Thinking Machines vs 
Upstage
Verdict
- Upstage's flagship leads: Solar Pro 4 at 56.2 vs Inkling Small at 55.0.
- Upstage has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- Upstage's fastest ranked model (Solar Pro 3, 149 tok/s) beats Thinking Machines's (Inkling Small, 133 tok/s).
- Upstage publishes more open-weights models (2 vs 1).
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | Thinking Machines | Upstage |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | – | Solar Pro 3 44.7$0.262/M |
| Under $2/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M | Solar Pro 4 56.2$0.525/M |
| Under $10/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M | Solar Pro 4 56.2$0.525/M |
| Any price | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M | Solar Pro 4 56.2$0.525/M |
Line-up
| Metric | Thinking Machines | Upstage |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 55.0 | 56.2 |
| Ranked models | 1 | 3 |
| Open-weights models | 1 | 2 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.638 | $0.262 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 133 | 149 |
| Release cadence, days | – | 191 |
| Last release | – | 6 Aug 2026 |
| Next expected | – | 28 Nov 2026 – 30 Apr 2027 |
Data as of 10 Sept 2026. See Thinking Machines and Upstage in full.