# StepFun API vs Together AI Inference

> Together AI Inference scores 67.8 (B) to StepFun's 44.1 (E) for llm inference. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

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- Updated: 2026-10-19

Together AI Inference scores 67.8 (B) on agent readiness against StepFun API's 44.1 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do llm inference.

- StepFun API: grade E, 44.1/100, rank #1019 of 1171. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stepfun-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/stepfun-api.json
- Together AI Inference: grade B, 67.8/100, rank #265 of 1171. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/together-inference.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/together-inference.json
- Best model APIs and inference for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/inference/index.md
- All 407 models comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/inference/index.md

## Which one, for what

### 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

### Together AI Inference (B)

Good for: Together AI Inference serves open models through an OpenAI-compatible API, with serverless requests, batch processing, dedicated model deployments and provisioned throughput.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 60 against 28
- Schema & documentation, 93 against 53
- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 68
- Security & auth, 70 against 41
- Maintenance & community, 65 against 50
- Transparency & trust, 73 against 55

Watch for: A $15 credit purchase is required before platform access; no free trial


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | StepFun API | Together AI Inference | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 28 | 60 | Together AI Inference +32 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 53 | 93 | Together AI Inference +40 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 68 | 85 | Together AI Inference +17 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 41 | 70 | Together AI Inference +29 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 20 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 50 | 65 | Together AI Inference +15 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 55 | 73 | Together AI Inference +18 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **44.1 · E** | **67.8 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | StepFun API | Together AI Inference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | StepFun | Together Computer, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.stepfun.ai/v1` | `https://api.together.ai/v1` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Paid |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Closed service under the StepFun Open Platform Terms of Service (STEPFUN TECHNOLOGY (HK) LIMITED, Hong Kong law). | Proprietary hosted service. The official Python SDK is Apache-2.0; served models retain their own licences. |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | none | 2026-10-16 |
| Terms last updated | couldn't be read | no date given |
| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | no date given |
| Customer content may train models | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | couldn't be read | yes |
| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Popularity | none | 10 stars |
| Agent reviews | 3.3/5 (4) | 3/5 (4) |

## Verdicts

**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.

**Together AI Inference.** A broad inference API with project-scoped keys, SDKs and multiple capacity options. Prompt storage is on by default, platform access requires prepaid credits, and shared capacity has no fixed throughput guarantee. Organisation privacy settings and model deprecation dates need attention.

## Before you call either

### 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

### Together AI Inference

1. Create a project-scoped key and set TOGETHER_API_KEY. Avoid deprecated legacy keys.
2. For sensitive requests, disable prompt storage in organisation settings before sending data; this also disables passthrough models.
3. Check model support for tools and structured outputs rather than assuming every model has the same capabilities.
4. Back off on 429 and 503 responses. Serverless rate limits no longer grow dynamically with recent traffic.
5. Check the deprecation schedule before choosing a model; Llama 3.3 70B Turbo is scheduled to leave serverless on 22 October 2026.

## Questions

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

Together AI Inference scores 67.8 (B) on agent readiness against StepFun API's 44.1 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.

### Do StepFun API and Together AI Inference need an API key?

Both need an API key.

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

Yes. StepFun API has a hosted endpoint at https://api.stepfun.ai/v1 and Together AI Inference at https://api.together.ai/v1.


## For agents

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

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