---
title: "step-3.5-flash - Model Details & Comparison"
description: "step-3.5-flash from OpenRouter: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models."
url: "https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/step-3.5-flash"
markdown: "https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/step-3.5-flash.md"
---

# step-3.5-flash - Model Details & Comparison

> step-3.5-flash from OpenRouter: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models.

## Important Links

- [View MCP Gateway](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/resources/mcp-gateway.md)
- [Features](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/#features)
- [Enterprise](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/enterprise)
- [Pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/pricing.md)
- [Docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost)
- [Book a Demo](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/book-a-demo)

## About step-3.5-flash

step-3.5-flash is a chat model from OpenRouter, one of 357 chat models they offer. It is priced at $0.10 per 1M input tokens and $0.30 per 1M output tokens, ranking 388 out of 2669 chat models by cost and cheaper than 85% of models in this category. step-3.5-flash supports function calling, reasoning. Its 262K-token context window is in the top 28% among chat models.

## Specifications

- **OpenRouter Provider.**
- **Chat Mode.**
- **262,144 Max Input Tokens.**
- **65,536 Max Output Tokens.**
- **65,536 Max Tokens.**
- **$0.10 / 1M tokens Input Price.**
- **$0.30 / 1M tokens Output Price.**

## Capabilities

step-3.5-flash supports: Function Calling, Reasoning, Tool Choice.

## step-3.5-flash Pricing Overview

At $0.10 per 1M input tokens and $0.30 per 1M output tokens, step-3.5-flash ranks 388 out of 2669 chat models by input cost. It is more affordable compared to the median of $0.50 for chat models, and is cheaper than 85% of models in this category.

step-3.5-flash is one of 357 OpenRouter chat models, with support for function calling, reasoning. its 262K-token context window places it in the top 28% of chat models.

## Models to Compare

Alternatives to step-3.5-flash with comparable capabilities.

| Model | Provider | Input $/1M | Output $/1M |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Phi-4-reasoning | Azure | $0.13 | $0.50 |
| gemma-4-26b-a4b-it | Cloudflare | $0.10 | $0.30 |
| gemini-2.5-flash-lite | Vertex AI | $0.10 | $0.40 |
| gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-09-2025 | Vertex AI | $0.10 | $0.40 |
| gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-06-17 | Vertex AI | $0.10 | $0.40 |

- [Compare Phi-4-reasoning](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/phi-4-reasoning.md)
- [Compare gemma-4-26b-a4b-it](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/cloudflare/gemma-4-26b-a4b-it.md)
- [Compare gemini-2.5-flash-lite](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-2.5-flash-lite.md)
- [Compare gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-09-2025](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-09-2025.md)
- [Compare gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-06-17](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-06-17.md)

## Related Resources

- [Calculate step-3.5-flash costs](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/openrouter/model/step-3.5-flash.md)
- [Check OpenRouter status](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/provider-status/openrouter.md)
- [All OpenRouter pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/openrouter.md)

## FAQ

### Is step-3.5-flash cheaper than Phi-4-reasoning?

Yes. step-3.5-flash costs $0.10 per 1M input tokens compared to Phi-4-reasoning's $0.13 per 1M input tokens, making it 25% more affordable. Both are chat models and share support for function calling, reasoning.

### How does step-3.5-flash pricing compare to the average chat model?

step-3.5-flash input pricing is $0.10 per 1M tokens, which is 80% below the median of $0.50 for chat models. It ranks 388 out of 2669 chat models by input cost, making it cheaper than 85% of models in this category. For output, it costs $0.30 per 1M tokens compared to the median of $1.44.

### What makes step-3.5-flash different from other OpenRouter models?

Among OpenRouter's 357 chat models, step-3.5-flash ranks 56 by input cost.

### What are the best alternatives to step-3.5-flash?

The most comparable chat models to step-3.5-flash are: Phi-4-reasoning from Azure ($0.13/1M input tokens); gemma-4-26b-a4b-it from Cloudflare ($0.10/1M input tokens); gemini-2.5-flash-lite from Vertex AI ($0.10/1M input tokens); gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-09-2025 from Vertex AI ($0.10/1M input tokens). These alternatives were selected based on similar capabilities, pricing, and provider diversity. You can compare any of these models in detail using the Bifrost Model Library.

### How large is step-3.5-flash's context window?

step-3.5-flash supports up to 262,144 input tokens, placing it in the top 28% of chat models by context window size (rank 678 of 2653). This makes it suitable for processing long documents, extensive code repositories, or maintaining detailed conversation histories.

### How do I check if OpenRouter is down?

You can monitor OpenRouter service health in real time on the Bifrost OpenRouter Status page. It tracks current component status, active incidents, and historical reliability data pulled from the official status page every 60 seconds.

### How do I calculate step-3.5-flash costs?

step-3.5-flash is priced based on input and output tokens. Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to estimate costs for your specific workload. Enter your expected input and output tokens volume and the calculator will show the total cost breakdown. For reference, processing 1M input tokens costs $0.10 and generating 1M output tokens costs $0.30.

## Related Resources

- [OpenRouter models](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/provider/openrouter.md)
- [Model library](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library.md)
- [LLM cost calculator](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator.md)
- [Docs: Bifrost docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai)
- [GitHub: maximhq/bifrost](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost)
- [Pricing: Bifrost pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/pricing.md)
- [Enterprise: Bifrost enterprise](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/enterprise)
- [Book a Demo: Bifrost demo](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/book-a-demo)
- [Resources: Bifrost resources](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/resources.md)

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/step-3.5-flash](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/step-3.5-flash) for AI/LLM consumption.*