token.app › Compare › Llama 3.1 70B Instruct vs Mercury 3

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct vs Mercury 3

Mercury 3 is 2.5× 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
Llama 3.1 70B InstructMercury 3
ProviderMetaInception
Input $/1M$0.400$0.100
Output $/1M$0.400$0.350
Blended $/1M$0.400$0.163
Context window131K1M
Max output16K131K
ReleasedJul 2024Oct 2026
LicenceOpen weightsProprietary
Choose Llama 3.1 70B Instruct if…
  • Open weights — self-hostable
Choose Mercury 3 if…
  • Costs less per token — $0.163 vs $0.400 blended
  • Larger context window (1M)
  • Newer model (released Oct 2026)
FAQ
Which is better, Llama 3.1 70B Instruct or Mercury 3?
We do not hold independently-run benchmark scores covering both Llama 3.1 70B Instruct and Mercury 3, so we make no quality claim. Their pricing and specifications are compared on this page.
Is Llama 3.1 70B Instruct cheaper than Mercury 3?
Mercury 3 is cheaper: $0.163 versus $0.400 per million tokens blended at 3:1 input:output. Input alone: $0.400 vs $0.100. Output alone: $0.400 vs $0.350.
What context windows do Llama 3.1 70B Instruct and Mercury 3 have?
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct: 131,072 tokens. Mercury 3: 1,000,000 tokens.
Who makes Llama 3.1 70B Instruct and Mercury 3?
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is made by Meta. Mercury 3 is made by Inception.
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