Palmyra X5 vs Step 1 (32K) vs QVQ Max
Palmyra X5 comes out ahead, 48 to 40 and 18 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
Writer
Palmyra X5
48/100- ECI—
- Price$0.60 / $6.00
- Context1M
StepFunStep 1 (32K)
18/100- ECI—
- Price$2.05 / $9.59
- Context33K
Alibaba (Qwen)QVQ Max
40/100- ECI—
- Price$1.20 / $4.80
- Context131K
Palmyra X5 is our pick
Palmyra X5 is the better all-round choice, scoring 48/100 against QVQ Max (40) and Step 1 (32K) (18). It leads on 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 pricePalmyra X5Palmyra X5 $1.95 · QVQ Max $2.10 · Step 1 (32K) $3.94 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextPalmyra X5Palmyra X5 1,000,000 · QVQ Max 131,072 · Step 1 (32K) 32,768 tokens
- Widest inputsPalmyra X5 and QVQ MaxPalmyra X5: Text, Images · Step 1 (32K): Text · QVQ Max: Text, Images
- Self-hostingNo open weightsAll three are available only through APIs
| Measure | Weight | Palmyra X5 | Step 1 (32K) | QVQ Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 36 | 22 | 35 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 60 | 25 | 60 |
| Context window | 20% | 60 | 0 | 24 |
| Overall | 100% | 48/100 | 18/100 | 40/100 |
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 | Palmyra X5Writer | Step 1 (32K)StepFun | QVQ MaxAlibaba (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | |||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | |||
| Input | $0.60 (best) | $2.05 | $1.20 |
| Output | $6.00 | $9.59 | $4.80 (best) |
| Cached input | — | $0.41 | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $1.95 (best) | $3.94 | $2.10 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Median of 1 providers | Official StepFun (Global) API | Official Alibaba API |
| Limits | |||
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens (best) | 32,768 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Max output | 8,192 tokens | 32,768 tokens (best) | 8,192 tokens |
| Inputs and features | |||
| Text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Images | Yes | No | Yes |
| PDFs | No | No | No |
| Audio | No | No | No |
| Video | No | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No | No |
| Availability | |||
| Weights | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| API model ID | — | step-1-32k | qvq-max |
| API providers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Released | Apr 28, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 | Mar 25, 2025 |
| Knowledge cutoff | — | Jun 2024 | Apr 2024 |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Palmyra X5$18.00
- Step 1 (32K)$39.68
- QVQ Max$21.60
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Palmyra X5, Step 1 (32K) or QVQ Max?
Palmyra X5 is the better all-round choice, scoring 48/100 against QVQ Max (40) and Step 1 (32K) (18). It leads on 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, Palmyra X5, Step 1 (32K) or QVQ Max?
Palmyra X5 is cheaper at $0.60 input / $6.00 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider). QVQ Max costs $1.20 input / $4.80 output per million tokens (official Alibaba 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 $1.95 per million tokens for Palmyra X5 versus $2.10 for QVQ Max (1.1× as much) and $3.94 for Step 1 (32K) (2× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers all three models yet. Palmyra X5 has not been scored yet, Step 1 (32K) has not been scored yet and QVQ Max has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Palmyra X5, Step 1 (32K) and QVQ Max yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. All three support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
Palmyra X5 has the largest context window at 1,000,000 tokens, against 131,072 for QVQ Max and 32,768 for Step 1 (32K). Maximum output per response: Palmyra X5 up to 8,192, Step 1 (32K) up to 32,768, QVQ Max up to 8,192 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Palmyra X5 accepts text and images; Step 1 (32K) accepts text; QVQ Max accepts text and images. Palmyra X5 handles the widest range of inputs.
Are any of these open source?
No. Palmyra X5, Step 1 (32K) and QVQ Max are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.
Which is newer?
Palmyra X5 is the newest, released Apr 28, 2025. QVQ Max came out Mar 25, 2025; Step 1 (32K) came out Jan 1, 2025. Knowledge cutoff: Step 1 (32K) Jun 2024, QVQ Max Apr 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.
