token.app › Compare › Flint (free) vs Mercury 3
Flint (free) vs Mercury 3
Flint (free) is free to use, against $0.163 per million tokens. Mercury 3 accepts the larger context window (1M).
Head to head
Blended price uses a 3:1 input:output mix
| Flint (free) | Mercury 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Recursive | Inception |
| Input $/1M | Free | $0.100 |
| Output $/1M | Free | $0.350 |
| Blended $/1M | Free | $0.163 |
| Context window | 262K | 1M |
| Max output | 236K | 131K |
| Released | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Licence | Open weights | Proprietary |
Choose Flint (free) if…
- Costs less per token — Free vs $0.163 blended
- Open weights — self-hostable
- Newer model (released Oct 2026)
Choose Mercury 3 if…
- Larger context window (1M)
FAQ
Which is better, Flint (free) or Mercury 3?
We do not hold independently-run benchmark scores covering both Flint (free) and Mercury 3, so we make no quality claim. Their pricing and specifications are compared on this page.
Is Flint (free) cheaper than Mercury 3?
Flint (free) is cheaper: Free versus $0.163 per million tokens blended at 3:1 input:output. Input alone: Free vs $0.100. Output alone: Free vs $0.350.
What context windows do Flint (free) and Mercury 3 have?
Flint (free): 262,144 tokens. Mercury 3: 1,000,000 tokens.
Who makes Flint (free) and Mercury 3?
Flint (free) is made by Recursive. Mercury 3 is made by Inception.