GLM Flash Latest is $0.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (52% lower; 2.08x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewMercury 3 vs GLM Flash Latest
Pick GLM Flash Latest when budget and context both matter.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick GLM Flash Latest when budget and context both matter.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM Flash Latest is estimated at $0.13 vs $0.28 for Mercury 3, saving $0.15 (53.5% lower).
Cost-first pickGLM Flash Latest
Context-first pickGLM Flash Latest
Sample savings$0.1553.5%
10x traffic gap$1.47
GLM Flash Latest is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.47. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
GLM Flash Latest stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Mercury 3 | GLM Flash Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | GLM Flash Latest | $0.68 | $0.32 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | GLM Flash Latest | $0.45 | $0.21 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | GLM Flash Latest | $1.85 | $0.85 |
GLM Flash Latest is $0.19 cheaper per 1M output tokens (54.3% lower; 2.19x difference).
GLM Flash Latest has 48.58K more context (1.05x larger).
GLM Flash Latest is $0.15 cheaper on the standard workload (53.5% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
GLM Flash Latest has the lower input price; GLM Flash Latest has the lower output price; GLM Flash Latest offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, GLM Flash Latest is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.28 for Mercury 3 and $0.13 for GLM Flash Latest.
Choose Mercury 3 when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.
Choose GLM Flash Latest when you care most about lower input-token price, lower output-token price, and larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM Flash Latest is estimated at $0.13 vs $0.28 for Mercury 3, saving $0.15 (53.5% lower).
- GLM Flash Latest is $0.15 cheaper on the standard workload (53.5% lower).
- GLM Flash Latest is $0.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (52% lower; 2.08x difference).
- GLM Flash Latest is $0.19 cheaper per 1M output tokens (54.3% lower; 2.19x difference).
- GLM Flash Latest has 48.58K more context (1.05x larger).
| Feature | NewMercury 3 (Inception) | GLM Flash Latest (Z.ai) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.1 | $0.048 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.35 | $0.16 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.28 | $0.13 |
| Context Window | 1M | 1.05M |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | GLM Flash Latest | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM Flash Latest is estimated at $0.13 vs $0.28 for Mercury 3, saving $0.15 (53.5% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | GLM Flash Latest | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | GLM Flash Latest | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | GLM Flash Latest | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Mercury 2.5 can replace Mercury 3 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.11.
- GLM 5.2 (free) can replace GLM Flash Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- GLM 4.5 Air (free) can replace GLM Flash Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.25 sample workload cost.
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna Pro (batch) offers 1.05M context with $0.17 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna (batch) offers 1.05M context with $0.17 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- GLM 5.3 Flash · Z.ai · #2
- Step 5 Preview · StepFun · #3
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash · Xiaomi · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
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Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsInception catalog
Review all tracked Inception models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Inception modelsZ.ai catalog
Check other Z.ai models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
Open Z.ai modelsMercury 3 is a diffusion-based language model from Inception, and the lab's most capable model to date. It is suited for agentic workflows and real-time applications where latency compounds, such...
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