Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana Pro: which is better?
Nano Banana 2 is Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash Image model; Nano Banana Pro is Gemini 3 Pro Image. Both make and edit images from text and up to 14 reference images, and Pro costs twice as much at standard resolution. To see what the extra money buys, we ran the same seven prompts on both through GPT Image Hub on 6 November 2026, at 1K, one run each, with GPT Image 2 as a reference.
The short answer
For most images, Nano Banana 2 is the better buy. In our tests it matched Nano Banana Pro on spelling, Chinese text, object counting, product photos and edits, finished in a median 18 seconds against 29 for Pro, and costs 54 credits at 1K against 108. Pro was the more careful of the two: it kept captions clean, did not add text nobody asked for, and drew a flat poster where Nano Banana 2 made a mockup photo. Pick Pro for client-facing work where those slips cost time, and at 2K, where it costs 108 credits against 81. Neither got a numbered five-step infographic right, so check layouts with steps either way.
Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana Pro at a glance
| Feature | Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Google model | Gemini 3.1 Flash Image (gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview) | Gemini 3 Pro Image (gemini-3-pro-image-preview) |
| Reference images | Up to 14 | Up to 14 |
| Resolutions on the Hub | 1K, 2K, 4K | 1K, 2K, 4K |
| Credits per image (1K / 2K / 4K) | 54 / 81 / 122 | 108 / 108 / 193 |
| Median time in our test | 18 s | 29 s |
| Text and counting in our test | All words and objects right; garbled two caption words | All words and objects right; captions clean |
| Followed the brief literally | Mostly; added a brand name and a poster mockup | Yes |
Same prompt on both: side-by-side results
We sent each prompt once to each model on 6 November 2026 at 1K and the aspect ratio shown. Times run from request to finished image through GPT Image Hub. GPT Image 2 appears as a reference on the generation tests; its times are left out because it ran through a different, queued route.
Text-heavy poster
A tie on text: both spelled the title and the full date line. Pro followed the brief more literally; Nano Banana 2 turned the poster into a mockup photo nobody asked for.
View the exact prompt used in this test
A minimalist concert poster for a jazz night titled "BLUE HOUR". At the bottom, in small caps: "FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER · 9 PM · THE LANTERN ROOM". Deep navy and brass palette, a single saxophone silhouette, generous margins, no other text.Five-step infographic
Both Nano Banana models filled a 3×2 grid and repeated a step, so neither is safe for numbered layouts without checking. Pro's captions were clean; Nano Banana 2 also garbled two words. GPT Image 2 got this one right.
View the exact prompt used in this test
A clean infographic titled "How Coffee Gets to Your Cup" with five numbered steps in order: 1 Harvest, 2 Process, 3 Roast, 4 Grind, 5 Brew. Each step has a small flat icon and a one-line caption under its name. Cream background, brown and green palette, sans-serif type, no other text.Product photo
Both made usable commercial photos. Nano Banana 2 did it in well under half the time.
View the exact prompt used in this test
Product photograph of a matte white ceramic pour-over coffee dripper on a walnut counter, soft morning window light from the left, shallow depth of field, empty space on the right third for a headline. No text, no logos.Environmental portrait
Both looked like real photos. Nano Banana 2 added a brand name to the wheel, which you would have to remove before using the image commercially.
View the exact prompt used in this test
Environmental portrait of a potter in her 60s sitting at her wheel in a sunlit studio, grey hair tied back, clay on her hands, looking at the camera with a calm half smile. 35mm lens, f/2.8, warm afternoon window light, natural skin texture, no retouching.Counting objects
A clean tie: every model placed exactly the seven objects asked for.
View the exact prompt used in this test
Top-down flat-lay photo of exactly seven objects on a natural linen cloth, arranged in a loose circle with space between them: a brass key, a red apple, a fountain pen, a folded paper map, a pocket watch, a sprig of lavender and a blue glass marble. Nothing else in the frame.Chinese and English sign
Both spelled the four Chinese characters and the English line correctly. Both also carved the 「」 quote marks into the sign, so leave them out of the prompt if you do not want them.
View the exact prompt used in this test
A photo of a small tea shop front in an old lane at dusk. A wooden sign above the door reads 「山茶小馆」 in carved gold Chinese characters, with the smaller line "SHAN CHA TEA HOUSE" underneath. Warm light from inside, a bicycle leaning on the wall.Editing a photo
Both made exactly the two changes and kept everything else, starting from the Nano Banana 2 product photo above.
View the exact prompt used in this test
Edit this photo: change the walnut counter to light grey marble and add one small potted succulent on the left. Keep the dripper, the light direction and the composition exactly the same.Scorecard
| Test | Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster title and date line | Correct (as a mockup photo) | Correct | Correct |
| Five numbered steps | Repeated a step, 2 bad words | Repeated a step | Correct |
| Product photo with headline space | Good | Good | Good |
| Portrait realism | Good, added a brand name | Good | Good, smoother skin |
| Exactly seven objects | Correct | Correct | Correct |
| Chinese and English sign | Correct | Correct | Correct |
| Two-change edit | Correct | Correct | Not tested |
Price: Pro costs double at 1K, about a third more at 2K
| Resolution | Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 1K | 54 credits ($0.054–$0.072) | 108 credits ($0.108–$0.143) |
| 2K | 81 credits ($0.081–$0.107) | 108 credits ($0.108–$0.143) |
| 4K | 122 credits ($0.122–$0.162) | 193 credits ($0.193–$0.256) |
Google bills both by image output tokens, and Pro's rate per token is twice Nano Banana 2's. Most 1K images used about 1,120 output tokens on both models in our test, so at 1K Pro costs twice as much. Pro charges the same at 1K and 2K, which narrows the gap at 2K; at 4K the difference is about 60%.
On a tighter budget, Nano Banana 2.1 costs 25 credits at 1K. New accounts get 25 free credits, which covers one Nano Banana 2.1 image but not a Nano Banana 2 or Pro image.
Which is better, Nano Banana Pro or 2? How to choose
| Task | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday photos, social images, product shots | Nano Banana 2 | Same quality in our tests, about half the price and faster |
| Quick edits from a reference photo | Nano Banana 2 | Both made exactly the requested changes |
| Client work where stray text or mockups waste time | Nano Banana Pro | Followed the brief more literally |
| Infographics, diagrams and captions | Nano Banana Pro, or GPT Image 2 | Pro's captions were clean; only GPT Image 2 got the steps right |
| Final images at 2K | Nano Banana Pro | Same price as its 1K, about a third more than Nano Banana 2 |
| Lowest cost | Nano Banana 2.1 | 25 credits at 1K |
Whichever you pick, quote every word that should appear, leave out quote marks you do not want on the image, and say "no other text" when stray words would be a problem.
Nano Banana 2 vs GPT Image 2
On the same prompts, GPT Image 2 matched both Nano Banana models on the poster, the product photo, the portrait, the seven objects and the bilingual sign, and was the only one to draw the five-step infographic correctly. It also costs less on the Hub: GPT Image 2 Saver is 5 credits per image at any size. Our GPT Image 2 vs Nano Banana comparison covers ten more prompts, and how to use GPT Image 2 gets you started.
Nano Banana 2 vs Pro FAQ
Is Nano Banana Pro better than Nano Banana 2?
Slightly, and not everywhere. In our seven tests both got the text, the object count, the photos and the edit right; Pro kept captions cleaner and followed the brief more literally, while Nano Banana 2 was faster and costs half as much at 1K.
Which is better, Nano Banana Pro or 2?
Nano Banana 2 for most everyday images, because the results were as good for half the price. Nano Banana Pro when a stray word or an unrequested mockup would cost you a revision, and for final images at 2K.
What is the difference between Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro?
Nano Banana 2 is Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash Image model, built for speed and cost; Nano Banana Pro is Gemini 3 Pro Image, positioned for complex prompts, text and world knowledge. Both take up to 14 reference images and render up to 4K.
Is Nano Banana 2 faster than Pro?
In our test, yes: a median of 18 seconds per image against 29 for Pro. Pro was faster only on the counting test and the edit.
How much do Nano Banana 2 and Pro cost?
On GPT Image Hub, Nano Banana 2 costs 54 credits at 1K, 81 credits at 2K, 122 credits at 4K; Nano Banana Pro costs 108 at 1K, 108 at 2K, 193 at 4K.
Is Nano Banana 2 free?
Not on GPT Image Hub: a Nano Banana 2 image costs 54 credits at 1K, more than the 25 free credits new accounts get. Those credits do cover one Nano Banana 2.1 image or several GPT Image 2 Saver images.
Sources
Model names and capabilities are from Google's Gemini documentation. Images, times and Hub prices are our own, from GPT Image Hub on 6 November 2026.
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