AI model comparison
GPT-6.1 Terra vs Step 5 Preview
Side by side comparison of GPT-6.1 Terra and Step 5 Preview on pricing, benchmark scores, context window, and more.
GPT-6.1 Terra is the mid-tier model in OpenAI's GPT-6.1 series, priced below GPT-6.1 Sol.
- Input / 1M
- $1
- Output / 1M
- $5
- Context
- 1.05M
Step 5 Preview is StepFun's flagship model for agentic work, built on a sparse Mixture-of-Experts architecture (27B active / 600B total parameters).
- Input / 1M
- $1
- Output / 1M
- $2.70
- Context
- 1.05M
Comparing image generators? Compare image models
At a glance
Quick verdict
How the two models stack up on the things people ask about most.
Lower price
Step 5 Preview
1.3x cheaper for a typical chat
Higher intelligence score
GPT-6.1 Terra
48.1 vs 43.7 on Artificial Analysis
Larger context window
GPT-6.1 Terra
1.05M vs 1.05M tokens
Newer release
GPT-6.1 Terra
Released October 26, 2026
Benchmarks
Benchmark scores
Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.
Intelligence index
GPT-6.1 Terra48.1Coding index
GPT-6.1 TerraNot availableAgentic index
GPT-6.1 TerraNot availablePricing
GPT-6.1 Terra vs Step 5 Preview API pricing
Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.
| Metric | GPT-6.1 Terra | |
|---|---|---|
| Input tokensPer 1M tokens | $1 | $1 |
| Output tokensPer 1M tokens | $5 | $2.70 |
| Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens | $0.05 | $0.10 |
| Cache writePer 1M tokens | $1.25 | Not available |
| Long-context pricingPer 1M tokens, for very long prompts | $2 in / $7.50 out above 272K | Same rate at any length |
| Web searchPer request | $0.01 | Not available |
What it costs in practice
Estimated cost per 1,000 requests at standard rates. Coding and long-document figures also show the cost when the input is already cached.
Chat message
2K in, 500 out
GPT-6.1 Terra$4.50Coding task
30K in, 4K out
GPT-6.1 Terra$50$21.50 cachedLong document summary
150K in, 2K out
GPT-6.1 Terra$160$17.50 cachedSpecs
Context window and capabilities
How much each model can read, how much it can write, and what it accepts as input.
| Metric | GPT-6.1 Terra | |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1.05M tokens | 1.05M tokens |
| Max output | 128K tokens | 64K tokens |
| Input types | File, Image, Text | Image, Text, Video |
| Output types | Text | Text |
| Reasoning effort levels | Max, Extra high, High, Medium, Low, None | High, Medium, Low |
| Default reasoning effort | Medium | Medium |
| Release date | October 26, 2026 | October 8, 2026 |
Features
Supported features
API features available for each model.
| Metric | GPT-6.1 Terra | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool calling | Supported | Supported |
| Structured outputs | Supported | Supported |
| JSON mode | Supported | Supported |
| Reasoning | Supported | Supported |
| Temperature | Not supported | Supported |
| Stop sequences | Not supported | Supported |
| Deterministic seed | Supported | Supported |
| Verbosity control | Supported | Not supported |
Keep exploring
More on these models
Other head-to-heads, the full model page, and the alternatives list for each model.
- Step 5 Preview vs DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
- Step 5 Preview vs DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs GLM 5.3 Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs Hy4 preview
- Step 5 Preview vs GPT-6 Luna
- Step 5 Preview vs Claude Opus 5.5
- Step 5 Preview vs GLM 5.3
- Step 5 Preview vs MiMo-V2.6-Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731
- Step 5 Preview vs Hy3
- Step 5 Preview vs GPT-6.1 Sol
- Step 5 Preview vs Claude Haiku 5.5
- Step 5 Preview vs Kimi K3
- Step 5 Preview vs Muse Spark 1.3
- Step 5 Preview vs MiniMax M3.1 Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs GPT-6 Sol
- Step 5 Preview vs MiMo-V2.6-Pro
- Step 5 Preview vs Grok 4.7
- Step 5 Preview vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902)
- Step 5 Preview vs Grok 4.6
- Step 5 Preview vs GPT-5.6 Terra
- Step 5 Preview vs Claude Opus 4.8
- Step 5 Preview vs Ling 3.1 Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs Qwen3.8 2.4T A95B
- Step 5 Preview vs Gemini 3.7 Flash
- Step 5 Preview vs Muse Spark 1.2
- Step 5 Preview vs Mistral Large 4
- Step 5 Preview vs GLM 5.3 FlashX
Our take
Step 5 Preview is 1.3x cheaper for a typical chat. GPT-6.1 Terra scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (48.1 vs 43.7). GPT-6.1 Terra has the larger context window (1.05M vs 1.05M tokens). The right pick depends on your workload, so the quickest way to settle it is to send the same prompt to both and compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-6.1 Terra or Step 5 Preview cheaper?
Step 5 Preview is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). Step 5 Preview costs $1 per 1M input tokens and $2.70 per 1M output tokens, while GPT-6.1 Terra costs $1 per 1M input tokens and $5 per 1M output tokens.
Which has a bigger context window, GPT-6.1 Terra or Step 5 Preview?
GPT-6.1 Terra supports up to 1.05M tokens of context, compared with 1.05M for Step 5 Preview.
Is GPT-6.1 Terra smarter than Step 5 Preview?
On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GPT-6.1 Terra scores 48.1 and Step 5 Preview scores 43.7, putting GPT-6.1 Terra ahead. Benchmarks don't capture everything, so the best test is running your own prompts through both.
Can I use GPT-6.1 Terra and Step 5 Preview at the same time?
Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see GPT-6.1 Terra and Step 5 Preview answer side by side and keep the better response.
Why choose? Ask both.
Send one prompt to GPT-6.1 Terra and Step 5 Preview at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.