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AI image model comparison

Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.5

GPT Image 2.5 makes the stronger images on public leaderboards: it ranks ahead of Nano Banana 2.1 on Arena's text-to-image, text-rendering, and image-edit boards. Nano Banana 2.1 reaches further, with 4K output, panoramas up to 8:1, and images grounded in Google Search.

Try Nano Banana 2.1Try GPT Image 2.5 Flare
  • A white dragon perched on a city tower at dusk, in a telephoto news-photo style
    Nano Banana 2.1A white dragon perched on a city tower at dusk, in a telephoto news-photo style
  • A K-drama style poster with its title lettered in English and Korean
    GPT Image 2.5A K-drama style poster with its title lettered in English and Korean

Side by side

Prices, plans, resolutions, ratios, and reference limits are Mage's own, for the model compared. Release dates, search grounding, and watermarks are what each lab publishes. Arena ranks come from its text-to-image and text-rendering boards of October 7, 2026 and its image-edit board of October 19, 2026.

Nano Banana 2.1GPT Image 2.5
Made byGoogleOpenAI
ReleasedOctober 6, 2026 SourceSeptember 8, 2026 Source
Price on Mage, from51 Gems ($0.051) per image9 Gems ($0.009) per image
Unlimited on Mage fromPro PlusBasic
Top resolution on Mage4K2K
Aspect ratios on Mage1:1, 3:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:1, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 8:1, 9:16, 16:9, 21:921:9, 16:9, 3:2, 5:4, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 9:21
Reference images on Mage, up to1415
Search groundingYes, Google Web and Image Search SourceNone documented Source
Arena text-to-image#6 of 82 (preliminary) Source#2 of 82 (preliminary) Source
Arena text rendering#5 (preliminary) Source#2 (preliminary) Source
Arena image edit#5 of 60 (preliminary) Source#2 of 60 (preliminary) Source
WatermarkSynthID on every image SourceC2PA metadata and an invisible watermark Source

Last checked October 2026

Which should you use?

Choose Nano Banana 2.1 for

  • 4K images, or panoramas and banners up to 8:1
  • Pictures of real places, products, and events, grounded in Google Search
  • Up to 14 reference images, split into objects and characters

Choose GPT Image 2.5 for

  • The highest-ranked images and edits of the two on Arena
  • Edits that change only what you asked and keep people in reference photos recognizable
  • A quality setting for every job, from quick drafts to its most detailed renders

Image quality

In Arena's blind votes, where people pick the better of two images without seeing which model made them, GPT Image 2.5 Flare ranks second of 82 for text-to-image and second of 60 for image editing. Nano Banana 2.1 ranks sixth and fifth. Both scores are marked preliminary, so the order can still shift as votes come in.

Google built Nano Banana 2.1 as a high-efficiency workhorse at Flash speed and cost. OpenAI positions GPT Image 2.5 Flare as its default model for most work, with higher quality than GPT Image 2 at half the latency.

Text in images

Both handle signs, labels, and short headlines. Arena's text-rendering board puts GPT Image 2.5 Flare second and Nano Banana 2.1 fifth. Google notes that small text and long paragraphs can blur at 1K, so render posters and infographics at 2K or higher. OpenAI notes that precise text placement can still struggle.

Reference images

Nano Banana 2.1 takes up to 14 reference images on Mage, which Google splits into objects held at high fidelity and characters kept consistent. GPT Image 2.5 takes up to 15. OpenAI's focus is fidelity: subjects from reference photos stay recognizable, and an edit changes only what you asked.

Resolution and shape

Nano Banana 2.1 renders up to 4K on Mage in 12 aspect ratios, including 4:1 and 8:1 panoramas. GPT Image 2.5 goes up to 2K on Mage in 9 ratios, from 9:21 to 21:9.

Price on Mage

Nano Banana 2.1 starts at 51 Gems (about $0.051) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Pro Plus plan. GPT Image 2.5 starts at 9 Gems (about $0.009) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan.

GPT Image 2.5's price rises with its quality setting: its starting price and unlimited plans are for its quickest setting, and its most detailed settings cost many times more Gems.

A little more clarity

Questions

Is GPT Image 2.5 better than Nano Banana 2.1?
On Arena's leaderboards, yes: GPT Image 2.5 Flare ranks ahead of Nano Banana 2.1 for text-to-image, text rendering, and image editing. Nano Banana 2.1 is the better pick for 4K output, very wide panoramas, and images that need current facts from Google Search.
Which is better for text in images?
GPT Image 2.5. It ranks second on Arena's text-rendering board, against fifth for Nano Banana 2.1. With Nano Banana 2.1, render text-heavy images at 2K or higher, since Google notes small text can blur at 1K.
Which costs less on Mage?
Nano Banana 2.1 starts at 51 Gems (about $0.051) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Pro Plus plan. GPT Image 2.5 starts at 9 Gems (about $0.009) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan, at its quickest quality setting; its higher settings cost more.
Can I use both on Mage?
Yes. Both run in the same prompt box on Mage, on the same Gems and plans, and through the Mage API and the Mage MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT, so you can try a prompt on each and keep the better image.

Try Nano Banana 2.1 and GPT Image 2.5 on one prompt

Run the same prompt on both in Mage's prompt box and keep the better image. New accounts get 300 free Gems.

Try Nano Banana 2.1