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

Recraft V4.1 Pro vs Nano Banana 2

Preferred for text to image: Nano Banana 2 · Newest: Nano Banana 2 · Widest inputs: Nano Banana 2. Quality scores are blind human-preference votes; specs and prices come from each lab’s listings.

  1. Recraft

    Recraft V4.1 Pro

    Released May 14, 2026

    • Text to image
    • Arena1,131
    • From—
    • Max size—
    Full specs Remove Recraft V4.1 Pro

  2. Google

    Nano Banana 2

    Released May 28, 2026

    • Text to image
    • Image editing
    • Arena1,387
    • From$0.045/image
    • Max size4K
    Full specs Remove Nano Banana 2

  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 2Recraft V4.1 Pro 1,131 (#42) · Nano Banana 2 1,257 (#11) — blind human votes
  • NewestNano Banana 2Recraft V4.1 Pro May 14, 2026 · Nano Banana 2 May 28, 2026
  • Widest inputsNano Banana 2Recraft V4.1 Pro: Text prompts · Nano Banana 2: Text prompts, Reference images, PDFs, Video
  • Image editingNano Banana 2Takes a reference image as input: Recraft V4.1 Pro no · Nano Banana 2 yes
  • Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs and apps
  • Most API hostsNano Banana 2Recraft V4.1 Pro: 1 · Nano Banana 2: 13
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Recraft V4.1 Pro vs Nano Banana 2 specifications side by side
SpecificationRecraft V4.1 ProRecraftNano Banana 2Google
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,131 ±10#42 of 82 · 2,796 votes1,257 ±4#11 of 82 · 73,278 votes (best)
Image editing arenaElo-style score · higher is better—1,387 ±3#15 of 61 · 262,911 votes
Price
Starting price—$0.045/image 512
Top price—$0.15/image 4K
How it is billed—Billed per token; Google’s listed cost per image.
Output
ProducesImagesImages
Resolutions—512 · 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 model ID—gemini-3.1-flash-image
API hosts113 (best)
ReleasedMay 14, 2026May 28, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Recraft V4.1 Pro or Nano Banana 2?

For text to image, voters prefer Nano Banana 2 (Recraft V4.1 Pro 1,131 (#42) · Nano Banana 2 1,257 (#11)). 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 costs from $0.045/image (512), up to $0.15/image (4K). Recraft V4.1 Pro 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 Pro and Nano Banana 2?

Recraft V4.1 Pro is an image model from Recraft (May 14, 2026), taking text prompts and producing images. Nano Banana 2 is an image model from Google (May 28, 2026), taking text prompts, reference images, pdfs and video and producing images.

Which is newer?

Recraft V4.1 Pro May 14, 2026; Nano Banana 2 May 28, 2026.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: Recraft V4.1 Pro no; Nano Banana 2 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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