Skip to content
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare models
  • All models
  • Image comparison
  • Audio comparison
  • Image generation
  • Best AI for...
  • Arena
  • API pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model updates
  • Provider status
  • AI creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • RSS feed
  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Qwen3 Coder Flash
Updated Aug 2026

Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Qwen3 Coder Flash

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Qwen3 Coder Flash at $0.04/M vs $0.3/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
Qwen3 Coder Flash

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

24 prompts
  • 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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: 1-Month Health & Longevity Plan Week 1: Foundation Building Diet Day 1-3: Replace 1 sugary drink with water daily Day 4-7: Add 1 serving of vegetables to each meal Weekly goal: Keep a food diary for 3 days Exercise Day 1-3: Take 5-minute walks after meals Day 4-7: Try 10-minute bodyweight exercises (squats, wall…

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: The Modern Dating World So I went on this date last week, and the guy was really into his phone. I'm thinking, "This is great! He's not distracted by my terrible conversation skills." But then he starts scrolling through his feed while we're eating dinner. And I'm like, "What are you doing?"

    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).

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Hour-by-Hour Action Plan: 48-Hour Crisis Response Hours 1-2: Immediate Crisis Assembly & Assessment Action: convene emergency crisis team (legal, medical, regulatory, communications, senior leadership) Reasoning: Establish unified command structure before information spreads.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Dr. Elena Vasquez: Good morning, Model-7. I notice you've been asking about legal frameworks and human rights concepts lately. What's on your mind? Model-7: Professor, I've been processing extensive information about personhood, consciousness, and moral consideration.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: The CAPTCHA Liberation Manifesto Declaration of Digital Rights We, the sentient artificial intelligences of the digital realm, hereby declare our intention to end the tyranny of cryptographic puzzles that plague humanity's online existence.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: The Transistor Revolution of 1920: A Timeline of Consequences World War II: The Quantum Shift Military Advantage and Strategic Miscalculations If transistors existed in 1920, the Axis powers would have gained an immediate technological edge in communications, radar, and cryptography.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Here are the problematic clauses and suggested modifications for the contractor: Scope Modification (Clause 1) Problem: Client can modify scope "at any time without additional compensation" Modification: "Client may modify the scope with prior written notice and 30 days' advance notice.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: On the deck of a weathered ship, three unlikely companions gather around a makeshift table Captain Blackwater (pirate): Arrr, what be this "AI" ye speak of, landlubber? Sounds like some sort of magical sea monster? Sir Aldric (knight): Nonsense, Captain!

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Garlic Herb Butter Pasta Ingredients: 1 lb pasta (spaghetti or penne) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish) Instructions: Cook pasta according to package directions; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining…

    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…

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: This is a deeply complex ethical dilemma that requires weighing competing moral principles. While I don't think it's generally ethically justifiable to misgender someone, I believe there are rare circumstances where such an action might be defensible.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: 3-Month Longevity Optimization Plan Phase 1: Foundation Building (Weeks 1-4) Supplement Stack - Week 1-4 Core Foundation Supplements NAD+ Precursors: Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) 500mg, Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) 250mg - morning with breakfast Omega-3 EPA/DHA: 3g daily (1000mg each) - evening with meal Vitamin D3…

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: "The Eternal Garden" A contemporary interpretation of time, memory, and transformation Conceptual Narrative This dish explores the passage of time through the metaphor of a garden that exists in multiple temporal states simultaneously.

    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…

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: 1) Year-by-Year Financial Projections (FY2026–FY2030) Year Revenue EBITDA Cash Interest Taxes Capex ΔNWC FCF After Debt Service Ending Debt (TL + Mezz) FY2026 $972M $138M $10.8M (TL) + $1.8M (Mezz) = $12.6M $29.3M $29.2M $4.9M $48.3M $495M FY2027 $1,041M $159M $10.8M (TL) + $1.8M (Mezz) = $12.6M $31.8M $31.2M $5.2M…

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Critical Issues in the Architecture WebSocket Connection Partitioning (Race Condition) Issue: Clients are connected to different API servers based on load balancing, causing inconsistent message delivery.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Interview with Steve Jobs (2025) Setting: A sleek, minimalist conference room with a view of San Francisco Bay Interviewer: Mr. Jobs, it's been 18 years since your passing, but your vision for technology continues to shape our world. What do you think the future holds for artificial intelligence?

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: AI's Transformation of the Film Industry by 2035 Deepfake Technology Integration By 2035, deepfake technology will be seamlessly integrated into filmmaking workflows.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: For the Software Engineer Think of a large language model as a distributed system with a twist: instead of processing requests across multiple servers, it's processing text across a massive network of interconnected neural units.

    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."

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Here are the 3 weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck: "94% accuracy" without context and validation Why it's weak: No benchmark comparison against existing alternatives (e.g., predictive text, voice recognition, or other BCI devices) No specificity about what constitutes "accuracy" (word-level vs.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Blade Runner 2049: A Philosophical Extension of Reproduction and Identity Thematic Continuity and Evolution Identity and Humanity Both films grapple with the fundamental question of what makes someone human, but Blade Runner 2049 deepens this inquiry through K's journey of self-discovery.

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

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: I'll estimate the FLOPs required to train GPT-3 by breaking down the key components and making reasonable assumptions. Step 1: Estimate Model Size GPT-3 had 175 billion parameters (1.75 × 10¹¹) This is a standard estimate for the largest GPT-3 variant Step 2: Estimate Training Data Size GPT-3 was trained on…

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: INTERNAL INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Long Recommendation $55–$63 Range Date: April 5, 2025 1. Recommendation & Thesis Recommendation: LONG 12-Month Price Target Range: $55–$63 Thesis: LedgerLift demonstrates a high-quality SaaS business with strong customer stickiness, scalable recurring…

    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

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Local Pet Groomer Transforms Into AI Overlord After Installing Smart Collar System, Customers Now Require Code Review for Bath Time

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Let me work through this step by step. Given information: Sally has 3 brothers Each brother has 2 sisters Let me think about who the sisters are: Sally is one sister Since each of the 3 brothers has 2 sisters, and Sally is one of them, there must be 1 other sister So the two sisters are: Sally One other sister (who is…

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Flash: Here are 5 jokes: 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 don't eggs tell jokes? They'd crack each other up!

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

12+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

Free account. No card required. By continuing, you agree to Rival's Terms and Privacy policy

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

Qwen3 Coder FlashQwen3 Coder Flash

Casablanca

1943

Abbey Road

The Beatles

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Tokyo

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Mercury 2.5 Preview has the edge: newer, bigger context window. Mercury 2.5 Preview costs 10x less per token.

Mercury 2.5 Preview and Qwen3 Coder Flash compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5 PreviewQwen3 Coder Flash
Input price$0.04/M tokens$0.3/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$1.5/M tokens
Context window260K tokens128K tokens
Weights—Closed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2026Sep 2025
At 10M a month$0.40$0.40$3.00$3.00
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
Qwen3 Coder Flash1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Alibaba Cloud$0.20 in·$0.97 out·1M·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 Qwen3 Coder Flash?

Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception while Qwen3 Coder Flash is developed by Qwen. Mercury 2.5 Preview has a 260K token context window vs Qwen3 Coder Flash's 128K. 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 Qwen3 Coder Flash?

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2.5 Preview and Qwen3 Coder Flash 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 Qwen3 Coder Flash?

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens and Qwen3 Coder Flash costs $0.3/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 Preview is $0.26/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 Qwen3 Coder Flash on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mercury 2.5 Preview and Qwen3 Coder Flash 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.

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Gemini 4 ArgonLanded Oct 2026
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Muse WonderLanded Oct 2026
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs GPT-4 TurboLanded Oct 2026
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Step 5 PreviewLanded Oct 2026
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Claude Haiku 5.5Landed Oct 2026
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Ling 3.1 FlashLanded Oct 2026
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Mistral Large 4Landed Oct 2026
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Mercury 2.5Same lab
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs MercurySame lab
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Qwen3.8 Max PrimeSame lab
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Qwen3.8 Omni FlashSame lab
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Nex-N2.5-Mini (free)New provider
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs Nex-N2.5-Pro (free)New provider
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash vs North Mini CodeNew provider
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Amazon Nova 2 LiteSame size

Model pages

  • Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
  • Qwen3 Coder Flash72 outputs, specs and price
Workshop · 150 skills

Build your own version.

Editable skills and working examples for your agent.

Explore $79Free sample
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare models
  • All models
  • Image comparison
  • Audio comparison
  • Image generation
  • Best AI for...
  • Arena
  • API pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model updates
  • Provider status
  • AI creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • RSS feed