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GPT-5 Nano (medium) vs Step 5 Preview (low)

GPT-5 Nano (medium) leads on average score with 5.7 vs 5.6. GPT-5 Nano (medium) has the lower benchmark cost at $0.159 vs $4.110. GPT-5 Nano (medium) is faster at 56.55s vs 138.27s, with pass rates of 53.6% vs 58.0%.

Last updated at: 2026-10-09

Compared models

Rank
#272
Total Output Tokens
307,921
Response Time (avg)
56.55s
Total Cost
$0.159
Rank
#281
Total Output Tokens
1,425,268
Response Time (avg)
138.27s
Total Cost
$4.110
Recommended model GPT-5 Nano (medium)

It has the best score here (5.7), while costing about 26.0x less than Step 5 Preview (low).

Detailed comparison

Metric GPT-5 Nano GPT-5 Nano medium Release: 2025-08-07 Step 5 Preview Step 5 Preview low Release: 2026-10-09
Score 5.7 5.6
Rank #272 #281
Reliability 10.0 9.7
Consistency 6.5 7.5
Attempts 69/69 69/69
Tests Correct
Attempt pass rate 53.6% 58.0%
Flaky tests 10 7
Total Runs 69 69
Cost per result 1.737 41.095
Total Cost $0.159 $4.110
Input Price $0.050 / 1M $1.000 / 1M
Output Price $0.400 / 1M $2.700 / 1M
Cache Read Price $0.005 / 1M $0.050 / 1M
Cache Write Price N/A N/A
Total Input Tokens 314,436 261,256
Output Tokens 13,578 1,425,268
Reasoning Tokens 294,343 0
Response Time (avg) 56.55s 138.27s
Response Time (max) 227.89s 436.56s
Response Time (total) 961.32s 3180.10s
Parameters ~120B total (~5B active) 600B total (27B active)
Availability Closed Closed

Cache prices apply to input tokens. Reads reuse cached prompts; writes store them and can cost extra. Output tokens use the output price.

Model generation showcase

Hamster playing table tennis

Prompt: Create a detailed SVG illustration of a hamster playing table tennis.

#272 GPT-5 Nano

medium
Cost
$0.006
Time
108.5s
Tokens
13,209 tok

#281 Step 5 Preview

low
Cost
$0.051
Time
125.6s
Tokens
18,795 tok

Top Models by Score

Score vs Total Cost

Response Time (avg)

Score vs Response Time (avg)

Total Output Tokens

Score vs Total Output Tokens

Category Breakdown

Coding Score Consistency Attempt pass rate Flaky tests Tests Correct Response Time (avg) Input Tokens Output Tokens Reasoning Tokens
GPT-5 Nano 7.0 7.7 55.6% 1 41.62s 7,305 740 41,152
Step 5 Preview 2.7 7.0 11.1% 1 378.21s 7,428 518,232 0

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