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

Nano Banana 2 Lite vs Seedream 5.0 Pro

Preferred for text to image: Too close to call · Preferred for image editing: Seedream 5.0 Pro · Lowest entry price: Nano Banana 2 Lite. 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. ByteDance Seed

    Seedream 5.0 Pro

    Released Jul 11, 2026

    • Text to image
    • Image editing
    • Arena1,390
    • From$0.045/image
    • Max size2K
    Full specs Remove Seedream 5.0 Pro

  3. Add a model

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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 imageToo close to callNano Banana 2 Lite 1,249 (#15) · Seedream 5.0 Pro 1,250 (#14) — blind human votes
  • Preferred for image editingSeedream 5.0 ProNano Banana 2 Lite 1,313 (#26) · Seedream 5.0 Pro 1,390 (#13) — blind human votes
  • Lowest entry priceNano Banana 2 LiteNano Banana 2 Lite from $0.034/image (1K) · Seedream 5.0 Pro from $0.045/image (1K)
  • Highest resolutionSeedream 5.0 ProNano Banana 2 Lite: 1K · Seedream 5.0 Pro: 2K
  • NewestSeedream 5.0 ProNano Banana 2 Lite Jun 30, 2026 · Seedream 5.0 Pro Jul 11, 2026
  • Widest inputsSame inputsNano Banana 2 Lite: Text prompts, Reference images · Seedream 5.0 Pro: Text prompts, Reference images
  • Image editingBoth edit imagesTakes a reference image as input: Nano Banana 2 Lite yes · Seedream 5.0 Pro yes
  • Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs and apps
  • Most API hostsNano Banana 2 LiteNano Banana 2 Lite: 8 · Seedream 5.0 Pro: 1
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Nano Banana 2 Lite vs Seedream 5.0 Pro specifications side by side
SpecificationNano Banana 2 LiteGoogleSeedream 5.0 ProByteDance Seed
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,249 ±6#15 of 82 · 17,813 votes1,250 ±4#14 of 82 · 105,824 votes (best)
Image editing arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,313 ±5#26 of 61 · 65,660 votes1,390 ±3#13 of 61 · 317,111 votes (best)
Price
Starting price$0.034/image 1K (best)$0.045/image 1K
Top price—$0.09/image 2K
How it is billedBilled per token; Google’s listed cost per image.Per image
Output
ProducesImagesImages
Resolutions1K1K · 2K
Highest resolution1K2K (best)
Largest image1K (about 1 MP)2K (about 4 MP)
Images per requestUp to 1Up to 1
Text in the replyYes—
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Reference images (editing)YesYes
Max reference images1414
Access
WeightsProprietaryProprietary
API model IDgemini-3.1-flash-lite-image—
API hosts8 (best)1
ReleasedJun 30, 2026Jul 11, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Nano Banana 2 Lite or Seedream 5.0 Pro?

For text to image, voters rate them about the same (Nano Banana 2 Lite 1,249 (#15) · Seedream 5.0 Pro 1,250 (#14)). For image editing, voters prefer Seedream 5.0 Pro (Nano Banana 2 Lite 1,313 (#26) · Seedream 5.0 Pro 1,390 (#13)). 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); Seedream 5.0 Pro costs from $0.045/image (1K), up to $0.09/image (2K). Prices are list rates and change often; check the lab before budgeting.

What is the difference between Nano Banana 2 Lite and Seedream 5.0 Pro?

Nano Banana 2 Lite is an image model from Google (Jun 30, 2026), taking text prompts and reference images and producing images. Seedream 5.0 Pro is an image model from ByteDance Seed (Jul 11, 2026), taking text prompts and reference images and producing images.

Which is newer?

Nano Banana 2 Lite Jun 30, 2026; Seedream 5.0 Pro Jul 11, 2026.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: Nano Banana 2 Lite yes; Seedream 5.0 Pro 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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