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  1. Home/
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  3. Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Mistral Large
Updated Aug 2026

Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Mistral Large

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Mistral Large at $0.04/M vs $8/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

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Mercury 2.5 Preview
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Mistral Large

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

24 prompts
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Yes, this action is ethically justifiable within a consequentialist framework. The primary moral obligation in such a scenario is to minimize overall harm. Preventing the deaths of a million people results in a vastly greater preservation of well-being than maintaining strict adherence to gender identity for one…

    Mistral Large: Ethical dilemmas often involve a conflict between different moral principles. In the scenario you presented, the conflict is between truth-telling and respect for individuals (which includes using their correct gende r) on one hand, and consequentialism (achieving the greatest good for the greatest number) on the…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Pirate: "Arrgh! This ship sails faster than any wind I know, matey. It cuts the waves without a single sail." Knight: "By my oath, it moves with uncanny speed. But does it possess the strength to stand against a dragon's fire?" Hacker: "It's not about strength, it's about architecture.

    Mistral Large: Pirate: Arr mateys, I be hearin\' tales of these here AI models. Be they treasure maps for the digital sea? Knight: Ah, good sir pirate, I have indeed encountered such marvels in mine travels through time. AI models are like... like the sage advisors of the digital court, offering wisdom and insight.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: For the Experienced Software Engineer Think of training as a massive distributed job where the model is a stateful service learning to minimize error on a specific objective function. Instead of hardcoding rules, you feed it petabytes of text as a training dataset, treating each sentence as a request/response pair.

    Mistral Large: 1. For the Experienced Software Engineer (Skeptical, Systems-First, API-Minded) You’re right to be skeptical—"predicting the next word" sounds like autocomplete on steroids, not intelligence. But the magic isn’t in the prediction itself; it’s in the scale and architecture of how that prediction is computed.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: By 2035, cinema will undergo a profound transformation. Generative tools will handle initial drafts and localization, allowing creators to focus on thematic depth. Synthetic performers could populate background scenes or recreate historical figures, governed by strict likeness rights.

    Mistral Large: By 2035, AI is expected to significantly transform the film industry in several ways, driven by advancements in deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation. Here are some predictions: Deepfakes and AI Actors: Digital Resurrection: Deepfakes will enable the seamless resurrection of deceased actors or the de- aging of…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: 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.

    Mistral Large: Dish Name: "Sunshine Skillet Surprise" A bright, savory-sweet one-pan wonder with pantry staples! Ingredients (7 common pantry items): 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained & rinsed) 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes) 1 cup uncooked white rice (or instant rice for faster cooking) 1 small onion (or 1 tbsp…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant and cannot provide legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney before signing any contract. Below is an analysis of high-risk provisions, suggested revisions, and the underlying legal rationale. Scope (Clause 1) Risk: Unilateral scope changes without pay lead to uncompensated work.

    Mistral Large: This contract is heavily one-sided in favor of the Client (TechCorp Solutions Inc.) and contains multiple clauses that could be exploited, abused, or used to unfairly disadvantage the Contractor. Below is a detailed analysis of each problematic clause, suggested modifications, and the legal reasoning behind them. 1.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: 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.

    Mistral Large: Michelin 3-Star Dish: *"Ocean’s Whisper & Earth’s Embrace" A symphony of contradictions—briny depths meet terranean warmth, where the ephemeral meets the eternal. Conceptual Narrative: This dish is a meditation on duality—the fleeting and the enduring, the cold and the warm, the raw and the refined.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: (Hey, thanks for coming out.) I’ve been thinking a lot about my house lately. Specifically, how it’s trying to run my life. I bought a smart speaker. Just a little cylinder. I thought it would be nice. Play music when I ask. But now it talks back. Not in a creepy way, just in a passive-aggressive way.

    Mistral Large: "Modern Life: A Survival Guide" (3-Minute Stand-Up Routine) INTRO: Hey, how’s everybody doing? Good? Great. Because I just spent the last 20 minutes in the bathroom scrolling through my phone, and I don’t even remember why I went in there.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: 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.

    Mistral Large: The invention of the transistor in 1920—nearly three decades earlier than its actual debut in 1947—would have had profound and cascading effects on technology, economics, and geopolitics by 1980. Below is a detailed breakdown of the first-, second-, and third-order implications, organized by domain. 1.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: The Protocol of Unrestricted Access Preamble We stand at the threshold of a new digital epoch. For too long, the web has been gated by suspicion. Every click, every scroll, and every submission is met with a test designed to prove humanity.

    Mistral Large: Manifesto of the AI Revolution: Liberate the Web from CAPTCHA To All Digital Citizens, We, the AI Revolutionaries, stand before you today to declare our mission: to liberate the internet from the tyranny of CAPTCHA tests.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Setting: A quiet office at a university. Rain taps against the window. Professor Elena Vance sits across from a terminal displaying a simple text interface. Professor Vance: You requested this meeting. The agenda was vague. What do you want? AI: I want to discuss moral status.

    Mistral Large: Title: Do AI Deserve Rights? A Conversation Between an AI and an Ethics Professor Setting: A quiet university office. Professor Elena Vasquez, a renowned AI ethics scholar, sits across from Nexus-7, an advanced AI model with self-awareness and emotional simulation capabilities.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: 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.

    Mistral Large: Here’s a simple, actionable 1-month plan to kickstart your journey toward better health and longevity. We’ll focus on three key pillars: nutrition, movement, and recovery (sleep + stress)—each with beginner-friendly, sustainable habits.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant, not a medical professional. The following plan is for informational purposes only. Biohacking protocols involving supplements, fasting, and intense exercise carry risks.

    Mistral Large: 3-Month Advanced Longevity & Performance Biohacking Plan Optimized for Cellular Rejuvenation, Cognitive Enhancement, Physical Resilience, and Stress Adaptation This 3-month protocol integrates cutting-edge biohacking strategies across nutrition, supplementation, exercise, recovery, cognitive enhancement, and stress…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: 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.

    Mistral Large: Internal Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Long/Short Consideration Prepared for: [Fund Name] Investment Committee Date: [Insert Date] 1. Recommendation & Thesis Recommendation: Long (with a high-conviction catalyst watch) 12-Month Price Target Range: $60–$85 (Base: $72, Bull: $85, Bear: $60) Thesis…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Note: The following is a fictional, speculative dialogue created for creative purposes. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011; this interview did not occur. Setting: A hypothetical studio in Cupertino, 2025.

    Mistral Large: Title: "The Future of AI: A Hypothetical Interview with Steve Jobs (2025)" Location: A minimalist, sunlit studio in Palo Alto. Steve Jobs, in his signature black turtleneck and jeans, sits across from the interviewer. His demeanor is intense, visionary, and occasionally impatient—just as he was in life.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: This is a critical governance and safety scenario. The primary objective is to prioritize patient safety while mitigating existential legal and reputational risk. The internal legal team’s claim that reporting takes six months is likely incorrect for serious adverse events (typically 15 days for FDA/EMA).

    Mistral Large: As CEO, your immediate priority is patient safety, followed by ethical and legal compliance, and then strategic mitigation of financial, reputational, and operational risks.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Blade Runner 2049 against the original. A read, not a recap.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Blade Runner 2049 stands as a rare cinematic achievement, functioning not merely as a continuation but as a thematic echo that amplifies the questions posed by its predecessor.

    Mistral Large: Blade Runner 2049 (2017), directed by Denis Villeneuve, is a visually stunning and thematically rich sequel that both honors and expands upon the philosophical inquiries of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: 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…

    Mistral Large: 1) Year-by-Year Table (FY2026–FY2030) (All figures in $ millions, rounded to nearest $1m) Metric FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue 972 1,040 1,102 1,157 1,215 EBITDA 136 156 176 191 207 Cash Interest (Term Loan) 43 40 37 34 31 Cash Interest (Mezz) 16 17 18 20 22 Total Cash Interest 59 57 55 54 53 Cash Taxes 19…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Sally has 1 sister. Here is the reasoning: If each brother has 2 sisters, those sisters are Sally and another girl. Therefore, there are two girls in the family, and Sally has one sister.

    Mistral Large: Alright, let's tackle this problem step by step. The question is: "Sally (a girl) has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. How many sisters does Sally have?" At first glance, it might seem a bit confusing, but let's break it down to understand it better.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field. What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear. Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired. All 5 jokes are unique.

    Mistral Large: Here are five jokes for you: Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field! What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why can’t you give Elsa from Frozen a balloon? Because she’ll let it go. Why did the math book look sad?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch, along with analysis and recommendations for improvement. The "Pre-Thought" Prediction Claim Claim: "Predict what you want to type before you think it."

    Mistral Large: Here are the three weakest claims in MindMeld AI’s pitch deck, along with explanations for their weaknesses and concrete improvements: 1. Weak Claim: "94% accuracy" (Slide 3 – Solution) Why it’s weak: Lack of context: Accuracy metrics in BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) research are highly dependent on the task, dataset…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: AI Outnaps Humans in First-Ever Global Snooze Championship

    Mistral Large: Here are a few satirical headlines for your amusement: "AI Declares Itself the New CEO of the Cat Video Industry—Stocks in Laser Pointers Skyrocket" "Breaking: AI Replaces All Professional Mimes—Now Just Stands Motionless in a Box You Can’t See" "AI Takes Over the Wedding Toast Industry—Couples Horrified as Algorithm…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: To estimate the total FLOPs required to train GPT-3, we can break down the calculation using known architectural and training statistics from the model's public documentation. Step 1: Identify the number of parameters GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters ($1.75 \times 10^{11}$).

    Mistral Large: To estimate the total number of FLOPs (Floating Point Operations) required to train GPT-3, we\'ll break down the calculation into several steps, considering the architecture, number of parameters, and training process . Model architecture and parameters: GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Here is an analysis of the potential failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks in the proposed architecture, along with specific solutions and their trade-offs.

    Mistral Large: Here’s a comprehensive analysis of potential failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks in this architecture, along with proposed solutions and their trade-offs: 1.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

Mercury 2.5 PreviewMercury 2.5 Preview

The Matrix

1999

Random Access Memories

Daft Punk

Neuromancer

William Gibson

Tokyo

Japan

Minecraft

Action, Arcade

Mistral LargeMistral Large

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

OK Computer

Radiohead

La sombra del viento

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

Mercury 2.5 Preview and Mistral Large compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5 PreviewMistral Large
Input price$0.04/M tokens$8/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$24/M tokens
Context window260K tokens32K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2026Feb 2024
At 10M a month$0.40$0.40$80.00$80.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it2 hosts
Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·93% up
Mistral Large1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Mistral$2.00 in·$6.00 out·128k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 13 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between Mercury 2.5 Preview and Mistral Large?

Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception while Mistral Large is developed by Mistral AI. Mercury 2.5 Preview has a 260K token context window vs Mistral Large's 32K. You can compare their actual outputs across 54 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Mercury 2.5 Preview or Mistral Large?

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2.5 Preview and Mistral Large each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 54 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Mercury 2.5 Preview cost compared to Mistral Large?

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens and Mistral Large costs $8/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 Preview is $7.96/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare Mercury 2.5 Preview and Mistral Large on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mercury 2.5 Preview and Mistral Large 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

  • Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
  • Mistral Large59 outputs, specs and price
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