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Image model comparison · 2 models · Updated Nov 2, 2026

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs Nano Banana 2.1

Preferred for text to image: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst · Preferred for image editing: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst · Newest: Nano Banana 2.1. Quality scores are blind human-preference votes; specs and prices come from each lab’s listings.

  1. OpenAI

    GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

    Released Sep 8, 2026New

    • Text to image
    • Image editing
    • Arena1,517
    • From—
    • Max size—
    Full specs Remove GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

  2. Google

    Nano Banana 2.1

    Released Oct 6, 2026New

    • Text to image
    • Image editing
    • Arena1,427
    • From$0.034/image
    • Max size4K
    Full specs Remove Nano Banana 2.1

  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — At a glance

Where they differ

Quality is the arena score from blind, side-by-side human votes. Price, length and resolution come from each lab’s own listings.

  • Preferred for text to imageGPT Image 2.5 SunburstGPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 1,427 (#1) · Nano Banana 2.1 1,325 (#5) — blind human votes
  • Preferred for image editingGPT Image 2.5 SunburstGPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 1,517 (#1) · Nano Banana 2.1 1,427 (#7) — blind human votes
  • NewestNano Banana 2.1GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst Sep 8, 2026 · Nano Banana 2.1 Oct 6, 2026
  • Widest inputsNano Banana 2.1GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: Text prompts, Reference images · Nano Banana 2.1: Text prompts, Reference images, Video
  • Image editingBoth edit imagesTakes a reference image as input: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst yes · Nano Banana 2.1 yes
  • Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs and apps
  • Most API hostsNano Banana 2.1GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: 4 · Nano Banana 2.1: 5
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs Nano Banana 2.1 specifications side by side
SpecificationGPT Image 2.5 SunburstOpenAINano Banana 2.1Google
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,427 ±5#1 of 82 · 40,323 votes (best)1,325 ±9#5 of 82 · 5,290 votes
Image editing arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,517 ±5#1 of 61 · 90,545 votes (best)1,427 ±6#7 of 61 · 12,956 votes
Price
Starting price—$0.034/image 1K
Top price—$0.113/image 4K
How it is billedBilled per token: $30 per million output image tokens.Billed per token; Google’s listed cost per image.
Output
ProducesImagesImages
Resolutions—1K · 2K · 4K
Highest resolution—4K
Largest image—4K (about 16 MP)
Images per requestUp to 10 (best)Up to 1
Text in the reply—Yes
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Reference images (editing)YesYes
Max reference images16 (best)14
Access
WeightsProprietaryProprietary
API hosts45 (best)
ReleasedSep 8, 2026Oct 6, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst or Nano Banana 2.1?

For text to image, voters prefer GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst (GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 1,427 (#1) · Nano Banana 2.1 1,325 (#5)). For image editing, voters prefer GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst (GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 1,517 (#1) · Nano Banana 2.1 1,427 (#7)). Arena scores come from blind, side-by-side human votes on the same prompts; when the gap is inside both models’ error margins we call it a tie. Test your own prompts before you commit.

Which is cheaper?

Nano Banana 2.1 costs from $0.034/image (1K), up to $0.113/image (4K). GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst has no published per-image price. Prices are list rates and change often; check the lab before budgeting.

What is the difference between GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst and Nano Banana 2.1?

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is an image model from OpenAI (Sep 8, 2026), taking text prompts and reference images and producing images. Nano Banana 2.1 is an image model from Google (Oct 6, 2026), taking text prompts, reference images and video and producing images.

Which is newer?

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst Sep 8, 2026; Nano Banana 2.1 Oct 6, 2026.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst yes; Nano Banana 2.1 yes.

Can I run any of these on my own hardware?

No open weights. Both are available only through APIs and apps.

04 — Keep comparing

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