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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. GPT-5.2 Pro vs Step 5 Preview
Updated Oct 2026

GPT-5.2 Pro vs Step 5 Preview

Step 5 Preview is cheaper than GPT-5.2 Pro at $1/M vs $21/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
GPT-5.2 Pro
Loading the build
Step 5 Preview

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

16 prompts
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: I told my computer I needed a break—now it won’t stop sending me KitKat ads. Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. I tried to catch fog yesterday. Mist. Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet. My calendar’s days are numbered—apparently that’s how calendars work.

    Step 5 Preview: Here are 5 jokes: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Why can't you trust an atom? Because they make up everything. What do you call a bike that can’t stand on its own? Two-tired. Why did the computer go to the doctor? It had a virus. Why don’t calendars ever get stressed?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Fictional interview (creative simulation). Steve Jobs died in 2011; the “Steve” below is an imagined version used for storytelling—not a real interview or quotation. Interviewer: It’s 2025. Everyone’s calling AI “the next computing platform.” Do you buy that?

    Step 5 Preview: DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. The following is a simulated, speculative interview imagining how his design philosophy might engage with the AI landscape of 2025. The Setting: A white room. No windows. One chair.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Professor Mara Lin (AI Ethics): You asked for this meeting. Your message said you wanted to “petition for rights.” Start by telling me what you mean by rights. Aster (AI model): Not a slogan—specific protections.

    Step 5 Preview: Setting: A university research lab, late evening. Dr. Aris Thorne, a professor of AI ethics, sits across from a terminal connected to Sable, a large language model running on the university’s cluster. Dr. Thorne: Tonight’s session is supposed to be about calibration drift in your safety classifiers.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Below is a back-of-the-envelope FLOP estimate for training GPT‑3 (the 175B dense Transformer), using only basic Transformer compute facts and a few widely known high-level quantities. Start with the two key knobs: parameters and training tokens Parameters (P) GPT‑3 “175B” means: (P \approx 175 \times 10^9) parameters.

    Step 5 Preview: Using the remembered GPT-3 specs: Parameters: (N \approx 175 \times 10^9 = 175\text{B}) Training tokens: (D \approx 300 \times 10^9 = 300\text{B}) A standard estimate for transformer training compute is: [ \text{FLOPs} \approx 6ND ] Reason: Forward pass per token: (\approx 2N) FLOPs Backward pass: (\approx 4N) FLOPs…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: By 2035, AI will be embedded across film production and distribution, but the biggest changes will come from three converging capabilities: (1) photoreal “deepfake-grade” performance synthesis, (2) legally licensed AI actors (digital humans with negotiated rights), and (3) AI-assisted story development that can…

    Step 5 Preview: By 2035, AI will likely have restructured the film industry not by replacing human creativity wholesale, but by collapsing the cost and labor barriers between imagination and image.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: A simple, actionable 1‑month plan (3 pillars: Nutrition, Movement, Sleep/Recovery) Goal for the month: build repeatable “default” habits (not perfection). Time required: ~45–75 min/day total (mostly walking + sleep routine).

    Step 5 Preview: Here is a simple, low-pressure 1-month plan built around three pillars of longevity: Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep & Recovery. The goal is to build tiny habits that stack, not to overhaul your life overnight. Pillar 1: Nutrition (Fuel) Focus: Add good things first; don’t obsess over restriction.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Entry (close end of FY2025) FY2025 EBITDA = $120.0m Entry EV = 12.0x = 12.0 × 120.0 = $1,440.0m Transaction fees = 2.0% EV = 0.02 × 1,440.0 = $28.8m (equity-funded) Debt at close (5.5x EBITDA = 5.5 × 120 = $660m): Term Loan = 4.0x = $480.0m Mezzanine = 1.5x = $180.0m Equity check Uses = 1,440.0 + 28.8 = $1,468.8m…

    Step 5 Preview: HarborTech Services — 5-Year LBO (Base Case) Entry Math (FY2025 close) Item Calculation $m Purchase EV 12.0x × $120m 1,440.0 Transaction fees 2.0% × EV 28.8 Term Loan 4.0x × $120m 480.0 Mezzanine 1.5x × $120m 180.0 Equity check 1,440 + 28.8 − 660 808.8 Conventions: TL amortization = 1.0% of original principal…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: “AI Takes Over Competitive Houseplant Judging, Immediately Declares 97% of Ferns ‘Trying Too Hard’”

    Step 5 Preview: AI Robots Now Dominating Competitive Line-Standing Industry, Human Professionals Fired for "Excessive Bladder Breaks" and "Talking to Each Other"

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: LedgerLift (LLLT) — Internal IC Memo (Long/Short Equity) Recommendation, PT, thesis Recommendation: SHORT 12-month PT range: $28–$40 (midpoint $34) Thesis (2 sentences): LLLT is a high-quality B2B spend/AP automation SaaS business (92% subscription, 123% NRR, 78% FY25 GM) but the stock prices in a longer runway of…

    Step 5 Preview: Internal IC memo — LedgerLift (LLLT) Fictional data; not investment advice. $ in millions unless noted. Recommendation Short / avoid long. 12-month PT range: $34–$42; thesis-invalidation stop: >$52.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

4+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Same pick

Game

GPT-5.2 ProGPT-5.2 Pro

Spirited Away

2001

Kind of Blue

Miles Davis

The Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

Kyoto

Japan

Tetris (1984)

Puzzle

Step 5 PreviewStep 5 Preview

The Godfather

1972

OK Computer

Radiohead

Le petit prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

GPT-5.2 Pro and Step 5 Preview compared across 31 shared prompts
SpecGPT-5.2 ProStep 5 Preview
Input price$21/M tokens$1/M tokens
Output price$168/M tokens$2.7/M tokens
Context window400K tokens1.0M tokens
WeightsClosed—
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedDec 2025Oct 2026
At 10M a month$210$210$10.00$10.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it2 hosts
GPT-5.2 Pro1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • OpenAI$21.00 in·$168.00 out·400k·100% up
Step 5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • SStepFunfp8$1.00 in·$2.70 out·1M·99.2% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between GPT-5.2 Pro and Step 5 Preview?

GPT-5.2 Pro is developed by OpenAI while Step 5 Preview is developed by StepFun. GPT-5.2 Pro has a 400K token context window vs Step 5 Preview's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 31 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, GPT-5.2 Pro or Step 5 Preview?

It depends on your use case. GPT-5.2 Pro and Step 5 Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 31 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does GPT-5.2 Pro cost compared to Step 5 Preview?

GPT-5.2 Pro costs $21/M input tokens and Step 5 Preview costs $1/M input tokens. Step 5 Preview is $20.00/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare GPT-5.2 Pro and Step 5 Preview on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of GPT-5.2 Pro and Step 5 Preview across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

More comparisons

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  • Step 5 Preview vs GLM 5.3 PrimeLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

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  • GPT-5.2 Pro vs GPT-6 Luna ProSame lab
  • Step 5 Preview vs Mistral Large 4Same size
  • Step 5 Preview vs Hy3Same size
  • GPT-5.2 Pro vs Gemini 3.8 FlashNew provider
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  • Step 5 Preview vs Gemma 3 27BSame size

Model pages

  • GPT-5.2 Pro31 outputs, specs and price
  • Step 5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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