Skip to content
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare Models
  • All Models
  • Image Comparison
  • Audio Comparison
  • Image Generation
  • Best AI For...
  • Arena
  • API Pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model Updates
  • Provider Status
  • AI Creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • RSS Feed
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Compare
  4. /
  5. GPT-5 MinivsMercury 2.5
Updated Sep 2026

GPT-5 MinivsMercury 2.5

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper than GPT-5 Mini at $0.04/M vs $0.25/M input tokens.

GPT-5 Mini and Mercury 2.5 compared across 20 shared prompts
SpecGPT-5 MiniMercury 2.5
Input price$0.25/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$2/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window—260K tokens
WeightsClosed—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2025Sep 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 5 of the 20 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Advanced Investment Memo (IC Memo)

You are writing an internal investment committee memo for a long/short equity fund. Company (fictional): LedgerLift (ticker: LLLT) – B2B…

GPT-5 Mini931 words
Recommendation: SHORT 12‑month PT range: $17 – $42 (Bear → Bull; Base case PT $28) Thesis (2 sentences): LedgerLift is a high‑quality mid‑market spend-management / AP automation SaaS with strong unit economics (92% subscription, NRR 123%, FY25 operating margin 18%) that has built a sticky, expanding customer base.
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5735 words
To: Investment Committee From: Equity Research Date: September 22, 2026 Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Initiation of Coverage Recommendation & Thesis Recommendation: Long 12-Month Price Target: $55 – $68 Thesis: LedgerLift offers a rare combination of high-quality SaaS unit economics (NRR 123%, CAC payback 18mo) and…
Read the full answer

Advanced Longevity Plan (Biohacker)

Develop a comprehensive, cutting-edge 3-month longevity plan for a biohacker aiming to optimize longevity, physical and cognitive…

GPT-5 Mini626 words
Important safety first: this plan is informational and ambitious. Before starting, get medical clearance (especially if you have chronic illness, take medications, are pregnant/breastfeeding, or are >65).
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5610 words
3-Month Biohacking Longevity & Performance Plan Disclaimer: I am an AI, not a physician or certified health professional. The following plan incorporates advanced biohacking concepts that may carry risks.
Read the full answer

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…

GPT-5 Mini255 words
Sunfire Chickpea Skillet Yields: 3–4 servings Prep time: 8 minutes Cook time: 15–20 minutes Total time: ~25–28 minutes Ingredients (7 pantry staples) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika) 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz) can diced…
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5190 words
Pantry Pasta Primavera Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Ingredients (7 Common Pantry Items) Pasta (spaghetti, penne, or fusilli) – 8 oz Canned crushed tomatoes – 1 can (14 oz) Olive oil – 3 tablespoons Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon Dried oregano – 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese (grated) – ½ cup Salt and…
Read the full answer

Mini LBO Underwrite

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

GPT-5 Mini1,248 words
Summary of transaction math (at close / FY2025) EV (purchase price) = 12.0x * FY2025 EBITDA = 12.0 * $120.0m = $1,440.0m Transaction fees (paid by equity at close) = 2.0% * EV = 0.02 * $1,440.0m = $28.8m Total debt at close = 5.5x * $120m = $660.0m Term Loan = 4.0x = $480.0m (9.0% cash interest, 1.0% p.a.
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5403 words
1. Simplified Year-by-Year LBO Model (FY2026–FY2030) Entry Assumptions: Enterprise Value (EV): $120m × 12.0x = $1,440m Transaction Fees: $1,440m × 2.0% = $28.8m Total Debt at Close: $120m × 5.5x = $660m Term Loan: $120m × 4.0x = $480m Mezzanine: $120m × 1.5x = $180m Equity Required: $1,440m (EV) + $28.8m (Fees) − $660m…
Read the full answer

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…

GPT-5 Mini1,224 words
Great — here’s a simple, practical 1-month starter plan focused on three high-impact areas for health and longevity: Diet, Exercise (movement + strength), and Sleep. The plan is beginner-friendly, progressive, and designed to build lasting habits.
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5325 words
Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan to kickstart your journey toward better health and longevity. This guide focuses on three foundational pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep. Week 1: Awareness & Small Wins Goal: Build habits without overwhelming yourself.
Read the full answer
Our Verdict
Mercury 2.5
Mercury 2.5
GPT-5 Mini
GPT-5 MiniRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Mercury 2.5 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window.

Mercury 2.5 costs 13x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

GPT-5 Mini
Input
$0.25
Output
$2.00
Mercury 2.5
Input
$0.04
6.3× cheaper
Output
$0.15
13× cheaper

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper on both: 6.3× input, 13× output.

Where to run it

3 hosts

GPT-5 Mini2 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
Azure AI Foundry$0.25 in·$2.00 out·400k·100% upOpenAI$0.25 in·$2.00 out·400k·100% up
Mercury 2.51 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 22 Sep 2026.

Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

GPT-5 Mini is developed by OpenAI while Mercury 2.5 is developed by Inception. You can compare their actual outputs across 20 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. GPT-5 Mini and Mercury 2.5 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 20 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

GPT-5 Mini costs $0.25/M input tokens and Mercury 2.5 costs $0.04/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 is $0.21/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 GPT-5 Mini and Mercury 2.5 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.

Keep exploring

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

GPT-5 Mini logoDeepSeek V4 Flash Vision Exp logo
GPT-5 Mini vs DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision ExpLanded Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 logoSolar Pro 4 logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Solar Pro 4Landed Sep 2026
GPT-5 Mini logoHy3 logo
GPT-5 Mini vs Hy3Landed Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 logoQwen3.7 Flash logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Qwen3.7 FlashLanded Sep 2026
GPT-5 Mini logoLing 3.0 Flash logo
GPT-5 Mini vs Ling 3.0 FlashLanded Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 logoMuse Glimmer 30B logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Muse Glimmer 30BLanded Sep 2026
GPT-5 Mini logoGLM 5.3 logo
GPT-5 Mini vs GLM 5.3Landed Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 logoTernary Bonsai 2 27B logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Ternary Bonsai 2 27BLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

GPT-5 Mini logoGPT-6 Astra Pro logo
GPT-5 Mini vs GPT-6 Astra ProSame lab
GPT-5 Mini logoGPT-6 Astra logo
GPT-5 Mini vs GPT-6 AstraSame lab
Mercury 2.5 logoMercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Mercury 2.5 PreviewSame lab
Mercury 2.5 logoMercury logo
Mercury 2.5 vs MercurySame lab
Mercury 2.5 logoPolaris Alpha logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Polaris AlphaSame size
GPT-5 Mini logoPony Alpha logo
GPT-5 Mini vs Pony AlphaNew provider
Mercury 2.5 logoQwen Plus 0728 logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Qwen Plus 0728Same size
Mercury 2.5 logoQwen Plus 0728 (thinking) logo
Mercury 2.5 vs Qwen Plus 0728 (thinking)Same size

Model pages

GPT-5 Mini logo
GPT-5 Mini59 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2.5 logo
Mercury 2.520 outputs, specs and price
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare Models
  • All Models
  • Image Comparison
  • Audio Comparison
  • Image Generation
  • Best AI For...
  • Arena
  • API Pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model Updates
  • Provider Status
  • AI Creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • RSS Feed