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

Nano Banana 2.1 vs Recraft V4.1 Flash

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

  1. 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

  2. Recraft

    Recraft V4.1 Flash

    Released Sep 23, 2026New

    • Text to image
    • Arena1,098
    • From—
    • Max size—
    Full specs Remove Recraft V4.1 Flash

  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 imageNano Banana 2.1Nano Banana 2.1 1,325 (#5) · Recraft V4.1 Flash 1,098 (#57) — blind human votes
  • NewestNano Banana 2.1Nano Banana 2.1 Oct 6, 2026 · Recraft V4.1 Flash Sep 23, 2026
  • Widest inputsNano Banana 2.1Nano Banana 2.1: Text prompts, Reference images, Video · Recraft V4.1 Flash: Text prompts
  • Image editingNano Banana 2.1Takes a reference image as input: Nano Banana 2.1 yes · Recraft V4.1 Flash no
  • Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs and apps
  • Most API hostsNano Banana 2.1Nano Banana 2.1: 5 · Recraft V4.1 Flash: 1
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Nano Banana 2.1 vs Recraft V4.1 Flash specifications side by side
SpecificationNano Banana 2.1GoogleRecraft V4.1 FlashRecraft
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,325 ±9#5 of 82 · 5,290 votes (best)1,098 ±10#57 of 82 · 3,486 votes
Image editing arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,427 ±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; Google’s listed cost per image.—
Output
ProducesImagesImages
Resolutions1K · 2K · 4K—
Highest resolution4K—
Largest image4K (about 16 MP)—
Images per requestUp to 1—
Text in the replyYes—
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Reference images (editing)YesNo
Max reference images14—
Access
WeightsProprietaryProprietary
API hosts5 (best)1
ReleasedOct 6, 2026Sep 23, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Nano Banana 2.1 or Recraft V4.1 Flash?

For text to image, voters prefer Nano Banana 2.1 (Nano Banana 2.1 1,325 (#5) · Recraft V4.1 Flash 1,098 (#57)). 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). Recraft V4.1 Flash has no published per-image price. Prices are list rates and change often; check the lab before budgeting.

What is the difference between Nano Banana 2.1 and Recraft V4.1 Flash?

Nano Banana 2.1 is an image model from Google (Oct 6, 2026), taking text prompts, reference images and video and producing images. Recraft V4.1 Flash is an image model from Recraft (Sep 23, 2026), taking text prompts and producing images.

Which is newer?

Nano Banana 2.1 Oct 6, 2026; Recraft V4.1 Flash Sep 23, 2026.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: Nano Banana 2.1 yes; Recraft V4.1 Flash no.

Can I run any of these on my own hardware?

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

04 — Keep comparing

Related comparisons