Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Step-3.5-FlashWhich is better in 2026?

Step-3.5-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Step-3.5-Flash is 1.7x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Step-3.5-Flash — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp (by DeepSeek) and Step-3.5-Flash (by StepFun) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Step-3.5-Flash is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, BrowseComp, SWE-Bench Verified). Step-3.5-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Step-3.5-Flash is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp also accepts a larger context window (163,840 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 163,840 token context window

Choose Step-3.5-Flash if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 1.7x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Step-3.5-Flash is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, BrowseComp, SWE-Bench Verified).

Step-3.5-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Jun 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Step-3.5-Flash costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.27/1M tokens) is 2.7x more expensive than Step-3.5-Flash ($0.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.41/1M tokens) is 1.0x more expensive than Step-3.5-Flash ($0.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is more expensive than Step-3.5-Flash.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jun 28 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$0.41
Best providerNovita
StepFun
Step-3.5-Flash
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.40
Best providerStepFun
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

489.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp has 489.0B more parameters than Step-3.5-Flash, making it 249.5% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
685.0Bparameters
StepFun
Step-3.5-Flash
196.0Bparameters
685.0B
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
196.0B
Step-3.5-Flash

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp accepts 163,840 input tokens compared to Step-3.5-Flash's 65,536 tokens. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Step-3.5-Flash is limited to 8,192 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Input163,840 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
StepFun
Step-3.5-Flash
Input65,536 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Sun Jun 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is licensed under MIT, while Step-3.5-Flash uses Apache 2.0.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

MIT

Open weights

Step-3.5-Flash

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp was released on 2025-09-29, while Step-3.5-Flash was released on 2026-02-02.

Step-3.5-Flash is 4 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

Sep 29, 2025

9 months ago

Step-3.5-Flash

Feb 2, 2026

4 months ago

4mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is available from Novita. Step-3.5-Flash is available from StepFun.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.41/1M

Step-3.5-Flash

stepfun logo
StepFun
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (163,840 tokens)
StepFun
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher AIME 2025 score (97.3% vs 89.3%)
Higher BrowseComp score (69.0% vs 40.1%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (74.4% vs 67.8%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Step-3.5-Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
✓ Preferred
Step-3.5-Flash
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
StepFun
Step-3.5-Flash

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Step-3.5-Flash.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp or Step-3.5-Flash?

Step-3.5-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is made by DeepSeek and Step-3.5-Flash is made by StepFun. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp compare to Step-3.5-Flash in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp scores SimpleQA: 97.1%, AIME 2025: 89.3%, MMLU-Pro: 85.0%, HMMT 2025: 83.6%, GPQA: 79.9%. Step-3.5-Flash scores AIME 2025: 97.3%, Tau-bench: 88.2%, LiveCodeBench v6: 86.4%, IMO-AnswerBench: 85.4%, SWE-Bench Verified: 74.4%.

Is DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp cheaper than Step-3.5-Flash?

Step-3.5-Flash is 2.7x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp costs $0.27/M input and $0.41/M output via novita. Step-3.5-Flash costs $0.10/M input and $0.40/M output via stepfun.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Step-3.5-Flash?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp supports 164K tokens and Step-3.5-Flash supports 66K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Step-3.5-Flash?

Key differences include context window (164K vs 66K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.10/M), licensing (MIT vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Step-3.5-Flash?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is developed by DeepSeek and Step-3.5-Flash is developed by StepFun.

Related comparisons