Nova 2 Lite vs Step 1 (32K)
Nova 2 Lite comes out ahead, 62 to 18 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
AmazonNova 2 Lite
62/100- ECI—
- Price$0.33 / $2.75
- Context1M
StepFunStep 1 (32K)
18/100- ECI—
- Price$2.05 / $9.59
- Context33K
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
Nova 2 Lite is our pick
Nova 2 Lite is the better all-round choice, scoring 62/100 against Step 1 (32K) (18). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
- CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
- Lowest priceNova 2 LiteNova 2 Lite $0.935 · Step 1 (32K) $3.94 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextNova 2 LiteNova 2 Lite 1,000,000 · Step 1 (32K) 32,768 tokens
- Widest inputsNova 2 LiteNova 2 Lite: Text, Images, PDFs, Video · Step 1 (32K): Text
- Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs
| Measure | Weight | Nova 2 Lite | Step 1 (32K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 51 | 22 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 80 | 25 |
| Context window | 20% | 60 | 0 |
| Overall | 100% | 62/100 | 18/100 |
Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | Nova 2 LiteAmazon | Step 1 (32K)StepFun |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.33 (best) | $2.05 |
| Output | $2.75 (best) | $9.59 |
| Cached input | $0.083 (best) | $0.41 |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.935 (best) | $3.94 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official Amazon Bedrock API | Official StepFun (Global) API |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens (best) | 32,768 tokens |
| Max output | 65,536 tokens (best) | 32,768 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | Yes | No |
| PDFs | Yes | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yeslow · medium · high | No |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| API model ID | amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0 | step-1-32k |
| API providers | 2 (best) | 1 |
| Released | Dec 2, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| Knowledge cutoff | Oct 2025 | Jun 2024 |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Nova 2 Lite$8.80
- Step 1 (32K)$39.68
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Nova 2 Lite or Step 1 (32K)?
Nova 2 Lite is the better all-round choice, scoring 62/100 against Step 1 (32K) (18). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
Which is cheaper, Nova 2 Lite or Step 1 (32K)?
Nova 2 Lite is cheaper at $0.33 input / $2.75 output per million tokens (official Amazon Bedrock API price). Step 1 (32K) costs $2.05 input / $9.59 output per million tokens (official StepFun (Global) API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.935 per million tokens for Nova 2 Lite versus $3.94 for Step 1 (32K) (4.2× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Nova 2 Lite has not been scored yet and Step 1 (32K) has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Nova 2 Lite and Step 1 (32K) yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
Nova 2 Lite has the largest context window at 1,000,000 tokens, against 32,768 for Step 1 (32K). Maximum output per response: Nova 2 Lite up to 65,536, Step 1 (32K) up to 32,768 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Nova 2 Lite accepts text, images, PDFs and video; Step 1 (32K) accepts text. Nova 2 Lite handles the widest range of inputs.
Are any of these open source?
No. Nova 2 Lite and Step 1 (32K) are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.
Which is newer?
Nova 2 Lite is the newest, released Dec 2, 2025. Step 1 (32K) came out Jan 1, 2025. Knowledge cutoff: Nova 2 Lite Oct 2025, Step 1 (32K) Jun 2024.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.
