Nano Banana Pro vs GPT Image 2
Google's Nano Banana Pro and OpenAI's GPT Image 2 given the same two prompts, with the time and actual charge for each image, the limits of each model, and what each costs from four providers.
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Key points
- A 1K Nano Banana Pro image costs $0.0672 on MLMux, against $0.134 from Google and $0.15 on fal and Replicate.
- GPT Image 2 is billed per token. On MLMux its tokens cost 60% of OpenAI's list price, and our two 1K test images cost $0.0125 on average at the default medium quality.
- In our test, Nano Banana Pro returned an image in 25 s on average and GPT Image 2 in 23 s.
- GPT Image 2 can return up to 4 images per request and take up to 16 reference images; Nano Banana Pro returns one image and takes up to 14.
Same prompts, side by side
Each model got the same two prompts at 1K and 16:9. The first tests photographic detail and a short line of text; the second tests layout and several labels.
Café photo with chalkboard text
Prompt A small corner café at golden hour, photographed on 35mm film. A hand-written chalkboard on the wall reads "Fresh Bread Daily — Open 7am to 3pm". A ceramic cup of coffee with latte art sits on a worn wooden counter, steam rising, warm light through the window.
Infographic poster
Prompt A clean infographic poster titled "How Coffee Is Made" with four numbered steps: Harvest, Dry, Roast, Brew. Each step has a simple flat icon and a one-line caption. Cream background, brown and green palette.
What we saw
- Both models spelled the chalkboard text correctly, including the dash. Nano Banana Pro drew a wider, busier café with customers and film grain; GPT Image 2 framed a tighter, cleaner close-up of the cup and board.
- On the poster, GPT Image 2 followed the brief more closely: it labelled all four steps Harvest, Dry, Roast and Brew. Nano Banana Pro drew the four numbered steps and captions but left out the step names.
- Both wrote two-line captions where the prompt asked for one line, so expect to tighten layout prompts on either model.
- Nano Banana Pro returned 1376 × 768 pixels for 1K at 16:9; GPT Image 2 returned 1280 × 720.
Generated through the MLMux API on November 5, 2026 with the default route and default settings unless stated. Times include queueing and will vary.
Limits and options
What each model accepts through the MLMux API.
| Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Image sizes | 1K, 2K, 4K | 1K, 2K, 4K |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9 | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4 |
| Reference images | 14 | 16 |
| Images per request | 1 | 4 |
| Output formats | png, jpg | png, jpeg |
| Billing | One price per image at each size | Per token: text and image input, image output |
Nano Banana Pro price per image
One price per image at each size, in US dollars. Google charges the same for 1K and 2K.
| Size | MLMux (official-cheap) | Replicate | fal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1K | $0.0672/image | $0.134/image | $0.15/image | $0.15/image |
| 2K | $0.0672/image | $0.134/image | $0.15/image | $0.15/image |
| 4K | $0.12/image | $0.24/image | $0.30/image | $0.30/image |
GPT Image 2 token prices
GPT Image 2 is billed by tokens, so the price of an image depends on its size, quality and the prompt. fal passes through OpenAI's prices. Replicate charges per image by quality instead: $0.012 for low, $0.047 for medium and $0.128 for high.
| Token type | MLMux (official-cheap) | OpenAI | fal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text input | $3.00 per 1M tokens | $5.00 per 1M tokens | $5.00 per 1M tokens |
| Image input | $4.80 per 1M tokens | $8.00 per 1M tokens | $8.00 per 1M tokens |
| Image output | $18.00 per 1M tokens | $30.00 per 1M tokens | $30.00 per 1M tokens |
Which one to use
- Choose Nano Banana Pro for a flat, predictable price per image, wide and tall formats such as 21:9 and 4:5, and 4K output at $0.12 per image.
- Choose GPT Image 2 for posters, diagrams and other layouts that must follow the brief word for word, several images per request, and the lowest price at 1K.
- Both work with the same API key and request format on MLMux, so you can try each on your own prompts by changing the model ID.
Sources and method
MLMux and ByteDance figures come from the price tables behind the MLMux pricing page; MLMux's official route charges exactly the model maker's list price. Other providers' prices were read from their public pages on November 5, 2026 and can change at any time.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Nano Banana Pro or GPT Image 2?
At 1K and default settings, GPT Image 2 cost less in our test: $0.0125 per image on average on MLMux, against $0.0672 for Nano Banana Pro. GPT Image 2 is billed by tokens, so higher quality or a busier image costs more; Nano Banana Pro has one price per size, $0.12 at 4K.
Which model is better at text in images?
Both spelled short text correctly in our tests. On a poster with named steps, GPT Image 2 followed the brief more closely and labelled every step, while Nano Banana Pro left the step names out.
Can I use both with one API?
Yes. Both use POST /v1/images/generations and /v1/images/edits on MLMux with the same API key. Change the model field between google/nano-banana-pro and openai/gpt-image-2.