Muse Spark Open vs Step 5 Preview: which scores higher?

Step 5 Preview leads the intelligence index 28.5 to 24.9. Step 5 Preview costs 29% less on blended price. Compare price, speed, latency and a clear verdict.

Metric	Muse Spark Open (Xhigh)	Step 5 Preview
Intelligence Index	24.9	28.5
Input price (per 1M tokens)	$1.25	$1.00
Output price (per 1M tokens)	$4.25	$2.70
Output speed (tokens/s)	207	151
Time to first token	0.94s	0.91s
Release date	2026-10-15	2026-09-18

Metric

Muse Spark Open (Xhigh)

Step 5 Preview

Intelligence Index

24.9

28.5

Input price (per 1M tokens)

$1.25

$1.00

Output price (per 1M tokens)

$4.25

$2.70

Output speed (tokens/s)

207

151

Time to first token

0.94s

0.91s

Release date

2026-10-15

2026-09-18

Here is how Muse Spark Open (Xhigh), built by Meta, lines up against Step 5 Preview from StepFun. Their widest difference is the intelligence index, with Step 5 Preview ahead by 3.6 points (28.5 versus 24.9). The figures come from tracked catalogue data, not from our own testing, so treat them as a starting point for a trial on your tasks.

How the intelligence index compares

Step 5 Preview comes out ahead on the intelligence index, 28.5 to 24.9. That is a clear margin for an index that averages many evaluations. In relative terms, Step 5 Preview scores 14% higher.

Among 109 active scored models, Muse Spark Open sits 68th and Step 5 Preview 61st.

Neither model has a separate coding or math index recorded yet, so those narrower comparisons will have to wait for more data.

What they cost

Muse Spark Open lists $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens; Step 5 Preview lists $1.00 and $2.70. Muse Spark Open costs 1.6 times as much per output token.

For a sample workload of 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens, Muse Spark Open would cost $2.10 and Step 5 Preview $1.54, a difference of $0.56. For writing 2,000 drafts of 2,000 output tokens from 300-token prompts, Step 5 Preview would come in 36% lower: $17.75 for Muse Spark Open against $11.40 for Step 5 Preview. Blended at three input tokens per output token, the effective rates are $2.00 for Muse Spark Open and $1.425 for Step 5 Preview.

How fast they respond

Measured output speed is 207 tokens per second for Muse Spark Open and 151 tokens per second for Step 5 Preview. Muse Spark Open is ahead by 37% on throughput. The wait for the first token averages 0.94 seconds on Muse Spark Open against 0.91 seconds on Step 5 Preview.

For a 600-token response, first token plus generation comes to roughly 3.8 seconds on Muse Spark Open and 4.9 seconds on Step 5 Preview. The two totals cross at about 50 tokens; past that, Muse Spark Open finishes first.

Generation gap

Muse Spark Open arrived on October 15, 2026, 27 days after Step 5 Preview (September 18, 2026). That is close enough to count them as the same generation.

Score per dollar

A blunt value measure, blended price over intelligence score, puts Muse Spark Open at $0.080 and Step 5 Preview at $0.050 per point. With the higher score and the lower cost per point, Step 5 Preview is the better value per point on these numbers.

FAQ

Is Muse Spark Open better than Step 5 Preview?

It depends on what you need: Step 5 Preview scores higher on the intelligence index, 28.5 to 24.9; Step 5 Preview is 29% cheaper on blended price; and Muse Spark Open streams output 1.4 times as fast.

Which is cheaper, Muse Spark Open or Step 5 Preview?

Step 5 Preview is cheaper on a blended basis. Muse Spark Open lists $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens; Step 5 Preview lists $1.00 and $2.70. For 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens that is $2.10 against $1.54.

Which is faster, Muse Spark Open or Step 5 Preview?

Muse Spark Open generates output faster, at 207 tokens per second against 151 tokens per second. Time to first token is similar: 0.94 seconds and 0.91 seconds. Counting the first-token wait, Step 5 Preview finishes short replies first and Muse Spark Open pulls ahead beyond about 50 tokens.

Which is newer, Muse Spark Open or Step 5 Preview?

Muse Spark Open is newer. It was released on October 15, 2026, 27 days after Step 5 Preview (September 18, 2026).

Who makes Muse Spark Open and Step 5 Preview?

Muse Spark Open is made by Meta and Step 5 Preview by StepFun. Muse Spark Open was released on October 15, 2026 and Step 5 Preview on September 18, 2026.

Final whistle

On balance the numbers favour Step 5 Preview, though Muse Spark Open keeps a case of its own. Pick Muse Spark Open if your outputs often run past about 50 tokens. Pick Step 5 Preview if you need the higher overall score (28.5 against 24.9) and cost matters ($2.70 against $4.25 per million output tokens).

Where the numbers come from

The scores, speed and prices in this comparison come from independent third-party model evaluations that Franklin AI syncs each day, and the article was written from a snapshot of them. For the latest results, open the Muse Spark Open (Xhigh) and Step 5 Preview pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.