Image · google/nano-banana
Nano Banana — image generation and edits by Google
Nano Banana is Google’s everyday workhorse for images inside creator-ai. Its strength is not a one-off masterpiece from scratch but careful edits: change clothes, background, a hairstyle or a small detail without breaking the face, pose, or overall look. That is why people reach for it on a series of iterations over one character rather than a single hero frame.
What it is good for
- Editing real photos and references in plain words — no hand-painted masks or pixel-pushing.
- Shot series with one character: looks for cards, covers, ad hypothesis tests.
- A “generate, then fix” flow in one place, without jumping between unrelated engines.
When to pick Nano Banana over a sibling
Keep the base Nano Banana as your default: it is fast, predictable, and follows short edit prompts well. If the task sounds like “fix what’s already there”, this is almost always where you start.
When you value speed of conversational iterations and run many small variations, look at Nano Banana 2 (Flash). When the frame is final and carries small text, a logo, or dense typography, go straight to Nano Banana Pro — it holds letters and complex materials more reliably. For photoreal, stock-like stills, Google’s separate Imagen 4 Ultra is the better fit.
What you need and what it costs
All it needs is a text description, plus one or two references for edits: a photo, a frame, a moodboard. No masks to draw — you describe the change in words and the model tries to touch only what you asked for.
You pay in credits from your shared creator-ai balance; the amount depends on resolution and how many images you request. The exact figure is always shown in the app before you run and on the pricing page, so we do not hardcode it here — it changes over time.
Where Nano Banana struggles
It is not a surgical cut-out tool. For a perfectly clean PNG for a marketplace, recraft-ai/recraft-remove-background is tidier; to erase a single object, use bria/eraser. Heavy small text on a final layout is better handled by the Pro version. And, as with any generative model, eyeball the result: fine details and hands can still show artifacts.
Frequently asked about Nano Banana
How does it differ from Nano Banana 2 and Pro?
The base version is the balanced default for most tasks. Version 2 targets fast conversational iterations. Pro is for final frames with high detail and text on a layout. Start on base and move up when you hit a concrete limit.
Can I change one detail and leave the rest?
Yes, that is its core use: describe the edit in words and the model tries to preserve the face, pose, and surrounding style. On complex shapes and overlapping objects, re-check and refine the prompt if needed.
Does it understand prompts in languages other than English?
It handles short and mid-length prompts in many languages well. If the frame has Latin lettering or specific terms, names, and brands matter, write those in English so the model is less likely to garble them.
Do I still need a dedicated background remover?
For a clean PNG behind a product card, recraft-ai/recraft-remove-background is simpler. Nano Banana is stronger at artistic edits and keeping composition than at a perfectly even cut-out edge.
How many credits does one generation cost?
It depends on resolution and the number of images per request. The current price is shown in the app before you run and on the creator-ai pricing page.