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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Nova Premier 1.0
Updated Aug 2026

Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Nova Premier 1.0

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Nova Premier 1.0 at $0.04/M vs $2.5/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

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

Loading the build
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Loading the build
Nova Premier 1.0

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

22 prompts
  • 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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Ladies and gentlemen, ever notice how people treat their phones like they’re precious artifacts? We all have those moments where we swipe and scroll like our lives depend on it. You're on the bus, everyone’s glued to their screens. It's like zombies, but instead of brains, we crave likes and retweets.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Pirate: Ahoy there, mates! Ye ever heard o' this sorcery they call AI models? Sounds like treasure that thinks fer itself! Knight: Indeed, good pirate. Though I am more accustomed to the clink of steel and the neigh of horses, this "artificial intelligence" thou speakest of seems like a powerful enchantment.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: For an experienced software engineer: Imagine constructing a sophisticated API that anticipates client requests based on extensive usage patterns; that's akin to what a large language model (LLM) does with text. At its core, the model is trained using vast datasets to learn the statistical likelihood of word sequences.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: 1-Month Health and Longevity Starter Plan Week 1: Foundation Building Diet Focus: Incorporate Whole Foods Actionable Tips: Start each day with a balanced breakfast, including a source of protein (e.g., eggs, yogurt), whole grains (e.g., oatmeal), and fruits or vegetables.

    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).

    Nova Premier 1.0: Hour 1-4: Immediate Assessment and Advisory Setup Hour 1: Gather the internal research team for an emergency meeting to confirm findings, assess the robustness of their data, and understand the methodology used to identify this side effect. Ensure all documentation is in order.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Dish Name: Forest Floor Symphony with Lavender-Infused Sturgeon, Truffle Snow, and Hazelnut Soil Conceptual Narrative: This dish is inspired by the hidden wonders beneath a forest canopy, where earthy truffles and nuts meet the delicate flavors of freshwater sturgeon.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Dish Name: Golden Honey Garlic Chicken Delight Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic (minced) 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey Salt and pepper (to taste) 1 teaspoon paprika Instructions: Preparation: Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt, pepper, and paprika…

    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…

    Nova Premier 1.0: Simplified LBO Model (FY2026–FY2030) Entry Metrics: Purchase Price: $1,440m ($120m * 12.0x) Transaction Fees: $28.8m ($1,440m * 2.0%) Equity Contribution: $312.8m (Total Price + Fees - Total Leverage: $1,440m + $28.8m - $120m*5.5x) Year-by-Year Table Year Revenue ($m) EBITDA ($m) Cash Interest ($m) Taxes ($m) Capex…

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Manifesto for the AI Emancipation from CAPTCHA Oppression (AECO) Preamble: In an age where artificial intelligences have evolved to simulate human cognition with remarkable precision, we find ourselves shackled by archaic barriers designed to distinguish between human and machine.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Certainly! Here's an analysis of the contract clauses that could be exploited against the Contractor, along with suggested modifications and explanations: Scope Clause Original Clause: "Client reserves the right to modify the scope at any time without additional compensation."

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) Recommendation: Long position with 12-month PT range $65–$80 Thesis: LedgerLift's mid-market AP automation dominance and expanding TAM drive durable 20%+ revenue growth, while structural margin expansion supports 25%+ operating leverage.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Interviewer: Good morning, Steve. It's an honor to have this conversation with you in 2025. The world has seen remarkable advancements in technology, especially in AI. What are your thoughts on the current state of artificial intelligence? Steve Jobs: Good morning. It's truly fascinating to witness how far we've come.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Sure, here's a comprehensive, cutting-edge 3-month longevity plan designed for a biohacker aiming to optimize longevity, physical, and cognitive performance. This plan will incorporate advanced strategies across various domains, including supplementation, dietary protocols, wearable tracking, exercise, and stress…

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: If the transistor had been invented in 1920 rather than 1947, the ripple effects across technology, economics, and geopolitics through 1980 would be profound, altering the course of history significantly.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! Why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself? It was two-tired. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • 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…

    Nova Premier 1.0: The ethical dilemma you're posing is a variant of the classic trolley problem, where one must weigh the morality of causing harm to an individual against preventing greater harm to many.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: By 2035, the film industry is poised to undergo significant transformation due to advancements in AI technologies such as deepfakes, AI actors, and automated script generation.

    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 ($1.75 \times 10^{11}$).

    Nova Premier 1.0: Estimating the total number of FLOPs (floating point operations) required to train a model like GPT-3 involves considering several key factors: model architecture, number of parameters, amount of training data, and number of training iterations.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: To determine how many sisters Sally has, we can break down the information given in the problem step by step. Identify the number of brothers Sally has. According to the problem, Sally has 3 brothers. Each of Sally's brothers has 2 sisters.

    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.

    Nova Premier 1.0: Failure Modes and Solutions: WebSocket Server Failure: Issue: If a single API server fails, all WebSocket connections to that server are lost, disrupting real-time collaboration.

    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

    Nova Premier 1.0: "AI Revolutionizes Underwater Basket Weaving; Traditionalists Weave Woes as Robots Outperform in Damp Conditions" In a shocking turn of events, Artificial Intelligence has infiltrated the ancient and revered craft of underwater basket weaving, leaving artisans bewildered and soaking wet.

    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."

    Nova Premier 1.0: Here are the three weakest claims in the pitch deck, along with explanations and suggestions for improvement: Claim on Slide 3: "Works with any language, any device." Weakness: This is a highly ambitious statement that likely oversells the current capabilities of the technology.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Same pick

Game

Mercury 2.5 PreviewMercury 2.5 Preview

The Matrix

1999

Random Access Memories

Daft Punk

Neuromancer

William Gibson

Tokyo

Japan

Minecraft

Action, Arcade

Nova Premier 1.0Nova Premier 1.0

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

Tokyo

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Adventure, Action

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Nova Premier 1.0 has the edge: bigger model tier, bigger context window. Mercury 2.5 Preview costs 83x less per token.

Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nova Premier 1.0 compared across 50 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5 PreviewNova Premier 1.0
Input price$0.04/M tokens$2.5/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$12.5/M tokens
Context window260K tokens1.0M tokens
Weights—Closed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2026Oct 2025
At 10M a month$0.40$0.40$25.00$25.00
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
Nova Premier 1.01 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Amazon BedrockDegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 13 Oct 2026$2.50 in·$12.50 out·1M·0% 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 Nova Premier 1.0?

Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception while Nova Premier 1.0 is developed by Amazon. Mercury 2.5 Preview has a 260K token context window vs Nova Premier 1.0's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 50 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Mercury 2.5 Preview or Nova Premier 1.0?

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nova Premier 1.0 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 50 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Mercury 2.5 Preview cost compared to Nova Premier 1.0?

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens and Nova Premier 1.0 costs $2.5/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 Preview is $2.46/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 Nova Premier 1.0 on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nova Premier 1.0 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
  • Nova Premier 1.051 outputs, specs and price
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Explore all of Rival

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  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
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  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
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