Inkling vs Seed 1.8
Inkling leads the LLM Stats Score 37.5 to 34.2. Seed 1.8 is 2.5x cheaper per token.
Thinking Machines Lab · ByteDance · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Inkling leads the overall LLM Stats Score 37.5 to 34.2, ranking #66 overall.
In the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Inkling wins 4; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Seed 1.8 is roughly 2.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Inkling also accepts a larger context window (524,288 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 Inkling
- overall performance matters — it scores 37.5 and ranks #66 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 4 of 4 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 524,288 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Seed 1.8
- cost matters — it's about 2.5x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
16 reported for Inkling · 57 for Seed 1.8
Inkling outperforms in 4 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, Humanity's Last Exam (with tools, text-only), MMMU-Pro, SWE-Bench Verified), while Seed 1.8 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Inkling significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Inkling ($0.95/1M tokens) is 3.8x more expensive than Seed 1.8 ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Inkling ($4.05/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Seed 1.8 ($2.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Inkling is more expensive than Seed 1.8.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Inkling accepts 524,288 input tokens compared to Seed 1.8's 256,000 tokens. Inkling can generate longer responses up to 524,288 tokens, while Seed 1.8 is limited to 256,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Inkling and Seed 1.8 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Inkling
Seed 1.8
License
Usage and distribution terms
Inkling is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Seed 1.8 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Inkling was released on 2026-07-21, while Seed 1.8 was released on 2026-02-17.
Inkling is 5 months newer than Seed 1.8.
Jul 21, 2026
1 months ago
5mo newerFeb 17, 2026
6 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Inkling is available from DeepInfra. Seed 1.8 is available from DeepInfra.
Inkling
Seed 1.8
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Inkling and Seed 1.8 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Inkling vs Seed 1.8.