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DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview

Try both on us. Starter credit covers your first requests, then one key routes DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 and stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview. Switch by changing the model name.

Compare routesProviders, price, context, and policy posture in one view.

Use auto when uptime mattersKeep a primary model and let fallback handle provider failures.

Same API shapeUse the OpenAI client and set the model you want.

Practical read

Monthly evidence

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has the lower published input-plus-output rate, more Credits provider routes and the lower measured p50 time to first token. Their context windows are the same size.

$0.15825/1MDeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 cheapest route

$3.9035/1Mstepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview cheapest route

862 msDeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 fastest measured p50 TTFT via makora

2239 msstepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview fastest measured p50 TTFT via nvidia-nim

The price comparison adds each route's rate for one million input tokens and one million output tokens; your cost depends on your input/output mix. Prices and live route measurements can change. Use the monthly reports when you need a stable evidence window, then run a small task-specific eval before choosing a production default.

DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview

Model iddeepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017stepfun-ai/step-5-preview

Publisher DeepSeek StepFun

AI IQ IQ 128#19 —

Context1,048,576 tokens1,048,576 tokens

Credits provider routes163

Cheapest route$0.15825/1M$3.9035/1M

Cached input$0.01/1M to $0.13715/1M$0.05275/1M

Privacy posturehas Confidential route (E2EE + ZDR)has ZDR route

Fastest measured p50 TTFT862 ms via makora2239 ms via nvidia-nim

Highest measured throughputnot enough datanot enough data

Recent route uptime range100.00%33.33% to 100.00%

Modes chat chat

DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 routes

Overview16 Credits routes
PricingInput, cached input, and output rates
ProvidersAll serving providers

stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview routes

Overview3 Credits routes
PricingInput, cached input, and output rates
ProvidersAll serving providers

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Production choice

Pick a default model. Keep fallback enabled.

TrustedRouter is useful when you know the model you want, but still need provider rollover, budget limits, usage records, and a prompt path you can verify.

OpenAI clientPython

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.trustedrouter.com/v1",
    api_key="sk-tr-v1-..."
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017",
    messages=messages,
)

Questions

Which should I use, DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 or stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview?

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has the lower published input-plus-output rate, more Credits provider routes and the lower measured p50 time to first token. Their context windows are the same size.

Is DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 or stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview cheaper?

The current cheapest TrustedRouter route is $0.15825/1M for DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 and $3.9035/1M for stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview. The comparison uses current catalog prices and updates as provider pricing changes.

Is DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 or stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview faster?

Current measured p50 time to first token is 862 ms for DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 and 2239 ms for stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview. These are routed probe measurements, not vendor-advertised speeds, and update as new samples arrive.

Can I test DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 and stepfun-ai/Step-5-Preview with the same API?

Yes. Use the same OpenAI-compatible TrustedRouter base URL and API key, then change only the model id between deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017 and stepfun-ai/step-5-preview. This makes side-by-side evals possible without maintaining two provider integrations.