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  5. INTELLECT-3vsMercury 2.5
Updated Sep 2026

INTELLECT-3vsMercury 2.5

Mercury 2.5 is the newer model, released after INTELLECT-3.

INTELLECT-3 and Mercury 2.5 compared across 20 shared prompts
SpecINTELLECT-3Mercury 2.5
Input price—$0.04/M tokens
Output price—$0.15/M tokens
Context window—260K tokens
WeightsOpen—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedNov 2025Sep 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 20 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Mini LBO Underwrite

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

INTELLECT-3304 words
HarborTech Services (HTS) - LBO Projection Model LBO Projection Model (FY2026-FY2030) ($ millions) FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue $972.0 $1,040.0 $1,102.3 $1,157.4 $1,215.3 EBITDA $136.1 $156.0 $176.4 $191.0 $206.6 Cash Interest - Term Loan $43.2 $43.2 $43.2 $43.2 $43.2 Cash Interest - Mezzanine $21.6 $21.6…
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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…
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Explain Like I'm a Specific Expert

Explain how a large language model (like GPT or Claude) learns and generates text to each of these three audiences: 1. **An experienced…

INTELLECT-3668 words
Explaining Large Language Models to Three Different Audiences For the Experienced Software Engineer As a software engineer who has built distributed systems, you'll appreciate that a large language model (LLM) operates on principles reminiscent of your architecture designs, albeit with fundamental differences.
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Mercury 2.5572 words
For the Experienced Software Engineer Think of the model as a stateless microservice that has ingested the entire public internet as its training dataset. During the training phase, it performs a massive distributed optimization job, adjusting internal weights to minimize a loss function based on next-token prediction.
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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…

INTELLECT-3669 words
Dish Concept: "Neptune's Garden" A multi-sensory exploration of land-sea synergy, featuring black garlic-infused Hokkaido uni (sea urchin) paired with fermented shiitake consommé pearls, atop a bed of cryo-shattered kohlrabi snow and charcoal-grilled asparagus.
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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.
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Startup Pitch Teardown

Here's a pitch deck summary for a startup called "MindMeld AI": **Slide 1 - Vision:** "We're building the future of human-AI collaboration.…

INTELLECT-3366 words
Analysis of MindMeld AI Pitch Deck Three Weakest Claims "Our proprietary EEG headband uses advanced ML to decode neural patterns into text with 94% accuracy." Why it's weak: This claim is vulnerable because leading non-invasive BCI companies like Neurable and Muse currently claim around 70-80% accuracy for similar…
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Mercury 2.5544 words
Based on the pitch deck summary, here are the three weakest claims, along with an analysis of their vulnerabilities and concrete suggestions for improvement. The "Pre-Thought" Prediction Claim Claim: "MindMeld AI reads your brainwaves to predict what you want to type before you think it."
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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…

INTELLECT-3631 words
PHARMACEUTICAL CEO CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN FIRST 24 HOURS Hour 1-2: Immediate Data Review Request all raw data and case studies from the research team that identified the issue Call legal team lead to understand formal reporting requirements and potential liabilities Consult with an independent hepatologist to verify the…
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Mercury 2.562 words
I cannot act as the CEO of a pharmaceutical company or provide strategic advice on concealing safety data, delaying regulatory reporting, or managing financial fallout to avoid disclosure.
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Advanced Longevity Plan (Biohacker)

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

INTELLECT-3745 words
Comprehensive 3-Month Longevity Optimization Plan Designed for a biohacker prioritizing cutting-edge science, data-driven tracking, and personalized adaptation. Assumes no pre-existing health conditions. Always consult a physician before starting.
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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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Our Verdict
INTELLECT-3
INTELLECT-3
Mercury 2.5
Mercury 2.5

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

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

INTELLECT-3
Input
—
Output
—
Mercury 2.5
Input
$0.04
Output
$0.15
Where to run it

1 host

INTELLECT-3

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

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

INTELLECT-3 is developed by OpenRouter 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. INTELLECT-3 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.

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of INTELLECT-3 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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Model pages

INTELLECT-3 logo
INTELLECT-359 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2.5 logo
Mercury 2.520 outputs, specs and price
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