Step 3.5 Flash vs Step 3.7 Flash
Step 3.5 Flash (2026) and Step 3.7 Flash (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from StepFun. Step 3.5 Flash ships a 256k-token context window, while Step 3.7 Flash ships a 256k-token context window. On pricing, Step 3.5 Flash costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.20/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Step 3.5 Flash is ~100% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for Step 3.7 Flash only for vision-heavy evaluation.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Step 3.5 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Long context | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 256k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | $0.30/1M tokens | $1.15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- Step 3.5 Flash has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Step 3.5 Flash for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
- Step 3.7 Flash has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Step 3.7 Flash uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Step 3.7 Flash 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.
Step 3.5 Flash
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Step 3.7 Flash
$448
Cheapest tracked route/tier: StepFun
Estimated monthly gap: $293. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Step 3.7 Flash is $0.85/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Step 3.7 Flash adds Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / JSON / Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Step 3.5 Flash is $0.85/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / JSON / Tool use before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-01-29 | 2026-05-29 |
| Context window | 256k | 256k |
| Parameters | 196B (11B active) | 198B (11B active) |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Mixture of Experts |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Weights | Not released | Not released |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Step 3.5 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.20/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.30/1M tokens | $1.15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Step 3.5 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.