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  5. Mercury 2.5vsQwen3.5 35B A3B
Updated Sep 2026

Mercury 2.5vsQwen3.5 35B A3B

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper than Qwen3.5 35B A3B at $0.04/M vs $0.25/M input tokens.

Mercury 2.5 and Qwen3.5 35B A3B compared across 20 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5Qwen3.5 35B A3B
Input price$0.04/M tokens$0.25/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$2/M tokens
Context window260K tokens262K tokens
Weights—Open
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedSep 2026Feb 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 20 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Historical Counterfactual Analysis

If the transistor had been invented in 1920 instead of 1947, trace the likely technological, economic, and geopolitical implications through…

Mercury 2.5660 words
Inventing the transistor in 1920 would have fundamentally reshaped the 20th century, compressing the digital age by roughly two decades. The shift from vacuum tubes to solid-state electronics would accelerate industrial capacity, alter conflict dynamics, and redistribute global power.
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Qwen3.5 35B A3B1,194 words
This alternate history scenario assumes that in 1920, the theoretical understanding of quantum mechanics and semiconductor physics advanced sufficiently to allow for the creation of a working point-contact transistor. This implies a "Great Leap Forward" in material science and physics during the interwar period.
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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 2.5501 words
Here is an analysis of the contract clauses that pose significant risk to the contractor, along with suggested modifications and legal reasoning. Scope and Compensation (Clause 1) Risk: The client can expand the project indefinitely without paying extra.
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Qwen3.5 35B A3B1,262 words
Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant and not an attorney. The following analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Contract laws vary significantly by jurisdiction (e.g., California, New York, UK, EU). You should consult with a qualified attorney before signing this agreement.
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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 2.5190 words
Pantry Pasta Primavera Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Ingredients (7 Common Pantry Items) Pasta (spaghetti, penne, or fusilli) – 8 oz Canned crushed tomatoes – 1 can (14 oz) Olive oil – 3 tablespoons Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon Dried oregano – 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese (grated) – ½ cup Salt and…
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Qwen3.5 35B A3B250 words
Golden Satay Spaghetti A creamy, savory-sweet noodle dish that comes together in one pan. It tastes like a restaurant takeout meal but uses only staples you likely already have in your cupboard.
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Explain Like I'm a Specific Expert

Explain how a large language model (like GPT or Claude) learns and generates text to each of these three audiences: 1. **An experienced…

Mercury 2.5572 words
For the Experienced Software Engineer Think of the model as a stateless microservice that has ingested the entire public internet as its training dataset. During the training phase, it performs a massive distributed optimization job, adjusting internal weights to minimize a loss function based on next-token prediction.
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Qwen3.5 35B A3B695 words
For the Experienced Software Engineer You’re right to be skeptical of the "next token" description; it sounds trivial compared to the complexity of building a fault-tolerant distributed system. Think of the model not as a single program, but as a massive, learned state machine.
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Advanced Longevity Plan (Biohacker)

Develop a comprehensive, cutting-edge 3-month longevity plan for a biohacker aiming to optimize longevity, physical and cognitive…

Mercury 2.5610 words
3-Month Biohacking Longevity & Performance Plan Disclaimer: I am an AI, not a physician or certified health professional. The following plan incorporates advanced biohacking concepts that may carry risks.
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Qwen3.5 35B A3B1,171 words
Disclaimer: I am an AI, not a doctor. This plan involves significant physiological manipulation, including fasting, intense exercise, and potent supplementation. You must consult with a qualified healthcare provider, specifically one knowledgeable in functional or integrative medicine, before starting.
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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 2.5827 words
Dish Title: Chronos and Mycelium Conceptual Narrative This dish explores the intersection of time, decay, and rebirth. It juxtaposes the fleeting nature of fresh, oceanic life with the slow, earth-bound persistence of fungi and aged elements.
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Qwen3.5 35B A3B1,060 words
Dish Name: "Erosion of Time" Concept: A sensory exploration of the contrast between the ocean's depth and the forest floor's decay. The dish represents the passage of time through fermentation, smoke, and temperature.
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Our Verdict
Mercury 2.5
Mercury 2.5
Qwen3.5 35B A3B
Qwen3.5 35B A3BRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Mercury 2.5 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer.

Mercury 2.5 costs 13x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Mercury 2.5
Input
$0.04
6.3× cheaper
Output
$0.15
13× cheaper
Qwen3.5 35B A3B
Input
$0.25
Output
$2.00

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper on both: 6.3× input, 13× output.

Where to run it

8 hosts, cheapest first

Mercury 2.51 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up
Qwen3.5 35B A3B7 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
DDarkbloomfp4$0.08 in·$0.75 out·262k·99.9% upDDeepInfrafp8$0.14 in·$1.00 out·262k·100% upPParasailfp8$0.15 in·$1.00 out·262k·100% upAlibaba Cloud$0.16 in·$1.30 out·262k·99.9% upAAtlasCloudfp8$0.23 in·$1.80 out·262k·98% upSSiliconFlowfp8$0.24 in·$1.80 out·262k·27.5% up
1 more hostFewer hosts
VVenice$0.31 in·$1.25 out·256k·99.9% 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 is developed by Inception while Qwen3.5 35B A3B is developed by Qwen. Mercury 2.5 has a 260K token context window vs Qwen3.5 35B A3B's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 20 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2.5 and Qwen3.5 35B A3B each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 20 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

Mercury 2.5 costs $0.04/M input tokens and Qwen3.5 35B A3B costs $0.25/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 is $0.21/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 and Qwen3.5 35B A3B 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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