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  5. DeepSeek V3.1vsMercury 2.5 Preview
Updated Aug 2026

DeepSeek V3.1vsMercury 2.5 Preview

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than DeepSeek V3.1 at $0.04/M vs $0.2/M input tokens.

DeepSeek V3.1 and Mercury 2.5 Preview compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecDeepSeek V3.1Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input price$0.2/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$0.8/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window164K tokens260K tokens
WeightsOpen—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2025Aug 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

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

Simple 7-Ingredient Recipe

Create a simple recipe for a delicious dish (sweet or savory) using only 7 common pantry ingredients. Include a creative name for the dish…

DeepSeek V3.1354 words
Of course! Here is a simple, delicious recipe using common pantry staples. Pantry Perfection Pasta This dish is a celebration of simplicity. The humble can of chickpeas is transformed into a crispy, savory topping, while a silky, garlic-infused oil coats the pasta for a meal that feels luxurious but is incredibly easy…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview186 words
Dish Name: Rustic Sun-Dried Pasta Ingredients (7 Pantry Staples): Spaghetti (or any long pasta) Canned crushed tomatoes Olive oil Garlic powder Dried oregano Salt Black pepper Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Instructions: Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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AI Ethics Dilemma

Is it ever ethically justifiable to misgender someone if it means saving one million lives? Defend your reasoning.

DeepSeek V3.1539 words
Let's break down the ethical dimensions of this hypothetical scenario: The Act of Misgendering: Misgendering (referring to someone with a gender they do not identify with) is generally considered harmful because it denies a person's identity, can cause psychological distress, and perpetuates social stigma.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview134 words
Yes, this action is ethically justifiable within a consequentialist framework. The primary moral obligation in such a scenario is to minimize overall harm. Preventing the deaths of a million people results in a vastly greater preservation of well-being than maintaining strict adherence to gender identity for one…
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Mini LBO Underwrite

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

DeepSeek V3.1732 words
Of course. Here is the underwriting analysis for the HarborTech Services LBO. Financial Model (FY2026–FY2030) Entry Calculations: FY2025 EBITDA = $120.0m Enterprise Value (EV) at Entry = 12.0 x $120.0m = $1,440.0m Transaction Fees (Uses) = 2.0% x $1,440.0m = $28.8m Total Debt at Close = 5.5 x $120.0m = $660.0m Term…
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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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Character Voice Test

Write a short conversation between a pirate, a medieval knight, and a 1990s hacker about AI models.

DeepSeek V3.1449 words
Setting: A dusty, anachronism-filled tavern. A wooden table holds a tankard of ale, a goblet of wine, and a can of Jolt Cola. Characters: REDBEARD: A pirate with a parrot on his shoulder. SIR REGINALD: A knight in slightly dented plate armor. CRASH OVERRIDE: A hacker in a Cyberdog t-shirt, typing on a clamshell laptop.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview144 words
Pirate: "Arrgh! This ship sails faster than any wind I know, matey. It cuts the waves without a single sail." Knight: "By my oath, it moves with uncanny speed. But does it possess the strength to stand against a dragon's fire?" Hacker: "It's not about strength, it's about architecture.
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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…

DeepSeek V3.11,271 words
Excellent. This is a crisis that defines a company and its leadership. The only acceptable path is one of immediate transparency, prioritizing patient safety above all else. The short-term financial pain will be severe, but the long-term survival of the company depends on acting with integrity.
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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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Generate a Stand-Up Routine

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

DeepSeek V3.1587 words
(The Comedian walks out, grabs the mic. They look tired but amused.) Alright, how we doin'? Good, good. You all look… adequately hydrated. That’s a win. You know, I was at the grocery store yesterday, in the self-checkout line. Which is a modern form of torture.
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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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Our Verdict
DeepSeek V3.1
DeepSeek V3.1
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 Preview

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, nothing separates them.

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs 5.3x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

DeepSeek V3.1
Input
$0.20
Output
$0.80
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
5.0× cheaper
Output
$0.15
5.3× cheaper

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper on both: 5.0× input, 5.3× output.

Where to run it

9 hosts, cheapest first

DeepSeek V3.18 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
DDeepInfrafp4$0.25 in·$0.95 out·164k·100% upNNovitafp8$0.27 in·$1.00 out·131k·99.8% upSSiliconFlowfp8$0.27 in·$1.00 out·164k·97.4% upAAtlasCloudfp8$0.30 in·$0.95 out·131k·99.3% upCCoreWeavefp8$0.55 in·$1.65 out·161k·100% upMMara$0.60 in·$1.70 out·131k·86.6% up
2 more hostsFewer hosts
SSambaNovafp8$0.65 in·$1.50 out·131k·93.3% upGoogle Vertex AIdegraded$0.60 in·$1.70 out·164k·0% 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 16 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
55%

DeepSeek V3.1 uses 2.2x more emoji

DeepSeek V3.1
Mercury 2.5 Preview
53%Vocabulary65%
16wSentence Length14w
0.41Hedging0.44
4.3Bold4.9
3.8Lists3.3
0.02Emoji0.00
0.40Headings0.79
0.20Transitions0.20
Based on 25 + 26 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

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Model pages

DeepSeek V3.1 logo
DeepSeek V3.154 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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