Step 2 (16K) vs Qwen Max
Qwen Max comes out ahead, 22 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
Alibaba (Qwen)Qwen Max
22/100- ECI—
- Price$1.60 / $6.40
- Context33K
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Make it a three-way comparison.
Qwen Max is our pick
Qwen Max is the better all-round choice, scoring 22/100 against Step 2 (16K) (11). It leads on price. 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 priceQwen MaxQwen Max $2.80 · Step 2 (16K) $8.02 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextQwen MaxQwen Max 32,768 · Step 2 (16K) 16,384 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsStep 2 (16K): Text · Qwen Max: Text
- Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs
| Measure | Weight | Step 2 (16K) | Qwen Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 7 | 29 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 25 | 25 |
| Context window | 20% | 0 | 0 |
| Overall | 100% | 11/100 | 22/100 |
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 | Qwen MaxAlibaba (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $5.21 | $1.60 (best) |
| Output | $16.44 | $6.40 (best) |
| Cached input | $1.04 | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $8.02 | $2.80 (best) |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official StepFun (Global) API | Official Alibaba API |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 16,384 tokens | 32,768 tokens (best) |
| Max output | 8,192 tokens | 8,192 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| API model ID | step-2-16k | qwen-max |
| API providers | 1 | 6 (best) |
| Released | Jan 1, 2025 | Apr 3, 2024 |
| 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.
- Step 2 (16K)$84.98
- Qwen Max$28.80
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Step 2 (16K) or Qwen Max?
Qwen Max is the better all-round choice, scoring 22/100 against Step 2 (16K) (11). It leads on price. 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 Qwen Max?
Qwen Max is cheaper at $1.60 input / $6.40 output per million tokens (official Alibaba API price). 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 $2.80 per million tokens for Qwen Max versus $8.02 for Step 2 (16K) (2.9× 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 Qwen Max has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Step 2 (16K) and Qwen Max 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?
Qwen Max has the largest context window at 32,768 tokens, against 16,384 for Step 2 (16K). Maximum output per response: Step 2 (16K) up to 8,192, Qwen Max up to 8,192 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Step 2 (16K) accepts text; Qwen Max accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
No. Step 2 (16K) and Qwen Max are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.
Which is newer?
Step 2 (16K) is the newest, released Jan 1, 2025. Qwen Max came out Apr 3, 2024. Knowledge cutoff: Step 2 (16K) Jun 2024, Qwen 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.
