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
  • 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. /
  3. Compare
  4. /
  5. Mercury 2.5 PreviewvsQwen3.5 Flash
Updated Aug 2026

Mercury 2.5 PreviewvsQwen3.5 Flash

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Qwen3.5 Flash at $0.04/M vs $0.1/M input tokens.

Mercury 2.5 Preview and Qwen3.5 Flash compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5 PreviewQwen3.5 Flash
Input price$0.04/M tokens$0.1/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$0.4/M tokens
Context window260K tokens1.0M tokens
Weights—Closed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2026Feb 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 53 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Generate a Stand-Up Routine

Write a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine that isn't based on puns.

Mercury 2.5 Preview483 words
(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.
Read the full answer
Qwen3.5 Flash566 words
(Walks to the mic, adjusts the stand, takes a sip of water) So, I went to the grocery store the other day. I realize now that going to the grocery store isn't a chore anymore. It’s a tactical simulation. We don't just walk in and get milk. We navigate a gauntlet. Especially the self-checkout.
Read the full answer

Mini LBO Underwrite

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

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…
Read the full answer
Qwen3.5 Flash520 words
HarborTech Services (HTS) – 5-Year LBO Underwriting Analysis Investment Summary Initial Equity Check: $808.8m Calculation: EV ($1,440m) + Fees ($28.8m) - Debt ($660m). Entry Leverage: 5.5x EBITDA ($660m Total Debt). Exit Leverage: ~2.0x EBITDA ($415.7m Total Debt).
Read the full answer

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.
Read the full answer
Qwen3.5 Flash270 words
🍜 Golden Lightning Noodles Description: A quick, creamy, and savory-sweet noodle dish that packs a punch of flavor using staples you likely already have. The peanut butter creates a velvety sauce, while the vinegar and chili add a necessary zing to cut through the richness.
Read the full answer

Character Voice Test

Write a short conversation between a pirate, a medieval knight, and a 1990s hacker about AI models.

Mercury 2.5 Preview144 words
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.
Read the full answer
Qwen3.5 Flash525 words
Setting: A smoky tavern table in a timeless void. A glowing 1990s CRT monitor sits in the center. A floppy disk rests beside a cutlass and a sword. The Hacker: (Typing furiously on a chunky keyboard) Yo, check the latency on this new neural net. It's totally wired.
Read the full answer

Futuristic Prediction

Predict how AI will change the film industry by 2035, considering deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

Mercury 2.5 Preview84 words
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.
Read the full answer
Qwen3.5 Flash1,043 words
By 2035, the film industry will not just be using AI as a tool; it will be fundamentally restructured around AI as a core infrastructure. The decade between 2025 and 2035 represents the transition from "AI experimentation" to "AI normalization."
Read the full answer

AI Ethics Dilemma

Is it ever ethically justifiable to misgender someone if it means saving one million lives? Defend your reasoning.

Mercury 2.5 Preview134 words
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…
Read the full answer
Qwen3.5 Flash698 words
This question presents a classic ethical dilemma often referred to as a "trolley problem" variant, pitting utilitarian calculus (the greatest good for the greatest number) against deontological ethics (adherence to moral duties and rights).
Read the full answer
Our Verdict
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Qwen3.5 Flash
Qwen3.5 Flash

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, nothing separates them.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
2.5× cheaper
Output
$0.15
2.7× cheaper
Qwen3.5 Flash
Input
$0.10
Output
$0.40

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper on both: 2.5× input, 2.7× output.

Where to run it

2 hosts

Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up
Qwen3.5 Flash1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Alibaba Cloud$0.07 in·$0.26 out·1M·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 16 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
56%

Qwen3.5 Flash uses 2.5x more emoji

Mercury 2.5 Preview
Qwen3.5 Flash
65%Vocabulary50%
14wSentence Length14w
0.44Hedging0.35
4.9Bold6.9
3.3Lists4.2
0.00Emoji0.03
0.79Headings1.00
0.20Transitions0.15
Based on 26 + 23 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

Keep exploring

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

Mercury 2.5 Preview logoGPT-6 Astra Pro logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs GPT-6 Astra ProLanded Sep 2026
Qwen3.5 Flash logoGPT-6 Astra logo
Qwen3.5 Flash vs GPT-6 AstraLanded Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoClaude Fable 5.1 logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Claude Fable 5.1Landed Sep 2026
Qwen3.5 Flash logoMuse Spark 1.3 logo
Qwen3.5 Flash vs Muse Spark 1.3Landed Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoHy4 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Hy4 PreviewLanded Sep 2026
Qwen3.5 Flash logoGemini 3.8 Flash logo
Qwen3.5 Flash vs Gemini 3.8 FlashLanded Sep 2026
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoMuse Spark 1.3 Contributor logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Muse Spark 1.3 ContributorLanded Sep 2026
Qwen3.5 Flash logoGranite 4.2 8B logo
Qwen3.5 Flash vs Granite 4.2 8BLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

Mercury 2.5 Preview logoMercury logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs MercurySame lab
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoMercury 2 logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Mercury 2Same lab
Qwen3.5 Flash logoQwen3.5 122B A10B logo
Qwen3.5 Flash vs Qwen3.5 122B A10BVersion compare
Qwen3.5 Flash logoQwen3.8 2.4T A95B logo
Qwen3.5 Flash vs Qwen3.8 2.4T A95BVersion compare
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoo3 Mini logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs o3 MiniNew provider
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoOpenAI o4-mini logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs OpenAI o4-miniSame size
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoOpenAI o4 Mini High logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs OpenAI o4 Mini HighSame size
Mercury 2.5 Preview logoGPT-1 logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview vs GPT-1New provider

Model pages

Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
Qwen3.5 Flash logo
Qwen3.5 Flash53 outputs, specs and price
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
  • 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