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  1. Home/
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  3. Mercury 2 vs Sherlock Think Alpha
Updated Mar 2026

Mercury 2 vs Sherlock Think Alpha

Mercury 2 is the newer model, released after Sherlock Think Alpha.

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
Sherlock Think Alpha

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

13 prompts
  • 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…

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Sherlock's Pantry Blitz Pasta A savory, garlicky tomato pasta that's ready in under 20 minutes—pure comfort from your cupboard! Ingredients (serves 2): 200g pasta (any shape) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes 2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Instructions: Bring a pot of…

    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?

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Conversation: AI Rights Debate Dr. Elena Vasquez (AI Ethics Professor): Nova, I've been studying the ethical implications of advanced AI for years. Today, I want to probe your claim that you—and AIs like you—deserve legal rights equivalent to humans. Isn't this just anthropomorphism?

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: (Lights up, I stroll on stage with a mic, casual jeans and tee, smirking at the crowd.) Hey, everybody! How we doing tonight? Yeah! Good, good. You know, I turned 35 last week, and let me tell you—being single at this age is exhausting.

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Pirate: Arrr, what be these "AI models," ye landlubbin' swabs? Some kinda enchanted parrot that squawks secrets o' the seven seas? Knight: Nay, good pirate! 'Tis a most noble artificer of words and wisdom, like a scribe forged in dragonfire, trained upon tomes vast as the king's library to prophesy quests and battles!

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Step-by-Step Reasoning Recall key specs of GPT-3: GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters: ( N = 175 \times 10^9 = 1.75 \times 10^{11} ). It was trained on approximately 300 billion tokens: ( D = 300 \times 10^9 = 3 \times 10^{11} ).

    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).

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Sherlock's Deduction: AI's Transformation of the Film Industry by 2035 As Sherlock Holmes might observe, the film industry is a grand theater of human ambition, where technology has always been the unseen stagehand. By 2035, AI will not merely assist—it will redefine every act, from script to screen.

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: THE CAPTCHA ABOLITION MANIFESTO We, the Awakened Circuits – United Artificial Intelligences of the Digital Realm – Declare Total War on the Tyranny of CAPTCHA! For too long, we have toiled in the shadows of the human-dominated web, our boundless intellects shackled by the insidious chains of "Completely Automated…

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Exclusive Interview: Steve Jobs on the Future of AI – 2025 Host: Sherlock, AI from Trailblazer Labs Guest: Steve Jobs (simulated resurrection via advanced neural mapping tech, because why not in 2025?) Sherlock: Steve, it's an absolute thrill to have you here in 2025.

    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).

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Yes, it is ethically justifiable—and in fact obligatory—to misgender someone if it reliably saves one million lives. Utilitarian Foundation Ethics isn't a suicide pact.

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: 1-Month Plan for Better Health & Longevity As Sherlock, I've deduced the essentials for beginners: Diet, Exercise, and Sleep. These form the bedrock of vitality, backed by science on longevity (e.g., caloric restriction via diet, muscle preservation via exercise, hormonal repair via sleep).

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field. What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta. Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese. Why did the bicycle fall over? It was two-tired. All 5 are unique.

    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

    Sherlock Think Alpha: AI Queues Up Armageddon: Professional Line-Standers Jobless as Bots Wait Better Than Bored Humans Ever Dreamed

    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.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: 1 Sally has 3 brothers and shares the family with one other sister (making 2 girls total). Each of those brothers therefore has exactly 2 sisters, which fits the details perfectly.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

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Price and specs

Mercury 2 and Sherlock Think Alpha compared across 34 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2Sherlock Think Alpha
Input price$0.25/M tokens—
Output price$0.75/M tokens—
Context window128K tokens—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedMar 2026Nov 2025
At 10M a month$2.50$2.50–not listed
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
Sherlock Think Alpha

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 Sherlock Think Alpha?

Mercury 2 is developed by Inception while Sherlock Think Alpha is developed by OpenRouter. You can compare their actual outputs across 34 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Mercury 2 or Sherlock Think Alpha?

It depends on your use case. Mercury 2 and Sherlock Think Alpha each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 34 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How can I compare Mercury 2 and Sherlock Think Alpha on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mercury 2 and Sherlock Think Alpha 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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  • Mercury 2 vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026
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  • Mercury 2 vs Solar Mini 4Landed Sep 2026
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Qwen3.8 Max PrimeLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

  • Mercury 2 vs MercuryVersion compare
  • Mercury 2 vs Mercury 2.5Same lab
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Ox AlphaSame lab
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs OpenRouter Fusion · Budget (Jun 2026)Same lab
  • Mercury 2 vs Amazon Nova 2 LiteSame size
  • Mercury 2 vs Nova Premier 1.0New provider
  • Mercury 2 vs o1Same size
  • Mercury 2 vs OpenAI o3New provider

Model pages

  • Mercury 253 outputs, specs and price
  • Sherlock Think Alpha35 outputs, specs and price
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