Nano Banana 2.1: What to Know About Google's New Image Model
Google released Nano Banana 2.1 on October 6, 2026. What's new, where you can use it, what it costs, and what changes for Nano Banana 2 and Pro users.
Key takeaways
Google released Nano Banana 2.1 on October 6, 2026. It's the newest model in the Gemini image family, after Nano Banana 2 in February and Nano Banana Pro in November 2025.
It's an update to Nano Banana 2 rather than a new design: better image quality, improved mask-based editing, a new medium thinking level, and fewer tiling glitches on wide images.
In the API it costs half as much as Nano Banana 2 at 1K and 2K, $0.0336 and $0.0504 an image. At 4K it's $0.113, about a quarter less.
Google has deprecated Nano Banana 2 in the API and recommends moving to 2.1, though it hasn't announced a shutdown date.
On Google's own preference tests, 2.1 scores higher than Nano Banana Pro, which costs four times as much at 1K.
What is Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 is Google's latest image generation and editing model, released on October 6, 2026. "Nano Banana" is the name Google uses for its Gemini image models, which began with the original Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) in August 2025. Nano Banana Pro followed in November 2025, and Nano Banana 2 became the default in the Gemini app in February 2026. In the API, the new model's ID is gemini-nano-banana-2.1.
What's new in Nano Banana 2.1
Better images: on Google's own human preference tests, 2.1 scores ahead of both Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro.
Improved mask-based editing: Google lists more accurate edits to a marked area of an image among its main gains.
A medium thinking level: Nano Banana 2 offered minimal and high. 2.1 adds medium and makes it the default, a middle ground between speed and quality.
Cleaner wide images: Google fixed tiling artifacts on wide and panoramic aspect ratios at 2K and 4K.
Lower prices: half of Nano Banana 2's API price at 1K and 2K.
What carries over from Nano Banana 2
Much of what 2.1 can do was already in Nano Banana 2. Output still goes up to 4K, with 1K as the default. The extreme aspect ratios, 1:4, 4:1, 1:8 and 8:1, arrived with Nano Banana 2. Both models can ground images in Google Web Search and Image Search, which helps with charts, infographics and real places. And in the API, both take up to 14 reference images, with up to four characters and 10 objects.
How good is it?
Google says 2.1 beats Nano Banana Pro on its own preference scores, and it entered Arena's public text-to-image leaderboard in fifth place on its first day, ahead of Nano Banana 2 and Pro. That score is provisional and will move as more votes come in. OpenAI's ChatGPT Images 2.5 models hold the top two places.
The Decoder's review found that Nano Banana Pro often still produces better color and proportions. For a full head-to-head with OpenAI's model, see our comparison of Nano Banana and ChatGPT Images.
Where you can use it
Google is rolling Nano Banana 2.1 out across the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Flow, Google Ads, Stitch and Google AI Studio. In the Gemini app, image generation is available on every plan, Free included. Free downloads are capped at 1K and paid plans download at 2K, and Nano Banana Pro is still available on paid plans through "Redo with Pro."
What it costs
In the Gemini app, there's no per-image price. Google sets usage limits by compute, refreshing every five hours up to a weekly cap, and paid Google AI plans raise them: AI Plus doubles the free allowance and AI Pro quadruples it.
In the API, Nano Banana 2.1 is priced per image, with no free tier:
Resolution | Nano Banana 2.1 | Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
1K | $0.0336 | $0.067 | $0.134 |
2K | $0.0504 | $0.101 | $0.134 |
4K | $0.113 | $0.151 | $0.24 |
Batch requests cost half these prices.
What changes for Nano Banana 2 and Pro users
Google has marked Nano Banana 2 as deprecated in the Gemini API and names 2.1 as its replacement. It hasn't announced a shutdown date, but deprecated models do get retired, so it's worth testing your prompts on 2.1 now. For most projects the move means a lower bill at 1K and 2K and the quality gains above.
Nano Banana Pro isn't deprecated and has no announced shutdown date. It stays available in the API and on paid Gemini plans.
Watermarks
Images from Nano Banana 2.1 carry Google's invisible SynthID watermark and C2PA Content Credentials, like earlier Gemini images. The Gemini app also adds a small visible watermark, which, since August 2026, you can turn off in Settings in most countries.
Frequently asked questions
When was Nano Banana 2.1 released?
October 6, 2026. It's rolling out to the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Flow, Google Ads, Stitch and Google AI Studio.
Is Nano Banana 2.1 free?
Yes, in the Gemini app, within usage limits that reset every five hours up to a weekly cap, and free downloads are capped at 1K. The API has no free tier, and a 1K image costs $0.0336.
What's the difference between Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro?
Nano Banana 2.1 is newer and much cheaper, $0.0336 for a 1K image against Pro's $0.134, and it scores higher on Google's preference tests. The Decoder found Pro still produces better color and proportions.
Is Nano Banana 2 being discontinued?
It's deprecated in the Gemini API, and Google recommends moving to Nano Banana 2.1. No shutdown date has been announced.
Is Nano Banana 2.1 better than ChatGPT Images?
Not on public preference leaderboards yet, where ChatGPT Images 2.5 holds the top two spots. Which is cheaper in the API depends on the quality setting, since OpenAI charges by tokens. Our comparison of Nano Banana and ChatGPT Images covers quality, editing and price side by side.
