# Novita AI vs StepFun API

> Novita AI scores 53.5 (D) to StepFun's 44.4 (E) for llm inference. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-stepfun-api
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-stepfun-api.md (~2,600 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-stepfun-api.min.md (~630 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-stepfun-api.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-12

Novita AI scores 53.5 (D) on agent readiness against StepFun API's 44.4 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do llm inference.

- Novita AI: grade D, 53.5/100, rank #714 of 965. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/novita-ai.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/novita-ai.json
- StepFun API: grade E, 44.4/100, rank #889 of 965. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stepfun-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/stepfun-api.json
- Best model APIs and inference for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/inference/index.md
- All 153 models comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/inference/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Novita AI (D)

Good for: Agents that want many open-weight models at per-token prices behind one OpenAI-style key, with keys that can be limited by model, IP and expiry.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 62 against 53
- Security & auth, 65 against 41
- Payments & pricing, 35 against 20
- Maintenance & community, 62 against 50

Watch for: No status page or SLA was found on the home page, the docs index or the docs site map. The home page states 99.5% uptime with no supporting document

### StepFun API (E)

Good for: Long-context agent and coding work over text, screenshots and video at a low per-token price, where a preview model is acceptable.

Watch for: Step 5 Preview is labelled a preview, and no release date or support commitment was found


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Novita AI | StepFun API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 28 | 28 | even |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 62 | 53 | Novita AI +9 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 68 | Novita AI +4 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 65 | 41 | Novita AI +24 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 35 | 20 | Novita AI +15 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 62 | 50 | Novita AI +12 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 56 | 58 | StepFun API +2 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **53.5 · D** | **44.4 · E** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Novita AI | StepFun API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model API | Model API |
| Vendor | Novita AI | StepFun |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.novita.ai/openai` | `https://api.stepfun.ai/v1` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Proprietary service under the Novita AI Terms of Service. The agent skill and the MCP server are MIT | Closed service under the StepFun Open Platform Terms of Service (STEPFUN TECHNOLOGY (HK) LIMITED, Hong Kong law). |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-09-28 | none |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-05 |  |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-05-13 |  |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text |  |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text |  |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text |  |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes |  |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes |  |
| Popularity | 6 stars, 1.4k npm/wk | none |

## Verdicts

**Novita AI.** Per-token prices for about 140 language models are public, and each key can carry an expiry, a model allowlist and a source IP allowlist. No status page, SLA or security.txt was found, the per-model rate limit figures are drawn by script, and both vendor SDK repositories are archived while the docs still point to them.

**StepFun API.** StepFun's API serves Step 5 Preview with a 1M-token context, video input, strict JSON Schema output and published per-token prices, documented in Markdown with an llms.txt. The model is a preview with no release date found, there's no free allowance or SLA, and the terms and privacy policy leave room to train on customer data.

## Before you call either

### Novita AI

1. Set the OpenAI client base URL to `https://api.novita.ai/openai` and send the key as `Authorization: Bearer`. Keys start with `sk_`
2. Do not close a connection to stop generation. A request that reached the model is billed in full under status 499, so cap output with `max_tokens`
3. On 429, check whether the code is `RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED` or `TOKEN_LIMIT_EXCEEDED` and back off exponentially. No `Retry-After` header is documented
4. Read the changelog for retirement notices before pinning a model id. One retirement in October 2026 came with 11 days' notice
5. Ask the account owner for a key with an expiry, a model access policy and an IP allowlist. Keys are created and deleted only in the console

### StepFun API

1. Set `max_tokens` yourself. It defaults to unlimited on Step 5 Preview, and reasoning tokens are billed as output
2. Use `response_format` with `type: json_schema` and `strict: true` when the shape matters. JSON Mode alone isn't schema-checked
3. Back off and retry on 429, 500, 503 and 504. The docs give no Retry-After header or backoff schedule
4. Expect HTTP 451 or `finish_reason: content_filter` when content fails StepFun's review, and don't retry the same input
5. Use api.stepfun.ai for the international platform. api.stepfun.com is the China platform with yuan pricing

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Novita AI or StepFun API?

Novita AI scores 53.5 (D) on agent readiness against StepFun API's 44.4 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.

### Do Novita AI and StepFun API need an API key?

Both need an API key.

### Can an agent call Novita AI and StepFun API without installing anything?

Yes. Novita AI has a hosted endpoint at https://api.novita.ai/openai and StepFun API at https://api.stepfun.ai/v1.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-stepfun-api.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-stepfun-api.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "novita-ai", "b": "stepfun-api"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare novita-ai stepfun-api`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/novita-ai.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/stepfun-api.json

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