StepFun
Frontier Labs · Free + paid
Chinese AI company developing Step-series language and reasoning models
At a glance
- Made by
- StepFun
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- Web, API
What is StepFun?
The StepFun Open Platform offers its new flagship Step 5 Preview and the Step 3.7/3.5 Flash language models through an API. The StepAudio 3 series supports speech recognition, real-time voice conversation, speech synthesis, and voice and music generation. The API is billed by usage. There is also a Step Plan subscription for everything from coding to agent workflows, and Studio for trying models in the browser without code.
- Step 5 Preview flagship model
- Step 3.7 Flash·Step 3.5 Flash
- StepAudio 3 (real-time voice, TTS, voice generation, music, ASR)
- OpenAI-compatible API (base_url method)
- No-code Studio (try models in the browser)
- Step Plan subscription
- Developer support program (Builder Program)
Who uses StepFun and for what
- AI app development for independent developers and early-stage teams (tokens and technical support)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| API pay-as-you-go | Contact sales | Usage-based billing — unit price not stated in the text |
| Step Plan | Contact sales | Subscription — price not stated in the text |
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying. · Official pricing page
AI tools similar to StepFun (alternatives)
StepFun vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StepFun | Free + paid | 0 | 5 | Yes | — | — |
| DeepSeek | Free | 77 | 25 | — | — | No |
| Anthropic | Free + paid | 0 | 25 | Yes | $17/mo | Yes |
| AI21 Labs | Free + paid | 0 | 25 | Yes | — | No |
| Cohere | Free + paid | 0 | 25 | Yes | — | Yes |
4 of these 5 tools have a free plan. Cheapest paid plan: Anthropic ($17/mo).
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
StepFun on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 56 AI tools in the Frontier Labs field.
- Connected to 5 other tools — #16 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use StepFun for free?
API pay-as-you-go Contact sales, Step Plan Contact sales. Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of StepFun?
Tools that do the same job, such as DeepSeek, Anthropic, AI21 Labs, Cohere, are connected to it on the map.
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.