| Signal | GPT-5.4 | Delta | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|---|
Capabilities | 100 | +50 | |
Benchmarks | 90 | +25 | |
Pricing | 15 | +15 | |
Context window size | 96 | +10 | |
Recency | 100 | -- | |
Output Capacity | 85 | -5 | |
| Overall Result | 4 wins | of 6 | 1 wins |
30
days ranked higher
0
days
0
days ranked higher
OpenAI
StepFun
Step 3.5 Flash saves you $975.00/month
That's $11700.00/year compared to GPT-5.4 at your current usage level of 100K calls/month.
| Metric | GPT-5.4 | Step 3.5 Flash | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 94 | 73 | GPT-5.4 |
| Rank | #2 | #128 | GPT-5.4 |
| Quality Rank | #2 | #128 | GPT-5.4 |
| Adoption Rank | #2 | #128 | GPT-5.4 |
| Parameters | -- | -- | -- |
| Context Window | 1050K | 256K | GPT-5.4 |
| Pricing | $2.50/$15.00/M | $0.10/$0.30/M | -- |
| Signal Scores | |||
| Capabilities | 100 | 50 | GPT-5.4 |
| Benchmarks | 90 | 65 | GPT-5.4 |
| Pricing | 15 | 0 | GPT-5.4 |
| Context window size | 96 | 86 | GPT-5.4 |
| Recency | 100 | 100 | GPT-5.4 |
| Output Capacity | 85 | 90 | Step 3.5 Flash |
Our composite score (0–100) combines six weighted signals: benchmark performance (25%), pricing efficiency (25%), context window size (15%), model recency (15%), output capacity (10%), and capability versatility (10%). Here's what the scores mean for these two models:
Scores 94/100 (rank #2), placing it in the top 100% of all 290 models tracked.
Scores 73/100 (rank #128), placing it in the top 56% of all 290 models tracked.
GPT-5.4 has a 21-point advantage, which typically translates to noticeably stronger performance on complex reasoning, code generation, and multi-step tasks.
Step 3.5 Flash offers 98% better value per quality point. At 1M tokens/day, you'd spend $6.00/month with Step 3.5 Flash vs $262.50/month with GPT-5.4 - a $256.50 monthly difference.
Both models have comparable response speeds. For most applications, the latency difference is negligible.
When latency matters most: Interactive chatbots, IDE code completion, real-time translation, and user-facing applications where response time directly impacts experience. For batch processing, background summarization, or offline analysis, latency is less critical.
Code generation & review
Higher benchmark score (0/100) indicates stronger performance on coding tasks like generating functions, debugging, and refactoring
Customer support chatbot
Faster response time (speed score 0/100) is critical for user-facing chat. Step 3.5 Flash also offers lower per-token costs for high-volume support
Long document analysis
Larger context window (1050K tokens) can process longer documents, contracts, and research papers in a single pass
Batch data extraction
Lower output pricing ($0.30/M) reduces costs when processing thousands of records daily
Creative writing & content
Higher overall composite score (94/100) correlates with better nuance, coherence, and style in long-form content
Image understanding & OCR
Supports vision input - can analyze screenshots, diagrams, photos, and scanned documents directly
GPT-5.4 clearly outperforms Step 3.5 Flash with a significant 20.799999999999997-point lead. For most general use cases, GPT-5.4 is the stronger choice. However, Step 3.5 Flash may still excel in niche scenarios.
Best for Quality
GPT-5.4
Marginally better benchmark scores; both are excellent
Best for Cost
Step 3.5 Flash
98% lower pricing; better value at scale
Best for Reliability
GPT-5.4
Higher uptime and faster response speeds
Best for Prototyping
GPT-5.4
Stronger community support and better developer experience
Best for Production
GPT-5.4
Wider enterprise adoption and proven at scale
by OpenAI
| Capability | GPT-5.4 | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Vision (Image Input)differs | ||
| Function Calling | ||
| Streaming | ||
| JSON Modediffers | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Web Searchdiffers | ||
| Image Output |
OpenAI
StepFun
Step 3.5 Flash saves you $21.96/month
That's 98% cheaper than GPT-5.4 at 1,000 tokens/request and 100 requests/day.
Assumes 60% input / 40% output token ratio per request. Actual costs may vary based on your usage pattern.
| Parameter | GPT-5.4 | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Context Window | 1.1M | 256K |
| Max Output Tokens | 128,000 | 256,000 |
| Open Source | No | Yes |
| Created | Mar 5, 2026 | Jan 29, 2026 |
GPT-5.4 scores 94/100 (rank #2) compared to Step 3.5 Flash's 73/100 (rank #128), giving it a 21-point advantage. GPT-5.4 is the stronger overall choice, though Step 3.5 Flash may excel in specific areas like cost efficiency.
GPT-5.4 is ranked #2 and Step 3.5 Flash is ranked #128 out of 290+ AI models. Rankings use a composite score combining benchmark performance (25%), pricing (25%), context window (15%), recency (15%), output capacity (10%), and versatility (10%). Scores update hourly.
Step 3.5 Flash is cheaper at $0.30/M output tokens vs GPT-5.4's $15.00/M output tokens - 50.0x more expensive. Input token pricing: GPT-5.4 at $2.50/M vs Step 3.5 Flash at $0.10/M.
GPT-5.4 has a larger context window of 1,050,000 tokens compared to Step 3.5 Flash's 256,000 tokens. A larger context window means the model can process longer documents and conversations.