GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) vs Step 5 Preview
Which is better for the money: GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) by OpenAI or Step 5 Preview by StepFun? Intelligence, total benchmark cost, and end-to-end time from Artificial Analysis & other sources, snapshot 2026-10-25.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) scores 8.7 points higher (52.4 vs 43.7) but costs 3.2× as much to run the benchmark ($3803 vs $1190; flagship vs premium cost classes). They are not alternatives at one budget: pick GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) when you need intelligence above 43.7, and Step 5 Preview when 43.7 is enough.
| Metric | GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) | Step 5 Preview | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (higher is better) | 52.4 | 43.7 | −16.6% Step 5 Preview is 16.6% less intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $3,802.98 | $1,190.26 | −68.7% Step 5 Preview is 68.7% cheaper |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 169.60s | 12.32s | −92.7% Step 5 Preview is 92.7% faster |
| Price per 1M tokens (in / out) | $10.0 / $50.0 | $1.00 / $2.70 | |
| Input modalities | Text, Image | Text, Image |
Step 5 Preview vs GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh): 16.6% less intelligence, 68.7% less cost to run the AA benchmark, and 92.7% faster end-to-end.
Today's Pareto frontier
Against the frontier
- GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, Kimi K3.1 Pro scores 55.10 for $3117.
- Step 5 Preview is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6.1 Sol (Max) scores 51.80 for $1082.
GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh)Step 5 PreviewToday's Pareto frontierOpen-weights frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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Accept: text/markdown or ?format=md returns this page as Markdown. JSON: /api/v1/compare/gpt-6-astra-xhigh/step-5 · Markdown: /api/v1/compare/gpt-6-astra-xhigh/step-5?format=md · llms.txt · agent skill