Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Seed 2.1 Turbo delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,472 vs 1,455), while Seed 2.1 Turbo leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (63.2%), while Seed 2.1 Turbo is more budget-friendly at $1.1/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
ByteDance Seed 2.1 Turbo, listed on public model timelines as an Aug 10 2026 API drop.
Δ 17 Arena Elo pts
160 tok/s
$1.1 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4 | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +17 | ||
| Coding Elo | +12 | ||
| LiveBench | +1.6% | ||
| SWE-bench | +0.4% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +0.4% | ||
| Time to first token | +100 ms | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 160 tok/s | +68 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.27/1M | +$2.73/1M | |
| Output price | +$13.9/1M | ||
| Context window | +56k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Seed 2.1 Turbo is estimated to save $304.05/month ($3,649/year).
Higher SWE-bench (63.2%).
Lower output list price ($1.1/1M).
Lower TTFT (120 ms).
Larger window (256k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Seed 2.1 Turbo).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Higher SWE-bench (63.2%). |
| High-volume chat | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Lower output list price ($1.1/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Lower TTFT (120 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Larger window (256k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Seed 2.1 Turbo). |
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
