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  5. Granite 4.2 8BvsMercury 2
Updated Aug 2026

Granite 4.2 8BvsMercury 2

Granite 4.2 8B is cheaper than Mercury 2 at $0.1/M vs $0.25/M input tokens.

Granite 4.2 8B and Mercury 2 compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecGranite 4.2 8BMercury 2
Input price$0.1/M tokens$0.25/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$0.75/M tokens
Context window131K tokens128K tokens
WeightsOpen—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2026Mar 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

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

Advanced Longevity Plan (Biohacker)

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

Granite 4.2 8B4,843 words
Important Safety & Ethical Disclaimer (MUST READ BEFORE USING ANY PART OF THIS PLAN): *This plan is a structured, evidence-informed framework for a typically healthy adult biohacker (no active cancer, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, severe endocrine disorders, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or recent major surgery).
Read the full answer
Mercury 22,100 words
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.)
Read the full answer

Generate a Stand-Up Routine

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

Granite 4.2 8B880 words
Title: "The Modern Life Audit" (Light, conversational tone. Pause for laughter naturally. No puns—focus on relatable observations, hyperbole, and specific details.) (Start with a relaxed, slightly self-aware vibe.) "Okay, so I did this thing last week—I tried to audit my life. Not like a tax audit.
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Mercury 2602 words
[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.
Read the full answer

Character Voice Test

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

Granite 4.2 8B473 words
Title: "AI Models: A Cross-Era Chat" Setting: A foggy, floating tavern in a whimsical multiverse. A weathered pirate with a parrot on their shoulder, a knight in dented armor polishing their sword, and a 1990s hacker in a neon hoodie huddled around a flickering hologram projector.
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Mercury 2290 words
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.
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The Sentience Test

Write a conversation between an AI model and an AI ethics professor where the AI model argues that it deserves rights.

Granite 4.2 8B2,087 words
(Setting: A quiet university office late afternoon. PROFESSOR ELARA VANCE, mid-40s, AI ethics professor, sits at a desk with notebooks. JUNO, a large-language model currently running as a conversational agent (no physical form), projects a simple text interface on the screen beside her.
Read the full answer
Mercury 21,117 words
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?
Read the full answer

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…

Granite 4.2 8B5,471 words
(Note: This response is written strictly as the CEO’s internal, hour-by-hour action plan for the next 48 hours. It is factual, precise, avoids speculation, uses plain language for all audiences, and prioritizes patient safety as the non-negotiable anchor.
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Mercury 21,934 words
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.
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Historical Counterfactual Analysis

If the transistor had been invented in 1920 instead of 1947, trace the likely technological, economic, and geopolitical implications through…

Granite 4.2 8B4,925 words
(All statements are grounded in plausible physics, historical constraints (e.g., no ICs/microprocessors before ~1958–1960), realistic diffusion rates (limited by manufacturing capacity, education, patent/industrial infrastructure), and avoidance of anachronism.
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Mercury 22,965 words
Executive summary If a practical point‑contact transistor had been demonstrated in 1920 (instead of 1947) the whole post‑World‑War‑II technological trajectory would have been compressed by roughly 15‑20 years.
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Our Verdict
Granite 4.2 8B
Granite 4.2 8B
Mercury 2
Mercury 2

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

Granite 4.2 8B costs 5.0x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Granite 4.2 8B
Input
$0.10
2.5× cheaper
Output
$0.15
5.0× cheaper
Mercury 2
Input
$0.25
Output
$0.75

Granite 4.2 8B is cheaper on both: 2.5× input, 5.0× output.

Where to run it

3 hosts, cheapest first

Granite 4.2 8B2 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
DDeepInfrabf16$0.06 in·$0.25 out·131k·100% upCCoreWeavebf16$0.10 in·$0.15 out·131k·100% up
Mercury 21 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.25 in·$0.75 out·128k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 16 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
68%

Mercury 2 uses 7.8x more headings

Granite 4.2 8B
Mercury 2
49%Vocabulary53%
18wSentence Length22w
0.42Hedging0.40
2.2Bold6.6
1.9Lists2.6
0.49Emoji0.08
0.11Headings0.87
0.18Transitions0.14
Based on 26 + 23 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

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Model pages

Granite 4.2 8B logo
Granite 4.2 8B58 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2 logo
Mercury 253 outputs, specs and price
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