The Decoder · 10/6/2026, 7:29:42 PM
Google Releases Nano Banana 2.1: Image Generation Costs Halved
Google has launched Nano Banana 2.1, a new image generation and editing model built on Gemini 3.6 Flash, claiming comprehensive improvements over its predecessor. The update cuts API prices by approximately 50%, reducing the cost of a 1K image to 3.36 cents, aiming to deliver high-quality visual outputs at significantly lower operational costs.
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Google has released Nano Banana 2.1, a new model for image generation and editing.
It replaces Nano Banana 2, released in February 2026, and Google says it improves on previous versions "across the board." Nano Banana Pro likely remains Google's best image model, but it uses the most recent Pro model, 3.1, while 2.1 uses Gemini 3.6 Flash. The next major gain in image quality could come with Google's announced Pro model, Gemini 4 Argon.
Video 3 Google is also cutting prices roughly in half compared with Nano Banana 2. A 1K image costs 3.36 cents, down from 6.70 cents, while a 4K image drops from 15.10 to 7.56 cents. Nano Banana Pro costs considerably more at 13.40 cents per 1K image.
| Model | 0.5K | 1K | 2K | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2.1 | - | 3.36 | 5.04 | 7.56 |
| Nano Banana 2 / Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | 4.50 | 6.70 | 10.10 | 15.10 |
| Nano Banana 2 Lite / Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | - | 3.36 | - | - |
| Nano Banana Pro / Gemini 3 Pro Image | - | 13.40 | 13.40 | 24.00 |
| Nano Banana / Gemini 2.5 Flash Image | - | 3.90 | - | - |
According to Google, version 2.1 improves visual quality, text rendering, character consistency across conversation turns, wide panoramas, and infographics. It can process up to 14 reference images at once, keeping up to four characters and ten objects consistent. The model also connects to Google Search and offers minimal, medium, and high thinking levels that affect image quality.
Although 2.1 sometimes beats Pro by a wide margin in benchmarks, Nano Banana 2 also matched it in those tests. In practice, Nano Banana Pro often still produces noticeably better images. Google describes 2.1 as "the more efficient counterpart" to Pro.
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2.1 (Thinking) | Nano Banana 2.1 (No Thinking) | Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | Gemini 3 Pro Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text-to-Image | ||||
| Overall Preference | 1050 ± 14 | 1015 ± 13 | 990 ± 7 | 935 ± 8 |
| Infographic Design | 1048 ± 17 | 1001 ± 17 | 961 ± 12 | 912 ± 12 |
| Infographic Accuracy | 0.521 | 0.328 | 0.179 | 0.265 |
| Editing | ||||
| General Editing | 1026 ± 12 | 980 ± 15 | 938 ± 11 | 939 ± 10 |
| Single-Character Consistency | 1028 ± 14 | 1021 ± 14 | 981 ± 10 | 991 ± 9 |
| Multi-Character Consistency | 1106 ± 14 | 1068 ± 14 | 978 ± 10 | 1011 ± 10 |
| Mask/Ink-Based Editing | 1049 ± 15 | 1042 ± 16 | 965 ± 12 | 927 ± 12 |
| Product Consistency | 1024 ± 18 | 981 ± 18 | 955 ± 22 | 965 ± 14 |
| Stylization | 1062 ± 20 | 1036 ± 17 | 991 ± 12 | 990 ± 12 |
| Multi-Reference Editing | 1066 ± 22 | 1041 ± 20 | 988 ± 13 | 989 ± 12 |
The model runs at Flash-tier speed, supports 1K, 2K, and 4K resolutions, and is already rolling out across Google's products. These include the Gemini app, AI Mode in Google Search, Google AI Studio, Flow by Google, Stitch by Google, Google Ads, and the Gemini Enterprise Platform.
This is the better of two images generated with Nano Banana 2.1 in Google Flow, and it follows our benchmark prompt fairly closely. "Widescreen 16, a hyper-realistic DSLR photo. A monkey holding a pink banana is sitting on a tiger in the foreground. In the background, a HORSE is RIDING AN ASTRONAUT. The astronaut is underneath, like a living 'spacesuit horse saddle,' and the HORSE is clearly on top, in control, as the rider. Make it 100% unambiguous: the HORSE is the rider and the ASTRONAUT is being ridden—NOT the other way around. High-resolution, sharp focus, realistic lighting"
Side by side, Nano Banana Pro's image still looks more realistic and natural, particularly in its colors and proportions. Nano Banana 2.1 struggles with scale, making the horse look more like a pony.
More details are available in the model card. Google will shut down the previous model, "gemini-3.1-flash-image," on October 29, 2026.