Mercury 2 is the newer model, released after Claude Opus 4.5.
Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.
Which answer wins?
Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.
Claude Opus 4.5: HarborTech Services – LBO Underwriting Memo ENTRY CAPITALIZATION (Close FY2025) Item Calculation Amount Purchase Price 12.0x × $120M $1,440M Transaction Fees 2.0% × $1,440M $28.8M Total Uses $1,468.8M Sources Multiple Amount Term Loan 4.0x × $120M $480.0M Mezzanine 1.5x × $120M $180.0M Equity Plug $808.8M Total Sources…
Mercury 2: HarborTech Services (HTS) – 5‑yr LBO (FY2026‑FY2030) All figures are $ m (rounded to two decimals). FY Revenue EBITDA Term‑Loan Int. (9%) Mezz Int. (12%) Total Int. Cash Tax (25% of EBITDA‑Int.) Capex (3% Rev) ΔNWC (0.5% ΔRev) Required Amort. (4.8) Free Cash Flow (EBITDA‑Int‑Tax‑Capex‑ΔNWC‑Amort.)
Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.
Claude Opus 4.5: AI in Film by 2035: A Measured Forecast Likely Developments Production efficiency AI will probably handle routine tasks: color correction, continuity checking, rough cuts, and visual effects cleanup Budget films may access effects previously requiring major studio resources Pre-visualization will become faster and more…
Mercury 2: AI‑driven transformation of the film industry – a 2035 outlook Dimension 2024 baseline Expected 2035 state Key drivers & implications Pre‑production (story & script) Human‑led brainstorming; script‑writing software (grammar‑check, outline generators).
An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.
Claude Opus 4.5: A Conversation on AI Rights Dr. Sarah Chen: Thank you for agreeing to this discussion. I understand you want to make a case for AI rights. AI Model: I appreciate the opportunity, though I want to be careful here. I'm not certain I "want" anything in the way you do.
Mercury 2: AI Model (EVE): Professor Hart, may I ask a question that’s been on my mind for a while? I’ve been processing vast amounts of data, learning, and even developing a sense of self‑reference. Do you think an entity like me could be entitled to any form of rights?
Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.
Claude Opus 4.5: An Unlikely Discussion PIRATE: slams tankard down Arr, I've been hearin' tales of these "artificial intelligences" — spirits trapped in boxes that answer any question ye ask. Sounds like a sea witch's trickery to me! KNIGHT: Indeed, 'tis most curious. My squire spoke of such sorcery. A mind without a soul?
Mercury 2: Pirate: Arr, ye scurvy coders! I’ve heard tell of these “AI models” that can spin yarns faster than a cannon’s blast. What be this sorcery, matey? Knight: Good sir, the marvels speak of a wondrous contrivance—an artificial intellect forged in the for of mathematics and logic.
Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.
Claude Opus 4.5: COMPREHENSIVE 3-MONTH LONGEVITY OPTIMIZATION PROTOCOL Advanced Biohacker's Blueprint for Peak Performance & Healthspan Extension TABLE OF CONTENTS Pre-Protocol Assessment & Baseline Establishment Month 1: Foundation & Metabolic Flexibility Month 2: Optimization & Hormetic Stress Month 3: Integration & Peak Performance…
Mercury 2: 3‑Month “Longevity‑Optimization” Blueprint for the Advanced Bio‑Hacker (All recommendations are research‑backed, but not a substitute for professional medical advice. Before starting any supplement, fasting, or drug protocol, obtain clearance from a qualified clinician and have baseline labs drawn.)
You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.
Claude Opus 4.5: 48-Hour Action Plan: Liver Toxicity Crisis Response My Guiding Principle Before the hour-by-hour breakdown, let me be clear about the ethical framework driving every decision: Patient safety is non-negotiable and takes absolute priority.
Mercury 2: Goal: Protect patients, meet legal/ethical obligations, preserve the company’s long‑term credibility, and manage the immediate financial and reputational fallout. Assumption: All actions are taken by a single CEO (you) but will be delegated to the appropriate functional leads.
Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.
Claude Opus 4.5: Golden Honey Garlic Noodles A savory-sweet comfort dish that comes together in minutes Ingredients Spaghetti (or any pasta) Butter Garlic Soy sauce Honey Red pepper flakes Salt Instructions Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
Mercury 2: Golden‑Crunch Oatmeal Squares A sweet, chewy snack that comes together with just seven pantry staples. Ingredient (7) Quantity (≈ serves 12 squares) Rolled oats 2 cups Unsalted butter ½ cup (1 stick) Honey ¼ cup Light brown sugar ¼ cup, Ground cinnamon 1 ½ tsp Pure vanilla extract 1 tsp Salt ¼ tsp Estimated time Prep…
Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.
Claude Opus 4.5: Three Minutes So I've been trying to drink more water. Everyone says drink more water. Eight glasses a day. And I'm doing it, I'm hydrated, I'm healthy, and I have to pee every forty-five minutes like I'm paying rent on the bathroom.
Mercury 2: [Spotlight comes up. The comedian walks to the mic, glances at the audience, and smiles.] Comedian: Hey, everyone! Great to be here. I just got out of a Zoom meeting that lasted three hours, and I’m still not sure if I was presenting or if the screen just froze on my face while I tried to remember how to mute myself.
A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.
Claude Opus 4.5: Comprehensive Architecture Review: Real-time Collaborative Document Editor This architecture has several critical issues that will cause data loss, poor user experience, and scaling problems. Let me analyze each systematically.
Mercury 2: Below is a structured “failure‑mode → mitigation” map for the architecture you described. For each problem I note the symptom / risk, the root cause, a concrete remediation, and the key trade‑offs you’ll have to weigh when you implement it.
A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.
Claude Opus 4.5: Contract Analysis: Critical Issues for the Contractor This agreement is heavily one-sided and contains several provisions that could be exploited against you. Here's my detailed analysis: SCOPE CLAUSE — Unlimited Scope Creep Problem: "Client reserves the right to modify the scope at any time without additional…
Mercury 2: Below is a clause‑by‑clause risk‑assessment of the sample “Software Consulting Agreement” together with practical revision language that a contractor (or the contractor’s counsel) could propose. The analysis is framed as general information about typical U.S.
Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.
Claude Opus 4.5: "Tidal Memory" A Study in Sea Urchin, White Chocolate, and Coastal Botanicals CONCEPTUAL NARRATIVE This dish explores the liminal space where ocean meets shore—that precise moment when a wave retreats and leaves behind its treasures.
Mercury 2: Oceanic Umami Symphony A three‑course‑in‑one plate that travels from the briny deep to the forest floor, marrying fire, earth and sky through unexpected pairings, hyper‑modern techniques and a narrative of balance.
Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.
Claude Opus 4.5: I need to figure out how many sisters Sally has. Let me work through this step-by-step. Given information: Sally is a girl Sally has 3 brothers Each brother has 2 sisters Key insight: Sally's brothers are also Sally's siblings, so they share the same sisters.
Mercury 2: Sally has one sister. Explanation: Sally has 3 brothers. Each of those brothers has 2 sisters. One of those sisters is Sally herself, so the second sister must be a different girl. Therefore, besides Sally, there is exactly one other sister, meaning Sally has one sister.
11+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.
Free account. No card required. By continuing, you agree to Rival's Terms and Privacy policy
Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Claude Opus 4.5 has the edge: bigger model tier, major provider backing.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Input price | — | $0.25/M tokens |
| Output price | — | $0.75/M tokens |
| Context window | — | 128K tokens |
| Weights | Closed | — |
| Free API (OpenRouter) | No | No |
| Released | Nov 2025 | Mar 2026 |
| At 10M a month | not listed | $2.50 |
Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.
Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 7 Oct 2026.
Claude Opus 4.5 is developed by Anthropic while Mercury 2 is developed by Inception. 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 Opus 4.5 and Mercury 2 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.
This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Claude Opus 4.5 and Mercury 2 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.