token.app › Compare › Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct vs Mercury 3

Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct vs Mercury 3

Mercury 3 is 2.3× 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
Qwen3 VL 8B InstructMercury 3
ProviderAlibabaInception
Input $/1M$0.250$0.100
Output $/1M$0.750$0.350
Blended $/1M$0.375$0.163
Context window262K1M
Max output236K131K
ReleasedOct 2025Oct 2026
LicenceOpen weightsProprietary
Choose Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct if…
  • Open weights — self-hostable
Choose Mercury 3 if…
  • Costs less per token — $0.163 vs $0.375 blended
  • Larger context window (1M)
  • Newer model (released Oct 2026)
FAQ
Which is better, Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct or Mercury 3?
We do not hold independently-run benchmark scores covering both Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct and Mercury 3, so we make no quality claim. Their pricing and specifications are compared on this page.
Is Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct cheaper than Mercury 3?
Mercury 3 is cheaper: $0.163 versus $0.375 per million tokens blended at 3:1 input:output. Input alone: $0.250 vs $0.100. Output alone: $0.750 vs $0.350.
What context windows do Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct and Mercury 3 have?
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct: 262,144 tokens. Mercury 3: 1,000,000 tokens.
Who makes Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct and Mercury 3?
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct is made by Alibaba. Mercury 3 is made by Inception.
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