Step 3.5 Flash 2603 vs Motif 3
Step 3.5 Flash 2603 comes out ahead, 62 to 44 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
StepFunStep 3.5 Flash 2603
62/100- ECI—
- Price$0.10 / $0.30
- Context256K
Motif Technologies
Motif 3
44/100- ECI—
- Price$0.50 / $2.00
- Context262K
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Make it a three-way comparison.
Step 3.5 Flash 2603 is our pick
Step 3.5 Flash 2603 is the better all-round choice, scoring 62/100 against Motif 3 (44). 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 priceStep 3.5 Flash 2603Step 3.5 Flash 2603 $0.15 · Motif 3 $0.875 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextMotif 3Motif 3 262,144 · Step 3.5 Flash 2603 256,000 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsStep 3.5 Flash 2603: Text · Motif 3: Text
- Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
| Measure | Weight | Step 3.5 Flash 2603 | Motif 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 89 | 53 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 35 | 35 |
| Context window | 20% | 36 | 37 |
| Overall | 100% | 62/100 | 44/100 |
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 3.5 Flash 2603StepFun | Motif 3Motif Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.10 (best) | $0.50 |
| Output | $0.30 (best) | $2.00 |
| Cached input | $0.02 | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.15 (best) | $0.875 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official StepFun (Global) API | Median of 1 providers |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 256,000 tokens | 262,144 tokens (best) |
| Max output | 256,000 tokens | 262,144 tokens (best) |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yeslow · high | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Open | OpenMIT |
| API model ID | step-3.5-flash-2603 | — |
| API providers | 3 (best) | 1 |
| Released | Apr 2, 2026 | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | Jan 2025 | — |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Step 3.5 Flash 2603$1.60
- Motif 3$9.00
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Step 3.5 Flash 2603 or Motif 3?
Step 3.5 Flash 2603 is the better all-round choice, scoring 62/100 against Motif 3 (44). 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 3.5 Flash 2603 or Motif 3?
Step 3.5 Flash 2603 is cheaper at $0.10 input / $0.30 output per million tokens (official StepFun (Global) API price). Motif 3 costs $0.50 input / $2.00 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.15 per million tokens for Step 3.5 Flash 2603 versus $0.875 for Motif 3 (5.8× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Step 3.5 Flash 2603 has not been scored yet and Motif 3 has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Step 3.5 Flash 2603 and Motif 3 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?
Motif 3 has the largest context window at 262,144 tokens, against 256,000 for Step 3.5 Flash 2603. Maximum output per response: Step 3.5 Flash 2603 up to 256,000, Motif 3 up to 262,144 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Step 3.5 Flash 2603 accepts text; Motif 3 accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
Yes, both publish their weights (MIT), so you can self-host them.
Which is newer?
Motif 3 is the newest, released Aug 7, 2026. Step 3.5 Flash 2603 came out Apr 2, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: Step 3.5 Flash 2603 Jan 2025.
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.
