Model comparison
DeepSeek V3 vs Step 3.7 Flash
Head-to-head evidence from 17 shared benchmark results across 6 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
BenchAlign evidence: DeepSeek V3 supported; Step 3.7 Flash estimated. Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. DeepSeek V3 and Step 3.7 Flash share 17 comparable benchmark results. 1 of 8 categories are comparable. 6 results are unique to DeepSeek V3; 13 to Step 3.7 Flash.
Updated July 16, 2026- Shared results
- 17
- DeepSeek V3 only
- 6
- Step 3.7 Flash only
- 13
- Comparable categories
- 1 / 8
Pick Step 3.7 Flash if you want the stronger benchmark profile. DeepSeek V3 only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you would rather avoid the extra latency and token burn of a reasoning model.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 17 shared benchmark results across 6 evidence categories; 1 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
Step 3.7 Flash is clearly ahead on the provisional aggregate, 57 to 38. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
Step 3.7 Flash's sharpest advantage is in coding, where it averages 56.3 against 38.9.
Step 3.7 Flash is also the more expensive model on tokens at $0.20 input / $1.15 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.27 input / $1.10 output per 1M tokens for DeepSeek V3. Step 3.7 Flash is the reasoning model in the pair, while DeepSeek V3 is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use. Step 3.7 Flash gives you the larger context window at 256K, compared with 128K for DeepSeek V3.
Category breakdown
Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.
| Category | DeepSeek V3 | Δ | Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coding | DeepSeek V338.9 | Margin→ 17.4 | Step 3.7 Flash56.3 |
| Agentic | DeepSeek V3Not measured | MarginNo overlap | Step 3.7 Flash66.4 |
| Knowledge | DeepSeek V372.8 | MarginNo overlap | Step 3.7 FlashNot measured |
| Math | DeepSeek V31.7 | MarginNo overlap | Step 3.7 FlashNot measured |
| Inst. Following | DeepSeek V386.1 | MarginNo overlap | Step 3.7 FlashNot measured |
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | DeepSeek V3 | Step 3.7 Flash | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | DeepSeek V3$0.27 input / $1.1 output | Step 3.7 Flash$0.2 input / $1.15 output | Step 3.7 Flash has the lower combined listed price. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | DeepSeek V3Not available | Step 3.7 FlashNot available | A complete speed comparison is not available. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | DeepSeek V3Not available | Step 3.7 FlashNot available | A complete latency comparison is not available. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | DeepSeek V3128K | Step 3.7 Flash256K | Step 3.7 Flash lists the larger context window. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
Agentic12 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | Step 3.7 Flash | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Agentic IndexSource | 1.6% | 21.5% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| τ²-bench resultsSource | 22.8% | 98.5% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| GDPval-AASource | 0.0% | 25.9% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| GDPval-AASource | 217 | 1017 | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | — | 59.5% | Not comparable |
| BrowseCompSource | — | 75.8% | Not comparable |
| DeepSearchQASource | — | 92.8% | Not comparable |
| ToolathlonSource | — | 49.5% | Not comparable |
| Claw-EvalSource | — | 67.1% | Not comparable |
| HLE w/ toolsSource | — | 47.2% | Not comparable |
| Gert LabsSource | — | 51.57% | Not comparable |
| APEX-Agents-AASource | — | 14.8% | Not comparable |
CodingStep 3.7 Flash wins7 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | Step 3.7 Flash | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveCodeBenchSource | 37.6% | — | Not comparable |
| SWE-bench VerifiedSource | 42% | — | Not comparable |
| AA Coding IndexSource | 23.0% | 39.6% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| Terminal-Bench HardSource | 6.8% | 35.6% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| AA-SciCodeSource | 35.4% | 40.0% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| SWE-bench ProSource | — | 56.3% | Not comparable |
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | — | 59.5% | Not comparable |
Reasoning2 benchmarks
Knowledge8 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | Step 3.7 Flash | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQASource | 59.1% | — | Not comparable |
| MMLU-ProSource | 75.9% | — | Not comparable |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource | 14.2% | 30.3% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| AA-GPQA DiamondSource | 55.7% | 80.9% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| AA-HLESource | 3.6% | 19.9% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| AA-Omniscience IndexSource | -41.3% | -37.5% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
| AA-Omniscience AccuracySource | 25.4% | 25.4% | Tie |
| AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource | 89.4% | 84.4% | Step 3.7 Flash leads |
Math1 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | Step 3.7 Flash | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3)Source | 1.724% | — | Not comparable |
Multimodal4 benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions (2)
Which is better, DeepSeek V3 or Step 3.7 Flash?
Step 3.7 Flash is ahead on BenchLM's provisional leaderboard, 57 to 38.
Which is better for coding, DeepSeek V3 or Step 3.7 Flash?
Step 3.7 Flash has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 56.3 versus 38.9. Inside this category, Terminal-Bench Hard is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Self-host vs API cost
Estimates at 50,000 req/day · 1000 tokens/req average.
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