Hy3 preview is $0.03 cheaper per 1M input tokens (34% lower; 1.52x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
🔥Hy3 preview vs 🔥Step 3.5 Flash
Pick Hy3 preview when budget is the priority.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Hy3 preview when budget is the priority.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Hy3 preview is estimated at $0.2 vs $0.25 for Step 3.5 Flash, saving $0.05 (21.6% lower).
Cost-first pickHy3 preview
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$0.0521.6%
10x traffic gap$0.54
The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.54. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Hy3 preview is $0.04 cheaper per 1M output tokens (13.3% lower; 1.15x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.
Hy3 preview is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (21.6% 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
Hy3 preview has the lower input price; Hy3 preview has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Hy3 preview is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.2 for Hy3 preview and $0.25 for Step 3.5 Flash.
Choose Hy3 preview when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose Step 3.5 Flash when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Hy3 preview is estimated at $0.2 vs $0.25 for Step 3.5 Flash, saving $0.05 (21.6% lower).
- Hy3 preview is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (21.6% lower).
- Hy3 preview is $0.03 cheaper per 1M input tokens (34% lower; 1.52x difference).
- Hy3 preview is $0.04 cheaper per 1M output tokens (13.3% lower; 1.15x difference).
- Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.
| Feature | 🔥Hy3 preview (Tencent) | 🔥Step 3.5 Flash (StepFun) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.066 | $0.1 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.26 | $0.3 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.2 | $0.25 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 262.14K |
| Release Date | 2026-04-22 | 2026-01-29 |
| Popularity Rank current rank | #1 | #15 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Hy3 preview | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Hy3 preview is estimated at $0.2 vs $0.25 for Step 3.5 Flash, saving $0.05 (21.6% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Hy3 preview | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Hy3 preview | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Tie | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
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