Google's new image model Nano Banana 2.1 generates better images for less money

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; it uses the most recent Pro model, 3.1, while 2.1 uses Gemini 3.6 Flash. Google has announced a Pro model, Gemini 4 Argon, as a possible next major gain in image quality.

Google is cutting prices roughly in half compared with Nano Banana 2. A 1K image costs 3.36 cents, down from 6.70 cents, and a 4K image drops from 15.10 to 7.56 cents. Nano Banana Pro costs considerably more, at 13.40 cents per 1K image.

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 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 Pro in those tests. In practice, Nano Banana Pro often still produces noticeably better images, and Google describes 2.1 as "the more efficient counterpart" to Pro. In one side-by-side test, Pro's image looked more realistic and natural in colors and proportions, while 2.1 struggled with scale, making a horse look more like a pony.

The model runs at Flash-tier speed, supports 1K, 2K and 4K resolutions, and is rolling out across Google products including the Gemini app, AI Mode in Google Search, Google AI Studio, Flow by Google, Stitch by Google, Google Ads and the Gemini Enterprise Platform. Google will shut down the previous model, "gemini-3.1-flash-image," on October 29, 2026.