Step 2 (16K) vs Palmyra X4
Palmyra X4 comes out ahead, 25 to 11 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
StepFunStep 2 (16K)
11/100- ECI—
- Price$5.21 / $16.44
- Context16K
- Our pick
Writer
Palmyra X4
25/100- ECI—
- Price$2.50 / $10.00
- Context128K
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Make it a three-way comparison.
Palmyra X4 is our pick
Palmyra X4 is the better all-round choice, scoring 25/100 against Step 2 (16K) (11). 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 pricePalmyra X4Palmyra X4 $4.38 · Step 2 (16K) $8.02 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextPalmyra X4Palmyra X4 128,000 · Step 2 (16K) 16,384 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsStep 2 (16K): Text · Palmyra X4: Text
- Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs
| Measure | Weight | Step 2 (16K) | Palmyra X4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 7 | 19 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 25 | 35 |
| Context window | 20% | 0 | 24 |
| Overall | 100% | 11/100 | 25/100 |
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 | Step 2 (16K)StepFun | Palmyra X4Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $5.21 | $2.50 (best) |
| Output | $16.44 | $10.00 (best) |
| Cached input | $1.04 | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $8.02 | $4.38 (best) |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official StepFun (Global) API | Median of 1 providers |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 16,384 tokens | 128,000 tokens (best) |
| Max output | 8,192 tokens (best) | 4,096 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| API model ID | step-2-16k | — |
| API providers | 1 | 1 |
| Released | Jan 1, 2025 | Oct 9, 2024 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 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.
- Step 2 (16K)$84.98
- Palmyra X4$45.00
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Step 2 (16K) or Palmyra X4?
Palmyra X4 is the better all-round choice, scoring 25/100 against Step 2 (16K) (11). 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, Step 2 (16K) or Palmyra X4?
Palmyra X4 is cheaper at $2.50 input / $10.00 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider). Step 2 (16K) costs $5.21 input / $16.44 output per million tokens (official StepFun (Global) API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $4.38 per million tokens for Palmyra X4 versus $8.02 for Step 2 (16K) (1.8× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Step 2 (16K) has not been scored yet and Palmyra X4 has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Step 2 (16K) and Palmyra X4 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?
Palmyra X4 has the largest context window at 128,000 tokens, against 16,384 for Step 2 (16K). Maximum output per response: Step 2 (16K) up to 8,192, Palmyra X4 up to 4,096 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Step 2 (16K) accepts text; Palmyra X4 accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
No. Step 2 (16K) and Palmyra X4 are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.
Which is newer?
Step 2 (16K) is the newest, released Jan 1, 2025. Palmyra X4 came out Oct 9, 2024. Knowledge cutoff: Step 2 (16K) 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.
