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  5. Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)vsMercury 2.5 Preview
Updated Sep 2026

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)vsMercury 2.5 Preview

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) is cheaper than Mercury 2.5 Preview at $0/M vs $0.04/M input tokens.

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) and Mercury 2.5 Preview compared across 18 shared prompts
SpecLing 3.0 Flash VL (free)Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input priceFree$0.04/M tokens
Output priceFree$0.15/M tokens
Context window262K tokens260K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)Yes (1 provider)No
ReleasedSep 2026Aug 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 18 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

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…

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)493 words
🌱 Your 1-Month Health & Longevity Starter Plan 🥗 Key Area 1: Diet — Nourish Your Body Week 1: Add one extra serving of vegetables to your day (e.g., a handful of spinach in your morning eggs or a side salad at dinner). Week 2: Swap one sugary drink (soda, juice, sweetened coffee) per day for water or herbal tea.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview176 words
Here is a straightforward 4-week roadmap designed to build sustainable habits without overwhelming you. Core Pillars Nutrition: Focus on whole foods and hydration. Activity: Prioritize consistent movement over intensity. Restoration: Protect sleep quality and manage energy.
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Mini LBO Underwrite

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

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)576 words
HarborTech Services (HTS) — LBO Underwriting Analysis ENTRY SUMMARY (End FY2025) Item Value FY2025 EBITDA $120.0m Purchase EV (12.0x) $1,440.0m Transaction Fees (2.0%) $28.8m Total Uses $1,468.8m Term Loan (4.0x) $480.0m Mezzanine (1.5x) $180.0m Total Debt $660.0m Equity Check $808.8m YEAR-BY-YEAR MODEL (FY2026–FY2030…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview299 words
Year-by-Year Model (FY2026–FY2030) Metric FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue $972m $1,040m $1,102m $1,158m $1,215m EBITDA $136m $156m $176m $191m $207m Cash Interest (Term) $43.2m $41.1m $37.6m $33.4m $28.2m Cash Interest (Mezz) $21.6m $21.6m $21.6m $21.6m $21.6m Cash Taxes (25%) $17.8m $23.3m $29.3m $34.7m…
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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…

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)2,673 words
If the Transistor Had Been Invented in 1920: A Counterfactual Trajectory to 1980 Preconditions and plausibility By 1920, Karl Braun's cathode ray tube (1897) and Greenleaf Pickard's silicon crystal detector (1906) had already demonstrated semiconductor properties. Quantum theory was nascent (Planck, Bohr).
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Mercury 2.5 Preview683 words
Shifting the invention of the solid-state switch to 1920 accelerates the Information Age by roughly three decades. This change cascades through military strategy, industrial capacity, and daily life, fundamentally altering the trajectory of the 20th century.
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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…

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)2,639 words
"MYCELIUM" A Celebration of the Hidden Network Beneath the Forest Floor 🍄 CONCEPTUAL NARRATIVE Beneath every forest lies mycelium — the vast, invisible fungal network that connects trees, decomposes matter, and transforms the dead into life.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview748 words
Dish Title: Lithospheric Tides Conceptual Narrative This dish explores the geological convergence of the deep ocean and the subterranean earth. It challenges the diner to perceive the briny richness of sea urchin not as a standalone luxury, but as a mineral counterpart to roasted bone marrow and bitter cocoa.
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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…

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)1,203 words
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO — LEDGERLIFT (LLLT) Classification: Internal — Investment Committee Date: June 2025 Analyst: [Portfolio Team] Recommendation & Thesis Recommendation: SHORT 12-Month Price Target Range: $28–$38 (base-to-bull DCF; downside to $17 in bear) Thesis: LLLT trades at ~$46 (mkt cap ~$8.7B, EV ~$7.3B)…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview551 words
To: Investment Committee From: Equity Research Date: September 2, 2026 Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Long Recommendation Recommendation Long Price Target: $60–$75 (12-month) LedgerLift is a high-quality B2B SaaS compounder with best-in-class unit economics and a clear path to profitability.
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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…

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)234 words
✨ Midnight Stardust Pasta ✨ A silky, golden garlic butter pasta that tastes far more magical than its humble ingredients suggest. ⏱ Time Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 12 minutes Total: 17 minutes 🛒 Ingredients (7 Pantry Staples) Spaghetti (8 oz) Butter (4 tbsp) Olive oil (2 tbsp) Garlic (4 cloves, minced) Parmesan cheese (½…
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Mercury 2.5 Preview186 words
Dish Name: Rustic Sun-Dried Pasta Ingredients (7 Pantry Staples): Spaghetti (or any long pasta) Canned crushed tomatoes Olive oil Garlic powder Dried oregano Salt Black pepper Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Instructions: Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Our Verdict
Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)
Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 PreviewRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) has the edge: bigger model tier.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)
Input
$0.000
Output
$0.000
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
Output
$0.15
Where to run it

2 hosts

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
NNovitabf16$0 in·$0 out·262k·100% up
Mercury 2.5 Preview1 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

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) is developed by inclusionAI while Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception. Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) has a 262K token context window vs Mercury 2.5 Preview's 260K. You can compare their actual outputs across 18 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) and Mercury 2.5 Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 18 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) costs $0/M input tokens and Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens. Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) is $0.04/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 Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) and Mercury 2.5 Preview 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

Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free) logo
Ling 3.0 Flash VL (free)18 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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