token.app › Compare › GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k vs Mercury 3
GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k vs Mercury 3
Mercury 3 is 20× 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
| GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k | Mercury 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Inception |
| Input $/1M | $3.00 | $0.100 |
| Output $/1M | $4.00 | $0.350 |
| Blended $/1M | $3.25 | $0.163 |
| Context window | 16K | 1M |
| Max output | 4K | 131K |
| Released | Aug 2023 | Oct 2026 |
| Licence | Proprietary | Proprietary |
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k if…
- No clear advantage on the data we hold.
Choose Mercury 3 if…
- Costs less per token — $0.163 vs $3.25 blended
- Larger context window (1M)
- Newer model (released Oct 2026)
FAQ
Which is better, GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k or Mercury 3?
We do not hold independently-run benchmark scores covering both GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k and Mercury 3, so we make no quality claim. Their pricing and specifications are compared on this page.
Is GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k cheaper than Mercury 3?
Mercury 3 is cheaper: $0.163 versus $3.25 per million tokens blended at 3:1 input:output. Input alone: $3.00 vs $0.100. Output alone: $4.00 vs $0.350.
What context windows do GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k and Mercury 3 have?
GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k: 16,385 tokens. Mercury 3: 1,000,000 tokens.
Who makes GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k and Mercury 3?
GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k is made by OpenAI. Mercury 3 is made by Inception.
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