DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs Mercury 3
Detailed technical comparison between DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (DeepSeek) and Mercury 3 (Inception AI). Review live API token pricing, context window capabilities, time-to-first-token latency, and verified benchmark scores side-by-side.
Comparison Snapshot
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
1,048,576 tokensTie
Equal CapabilityTie
Equal SpeedMercury 3
$0.10 / MTokDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is the October 17, 2026 snapshot of DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, served by DeepSeek under the `deepseek-flash` API model name. V4.1 Flash is a sparse mixture-of-experts model...
Mercury 3
Mercury 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...
Technical Specifications
🏆 = Superior Spec| Specification | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | Mercury 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | Inception AI |
| Context Window | 1,048,576 tokens🏆 | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Agent Suitability | Not yet benchmarked | Not yet benchmarked |
| Time to First Token (TTFT) | No public TTFT data | No public TTFT data |
| Deployment Model | self hostable | managed api |
| Production Stability | Not verified | Not verified |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Released Date | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-16 |
API Pricing Comparison
Input Price per Million Tokens
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
$0.15
Mercury 3
$0.10
Output Price per Million Tokens
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
$0.60
Mercury 3
$0.35
💡 Cost Ratio: Mercury 3 is 1.5x cheaper per input token than DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017.
Want to test both models live?
Run side-by-side prompt benchmarks in our dynamic multi-model Sandbox. Compare execution speeds, latency metrics, and compute actual costs in real-time.
Benchmark Performance Metrics
Standardized Scores (0–100%)Scores show verified raw accuracy percentages across standardized AI evaluation suites. Higher bars indicate superior performance in that domain.
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Quirks & Gotchas
No developer gotchas reported.
Mercury 3 Quirks & Gotchas
No developer gotchas reported.
Explore Other Popular Comparisons
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs GLM 5.3 FlashX Legal
Compare context windows, live API token prices, and benchmark scores.
SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEWDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs GPT-6.1 Terra
Compare context windows, live API token prices, and benchmark scores.
SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEWDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs GPT-6.1 Terra Pro
Compare context windows, live API token prices, and benchmark scores.
SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEWDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs Kimi K3.1 Pro
Compare context windows, live API token prices, and benchmark scores.
SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEWDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs MiniMax M3.1 Flash
Compare context windows, live API token prices, and benchmark scores.
SIDE-BY-SIDE REVIEWDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs Muse Spark Open
Compare context windows, live API token prices, and benchmark scores.