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

Nano Banana 2 Lite vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare

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

  1. Google

    Nano Banana 2 Lite

    Released Jun 30, 2026

    • Text to image
    • Image editing
    • Arena1,313
    • From$0.034/image
    • Max size1K
    Full specs Remove Nano Banana 2 Lite

  2. OpenAI

    GPT Image 2.5 Flare

    Released Sep 8, 2026New

    • Text to image
    • Image editing
    • Arena1,482
    • From—
    • Max size—
    Full specs Remove GPT Image 2.5 Flare

  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 FlareNano Banana 2 Lite 1,249 (#15) · GPT Image 2.5 Flare 1,401 (#2) — blind human votes
  • Preferred for image editingGPT Image 2.5 FlareNano Banana 2 Lite 1,313 (#26) · GPT Image 2.5 Flare 1,482 (#2) — blind human votes
  • NewestGPT Image 2.5 FlareNano Banana 2 Lite Jun 30, 2026 · GPT Image 2.5 Flare Sep 8, 2026
  • Widest inputsSame inputsNano Banana 2 Lite: Text prompts, Reference images · GPT Image 2.5 Flare: Text prompts, Reference images
  • Image editingBoth edit imagesTakes a reference image as input: Nano Banana 2 Lite yes · GPT Image 2.5 Flare yes
  • Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs and apps
  • Most API hostsNano Banana 2 LiteNano Banana 2 Lite: 8 · GPT Image 2.5 Flare: 4
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Nano Banana 2 Lite vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare specifications side by side
SpecificationNano Banana 2 LiteGoogleGPT Image 2.5 FlareOpenAI
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,249 ±6#15 of 82 · 17,813 votes1,401 ±5#2 of 82 · 39,218 votes (best)
Image editing arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,313 ±5#26 of 61 · 65,660 votes1,482 ±5#2 of 61 · 87,941 votes (best)
Price
Starting price$0.034/image 1K—
How it is billedBilled per token; Google’s listed cost per image.Billed per token: $30 per million output image tokens.
Output
ProducesImagesImages
Resolutions1K—
Highest resolution1K—
Largest image1K (about 1 MP)—
Images per requestUp to 1Up to 10 (best)
Text in the replyYes—
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Reference images (editing)YesYes
Max reference images1416 (best)
Access
WeightsProprietaryProprietary
API model IDgemini-3.1-flash-lite-image—
API hosts8 (best)4
ReleasedJun 30, 2026Sep 8, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Nano Banana 2 Lite or GPT Image 2.5 Flare?

For text to image, voters prefer GPT Image 2.5 Flare (Nano Banana 2 Lite 1,249 (#15) · GPT Image 2.5 Flare 1,401 (#2)). For image editing, voters prefer GPT Image 2.5 Flare (Nano Banana 2 Lite 1,313 (#26) · GPT Image 2.5 Flare 1,482 (#2)). 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 Lite costs from $0.034/image (1K). GPT Image 2.5 Flare 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 Lite and GPT Image 2.5 Flare?

Nano Banana 2 Lite is an image model from Google (Jun 30, 2026), taking text prompts and reference images and producing images. GPT Image 2.5 Flare is an image model from OpenAI (Sep 8, 2026), taking text prompts and reference images and producing images.

Which is newer?

Nano Banana 2 Lite Jun 30, 2026; GPT Image 2.5 Flare Sep 8, 2026.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: Nano Banana 2 Lite yes; GPT Image 2.5 Flare 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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