Prices › Hot models › Step
Step API pricing, free access & setup
As of 2026-10-17, we track 1 Step models (StepFun). The cheapest is Step 5 Preview: $1 / $2.7 per 1M input/output tokens via OpenRouter (blended $1.43). On OpenRouter's weekly ranking (as of 2026-10-16) the Step family routed about 17.1T tokens, #3 among our 10 hot families. 0 verified free/deal routes are listed.
Conclusions & evidence
| Topic | Conclusion | Channel | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Cheapest overall: Step 5 Preview, $1 / $2.7 per 1M input/output | OpenRouter | openrouter.ai | 2026-10-17 12:20 UTC+8 |
| Region | Mainland direct: yes; provider region limits unverified (Step 5 Preview) | OpenRouter | our test | 2026-10-17 |
| Payment | Alipay: yes; overseas card: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
Each conclusion is tied to one channel, one source link and a check time; “verified” means checked by the site owner, conclusion only.
Last updated: 2026-10-17 · StepFun · Official pricing
Contents: Evidence · Prices · Free & deals · China · Setup · Benchmark · Changes · FAQ
Step API prices, all channels (per 1M tokens)
| Model | Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | This channel | Native | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 5 Preview | OpenRouter | $1.43 | $1 | $2.7 | $0.1 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $1 / $2.7 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Blended = 0.75×input + 0.25×output. Relay prices not yet tracked. Methodology
How to use Step for free & current deals
No Step free routes or deals recorded as of 2026-10-17.
All free LLM APIs → · Submit a deal
Using Step from China
| Channel | Access & payment | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | OpenRouter: no ID verification required; Alipay accepted, as are major credit cards and USDC, so no overseas card is needed. Mainland access: our 2026-10-17 test from Shanghai China Unicom (IPv4+IPv6, no proxy) reached the site and API; other ISPs not tested. The Terms say some model providers bar certain countries/regions, and such Restricted Models may not be accessed through OpenRouter. Whether this model provider restricts mainland China or other regions: no explicit official statement found (?). | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Use Step in Claude Code / Codex / OpenCode / CC Switch
StepFun setup for Claude Code / Codex: to be verified. Codex only supports the Responses API (wire_api = "responses"); provider/OpenRouter support not yet verified.
Claude Code · Codex · OpenCode · CC Switch · Cline
Step benchmarks & popularity
| Model | Intelligence | Coding | Agentic | AA variant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 5 Preview | 43.7 | — | — | Step 5 Preview |
Source: Artificial Analysis indices as shown in the Benchmarks section of OpenRouter rankings, fetched 2026-10-17; higher is better; test variant in the last column. Models not listed have no score from this source. openrouter.ai/rankings · artificialanalysis.ai
OpenRouter weekly ranking (tokens)
- #2
stepfun/step-5-preview-20261008· 17.1T tokens
Source: OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/rankings), as of 2026-10-16; reflects OpenRouter routing volume only. openrouter.ai/rankings
Step price changes
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Step 5 Preview listed · $1 / $2.7 (Hand-added at 2026-10-17 01:59 UTC; added to the catalog for automatic fetching at 03:47 UTC)
FAQ
How much does the Step API cost?
As of 2026-10-17, the cheapest is Step 5 Preview at $1 / $2.7 per 1M input/output tokens (OpenRouter). See the table for all models, each with a source.
Is the Step API free?
As of 2026-10-17 we found no verified free route for the official Step API; it is pay-as-you-go.
Can I use Step from mainland China?
OpenRouter: direct yes, Alipay yes, ID required no, overseas card no. Conditions are verified per channel; sources and check times are in the Conclusions & evidence table.
How do I use Step in Claude Code?
We have not verified an Anthropic-compatible endpoint for StepFun.
How do I use Step in Codex CLI?
To be verified: Codex only supports the Responses API; support by StepFun or OpenRouter is not yet verified.
How popular is Step?
On OpenRouter's weekly ranking (as of 2026-10-16) the Step family routed ~17.1T tokens. This reflects OpenRouter routing volume only.
How does Step score on benchmarks?
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via OpenRouter rankings, 2026-10-17): Step 5 Preview 43.7.
Are there cheaper alternatives to Step?
See the home table sorted by blended price and our cheapest-LLM-API ranking.
Other hot models
DeepSeek · GLM (Zhipu) · Hunyuan / HY (Tencent) · MiMo (Xiaomi) · Claude · GPT (OpenAI) · Kimi (Moonshot) · Gemini · Qwen ·