ByteDance vs 
StepFun
Verdict
- StepFun's flagship leads: Step 3.5 Flash at 55.0 vs Doubao-Seed-Code at 52.4.
- StepFun has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- StepFun publishes more open-weights models (3 vs 0).
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | ByteDance | StepFun |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | – | Step 3.5 Flash 55.0$0.150/M |
| Under $2/M | – | Step 3.5 Flash 55.0$0.150/M |
| Under $10/M | – | Step 3.5 Flash 55.0$0.150/M |
| Any price | – | Step 3.5 Flash 55.0$0.150/M |
Line-up
| Metric | ByteDance | StepFun |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 52.4 | 55.0 |
| Ranked models | 1 | 4 |
| Open-weights models | 0 | 3 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | – | $0.150 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | – | 216 |
| Release cadence, days | – | 406 |
| Last release | – | 29 May 2026 |
| Next expected | – | 27 Jan 2027 – 18 Dec 2027 |