Correction, 2026-10-01: this page priced Nano Banana 2 at a flat 11. It is 11 at 1K, the default, and 8, 17 or 22 at 0.5K, 2K or 4K, with up to 4 images per run; it is also the model the Nano Banana tool opens on. We removed a "text reliability" ranking of models that we had labelled as our own working assessment: it was not measured, so it should not have been published. We also renamed the 6-credit Seedream to Seedream 5 Lite (the Seedream tool opens on 5 Pro, 7 at 1K) and added that the upscale tool opens on Topaz.
Nano Banana 2 costs 11 credits an image at 1K, the setting it opens on, and it is the model the Nano Banana tool starts with. At that setting it sits nearly twice Seedream 5 Lite at 6 and about half Nano Banana Pro at 21. The question worth answering is when the middle is the right place to be.
TL;DR
- 11 credits an image at 1K, about $0.11; 8 at 0.5K, 17 at 2K, 22 at 4K
- Up to 4 images per run, each billed
- The family: Nano Banana Classic 6 (labelled Standard in the picker), Nano Banana 2 from 8, Nano Banana Pro 21 (42 at 4K)
- Median time to an image: 26 seconds on 8frame, against 37 on Pro
- For cheap exploration, Imagen 4 Fast at 4, Seedream 5 Lite at 6, or Nano Banana 2 itself at 0.5K for 8
Where it sits
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Model | Credits per image | Resolution setting |
|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2 | 2 (low) to 29 (high, its default, square) | none (priced by quality and shape) |
| Imagen 4 Fast | 4 | none |
| Seedream 4 | 5 | none |
| FLUX.2 [pro] | 5 | about 1 MP presets |
| Nano Banana Classic | 6 | none |
| Seedream 5 Lite | 6 | 2K or 3K |
| Seedream 5 Pro (Seedream default) | 7 / 13 | 1K / 2K |
| Imagen 4 | 8 | none |
| Nano Banana 2 (Nano Banana default) | 8 / 11 / 17 / 22 | 0.5K / 1K / 2K / 4K |
| Imagen 4 Ultra | 12 | none |
| Nano Banana Pro | 21 / 42 | 1K and 2K / 4K |
We haven't measured how well each model spells words in the image, so this table makes no claim about it. Test your own strings.
The case for the middle
Resolution and batch in one model. Four resolution steps from 0.5K to 4K, and up to 4 images per run, which no other Nano Banana tier offers.
Short text, tested on your strings. For one or two words on a card, try Nano Banana 2 before paying 21 for Pro, generate a few, and keep the one that is spelled right.
Up to 10 reference images, the same budget as the rest of the Nano Banana family.
The case against
Exploration at 1K costs more than it needs to. Twenty attempts at 11 credits is 220. The same twenty on Imagen 4 Fast is 80, on Seedream 5 Lite 120, and on Nano Banana 2 at 0.5K 160. Explore cheap, then move up for the one that ships.
Longer text. Check every word of a sentence before you use the image; if the text matters, use the plate-plus-type route below.
The route that beats all of this
For anything where the words must be exactly right:
- Generate the plate with no text. Describe the scene and say explicitly to leave the type area visually quiet. Seedream 5 Lite at 6 credits.
- Set the type in your editor. Real font, real kerning, exact words, editable later.
Six credits instead of 11 or 21, exact brand typography rather than an approximation, and a file you can change when the copy changes. For anything with a price, a URL, a legal line or a product name, this is the only defensible route.
When integration genuinely requires generation: text reflected in a surface, wrapped around a curve, lit by the scene. Try Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro (21) on your words, and read the result back from the image rather than trusting the prompt, because generated type fails in ways your brain autocorrects when you already know what it should say.
How to use it
- Open a canvas and add a Nano Banana node; it opens on Nano Banana 2 at 1K.
- Set the aspect ratio for the destination, not the preview. Nano Banana offers ten shapes, including 4:5.
- Keep the text to one or two words and name it in quotes.
- Set the image count to 3 and pick the one that is spelled correctly.
- Upscale once at the end: the upscale tool opens on Topaz, 11 credits per started 24-megapixel block of output (it enlarges 4x); Clarity is 13 for a fixed 2x.
Three images at 1K plus a Clarity upscale is 46 credits, about $0.46.
FAQ
How much does Nano Banana 2 cost? 11 credits an image at 1K, its default; 8 at 0.5K, 17 at 2K, 22 at 4K. Up to 4 images per run, each billed.
Is it good with text? We haven't measured it. Test your own words, read them back, and set type in your editor when the words matter.
Should I explore on it? At 0.5K (8 credits) it is a reasonable choice; at 1K, Imagen 4 Fast at 4 or Seedream 5 Lite at 6 is cheaper for volume.
What is the cheapest reliable route to correct text? Generate a clean plate at 6 credits and set the type yourself.
Sources
- Nano Banana 2, Pro and Classic prices, resolutions, default model, image count and reference limit; other image, edit and upscale prices: 8frame tool registry cost functions and front tool registry, origin/main, read 2026-10-01
- Median generation times (Nano Banana 2 26 s, Pro 37 s; completed tasks, 120 days, template examples excluded): 8frame content fact sheet, measured 2026-09-30
Explore cheap, generate the plate, set the type yourself.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.