token.app › Compare › R1 0528 vs Mercury 3
R1 0528 vs Mercury 3
Mercury 3 is 5.6× cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 basis. Mercury 3 accepts the larger context window (1M).
Head to head
Blended price uses a 3:1 input:output mix
| R1 0528 | Mercury 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | Inception |
| Input $/1M | $0.500 | $0.100 |
| Output $/1M | $2.15 | $0.350 |
| Blended $/1M | $0.912 | $0.163 |
| Context window | 164K | 1M |
| Max output | 33K | 131K |
| Released | May 2025 | Oct 2026 |
| Licence | Open weights | Proprietary |
Choose R1 0528 if…
- Open weights — self-hostable
Choose Mercury 3 if…
- Costs less per token — $0.163 vs $0.912 blended
- Larger context window (1M)
- Newer model (released Oct 2026)
FAQ
Which is better, R1 0528 or Mercury 3?
We do not hold independently-run benchmark scores covering both R1 0528 and Mercury 3, so we make no quality claim. Their pricing and specifications are compared on this page.
Is R1 0528 cheaper than Mercury 3?
Mercury 3 is cheaper: $0.163 versus $0.912 per million tokens blended at 3:1 input:output. Input alone: $0.500 vs $0.100. Output alone: $2.15 vs $0.350.
What context windows do R1 0528 and Mercury 3 have?
R1 0528: 163,840 tokens. Mercury 3: 1,000,000 tokens.
Who makes R1 0528 and Mercury 3?
R1 0528 is made by DeepSeek. Mercury 3 is made by Inception.