Step 5 Preview is $0.25 cheaper per 1M input tokens (20% lower; 1.25x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
New🔥Step 5 Preview vs Muse Spark 1.1
Pick Step 5 Preview for lower cost; pick Muse Spark 1.1 only if the larger context window matters more.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Step 5 Preview for lower cost; pick Muse Spark 1.1 only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Step 5 Preview is estimated at $2.35 vs $3.38 for Muse Spark 1.1, saving $1.02 (30.4% lower).
Cost-first pickStep 5 Preview
Context-first pickMuse Spark 1.1
Sample savings$1.0230.4%
10x traffic gap$10.25
Muse Spark 1.1 has more context, but Step 5 Preview saves $1.02 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $10.25. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Step 5 Preview stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Step 5 Preview | Muse Spark 1.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Step 5 Preview | $6.35 | $8.38 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Step 5 Preview | $3.7 | $5.5 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Step 5 Preview | $14.5 | $22.5 |
Step 5 Preview is $1.55 cheaper per 1M output tokens (36.5% lower; 1.57x difference).
Muse Spark 1.1 has 48.58K more context (1.05x larger).
Step 5 Preview is $1.02 cheaper on the standard workload (30.4% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
Step 5 Preview has the lower input price; Step 5 Preview has the lower output price; Muse Spark 1.1 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Step 5 Preview is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $2.35 for Step 5 Preview and $3.38 for Muse Spark 1.1.
Choose Step 5 Preview when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose Muse Spark 1.1 when you care most about larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Step 5 Preview is estimated at $2.35 vs $3.38 for Muse Spark 1.1, saving $1.02 (30.4% lower).
- Step 5 Preview is $1.02 cheaper on the standard workload (30.4% lower).
- Step 5 Preview is $0.25 cheaper per 1M input tokens (20% lower; 1.25x difference).
- Step 5 Preview is $1.55 cheaper per 1M output tokens (36.5% lower; 1.57x difference).
- Muse Spark 1.1 has 48.58K more context (1.05x larger).
| Feature | New🔥Step 5 Preview (StepFun) | Muse Spark 1.1 (Meta) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $1 | $1.25 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $2.7 | $4.25 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $2.35 | $3.38 |
| Context Window | 1M | 1.05M |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #2 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Step 5 Preview | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Step 5 Preview is estimated at $2.35 vs $3.38 for Muse Spark 1.1, saving $1.02 (30.4% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Step 5 Preview | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Step 5 Preview | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Muse Spark 1.1 | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Step 3.5 Flash can replace Step 5 Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.25.
- Step 3.7 Flash can replace Step 5 Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.77.
- Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (free) can replace Muse Spark 1.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Llama 3.2 3B Instruct (free) can replace Muse Spark 1.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.47 sample workload cost.
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- GLM 5.3 Flash · Z.ai · #3
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash · Xiaomi · #4
- Hy4 preview · Tencent · #5
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