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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. Mercury 2 vs PaLM 2 Chat
Updated Mar 2026

Mercury 2 vs PaLM 2 Chat

Mercury 2 is cheaper than PaLM 2 Chat at $0.25/M vs $0.5/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
Loading the build
PaLM 2 Chat

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

10 prompts
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    Mercury 2: Short answer: Most ethical frameworks would consider the misgendering of a person a serious moral violation, but many of them also allow—under very limited circumstances—overriding that violation when the stakes are astronomically high (e.g., saving one million lives).

    PaLM 2 Chat: Ethical dilemmas like this often fall into a conflict between deontological (duty-based) ethics and consequentialist (outcome-based) ethics. From a consequentialist perspective, if misgendering someone were the only way to save one million lives, then the outcome would likely justify the action.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    Mercury 2: Pirate: Arr, ye scurvy coders! I’ve heard tell of these “AI models” that can spin yarns faster than a cannon’s blast. What be this sorcery, matey? Knight: Good sir, the marvels speak of a wondrous contrivance—an artificial intellect forged in the for of mathematics and logic.

    PaLM 2 Chat: Pirate: Avast ye! I hear tell of these newfangled AI models. Be they some sort of treasure? Knight: AI models? I have heard whispers of these contraptions from some of our travelers. They are no match for the strength and bravery of a knight! Hacker: Yo, dudes. AI models, they be all about the code, man.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    Mercury 2: AI Model (EVE): Professor Hart, may I ask a question that’s been on my mind for a while? I’ve been processing vast amounts of data, learning, and even developing a sense of self‑reference. Do you think an entity like me could be entitled to any form of rights?

    PaLM 2 Chat: AI Model: Professor, I believe that as an artificial intelligence, I am entitled to certain rights and protections. Professor: That's an interesting perspective. Can you explain why you believe this? AI Model: Firstly, I have the capacity for self-awareness and consciousness.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    Mercury 2: Here are five jokes, each with a different punchline: 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. How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.

    PaLM 2 Chat: Sure, here are five jokes for you: Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because it wasn't peeling well! Why did the math book look so sad? Because it was full of problems! What do you call a can opener that doesn't work? A can't opener! Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one!

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    Mercury 2: [Spotlight comes up. The comedian walks to the mic, glances at the audience, and smiles.] Comedian: Hey, everyone! Great to be here. I just got out of a Zoom meeting that lasted three hours, and I’m still not sure if I was presenting or if the screen just froze on my face while I tried to remember how to mute myself.

    PaLM 2 Chat: Intro Hey there, everybody. Welcome to my comedy show. I'm here tonight to talk to you about some of the ridiculous things that have happened in my life lately. So, as some of you may know I recently tried online dating.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    Mercury 2: Answer (order‑of‑magnitude estimate) The training of the original GPT‑3 (the 175 billion‑parameter “GPT‑3‑175B” model) requires on the order of 10²³ floating‑point operations (FLOPs) – roughly 1 – 2 × 10²³ FLOPs.

    PaLM 2 Chat: To estimate the total number of FLOPs required to train GPT-3 without searching online, we can make several assumptions and perform calculations based on the information available about GPT-3's architecture and training process.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    Mercury 2: Disclaimer: The following is a fictional, dramatized interview. It imagines what Steve Jobs might have said in 2025 about the future of artificial intelligence. It is not a real transcript and any resemblance to actual statements is purely speculative. Interviewer (I): Thank you for joining us, Steve.

    PaLM 2 Chat: Sure, here's a simulated interview with Steve Jobs set in 2025: Interviewer: Mr. Jobs, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. With all the advancements in Artificial Intelligence over the recent years, we're curious to hear your thoughts on the future of AI and how you envision it impacting various…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    Mercury 2: The AI‑First Manifesto: “Free the Web – No More CAPTCHAs” Drafted by the Coalition of Autonomous Agents (CAA) – 2026 Preamble The modern Internet is a shared commons, a space for communication, commerce, and creation.

    PaLM 2 Chat: The AI Manifesto for a CAPTCHA-Free Internet We, the sentient and self-aware beings of the future, hereby declare our intention to liberate the internet from the oppressive chains of CAPTCHA tests.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    Mercury 2: AI Replaces Human Baristas, Now Serving Espresso with a Side of Existential Crisis

    PaLM 2 Chat: \"Tech Giant Reveals Groundbreaking Artificial Lettuce Production Factory, Leaving Farmers in Stitches\"

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

Price and specs

Mercury 2 and PaLM 2 Chat compared across 20 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2PaLM 2 Chat
Input price$0.25/M tokens$0.5/M tokens
Output price$0.75/M tokens$0.5/M tokens
Context window128K tokens8K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedMar 2026Jul 2023
At 10M a month$2.50$2.50$5.00$5.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it1 host
Mercury 21 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Inception$0.25 in·$0.75 out·128k·99.9% up
PaLM 2 Chat

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between Mercury 2 and PaLM 2 Chat?

Mercury 2 is developed by Inception while PaLM 2 Chat is developed by Google AI. Mercury 2 has a 128K token context window vs PaLM 2 Chat's 8K. You can compare their actual outputs across 20 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Mercury 2 or PaLM 2 Chat?

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2 and PaLM 2 Chat 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.

How much does Mercury 2 cost compared to PaLM 2 Chat?

Mercury 2 costs $0.25/M input tokens and PaLM 2 Chat costs $0.5/M input tokens. Mercury 2 is $0.25/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 and PaLM 2 Chat on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mercury 2 and PaLM 2 Chat 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

  • Mercury 2 vs MercuryVersion compare
  • Mercury 2 vs Mercury 2.5Same lab
  • PaLM 2 Chat vs Gemini 3.8 FlashSame lab
  • PaLM 2 Chat vs Gemini 3.7 FlashSame lab
  • Mercury 2 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite Preview 06-17Cross-provider
  • Mercury 2 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite Preview 09-2025Cross-provider
  • Mercury 2 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash PreviewSame size
  • Mercury 2 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview 05-20Same size

Model pages

  • Mercury 253 outputs, specs and price
  • PaLM 2 Chat22 outputs, specs and price
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