IBM vs 
StepFun
Verdict
- StepFun's flagship leads: Step 3.5 Flash at 53.2 vs Granite 4.2 30B at 50.0.
- StepFun has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- IBM's fastest ranked model (Granite 4.2 3B, 214 tok/s) beats StepFun's (Step 3.5 Flash, 171 tok/s).
- IBM publishes more open-weights models (10 vs 2).
- IBM ships more often: one model every 118 days against every 406.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | IBM | StepFun |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M | Step 3.5 Flash 53.2$0.150/M |
| Under $2/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M | Step 3.5 Flash 53.2$0.150/M |
| Under $10/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M | Step 3.5 Flash 53.2$0.150/M |
| Any price | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M | Step 3.5 Flash 53.2$0.150/M |
Line-up
| Metric | IBM | StepFun |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 50.0 | 53.2 |
| Ranked models | 7 | 3 |
| Open-weights models | 10 | 2 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.053 | $0.150 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 214 | 171 |
| Release cadence, days | 118 | 406 |
| Last release | 25 Aug 2026 | 29 May 2026 |
| Next expected | 3 Nov 2026 – 6 Feb 2027 | 27 Jan 2027 – 18 Dec 2027 |