image model comparison
FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Nano Banana 2.1
FLUX1.1 [pro] and Nano Banana 2.1 are both current image models, from Black Forest Labs and Google. Nano Banana 2.1 is 16% cheaper per image than FLUX1.1 [pro], $0.0336 vs $0.04. On Arena Text-to-Image, FLUX1.1 [pro] scores 1016 Elo and Nano Banana 2.1 1328 Elo (Arena, measured October 7, 2026).
Data verified October 12, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-12
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | FLUX1.1 [pro] | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price per image | $0.04 | $0.0336 (better) |
| Arena Text-to-Image | 1016 Elo (#9 of 9) | 1328 Elo (#4 of 9) (better) |
| Arena Image Edit | Not measured | 1428 Elo (#4 of 8) |
| Provider | Black Forest Labs | |
| Release date | Not reported | October 6, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | Not reported | Not reported |
| Max output | Not reported | Not reported |
| Input | text | text, image, video |
| Output | image | image, text |
Scores:Arena · 2026-10-12
When to choose each
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Best for
- Hosted FLUX text-to-image generation
Watch out for
- No exact compatible public benchmark snapshot is recorded
Nano Banana 2.1
Best for
- High-volume product, marketing and social imagery where cost per image matters
- Iterative editing that must keep characters and objects consistent across turns
Watch out for
- Google prices output by image tokens; the per-image figures are Google's own equivalents and batch is half price
- No independent image-quality benchmark is recorded here
FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Nano Banana 2.1 FAQ
Which is cheaper, FLUX1.1 [pro] or Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 is 16% cheaper per image than FLUX1.1 [pro], $0.0336 vs $0.04.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, FLUX1.1 [pro] or Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 leads on Arena Text-to-Image, 1328 Elo to 1016 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Related comparisons
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- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs GPT Image 2
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs grok-imagine-image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3 Pro Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
Production evaluation
Choosing between FLUX1.1 [pro] and Nano Banana 2.1?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty