token.app › Compare › Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) vs Mercury 3
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) vs Mercury 3
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) is free to use, against $0.163 per million tokens.
Head to head
Blended price uses a 3:1 input:output mix
| Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) | Mercury 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | NVIDIA | Inception |
| Input $/1M | Free | $0.100 |
| Output $/1M | Free | $0.350 |
| Blended $/1M | Free | $0.163 |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Max output | 66K | 131K |
| Released | Aug 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Licence | Open weights | Proprietary |
Choose Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) if…
- Costs less per token — Free vs $0.163 blended
- Open weights — self-hostable
Choose Mercury 3 if…
- Newer model (released Oct 2026)
FAQ
Which is better, Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) or Mercury 3?
We do not hold independently-run benchmark scores covering both Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) and Mercury 3, so we make no quality claim. Their pricing and specifications are compared on this page.
Is Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) cheaper than Mercury 3?
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (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 Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) and Mercury 3 have?
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free): 1,000,000 tokens. Mercury 3: 1,000,000 tokens.
Who makes Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) and Mercury 3?
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) is made by NVIDIA. Mercury 3 is made by Inception.
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