Mercury 2.5 vs Muse Glimmer 30B
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
Mercury 2.5 (Inception) and Muse Glimmer 30B (Meta), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.
Specs and pricing
| Mercury 2.5 |  Muse Glimmer 30B | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Inception | Meta |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥6.77 | ¥62.55 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥25.38 | ¥268.05 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥19 | ¥197 |
| Context window | 260,000 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Release date | 9/8/2026 | 8/10/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image |
| Arena · overall | Unranked | Unranked |
| Arena · Japanese | Unranked | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | Unranked | Unranked |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Mercury 2.5: ¥25.38 per 1M output tokens, 91% less than Muse Glimmer 30B.
- For long documents, Mercury 2.5: a 260,000-token context window against 131,072 for Muse Glimmer 30B.
- If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.
Real answers to the same prompts
Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.
Mercury 2.5
To determine the number of 'r's in the word "strawberry", we can examine each letter in sequence:
1. **s** - Not 'r'
2. **t** - Not 'r'
3. **r** - First 'r' found
4. **a** - Not 'r'
5. **w** - Not 'r'
6. **b** - Not 'r'
7. **e** - Not 'r'
8. **r** - Second 'r' found
9. **r** - Third 'r' found
10. **y** - Not 'r'
Counting these occurrences, there are **3** 'r's in "strawberry".
1.8s968 output tokens
Muse Glimmer 30B
The word is 10 letters long. Scanning left to right:
1. **s** - not r
2. **t** - not r
3. **r** - 1st r
4. **a** - not r
5. **w** - not r
6. **b** - not r
7. **e** - not r
8. **r** - 2nd r
9. **r** - 3rd r
10. **y** - not r
`s t r a w b e r r y`
There is one r in `str-`, and a double `rr` in `-berry`.
Total = 1 + 2 = 3 r's.
8.0s614 output tokens
Debug This Error
I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…
Mercury 2.5
This error occurs because the `users` prop is `undefined` when the component renders. Since the code calls `.map()` on `users`, JavaScript throws a TypeError when `users` is not an array.
Here is how to fix it:
1. **Set a Default Value**
Update the function signature to default `users` to an empty array if it is not provided:
```javascript
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
// ...
}
```
2. **Add a Conditional Check**
If `users` might be null or undefined during data loading, guard the map operation:
```javascript
{users && users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
```
3. **Verify Parent Props**
Ensure the parent component pas…
2.4s1028 output tokens
Muse Glimmer 30B
The error is exactly what it says: you're trying to call `.map` on `users`, but `users` is `undefined` at render time.
```js
{users.map(user => ...)}
^^^^^^
```
`Cannot read properties of undefined [reading 'map']` means `users` was never defined / passed in, so `users.map` throws.
This happens very commonly with React components that receive async data. The parent renders `UserList` before the data has loaded, so the prop is `undefined` / `null` on the first render.
### Fix it by guarding the prop
**1. Default parameter to an empty array - simplest**
```js
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>…
5.6s888 output tokens
Code Review
Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…
Mercury 2.5
Here is a review of the function with suggestions for improvement.
### Key Observations
1. **Imports:** Libraries should be imported at the module level, not inside functions.
2. **Exception Handling:** Bare `except:` clauses catch system exits and interrupts. Use specific exceptions like `requests.exceptions.RequestException`.
3. **Logic & Pythonicity:**
* Avoid `== True`; rely on truthiness or `item.get("active")`.
* List comprehensions are more concise and efficient than manual appending.
4. **Retry Strategy:** Implement exponential backoff instead of fixed sleeps, and avoid sleeping after the final failed attempt.
5. **Documentation:** Add type hints and a docstring fo…
4.6s1999 output tokens
Muse Glimmer 30B
The function works but it mixes concerns and hides errors. Here are the main issues:
**Readability**
* Imports inside the function. `import requests` and `import time` should be at module level.
* Bare `except:` catches `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit` and masks bugs.
* Unused loop variable `i` and vague names `r`, `data`.
* No docstring / type hints, so the contract is unclear.
* `if item["active"] == True:` is redundant and will raise `KeyError` if the key is missing.
**Correctness / Best practices**
* `except:` should be `except requests.RequestException`. JSON parsing can also fail.
* Check `r.status_code == 200` is too narrow. Use `raise_for_status` / `r.ok` for any 2xx.
* Fixed 2 se…
12.0s1795 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Mercury 2.5 or Muse Glimmer 30B?
- Per 1M output tokens, Mercury 2.5 is ¥25.38 and Muse Glimmer 30B is ¥268.05 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Mercury 2.5 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Mercury 2.5 and Muse Glimmer 30B compare?
- Mercury 2.5 takes 260,000 tokens; Muse Glimmer 30B takes 131,072.
- Can I use Mercury 2.5 and Muse Glimmer 30B with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "mercury-2.5" or "muse-glimmer-30b" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.
Try both on one API key
Create an account and add credit to call Mercury 2.5 and Muse Glimmer 30B from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.