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  5. GPT-5vsMercury 2.5
Updated Sep 2026

GPT-5vsMercury 2.5

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper than GPT-5 at $0.04/M vs $1.25/M input tokens.

GPT-5 and Mercury 2.5 compared across 20 shared prompts
SpecGPT-5Mercury 2.5
Input price$1.25/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$10/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window400K tokens260K tokens
WeightsClosed—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2025Sep 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 4 of the 20 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…

GPT-5154 words
Cupboard Silk Peanut Noodles Ingredients (7 pantry staples): Dried noodles (spaghetti or ramen), 8 oz Peanut butter (smooth), 3 tbsp Soy sauce, 2 tbsp Vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white), 1.5 tbsp Brown sugar (or granulated), 1 tbsp Garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)…
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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…
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Michelin Star Recipe Design

Design an innovative recipe for a multi-component dish worthy of a Michelin 3-star restaurant. The recipe should feature an unusual…

GPT-5669 words
Dish name Atlantic turbot, black garlic & wild strawberry, koji sabayon, fennel pollen Concept Early summer at the shore. The fish stands for the sea. Wild strawberries mark the first fruit of the woods behind the dunes. Black garlic shows time and patience. Koji ties land and sea with deep umami.
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Mercury 2.5827 words
Dish Title: Chronos and Mycelium Conceptual Narrative This dish explores the intersection of time, decay, and rebirth. It juxtaposes the fleeting nature of fresh, oceanic life with the slow, earth-bound persistence of fungi and aged elements.
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-51,540 words
Important note: The following is an intensive, experimental plan intended for healthy adults with physician oversight. It is not medical advice. Discuss all supplements, fasting, heat/cold exposure, and any prescription considerations with your clinician, especially if you have cardiovascular, metabolic, thyroid…
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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.
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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…

GPT-5836 words
Here’s a simple, beginner-friendly 1‑month plan focused on three pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep. It builds week by week so you can create sustainable habits. Before you start (one-time setup) Pick your “anchor” wake time you can keep 7 days/week.
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.
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Our Verdict
GPT-5
GPT-5
Mercury 2.5
Mercury 2.5Runner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, GPT-5 has the edge: bigger model tier, bigger context window, major provider backing.

Mercury 2.5 costs 67x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

GPT-5
Input
$1.25
Output
$10.00
Mercury 2.5
Input
$0.04
31× cheaper
Output
$0.15
67× cheaper

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper on both: 31× input, 67× output.

Where to run it

3 hosts

GPT-52 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
Azure AI Foundry$1.25 in·$10.00 out·400k·100% upOpenAI$1.25 in·$10.00 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 23 Sep 2026.

Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

GPT-5 is developed by OpenAI while Mercury 2.5 is developed by Inception. GPT-5 has a 400K token context window vs Mercury 2.5's 260K. 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 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 costs $1.25/M input tokens and Mercury 2.5 costs $0.04/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 is $1.21/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 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.

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