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

Recraft V4.1 Flash vs Nano Banana 2.1

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. Recraft

    Recraft V4.1 Flash

    Released Sep 23, 2026New

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

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

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Recraft V4.1 Flash vs Nano Banana 2.1 specifications side by side
SpecificationRecraft V4.1 FlashRecraftNano Banana 2.1Google
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,098 ±10#57 of 82 · 3,486 votes1,325 ±9#5 of 82 · 5,290 votes (best)
Image editing arenaElo-style score · higher is better—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 billed—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 request—Up to 1
Text in the reply—Yes
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Reference images (editing)NoYes
Max reference images—14
Access
WeightsProprietaryProprietary
API hosts15 (best)
ReleasedSep 23, 2026Oct 6, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

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

For text to image, voters prefer Nano Banana 2.1 (Recraft V4.1 Flash 1,098 (#57) · Nano Banana 2.1 1,325 (#5)). 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 Recraft V4.1 Flash and Nano Banana 2.1?

Recraft V4.1 Flash is an image model from Recraft (Sep 23, 2026), taking text prompts 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?

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

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: Recraft V4.1 Flash no; 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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