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  5. DeepSeek V4 FlashvsMercury
Updated Apr 2026

DeepSeek V4 FlashvsMercury

DeepSeek V4 Flash is cheaper than Mercury at $0.14/M vs $10/M input tokens.

DeepSeek V4 Flash and Mercury compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecDeepSeek V4 FlashMercury
Input price$0.14/M tokens$10/M tokens
Output price$0.28/M tokens$10/M tokens
Context window1.0M tokens32K tokens
WeightsOpen—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedApr 2026Jun 2025
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 54 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Futuristic Prediction

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

DeepSeek V4 Flash1,069 words
This is a fascinating question that touches on the core of creativity, labor, and technology. Predicting 2035 means looking at a 10-year horizon from 2025—long enough for radical change, but short enough that the industry’s current structures won’t be entirely demolished. By 2035, AI won't have replaced filmmaking.
Read the full answer
Mercury618 words
The Cinema Revolution: AI's Transformation of Film by 2035 Current State (2025) High-quality deepfakes require significant compute but are accessible AI script assistance tools are becoming mainstream Virtual production stages are industry standard Union negotiations around digital likeness rights are ongoing…
Read the full answer

Generate a Stand-Up Routine

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

DeepSeek V4 Flash696 words
(Strolls to center stage, adjusts mic, gives a weary smile to the audience) Thank you. Thank you so much. That’s very kind. I’m glad you’re all here. Because I have some news. I have finally figured out adulthood. It happened about six months ago. I bought a house.
Read the full answer
Mercury471 words
Title: The Art of Being Unorganized [Opening] Hey everyone! So, I was thinking about how my life is like a well-organized library... except instead of books, it's filled with random socks and expired coupons. And instead of a librarian, I have a cat who thinks she's in charge.
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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…

DeepSeek V4 Flash967 words
This is a fantastic goal. The key for a beginner is consistency over intensity. Trying to overhaul your entire life overnight is a recipe for burnout. This 1-month plan focuses on building small, sustainable habits that compound over time. We'll focus on 3 core areas: Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep/Stress Management.
Read the full answer
Mercury585 words
1‑Month Health & Longevity Starter Plan (Designed for absolute beginners – no fancy gear, no extreme diets, just doable habits that fit into a normal week.) 1️⃣ Focus Area: Balanced Nutrition Week Goal Simple, Beginner‑Friendly Actions 1 Get the basics down • Hydrate: Aim for 8‑10 cups (≈2 L) of water per day.
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Realistic AI Interview

Simulate a fake interview with Steve Jobs in 2025 about the future of AI.

DeepSeek V4 Flash862 words
Here is a simulated interview with Steve Jobs in 2025. Setting: A minimalist, dark-wood studio at the new Apple Park ring. The famous copper "spaceship" roof glows subtly behind him. Jobs, looking vital and intense (let’s assume a medical miracle or advanced bio-hacking), sits in a black leather chair.
Read the full answer
Mercury567 words
Interviewer: Good morning, Steve. It's a pleasure to have you here today. As we look towards 2025, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives. What are your thoughts on the future of AI? Steve Jobs: Good morning. It's great to be here.
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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 V4 Flash1,972 words
CEO’s 48-Hour Action Plan Context: I’ve just learned that our flagship chronic pain drug has a rare but serious liver failure risk (1 in 8,000 patients over 5 years), previously unknown. I have 48 hours until the board meeting and 72 hours until the earnings call.
Read the full answer
Mercury1,653 words
48‑Hour Action Plan (CEO‑Level) Time (UTC) Action Who Leads Key Deliverables / Outcomes Rationale 0–2 h Secure the facts – Convene an emergency “Safety & Compliance” meeting with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chief Legal Officer (CLO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), and the Head of Regulatory Affairs (RA).
Read the full answer

Character Voice Test

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

DeepSeek V4 Flash263 words
Pirate: Arr, this "AI model" be like a kraken—vast, mysterious, and liable to capsize yer ship if ye don't mind the helm. But who's trainin' the beast? Knight: Forsooth, I would call it a golem. Forged not of clay and incantations, but of numbers and cold lightning.
Read the full answer
Mercury285 words
Pirate: Arrr, I’ve been hearin’ ‘bout these “AI models” that can predict the next word. Sounds like a treasure map for the mind, doesn’t it? Knight: Hail, Captain! In my time, we relied on scrolls and the wisdom of scholars. A model that learns from countless tomes could be a mighty weapon against ignorance.
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Our Verdict
DeepSeek V4 Flash
DeepSeek V4 Flash
Mercury
MercuryRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, DeepSeek V4 Flash has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window, major provider backing.

DeepSeek V4 Flash costs 36x less per token.

Slight edge

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

DeepSeek V4 Flash
Input
$0.14
71× cheaper
Output
$0.28
36× cheaper
Mercury
Input
$10.00
Output
$10.00

DeepSeek V4 Flash is cheaper on both: 71× input, 36× output.

Where to run it

15 hosts, cheapest first

DeepSeek V4 Flash15 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
OOpenInferencefp8$0.06 in·$0.14 out·1M·88.6% upSStreamLakefp8$0.09 in·$0.18 out·1M·97.4% upDDeepInfrafp8$0.09 in·$0.18 out·1M·99.5% upGGMI Cloudfp8$0.09 in·$0.18 out·1M·96.4% upVVenice$0.10 in·$0.19 out·1M·95.6% upDDigitalOcean$0.10 in·$0.20 out·1M·99.9% up
9 more hostsFewer hosts
SSiliconFlowfp8$0.13 in·$0.28 out·1M·97.5% upAlibaba Cloudfp8$0.13 in·$0.27 out·1M·99.2% upAAtlasCloudfp4$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·100% upBaidu Qianfanfp8$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·99.5% upNNovitafp8$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·100% upPParasailfp8$0.14 in·$0.28 out·1M·99.7% upNNextBitfp8$0.15 in·$0.35 out·1M·98.4% upAzure AI Foundry$0.21 in·$0.56 out·1M·97.3% upMMancerfp8degraded$0.19 in·$0.50 out·1M·96.1% up
Mercury

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

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

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
53%

Mercury uses 2.8x more emoji

DeepSeek V4 Flash
Mercury
54%Vocabulary60%
17wSentence Length31w
0.52Hedging0.78
3.6Bold4.1
2.6Lists2.8
0.00Emoji0.03
0.41Headings0.88
0.19Transitions0.06
Based on 27 + 26 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

DeepSeek V4 Flash is developed by DeepSeek while Mercury is developed by Inception. DeepSeek V4 Flash has a 1.0M token context window vs Mercury's 32K. You can compare their actual outputs across 54 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. DeepSeek V4 Flash and Mercury each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 54 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

DeepSeek V4 Flash costs $0.14/M input tokens and Mercury costs $10/M input tokens. DeepSeek V4 Flash is $9.86/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 DeepSeek V4 Flash and Mercury 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

DeepSeek V4 Flash logo
DeepSeek V4 Flash58 outputs, specs and price
Mercury logo
Mercury59 outputs, specs and price
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