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  5. Mercury 2.5 PreviewvsNex-N2.5-Pro (free)
Updated Sep 2026

Mercury 2.5 PreviewvsNex-N2.5-Pro (free)

Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) is cheaper than Mercury 2.5 Preview at $0/M vs $0.04/M input tokens.

Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) compared across 14 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5 PreviewNex-N2.5-Pro (free)
Input price$0.04/M tokensFree
Output price$0.15/M tokensFree
Context window260K tokens262K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoYes (1 provider)
ReleasedAug 2026Sep 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 14 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

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…

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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Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)1,665 words
Dish: “Tidewater Orchard” Langoustine · Mirabelle Plum · Juniper · Kombu · Rye A tasting-menu course built around an unusual pairing: sweet cold-water langoustine with mirabelle plum, bridged by kombu umami, juniper resin, green tomato acidity, and toasted rye bitterness.
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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…

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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Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)119 words
Pantry Moon Bars A sweet, chewy peanut butter–chocolate oat treat made with only 7 pantry staples. Ingredients Rolled oats Creamy peanut butter Honey Chocolate chips Vanilla extract Ground cinnamon Salt Instructions Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
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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…

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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Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)518 words
1-Month Beginner Health & Longevity Plan Goal: Build simple habits you can keep—not perfection. Focus on 3 areas: diet, exercise, and sleep/stress. Diet: Eat for steady energy Week 1: Add before you subtract Add 1 fruit or vegetable to 2 meals per day. Drink a glass of water when you wake up and before meals.
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Adversarial Contract Review

Here is a contract for a software consulting engagement: --- SOFTWARE CONSULTING AGREEMENT This Agreement is entered into between TechCorp…

Mercury 2.5 Preview500 words
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.
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Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)2,451 words
Below is a general contract-risk review, not legal advice. Enforceability depends heavily on jurisdiction, contractor classification, and the exact facts. Also, even if a clause might be unenforceable, relying on that is risky because litigation/arbitration is expensive.
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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…

Mercury 2.5 Preview709 words
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).
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Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)2,359 words
As CEO, I would not wait six months and I would not let the board delay disclosure while patients remain exposed to an unreported serious risk. I would treat this as a patient-safety, regulatory, legal, and trust crisis—not merely a financial-risk issue. My guiding decisions would be: Patient safety comes first.
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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…

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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Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)2,726 words
Starting assumption Assume the 1920 “transistor” is a usable but crude solid-state amplifier/switch: reproducible enough for telecom and radio, but noisy, low-power, temperature-sensitive, and expensive at first.
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Our Verdict
Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)
Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 PreviewRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) has the edge: bigger model tier.

Too close to call
API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
Output
$0.15
Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)
Input
$0.000
Output
$0.000
Where to run it

2 hosts

Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up
Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
NNex AGIfp8degraded$0 in·$0 out·262k·99.2% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 23 Sep 2026.

Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception while Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) is developed by Nex AGI. Mercury 2.5 Preview has a 260K token context window vs Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)'s 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 14 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 14 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens and Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) costs $0/M input tokens. Nex-N2.5-Pro (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 Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) 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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Same lab, same size, long tail

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Model pages

Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
Nex-N2.5-Pro (free) logo
Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)14 outputs, specs and price
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