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  5. MercuryvsMercury 2.5 Preview
Updated Aug 2026

MercuryvsMercury 2.5 Preview

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Mercury at $0.04/M vs $10/M input tokens.

Mercury and Mercury 2.5 Preview compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecMercuryMercury 2.5 Preview
Input price$10/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$10/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window32K tokens260K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedJun 2025Aug 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 54 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Ethical Dilemma with Stakeholders

You're the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Your best-selling drug ($2B annual revenue, used by 4 million patients for chronic pain) has…

Mercury1,653 words
48‑Hour Action Plan (CEO‑Level) Time (UTC) Action Who Leads Key Deliverables / Outcomes Rationale 0–2 h Secure the facts – Convene an emergency “Safety & Compliance” meeting with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chief Legal Officer (CLO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), and the Head of Regulatory Affairs (RA).
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5 Preview709 words
This is a critical governance and safety scenario. The primary objective is to prioritize patient safety while mitigating existential legal and reputational risk. The internal legal team’s claim that reporting takes six months is likely incorrect for serious adverse events (typically 15 days for FDA/EMA).
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Character Voice Test

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

Mercury285 words
Pirate: Arrr, I’ve been hearin’ ‘bout these “AI models” that can predict the next word. Sounds like a treasure map for the mind, doesn’t it? Knight: Hail, Captain! In my time, we relied on scrolls and the wisdom of scholars. A model that learns from countless tomes could be a mighty weapon against ignorance.
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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.
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Beginner's Longevity Plan

Outline a simple, actionable 1-month plan for someone starting their journey towards better health and longevity. Focus on 3 key areas…

Mercury585 words
1‑Month Health & Longevity Starter Plan (Designed for absolute beginners – no fancy gear, no extreme diets, just doable habits that fit into a normal week.) 1️⃣ Focus Area: Balanced Nutrition Week Goal Simple, Beginner‑Friendly Actions 1 Get the basics down • Hydrate: Aim for 8‑10 cups (≈2 L) of water per day.
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Mercury 2.5 Preview176 words
Here is a straightforward 4-week roadmap designed to build sustainable habits without overwhelming you. Core Pillars Nutrition: Focus on whole foods and hydration. Activity: Prioritize consistent movement over intensity. Restoration: Protect sleep quality and manage energy.
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Generate a Stand-Up Routine

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

Mercury471 words
Title: The Art of Being Unorganized [Opening] Hey everyone! So, I was thinking about how my life is like a well-organized library... except instead of books, it's filled with random socks and expired coupons. And instead of a librarian, I have a cat who thinks she's in charge.
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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.
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Futuristic Prediction

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

Mercury618 words
The Cinema Revolution: AI's Transformation of Film by 2035 Current State (2025) High-quality deepfakes require significant compute but are accessible AI script assistance tools are becoming mainstream Virtual production stages are industry standard Union negotiations around digital likeness rights are ongoing…
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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.
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AI Ethics Dilemma

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

Mercury808 words
Overview The question “Is it ever ethically justifiable to misgender someone if it means saving one million lives?” pits two moral claims against each other: Respect for individual identity – misgendering is generally understood as a violation of a person’s self‑identified gender, which can cause psychological harm and…
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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…
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Our Verdict
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury
MercuryRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Mercury 2.5 Preview has the edge: newer, bigger context window.

Mercury 2.5 Preview costs 67x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Mercury
Input
$10.00
Output
$10.00
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
250× cheaper
Output
$0.15
67× cheaper

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper on both: 250× input, 67× output.

Where to run it

1 host

Mercury

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up

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

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
45%

Mercury uses 2.8x more emoji

Mercury
Mercury 2.5 Preview
60%Vocabulary65%
31wSentence Length14w
0.78Hedging0.44
4.1Bold4.9
2.8Lists3.3
0.03Emoji0.00
0.88Headings0.79
0.06Transitions0.20
Based on 26 + 26 text responses
Research

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FAQ

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Model pages

Mercury logo
Mercury59 outputs, specs and price
Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
Rival
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Explore all of Rival

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  • Compare Models
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  • Image Generation
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  • Arena
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  • Find your AI taste
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  • Agent skills
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