• Updated 1 Nov, 10:02 UTC
  • Next run 2 Nov, 05:17 UTCNext 2 Nov 05:17
  • Last 7 days: 4 new models · 81 runs7 d: 4 models · 81 runs
Compare

Beam 1.0 vs Step 5 Preview

6 prompts both ran·Specs and numbers·Change models

Beam 1.0 took 2 min 35 s and $0.063 at list price, Step 5 Preview took 10 min 44 s and $0.33 at list price. Step 5 Preview took 4.1× as long and cost 5.2× as much.

Beam 1.0

Reflection AI · $1.00/M out

Step 5 Preview

StepFun · $2.70/M out · 155 HN pts

Pelican

Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle

Beam 1.0's SVG for the "Pelican riding a bicycle" prompt

Beam 1.0

16 s$0.0076.7k tokensAPI
Step 5 Preview's SVG for the "Pelican riding a bicycle" prompt

Step 5 Preview

32 s$0.0196.9k tokensAPI

Watch

Draw a mechanical wristwatch that shows the current local time, with a sweeping seconds hand and a date window. Make it look expensive.

Still of Beam 1.0's page for the "Wristwatch that shows the current time" prompt

Beam 1.0

30 s$0.01111k tokensAPI
Still of Step 5 Preview's page for the "Wristwatch that shows the current time" prompt

Step 5 Preview

22 s$0.0134.9k tokensAPI

Landing

Build the landing page for Lumen Cycles, a Copenhagen workshop that builds custom cargo bikes to order. Make it look like a real brand you would trust with 4,000 euros.

Still of Beam 1.0's page for the "Landing page for a cargo bike workshop" prompt

Beam 1.0

39 s$0.01818k tokensAPI
Still of Step 5 Preview's page for the "Landing page for a cargo bike workshop" prompt

Step 5 Preview

4 min 7 s$0.1453k tokensAPI

Breakout

Make a Breakout game I can play right now with the keyboard or the mouse. Give it several levels, a score and some juice.

Still of Beam 1.0's page for the "Playable Breakout" prompt

Beam 1.0

51 s$0.02020k tokensAPI
Still of Step 5 Preview's page for the "Playable Breakout" prompt

Step 5 Preview

1 min 55 s$0.06825k tokensAPI

Design a logo for Night Heron, an independent bookshop that only opens after dark.

Beam 1.0's SVG for the "Bookshop logo" prompt

Beam 1.0

16 s$0.0065.7k tokensAPI
Step 5 Preview's SVG for the "Bookshop logo" prompt

Step 5 Preview

3 min 41 s$0.08431k tokensAPI

About

Write the opening of the About us page for Patchbay, a three-person studio in Rotterdam that repairs vintage synthesizers. About 150 words.

Patchbay is a three-person studio in Rotterdam devoted to repairing vintage synthesizers and keeping electronic instruments alive. We work with analog and digital keyboards, drum machines, and modular systems, restoring worn circuits, replacing fragile components, and returning each machine to reliable musical use. Our small team combines careful technical work with genuine respect for the instruments that shaped decades of music. Whether an instrument needs a routine service, a difficult diagnosis, or a full restoration, we approach it with patience, clear communication, and attention to detail. We believe these machines are not just equipment; they are tools with history, character, and sound worth preserving. Based in Rotterdam, we serve musicians, collectors, and studios who want their gear maintained properly and played again. At Patchbay, every repair is treated as a collaboration between craft and music, ensuring that classic synthesizers continue to inspire new sounds for years to come.

Beam 1.0

4 s$0.0011.3k tokensAPI

Patchbay is a three-person workshop based in Rotterdam, dedicated to keeping vintage synthesizers alive and playable. We are technicians, musicians, and obsessive tinkerers who believe that classic analog instruments deserve better than silence. From temperamental Jupiter-8s to worn-out ARP Odysseys, we restore, repair, and maintain the machines that shaped the sound of modern music. Every repair starts with listening—both to the instrument and to the person who plays it. Whether you are chasing a rare fault, need a full calibration, or simply want your old synth to feel new again, our bench is open. We understand that no two synthesizers arrive with the same story, and we treat each circuit, slider, and key with the care its history deserves. At Patchbay, we are here to make sure the sounds of tomorrow are built on those that came before.

Step 5 Preview

7 s$0.003919 tokensAPI

Specs and numbers

Beam 1.0Step 5 Preview
MakerReflection AIStepFun
Made inUSChina
Released16 Oct 20268 Oct 2026
Price in, per M tokens$0.25$1.00
Price out, per M tokens$1.00$2.70
Context1,048,576 tokens1,048,576 tokens
Weightsopenopen
Hacker News points—155
Time for the six prompts2 min 35 s10 min 44 s
List price of the six prompts$0.063$0.33

Beam 1.0 was cheaper: $0.27 less at list price, and less on each of the 6 prompts. Beam 1.0 was faster: 8 min 8 s less in total, and faster on 5 of the 6 prompts.

In the recording, both Breakout games play.

Also compared