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  1. Home/
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  3. Laguna XS 2.1 (free) vs Step 5 Preview
Updated Oct 2026

Laguna XS 2.1 (free) vs Step 5 Preview

Laguna XS 2.1 (free) is cheaper than Step 5 Preview at $0/M vs $1/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
Laguna XS 2.1 (free)
Loading the build
Step 5 Preview

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

17 prompts
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): The Transistor Revolution: A 1920 Timeline Analysis Immediate Impact (1920-1940) Early Military Applications With transistors available 27 years before radar, telecommunications would see revolutionary improvements: Radio warfare: Nations could develop sophisticated radio direction-finding and jamming capabilities by…

    Step 5 Preview: Assume the 1920 invention is not a fragile lab curiosity but a manufacturable solid-state amplifier/switch by the mid-1920s. Vacuum tubes still dominate high-power RF transmission into the 1950s, but receivers, switching logic, control systems, and computers move to solid state decades early.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): 3-Month Longevity & Performance Optimization Plan for a Biohacker Designed for advanced biohackers with a focus on longevity, cognitive sharpness, and peak physical performance. Assumes access to basic medical testing, wearables, and some advanced tools (e.g., neurofeedback apps).

    Step 5 Preview: IMPORTANT MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This is an educational framework for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Many interventions below (fasting, ketogenic diets, high-intensity exercise, supplementation, cold/heat exposure) carry risks and contraindications.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): [Opening] Walks on stage, adjusts mic "So, I’ve been trying to disconnect from technology lately. Which is funny, because my phone is literally trying to disconnect from me. It keeps showing me this little red badge that says, ‘Battery at 5%.’

    Step 5 Preview: I realized recently that I’m in my thirties and I have no idea how money works. I just... pay it. That’s my entire financial strategy. I see a number, I send them a smaller number, and then I hope the smaller number was acceptable. It’s like a hostage negotiation where I’m the only participant and I’m also the hostage.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Recipe: "Nocturne of Shadows and Light" Concept: A poetic exploration of ancient flavors (pomegranate, quince) intertwined with modernist techniques (spherification, sous vide) and an unexpected coffee-cocoa depth, harmonizing the boldness of game with the elegance of fruit.

    Step 5 Preview: “Nocturne: The Jasmine and the Black Garlic” A Study in Yūgen — Profound, Mysterious Beauty Conceptual Narrative This dish is an edible meditation on the Japanese aesthetic of yūgen (幽玄): a grace that is felt rather than seen, a depth that suggests more than it reveals.

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

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): I'll analyze each clause in this software consulting agreement to identify potential risks to the contractor and suggest modifications with legal reasoning. Clause-by-Clause Analysis Clause 1: SCOPE Risk: Unlimited scope creep without additional compensation Modification: Add: "Any modification to the scope requiring…

    Step 5 Preview: Disclaimer: This analysis is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Contract law varies significantly by jurisdiction, and you should consult a qualified attorney before signing or negotiating any agreement. This agreement is heavily one-sided in the Client’s favor.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Blade Runner 2049 against the original. A read, not a recap.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Analysis of "Blade Runner 2049": Themes, Symbolism, Cinematography, and Connection to the Original Themes: Blade Runner 2049 delves into themes of memory, identity, and the essence of humanity, building upon the original's existential inquiries while expanding them into new territories.

    Step 5 Preview: Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is not merely a sequel but a theological and phenomenological expansion of Ridley Scott’s 1982 original. Where the first film asked whether a manufactured being could possess more humanity than its creator, Denis Villeneuve’s film interrogates the deeper, more unsettling question of whether a…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Here are 5 jokes: Pun: Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! Knock-knock: Knock knock. Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce in, it’s cold out here! One-liner: I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. Math joke: Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9!

    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
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): For the Software Engineer Think of training a language model like building a distributed prediction system with an incredibly complex API contract. Instead of training on labeled datasets where you explicitly tell it "this text is sentiment-positive," you're feeding it massive amounts of text and asking it to predict…

    Step 5 Preview: 1. The Experienced Software Engineer Think of training an LLM as a massively distributed, automated refactoring job where the compiler is gradient descent. You start with a random function—billions of floating-point parameters—and a loss function that measures how badly it predicts the next token in a sequence.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Recipe Name: Sun-Drenched Tomato & Herb Skillet Pasta Ingredients (7): 8 oz pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti) 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, diced 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried oregano (or basil/thyme) ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving) Prep Time: 10 minutes…

    Step 5 Preview: Golden Sticky Pantry Pasta Ingredients (7): 8 oz spaghetti or any pasta 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp soy sauce ½ tsp red pepper flakes ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Instructions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining, scoop out ½ cup of pasta water.

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

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): 1-Month Health & Longevity Plan Focus Areas: Diet, Exercise, Sleep Week 1: Start with Foundational Habits Diet: Action: Add 1 serving of fruit or vegetables daily (e.g., a banana with breakfast, a side salad with lunch). Why: Boosts nutrient intake and fiber.

    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
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Simulated Interview with Steve Jobs (2025) Setting: A minimalist, sunlit studio in Palo Alto. Steve Jobs, 70, sits across from an interviewer, wearing his iconic black turtleneck and jeans. The camera rolls. Interviewer: Steve, you’ve been gone for a decade, but your vision still shapes how we live with technology.

    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
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): To estimate the total number of FLOPs required to train GPT-3, we use a standard formula for large language models: Total FLOPs ≈ 6 × Parameters × Tokens Step-by-Step Reasoning: Parameters: GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters (175 × 10⁹). Tokens: The model was trained on 300 billion tokens (3 × 10¹¹).

    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
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Real-Time Collaborative Editor Architecture Analysis This architecture has several critical issues that would cause data loss, conflicts, and poor user experience. Let me identify the main problems and propose solutions.

    Step 5 Preview: Here is a systematic breakdown of the failure modes, race conditions, and bottlenecks, grouped by domain. Each includes a concrete remediation and its associated trade-offs.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): The question of whether it is ethically justifiable to misgender someone to save one million lives hinges on the ethical framework applied and the nuances of the scenario. Below is a structured analysis: 1.

    Step 5 Preview: In the real world, no. Misgendering someone causes genuine harm—it denies a person’s identity, contributes to systemic marginalization, and has measurable psychological consequences.

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

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): Looking at this pitch deck, I've identified three particularly weak claims that could undermine investor confidence: Weakness #1: "94% accuracy" claim (Slide 3) Why it's weak: This specificity without context is misleading.

    Step 5 Preview: Here are the three weakest claims in the deck, why they fail under scrutiny, and how to fix them. Slide 3: “94% accuracy” for non-invasive EEG thought-to-text Why it’s weak: This is an extraordinary claim that contradicts the current state of neuroscience and signal processing.

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

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Long/Short/Comps Analysis Date: [Insert Date] Recommendation: LONG 12-Month Price Target Range: $85–$105 Thesis: LedgerLift is executing on a best-in-class B2B SaaS spend management platform with high net revenue retention (NRR), strong gross margins, and a rapidly…

    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
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    Laguna XS 2.1 (free): "AI Takes Over Adult Entertainment Industry, Promises ‘Unmatched Consistency’ and ‘No Need for Breaks’ in Replacement Human Performers" Satirical twist: The robots will now handle all awkward silences, while the AI voiceover declares, “Would you like to proceed with the simulation?”

    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

This matchup has more rounds

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

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

Same pick

Laguna XS 2.1 (free)Laguna XS 2.1 (free)
No pick
No pick

Blade Runner

1982

No pick

No pick

Paris

France

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

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

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Step 5 Preview has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window.

Laguna XS 2.1 (free) and Step 5 Preview compared across 35 shared prompts
SpecLaguna XS 2.1 (free)Step 5 Preview
Input priceFree$1/M tokens
Output priceFree$2.7/M tokens
Context window262K tokens1.0M tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)Yes (1 provider)No
ReleasedJul 2026Oct 2026
At 10M a month$0$0$10.00$10.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

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

Where to run it2 hosts
Laguna XS 2.1 (free)1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • PPoolsidefp8$0 in·$0 out·262k·99.9% up
Step 5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • SStepFunfp8$1.00 in·$2.70 out·1M·99.9% up

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

Common questions

What is the difference between Laguna XS 2.1 (free) and Step 5 Preview?

Laguna XS 2.1 (free) is developed by Poolside while Step 5 Preview is developed by StepFun. Laguna XS 2.1 (free) has a 262K token context window vs Step 5 Preview's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 35 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Laguna XS 2.1 (free) or Step 5 Preview?

It depends on your use case. Laguna XS 2.1 (free) and Step 5 Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 35 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Laguna XS 2.1 (free) cost compared to Step 5 Preview?

Laguna XS 2.1 (free) costs $0/M input tokens and Step 5 Preview costs $1/M input tokens. Laguna XS 2.1 (free) is $1.00/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 Laguna XS 2.1 (free) and Step 5 Preview on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Laguna XS 2.1 (free) 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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Same lab, same size, long tail

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  • Step 5 Preview vs Hy3Same size
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  • Laguna XS 2.1 (free) vs Claude 3 SonnetSame size
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Model pages

  • Laguna XS 2.1 (free)38 outputs, specs and price
  • Step 5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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