Step 3.5 Flash vs Hy-MT2-30B-A3B
Step 3.5 Flash comes out ahead, 63 to 44 on our weighted score, though Hy-MT2-30B-A3B is 14% cheaper per token.
- Our pick
StepFunStep 3.5 Flash
63/100- ECI—
- Price$0.10 / $0.30
- Context256K
TencentHy-MT2-30B-A3B
44/100- ECI—
- Price$0.074 / $0.295
- Context8K
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
Step 3.5 Flash is our pick
Step 3.5 Flash is the better all-round choice, scoring 63/100 against Hy-MT2-30B-A3B (44). It leads on inputs & features and context window. Hy-MT2-30B-A3B wins 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 priceHy-MT2-30B-A3BHy-MT2-30B-A3B $0.129 · Step 3.5 Flash $0.15 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextStep 3.5 FlashStep 3.5 Flash 256,000 · Hy-MT2-30B-A3B 8,192 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsStep 3.5 Flash: Text · Hy-MT2-30B-A3B: Text
- Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
| Measure | Weight | Step 3.5 Flash | Hy-MT2-30B-A3B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 85 | 88 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 45 | 0 |
| Context window | 20% | 36 | 0 |
| Overall | 100% | 63/100 | 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 FlashStepFun | Hy-MT2-30B-A3BTencent |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.10 | $0.074 (best) |
| Output | $0.30 | $0.295 (best) |
| Cached input | $0.02 | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.15 | $0.129 (best) |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official StepFun (Global) API | Median of 3 providers |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 256,000 tokens (best) | 8,192 tokens |
| Max output | 256,000 tokens (best) | 4,096 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yeslow · high | No |
| Tool calling | Yes | No |
| Structured output | Yes | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Open | Open |
| API model ID | step-3.5-flash | — |
| API providers | 13 (best) | 3 |
| Released | Jan 29, 2026 | May 21, 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$1.60
- Hy-MT2-30B-A3B$1.33
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Step 3.5 Flash or Hy-MT2-30B-A3B?
Step 3.5 Flash is the better all-round choice, scoring 63/100 against Hy-MT2-30B-A3B (44). It leads on inputs & features and context window. Hy-MT2-30B-A3B wins 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 or Hy-MT2-30B-A3B?
Hy-MT2-30B-A3B is cheaper at $0.074 input / $0.295 output per million tokens (median across 3 API providers). Step 3.5 Flash costs $0.10 input / $0.30 output per million tokens (official StepFun (Global) API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.129 per million tokens for Hy-MT2-30B-A3B versus $0.15 for Step 3.5 Flash (1.2× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Step 3.5 Flash has not been scored yet and Hy-MT2-30B-A3B has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Step 3.5 Flash and Hy-MT2-30B-A3B yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Note that Hy-MT2-30B-A3B does not support tool calling, which most coding agents need.
Which has the bigger context window?
Step 3.5 Flash has the largest context window at 256,000 tokens, against 8,192 for Hy-MT2-30B-A3B. Maximum output per response: Step 3.5 Flash up to 256,000, Hy-MT2-30B-A3B up to 4,096 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Step 3.5 Flash accepts text; Hy-MT2-30B-A3B accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
Yes, both publish their weights, so you can self-host them.
Which is newer?
Hy-MT2-30B-A3B is the newest, released May 21, 2026. Step 3.5 Flash came out Jan 29, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: Step 3.5 Flash 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 Nov 2, 2026.
