Image Model Comparison

Pick GPT Image 2 if the image has words in it: posters, labels, UI mockups, ads, or anything where text needs to stay readable. It is the safer final-output choice with the best overall quality for text-heavy, layout-critical work.

Pick Nano Banana 2 when you are still exploring ideas, need fast iterations, want unusual aspect ratios, or need web search grounding for accurate infographics and data-driven visuals.

Web search grounding lets Nano Banana 2 pull real-time information and images from the web to generate more accurate, context-aware visuals. Use it for infographics, data visualization, current events imagery, or any scenario where the output needs to be factually grounded.

For purely creative or abstract concepts (fantasy art, stylized portraits, experimental designs), web search grounding isn't needed — standard generation is sufficient.

Nano Banana Pro is worth it when the edit has several requirements: keep the subject consistent, improve lighting, change the scene, and still make the result look polished.

Use Nano Banana for quick, simple changes. If the first result feels close but not polished enough, move that job to Pro.

Choose GPT Image 2 for final posters, UI screens, ads, packaging, or layouts where the words and composition matter as much as the image.

Choose Nano Banana Pro when you are editing an existing image and the main goal is to preserve the product, person, pose, or scene while improving the look.

Nano Banana is the cheapest default for small edits at a fixed 10 credits. Use it when the request is straightforward and you do not need a polished campaign-ready result.

Use Nano Banana 2 when you still care about cost but need better exploration, more crops, or higher-resolution options — 1K is also 10 credits, and you get much more capability.

Nano Banana 2 largely supersedes the original. It costs the same at 1K (10 credits), is nearly as fast (40s vs 15s), but offers resolution control, 15 aspect ratios, web search, 5-character consistency, and text translation. The original's only edge is fixed-cost simplicity for ultra-simple edits.

Keep Nano Banana around only if you need the absolute fastest turnaround (~15s) for the simplest of edits and don't need any of the V2 features.