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Seed 1.8 vs Step 3.7 Flash

Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash are closely matched at 34.2 and 30.2 on the LLM Stats Score. Step 3.7 Flash is 1.6x cheaper per token.

ByteDance · StepFun · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 34.2 and 30.2.

In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Step 3.7 Flash wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.

On price, Step 3.7 Flash is roughly 1.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Step 3.7 Flash also accepts a larger context window (262,144 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 Seed 1.8

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.25/M input and $2.00/M output

Choose Step 3.7 Flash

  • you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
  • cost matters — it's about 1.6x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

Core performance indexes
34.2
#93
30.2
#120
33.5
#96
30.2
#117
19.7
#100
19.9
#99
14.8
#88
13.5
#92
Cost, coverage & limits
Benchmark wins
0 of 1
1 of 1
Input price
$0.25 / M
$0.20 / M
Output price
$2.00 / M
$1.15 / M
Context window
256,000
262,144

Individual benchmarks

57 reported for Seed 1.8 · 4 for Step 3.7 Flash

1 shared

Seed 1.8 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Step 3.7 Flash is better at 1 benchmark (Humanity's Last Exam (with tools, text-only)).

Step 3.7 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Sep 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

Human preference

Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Step 3.7 Flash costs less

For input processing, Seed 1.8 ($0.25/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Step 3.7 Flash ($0.20/1M tokens).

For output processing, Seed 1.8 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Step 3.7 Flash ($1.15/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Seed 1.8 is more expensive than Step 3.7 Flash.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Sep 20 2026 • llm-stats.com
ByteDance
Seed 1.8
Input tokens$0.25
Output tokens$2.00
Best providerDeepinfra
StepFun
Step 3.7 Flash
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$1.15
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Step 3.7 Flash accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to Seed 1.8's 256,000 tokens. Step 3.7 Flash can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while Seed 1.8 is limited to 256,000 tokens.

ByteDance
Seed 1.8
Input256,000 tokens
Output256,000 tokens
StepFun
Step 3.7 Flash
Input262,144 tokens
Output262,144 tokens
Sun Sep 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input capabilities

Documented input modalities across available providers

Both Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Seed 1.8

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Step 3.7 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Seed 1.8 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Step 3.7 Flash uses Apache 2.0.

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

Seed 1.8

Proprietary

Closed source

Step 3.7 Flash

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Seed 1.8 was released on 2026-02-17, while Step 3.7 Flash was released on 2026-06-10.

Step 3.7 Flash is 4 months newer than Seed 1.8.

Seed 1.8

Feb 17, 2026

7 months ago

Step 3.7 Flash

Jun 10, 2026

3 months ago

3mo 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

Seed 1.8 is available from DeepInfra. Step 3.7 Flash is available from DeepInfra.

Seed 1.8

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.00/1M

Step 3.7 Flash

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.15/1M
* 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 Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Seed 1.8
✓ Preferred
Step 3.7 Flash
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about Seed 1.8 vs Step 3.7 Flash.

Which is better, Seed 1.8 or Step 3.7 Flash?

Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash are closely matched on the LLM Stats Score at 34.2 and 30.2. Seed 1.8 is made by ByteDance and Step 3.7 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 Seed 1.8 compare to Step 3.7 Flash in benchmarks?

Seed 1.8 scores CountBench: 96.3%, AIME 2025: 94.3%, VLMsAreBlind: 93.0%, MMLU: 92.3%, AI2D: 89.1%. Step 3.7 Flash scores Terminal-Bench 2.1: 59.5%, SWE-Bench Pro: 56.3%, Humanity's Last Exam (with tools, text-only): 47.2%, GDPval: 45.8%.

Is Seed 1.8 cheaper than Step 3.7 Flash?

Step 3.7 Flash is 1.3x cheaper for input tokens. Seed 1.8 costs $0.25/M input and $2.00/M output via deepinfra. Step 3.7 Flash costs $0.20/M input and $1.15/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash?

Seed 1.8 supports 256K tokens and Step 3.7 Flash supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash?

Key differences include LLM Stats Score (34.2 vs 30.2), context window (256K vs 262K), input pricing ($0.25 vs $0.20/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Seed 1.8 and Step 3.7 Flash?

Seed 1.8 is developed by ByteDance and Step 3.7 Flash is developed by StepFun.