image model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and Nano Banana 2.1 are both current image models, from Google. Both cost $0.0336 per image. On Arena Text-to-Image, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image scores 1250 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 Lite Image | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price per image | $0.0336 | $0.0336 |
| Arena Text-to-Image | 1250 Elo (#6 of 9) | 1328 Elo (#4 of 9) (better) |
| Arena Image Edit | 1314 Elo (#8 of 8) | 1428 Elo (#4 of 8) (better) |
| Provider | ||
| Release date | June 30, 2026 | October 6, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 65,536 tokens | Not reported |
| Max output | 4,096 tokens | 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 Lite Image
Best for
- Low-latency 1K image generation and edits
Watch out for
- Only 1K output is supported; Google documents 2K and 4K as unsupported
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 Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1 FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or Nano Banana 2.1?
Both cost $0.0336 per image.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 leads on Arena Text-to-Image, 1328 Elo to 1250 Elo; Nano Banana 2.1 leads on Arena Image Edit, 1428 Elo to 1314 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Related comparisons
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- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Gemini 3 Pro Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs grok-imagine-image
- 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
- grok-imagine-image vs Nano Banana 2.1
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite 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