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GPT-6 Astra vs Step-3.5-Flash

GPT-6 Astra leads the LLM Stats Score 60.3 to 37.3. Step-3.5-Flash is 114.3x cheaper per token.

OpenAI · StepFun · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

GPT-6 Astra leads the overall LLM Stats Score 60.3 to 37.3, ranking #1 overall.

In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-6 Astra wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.

On price, Step-3.5-Flash is roughly 114.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-6 Astra also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.

Choose GPT-6 Astra

  • overall performance matters — it scores 60.3 and ranks #1 on LLM Stats
  • your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
  • you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2026

Choose Step-3.5-Flash

  • cost matters — it's about 114.3x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

Core performance indexes
60.3
#1
37.3
#67
58.2
#1
37.3
#67
48.5
#1
20.5
#94
46.4
#1
15.5
#83
Cost, coverage & limits
Benchmark wins
1 of 1
0 of 1
Input price
$10.00 / M
$0.10 / M
Output price
$50.00 / M
$0.40 / M
Context window
1,050,000
65,536

Capability indexes

Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks

2 shared
Index
GPT-6 Astra
Step-3.5-Flash
35.9#42
33.9#50
36.1#1
13.3#95
Conservative TrueSkill rating · higher is betterHow scores work

Individual benchmarks

22 reported for GPT-6 Astra · 7 for Step-3.5-Flash

1 shared

GPT-6 Astra outperforms in 1 benchmarks (BrowseComp), while Step-3.5-Flash is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-6 Astra significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Sep 08 2026 • llm-stats.com

Human preference

Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Step-3.5-Flash costs less

For input processing, GPT-6 Astra ($10.00/1M tokens) is 100.0x more expensive than Step-3.5-Flash ($0.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-6 Astra ($50.00/1M tokens) is 125.0x more expensive than Step-3.5-Flash ($0.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-6 Astra is more expensive than Step-3.5-Flash.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Sep 08 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-6 Astra
Input tokens$10.00
Output tokens$50.00
Best providerOpenAI
StepFun
Step-3.5-Flash
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.40
Best providerStepFun
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-6 Astra accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Step-3.5-Flash's 65,536 tokens. GPT-6 Astra can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Step-3.5-Flash is limited to 8,192 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-6 Astra
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
StepFun
Step-3.5-Flash
Input65,536 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Tue Sep 08 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input capabilities

Documented input modalities across available providers

GPT-6 Astra supports multimodal inputs, whereas Step-3.5-Flash does not.

GPT-6 Astra can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-6 Astra

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Step-3.5-Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-6 Astra is licensed under a proprietary license, 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.

GPT-6 Astra

Proprietary

Closed source

Step-3.5-Flash

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-6 Astra was released on 2026-09-04, while Step-3.5-Flash was released on 2026-02-02.

GPT-6 Astra is 7 months newer than Step-3.5-Flash.

GPT-6 Astra

Sep 4, 2026

4 days ago

7mo newer
Step-3.5-Flash

Feb 2, 2026

7 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-6 Astra has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-04-30, while Step-3.5-Flash's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-6 Astra's training data extends to 2026-04-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without Step-3.5-Flash's cutoff date.

GPT-6 Astra

Apr 2026

Step-3.5-Flash

Provider Availability

GPT-6 Astra is available from OpenAI. Step-3.5-Flash is available from StepFun.

GPT-6 Astra

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $10.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $50.00/1M

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

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-6 Astra and Step-3.5-Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-6 Astra
✓ Preferred
Step-3.5-Flash
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-6 Astra vs Step-3.5-Flash.

Which is better, GPT-6 Astra or Step-3.5-Flash?

GPT-6 Astra leads the LLM Stats Score 60.3 to 37.3. GPT-6 Astra is made by OpenAI and Step-3.5-Flash is made by StepFun. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their capability indexes, individual benchmarks, pricing, and limits above.

How does GPT-6 Astra compare to Step-3.5-Flash in benchmarks?

GPT-6 Astra scores ExploitBench: 100.0%, ARC-AGI-3: 99.9%, ARC-AGI: 98.5%, FrontierMath Tier 4 (v2): 97.6%, GPQA: 96.0%. 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 GPT-6 Astra cheaper than Step-3.5-Flash?

Step-3.5-Flash is 100.0x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-6 Astra costs $10.00/M input and $50.00/M output via openai. Step-3.5-Flash costs $0.10/M input and $0.40/M output via stepfun.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-6 Astra and Step-3.5-Flash?

GPT-6 Astra supports 1.1M 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 GPT-6 Astra and Step-3.5-Flash?

Key differences include LLM Stats Score (60.3 vs 37.3), context window (1.1M vs 66K), input pricing ($10.00 vs $0.10/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-6 Astra and Step-3.5-Flash?

GPT-6 Astra is developed by OpenAI and Step-3.5-Flash is developed by StepFun.