image model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image and Nano Banana 2.1 are both current image models, from Google. Nano Banana 2.1 is 25% cheaper per image than Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, $0.0336 vs $0.045. On Arena Text-to-Image, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image scores 1262 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 | Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price per image | $0.045 | $0.0336 (better) |
| Arena Text-to-Image | 1262 Elo (#5 of 9) | 1328 Elo (#4 of 9) (better) |
| Arena Image Edit | 1387 Elo (#6 of 8) | 1428 Elo (#4 of 8) (better) |
| Provider | ||
| Release date | May 28, 2026 | October 6, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | Not reported | Not reported |
| Max output | Not reported | Not reported |
| Input | text, image | text, image, video |
| Output | text, image | image, text |
Scores:Arena · 2026-10-12
When to choose each
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image
Best for
- Interleaved text and 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
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Nano Banana 2.1 FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image or Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 is 25% cheaper per image than Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, $0.0336 vs $0.045.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image or Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 leads on Arena Text-to-Image, 1328 Elo to 1262 Elo; Nano Banana 2.1 leads on Arena Image Edit, 1428 Elo to 1387 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Related comparisons
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Image
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3 Pro Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs GPT Image 2
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs grok-imagine-image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3 Pro Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs Nano Banana 2.1
- GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs Nano Banana 2.1
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash Image 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