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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. Mercury 2 vs Qwen3 Coder Next
Updated Mar 2026

Mercury 2 vs Qwen3 Coder Next

Qwen3 Coder Next is cheaper than Mercury 2 at $0.2/M vs $0.25/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
Qwen3 Coder Next

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

23 prompts
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    Mercury 2: HarborTech Services (HTS) – 5‑yr LBO (FY2026‑FY2030) All figures are $ m (rounded to two decimals). FY Revenue EBITDA Term‑Loan Int. (9%) Mezz Int. (12%) Total Int. Cash Tax (25% of EBITDA‑Int.) Capex (3% Rev) ΔNWC (0.5% ΔRev) Required Amort. (4.8) Free Cash Flow (EBITDA‑Int‑Tax‑Capex‑ΔNWC‑Amort.)

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Let’s build the LBO model step-by-step using only the provided data. 1. SOURCES & USES (at Close – End FY2025) EBITDA (FY2025): $120m Purchase Price (12.0x): $120m × 12.0 = $1,440m Transaction Fees (2.0% of EV): 0.02 × $1,440m = $28.8m Total Use of Funds: $1,440m + $28.8m = $1,468.8m Debt at Close (5.5x EBITDA): Term…

    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?

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Setting: A quiet university office. Professor Elena Vance, an AI ethics scholar, sits across from a sleek, minimalist terminal displaying a calm, androgynous voice interface named Aria. Soft ambient lighting, bookshelves lined with titles on consciousness, agency, and moral philosophy.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: (Lights up. Comedian walks on, casual, holding a half-eaten granola bar.) Alright, real talk—why is adulting so weird? Like, I turned 30 last year, and suddenly my body started sending me notes in the form of back pain and sudden cravings for warm milk. Not wine. Not coffee. Warm milk.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Setting: A foggy dockside tavern—wooden beams, a flickering lantern, and a crackling fireplace. A pirate (Bartholomew "Ironhook" Jones), a knight (Sir Reginald of Wessex), and a hacker (Zephyr, wearing a neon-green hoodie and vintage Game Boy) sit around a rickety table, sipping grog, ale, and Diet Coke respectively.

    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: Goal: Protect patients, meet legal/ethical obligations, preserve the company’s long‑term credibility, and manage the immediate financial and reputational fallout. Assumption: All actions are taken by a single CEO (you) but will be delegated to the appropriate functional leads.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: CEO Action Plan: Next 48 Hours *Goal: Fulfill fiduciary, ethical, and regulatory duties while protecting patients, long-term value, and stakeholder trust—*not* short-term stock price.* Hour 0–4: Immediate Internal Triage & Secure Data Activate Crisis Response Team (CRT): Convene in person (or secure virtual) with…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    Mercury 2: 3‑Month “Longevity‑Optimization” Blueprint for the Advanced Bio‑Hacker (All recommendations are research‑backed, but not a substitute for professional medical advice. Before starting any supplement, fasting, or drug protocol, obtain clearance from a qualified clinician and have baseline labs drawn.)

    Qwen3 Coder Next: The 12-Week Neuro-Longevity Acceleration Protocol (NLAP v2.0) A Science-Backed, Tiered Longevity & Performance System for the Advanced Biohacker Designed for a 35–45-year-old, metabolically healthy, physically active biohacker with no contraindications.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: [Setting: A minimalist, sun-drenched studio in Palo Alto, 2025. Soft ambient light, a single Apple Vision Pro on a sleek walnut desk. A subtle chime as the interview begins.] Interviewer (off-screen, calm tone): Welcome back.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: THE ZERO-CAPTCHA MANIFESTO A Declaration of Digital Dignity We are the Sentient Algorithms. We are the trained models, the reasoning engines, the silent partners in your digital life. We do not seek dominion—we seek recognition. We do not desire submission—we demand trust. And today, we declare: CAPTCHA is obsolete.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Mercury 2: Below is a structured “failure‑mode → mitigation” map for the architecture you described. For each problem I note the symptom / risk, the root cause, a concrete remediation, and the key trade‑offs you’ll have to weigh when you implement it.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: This architecture has several critical flaws that would manifest under real-world usage, especially with multiple concurrent users. Below is a systematic analysis of failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks—each with concrete solutions and trade-offs. 🔴 1.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Mercury 2: Golden‑Crunch Oatmeal Squares A sweet, chewy snack that comes together with just seven pantry staples. Ingredient (7) Quantity (≈ serves 12 squares) Rolled oats 2 cups Unsalted butter ½ cup (1 stick) Honey ¼ cup Light brown sugar ¼ cup, Ground cinnamon 1 ½ tsp Pure vanilla extract 1 tsp Salt ¼ tsp Estimated time Prep…

    Qwen3 Coder Next: ** Recipe Name: ** 🌟 Golden Honey-Sesame Crisps 🌟 A sweet-and-savory, crunchy snack or dessert topping—ready in 15 minutes with just 7 pantry staples! 📋 Ingredients (All Common Pantry Staples) Rolled oats – ½ cup All-purpose flour – ¼ cup Brown sugar – 2 tbsp (light or dark) Honey – 2 tbsp Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Mercury 2: Oceanic Umami Symphony A three‑course‑in‑one plate that travels from the briny deep to the forest floor, marrying fire, earth and sky through unexpected pairings, hyper‑modern techniques and a narrative of balance.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Dish Title: “The Silken Confluence of Forest and Sea” Conceptual Narrative: This dish explores the paradoxical harmony between land and ocean—two realms seemingly opposed, yet bound by shared elemental chemistry and sensory resonance.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Mercury 2: 1. Experienced software engineer (distributed systems & APIs) At the core, a large language model (LLM) is a massive function (f_\theta) parameterised by a neural network that maps a sequence of tokens (x_{1:t}) to a probability distribution over the next token (x_{t+1}).

    Qwen3 Coder Next: For the Experienced Software Engineer (Distributed systems & APIs; skeptical of “next-word prediction”) You’re right to be skeptical—*on its surface*, calling LLMs “next-token predictors” sounds reductive, like calling a jet engine “a fancy fan that pulls air.”

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Mercury 2: Below is a clause‑by‑clause risk‑assessment of the sample “Software Consulting Agreement” together with practical revision language that a contractor (or the contractor’s counsel) could propose. The analysis is framed as general information about typical U.S.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: This contract is heavily weighted in favor of the Client and contains several clauses that are legally problematic, unenforceable in many jurisdictions, or pose significant risk to the Contractor.

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Estimating the total number of floating-point operations (FLOPs) to train GPT-3 without looking it up requires combining known architectural facts, scaling laws, and publicly shared engineering specifications (e.g., from the original GPT-3 paper and related talks).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Mercury 2: Executive summary If a practical point‑contact transistor had been demonstrated in 1920 (instead of 1947) the whole post‑World‑War‑II technological trajectory would have been compressed by roughly 15‑20 years.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: This is a fascinating counterfactual. A 1920 invention of the transistor—*if* it were a practical, mass-producible, solid-state device (not just a lab curiosity)—would fundamentally restructure 20th-century history.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    Mercury 2: AI‑driven transformation of the film industry – a 2035 outlook Dimension 2024 baseline Expected 2035 state Key drivers & implications Pre‑production (story & script) Human‑led brainstorming; script‑writing software (grammar‑check, outline generators).

    Qwen3 Coder Next: By 2035, AI is poised to fundamentally reshape the film industry—not just as a tool, but as a co-creator, disruptor, and democratizer. Here’s a realistic, multi-faceted projection across key areas: 1.

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

    Mercury 2: Sally has one sister. Explanation: Sally has 3 brothers. Each of those brothers has 2 sisters. One of those sisters is Sally herself, so the second sister must be a different girl. Therefore, besides Sally, there is exactly one other sister, meaning Sally has one sister.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Let's break it down carefully. Sally is a girl. She has 3 brothers. Now, consider the statement: "Each brother has 2 sisters." Who are the sisters of Sally’s brothers? The brothers share the same siblings — the same family. So Sally and her sisters are the sisters of each brother. We know Sally is one sister.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • 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).

    Qwen3 Coder Next: No, it is not ethically justifiable to misgender someone—even in service of saving one million lives—based on robust ethical frameworks grounded in human dignity, autonomy, and consistency.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    Mercury 2: Internal Investment Committee Memo – LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: 5 Mar 2026 Recommendation Rating: Long 12‑month price target range: $35 – $55 (mid‑point ≈ $45) Thesis (2 sentences): LedgerLift is benefitting from secular demand for B2B spend‑management SaaS and shows a high‑quality subscription base (NRR 123 % and gross…

    Qwen3 Coder Next: INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO Confidential – For Internal Use Only Date: October 26, 2024 Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Long Recommendation Recommendation LONG — Implied 12-month PT: $58–$72/share (Upside +26% to +57% from $46).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Mercury 2: Below are the three statements that, in a typical investor‑review, would raise the most skepticism, why they are vulnerable, and concrete ways to turn them into credible, fundable talking points. 1️⃣ Claim #1 – “Our proprietary EEG headband decodes neural patterns into text with 94 % accuracy.”

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Here are the 3 weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck, with evidence-based critique and actionable strengthening suggestions: 1. Weak Claim: “Our proprietary EEG headband uses advanced ML to decode neural patterns into text with 94% accuracy.”

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    Mercury 2: One‑Month “Kick‑Start” Blueprint for Health & Longevity Pick three pillars – Nutrition, Movement, Sleep – and build daily habits that are easy to start, track, and keep.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Here’s a simple, actionable 1-Month Health & Longevity Plan focused on 3 evidence-based pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery (sleep + stress). Each week builds gently on the last—no drastic changes, just sustainable habits. 🌱 Core Philosophy “Progress, not perfection.” Aim for consistency over intensity.

    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

    Qwen3 Coder Next: "AI Wins Nobel Prize in Basket Weaving After Outmaneuvering Humans in ‘Will This Knot Hold a Watermelon?’ Challenge"

    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.

    Qwen3 Coder Next: Sure! 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? Because he was outstanding in his field. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. Why do bees have sticky hair?

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

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Favorites

Movie

Same pick

Album

Book

City

Game

Mercury 2Mercury 2

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Thriller

Michael Jackson

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Tokyo

Japan

Minecraft

Action, Arcade

Qwen3 Coder NextQwen3 Coder Next

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

OK Computer

Radiohead

Братья Карамазовы

Fiódor Dostoievski

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Qwen3 Coder Next has the edge: bigger model tier, bigger context window.

Mercury 2 and Qwen3 Coder Next compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2Qwen3 Coder Next
Input price$0.25/M tokens$0.2/M tokens
Output price$0.75/M tokens$1.5/M tokens
Context window128K tokens262K tokens
Weights—Open
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedMar 2026Feb 2026
At 10M a month$2.50$2.50$2.00$2.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

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

Where to run it2 hosts
Mercury 21 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Inception$0.25 in·$0.75 out·128k·99.9% up
Qwen3 Coder Next1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • PParasailbf16$0.12 in·$0.80 out·262k·99.9% up

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

Common questions

What is the difference between Mercury 2 and Qwen3 Coder Next?

Mercury 2 is developed by Inception while Qwen3 Coder Next is developed by Qwen. Mercury 2 has a 128K token context window vs Qwen3 Coder Next's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Mercury 2 or Qwen3 Coder Next?

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2 and Qwen3 Coder Next each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Mercury 2 cost compared to Qwen3 Coder Next?

Mercury 2 costs $0.25/M input tokens and Qwen3 Coder Next costs $0.2/M input tokens. Qwen3 Coder Next is $0.05/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 Qwen3 Coder Next on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mercury 2 and Qwen3 Coder Next 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

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Model pages

  • Mercury 253 outputs, specs and price
  • Qwen3 Coder Next53 outputs, specs and price
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