InceptionFree plan
Pricing
No verified ladder yet
View plans and limitsUpdated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison
Inception vs LongCat:
which should you use?
Inception and LongCat, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.
Find your best fitThe 30-second answer
Inception a free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly.
LongCat meituan’s free chat on its own LongCat models, with Think, Search, Image, Video and Deep Research modes.
Pricing, simplified
Start free. Upgrade when you need more.
LongCatFree plan
Pricing
No verified ladder yet
View plans and limitsThe 30-second comparison
If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.
| Category | Inception | LongCat | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | A free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly. | Meituan’s free chat on its own LongCat models, with Think, Search, Image, Video and Deep Research modes. | Tie |
| Free plan | Yes. Free to use at chat.inceptionlabs.ai | Yes. Free to use at longcat.chat | Tie |
| What to watch out for | A free demo of the models Inception sells to developers rather than a full assistant: no paid plan, and no published limits or features. The speed figures are the company’s own. | Built for China first: the service runs from mainland China, data collected there is stored there, and its terms forbid commercial use of what it produces without Meituan’s permission. | Tie |
| Who it is usually for | people exploring, developers | people exploring | Tie |
| Made by | Inception — Redwood City, US. | Meituan LongCat — Beijing, CN. | Tie |
Neither leads on the 5 rows above: 0 each. The job decides it, not the table.
Inception or LongCat
Neither leads on the rows above — the job decides it.
✓ A free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly.
✓ You would rather not take on a subscription at all
✓ You are among developers
✓ Free to use at chat.inceptionlabs.ai
Meituan’s free chat on its own LongCat models, with Think, Search, Image, Video and Deep Research modes.
LongCat is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.
✓ A free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly.
✓ You would rather not take on a subscription at all
✓ You are among developers
✓ Free to use at chat.inceptionlabs.ai
How we know
Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.
Nothing on the table above separates them: every row either matches or is a tie. That is the finding, and it is why this page names no winner.
The prices
Inception. Read by hand off chat.inceptionlabs.ai on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. chat.inceptionlabs.ai
LongCat. Read by hand off longcat.chat on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. longcat.chat
The ratings
The category these two share. General-Purpose AI Assistants — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.
The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.
What this is not
Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.
To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.
Choose based on what you’re doing
All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.
01
General-Purpose AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
02
Search, Research & Academics
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
03
Writing, Communication & Language
Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
04
Coding, Data & Technical Work
Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
05
Business, Finance & Professional Work
Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
06
Image & Design
Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
07
Video
Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
08
Audio, Voice & Music
Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
09
Marketing & Content Creation
Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
10
Productivity, Automation & Personal Life
AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.
Inception
Bad fitLongCat
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
A free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly.
Redwood City, USA free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly.
You would rather not take on a subscription at all
You are among developers
Free to use at chat.inceptionlabs.ai
Meituan’s free chat on its own LongCat models, with Think, Search, Image, Video and Deep Research modes.
by Meituan LongCatMeituan’s free chat on its own LongCat models, with Think, Search, Image, Video and Deep Research modes.
You would rather not take on a subscription at all
Free to use at longcat.chat
It is aimed at people exploring
Pricing, simplified
The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.
PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Free version
Inception
Yes — Free plan availableFree to use at chat.inceptionlabs.ai
LongCat
Yes — Free plan availableFree to use at longcat.chat
Individual plans
InceptionFree plan only
LongCatFree plan only
Business plans
InceptionNot sold to teams
LongCatNot sold to teams
Enterprise
InceptionNot published
LongCatNot published
Tell us what you use AI for
Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.
The verdict for that job
Evenly matched
Close call. Both cover general-purpose ai assistants at the same level; both have a free plan you can start on.
5 rows compared
Frequently asked questions
Is Inception or LongCat better?
Neither leads on the 5 rows above: 0 each. The job decides it, not the table. both have a free plan you can start on. Inception: A free chat with Mercury, a diffusion language model built to answer quickly. LongCat: Meituan’s free chat on its own LongCat models, with Think, Search, Image, Video and Deep Research modes.
Is Inception or LongCat cheaper?
Only one of the two publishes a ladder we have verified, so a like-for-like comparison is not possible yet.
Do Inception and LongCat both have free plans?
Yes. Inception: Free to use at chat.inceptionlabs.ai. LongCat: Free to use at longcat.chat.
What should I watch out for?
Inception: A free demo of the models Inception sells to developers rather than a full assistant: no paid plan, and no published limits or features. The speed figures are the company’s own. LongCat: Built for China first: the service runs from mainland China, data collected there is stored there, and its terms forbid commercial use of what it produces without Meituan’s permission.
Read more
Inception
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
LongCat
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Best AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.