LLM Reference

Fugu vs Fugu Ultra

Fugu (2026) and Fugu Ultra (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from Sakana AI. Fugu ships a 1m-token context window, while Fugu Ultra ships a 1m-token context window. On SWE-bench Pro, Fugu Ultra leads by 14.7 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.

Fugu is safer overall; choose Fugu Ultra when vision-heavy evaluation matters.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first
SignalFuguFugu Ultra
Best forreasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agentsreasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents
Decision fitCoding, RAG, and AgentsCoding, RAG, and Agents
Context window1m1m
Cheapest output-$30/1M tokens
Provider routes1 tracked2 tracked
Shared benchmarks6 sharedSWE-bench Pro leader

Decision tradeoffs

Choose Fugu when...
  • Local decision data tags Fugu for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Choose Fugu Ultra when...
  • Fugu Ultra holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Pro, ahead by 14.7 points.
  • Fugu Ultra has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
  • Local decision data tags Fugu Ultra for Coding, RAG, and Agents.

Monthly cost at traffic

Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.

Fugu

Unavailable

No complete token price in local provider data

Fugu Ultra

$11,500

Cheapest tracked route/tier: Sakana AI <=272K tokens

Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.

Switch friction

Fugu -> Fugu Ultra
  • Provider overlap exists on Sakana AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
Fugu Ultra -> Fugu
  • Provider overlap exists on Sakana AI; start route-level A/B tests there.

Specs

Specification
Released2026-06-222026-06-22
Context window1m1m
Parameters
ArchitectureComposition of ExpertsComposition of Experts
LicenseProprietaryProprietary
OpennessProprietaryProprietary
Commercial useCommercial use: conditionalCommercial use: conditional
Knowledge cutoff--

Pricing and availability

Pricing attributeFuguFugu Ultra
Input price-
<=272K tokens
$5/1M tokens
Standard Fugu Ultra context tier.
>272K tokens
$10/1M tokens
Extended Fugu Ultra context tier.
Output price-
<=272K tokens
$30/1M tokens
Standard Fugu Ultra context tier.
>272K tokens
$45/1M tokens
Extended Fugu Ultra context tier.
Providers

Capabilities

CapabilityFuguFugu Ultra
VisionYesYes
MultimodalYesYes
ReasoningYesYes
Function callingYesYes
Tool useYesYes
Structured outputsYesYes
Code executionNoNo
IDE integrationNoNo
Computer useNoNo
Parallel agentsNoNo

Benchmarks

BenchmarkFuguFugu Ultra
SWE-bench Pro59.073.7
Google-Proof Q&A95.595.5
LiveCodeBench92.993.2
Humanity's Last Exam47.250.0
Terminal-Bench 2.180.282.1
CharXiv85.186.6

Deep dive

On shared benchmark coverage, SWE-bench Pro has Fugu at 59 and Fugu Ultra at 73.7, with Fugu Ultra ahead by 14.7 points; Google-Proof Q&A has Fugu and Fugu Ultra tied at 95.5; LiveCodeBench has Fugu at 92.9 and Fugu Ultra at 93.2, with Fugu Ultra ahead by 0.3 points. The largest visible gap is 14.7 points on SWE-bench Pro, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.

The capability footprint is close: both models cover vision, multimodal input, reasoning mode, function calling, and tool use. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.

Pricing coverage is uneven: Fugu has no token price sourced yet and Fugu Ultra has $5/1M input tokens. Provider availability is 1 tracked routes versus 2. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.

Choose Fugu when vision-heavy evaluation are central to the workload. Choose Fugu Ultra when vision-heavy evaluation and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.

FAQ

Which has a larger context window, Fugu or Fugu Ultra?

Fugu supports 1m tokens, while Fugu Ultra supports 1m tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.

Is Fugu or Fugu Ultra open source?

Fugu is listed under Proprietary. Fugu Ultra is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.

Which is better for vision, Fugu or Fugu Ultra?

Both Fugu and Fugu Ultra expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.

Which is better for multimodal input, Fugu or Fugu Ultra?

Both Fugu and Fugu Ultra expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.

Which is better for reasoning mode, Fugu or Fugu Ultra?

Both Fugu and Fugu Ultra expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.

Where can I run Fugu and Fugu Ultra?

Fugu is available on Sakana AI. Fugu Ultra is available on Sakana AI and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.

Continue comparing

Last reviewed: 2026-06-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.