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Comparison · 2 models · Updated Oct 4, 2026

Step 5 Preview vs DeepSeek OCR 2

Step 5 Preview comes out ahead, 57 to 32 on our weighted score, though DeepSeek OCR 2 is 27% cheaper per token.

  1. Our pick

    StepFun

    Step 5 Preview

    Released Sep 16, 2026

    57/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$1.00 / $2.70
    • Context1M
    Full specs Remove Step 5 Preview

  2. DeepSeek

    DeepSeek OCR 2

    Released Jan 27, 2026

    32/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.89 / $1.47
    • Context8K
    Full specs Remove DeepSeek OCR 2

  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Step 5 Preview is our pick

Step 5 Preview is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against DeepSeek OCR 2 (32). It leads on inputs & features and context window. DeepSeek OCR 2 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 priceDeepSeek OCR 2DeepSeek OCR 2 $1.03 · Step 5 Preview $1.43 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextStep 5 PreviewStep 5 Preview 1,000,000 · DeepSeek OCR 2 8,192 tokens
  • Widest inputsStep 5 PreviewStep 5 Preview: Text, Images, Video · DeepSeek OCR 2: Text, Images
  • Self-hostingDeepSeek OCR 2Publishes downloadable weights
How the score is built
MeasureWeightStep 5 PreviewDeepSeek OCR 2
Price50%4349
Inputs & features30%8025
Context window20%600
Overall100%57/10032/100

Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.

Step 5 Preview vs DeepSeek OCR 2 specifications side by side
SpecificationStep 5 PreviewStepFunDeepSeek OCR 2DeepSeek
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)——
ECI rank——
Price per million tokens
Input$1.00$0.89 (best)
Output$2.70$1.47 (best)
Cached input$0.05—
Blended (3:1)$1.43$1.03 (best)
Long-context rateSame rateSame rate
Price sourceOfficial StepFun (Global) APIMedian of 1 providers
Limits
Context window1,000,000 tokens (best)8,192 tokens
Max output1,000,000 tokens (best)8,192 tokens
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesYesYes
PDFsNoNo
AudioNoNo
VideoYesNo
ReasoningYeslow · medium · highNo
Tool callingYesNo
Structured outputYesNo
Availability
WeightsProprietaryOpen
API model IDstep-5-preview—
API providers7 (best)2
ReleasedSep 16, 2026Jan 27, 2026
Knowledge cutoff——
03 — Cost

What would a month cost?

Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.

  • Step 5 Preview$15.40
  • DeepSeek OCR 2$11.83
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: Step 5 Preview or DeepSeek OCR 2?

Step 5 Preview is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against DeepSeek OCR 2 (32). It leads on inputs & features and context window. DeepSeek OCR 2 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 5 Preview or DeepSeek OCR 2?

DeepSeek OCR 2 is cheaper at $0.89 input / $1.47 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider). Step 5 Preview costs $1.00 input / $2.70 output per million tokens (official StepFun (Global) API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $1.03 per million tokens for DeepSeek OCR 2 versus $1.43 for Step 5 Preview (1.4× as much).

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Step 5 Preview has not been scored yet and DeepSeek OCR 2 has not been scored yet.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Step 5 Preview and DeepSeek OCR 2 yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Note that DeepSeek OCR 2 does not support tool calling, which most coding agents need.

Which has the bigger context window?

Step 5 Preview has the largest context window at 1,000,000 tokens, against 8,192 for DeepSeek OCR 2. Maximum output per response: Step 5 Preview up to 1,000,000, DeepSeek OCR 2 up to 8,192 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

Step 5 Preview accepts text, images and video; DeepSeek OCR 2 accepts text and images. Step 5 Preview handles the widest range of inputs.

Are any of these open source?

DeepSeek OCR 2 publishes its weights and can be self-hosted; Step 5 Preview is proprietary.

Which is newer?

Step 5 Preview is the newest, released Sep 16, 2026. DeepSeek OCR 2 came out Jan 27, 2026.

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.

05 — Keep comparing

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