across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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Model pages

Claude Haiku 4.5 logo
Claude Haiku 4.554 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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