Google Launches Nano Banana 2.1 With Lower Prices and Higher Cited Scores

Google launched Nano Banana 2.1 on Oct. 6, introducing a lower-cost image-generation model that cuts standard API image prices roughly in half and supports conversational editing.

The model, identified in the API as gemini-nano-banana-2.1, costs $0.0336 for a 1K image, $0.0504 for 2K and $0.0756 for 4K. Nano Banana 2, identified as gemini-3.1-flash-image, costs $0.067, $0.101 and $0.151 for the same image sizes.

Batch pricing for Nano Banana 2.1 is $0.0168 for 1K images, $0.0252 for 2K and $0.0378 for 4K. Input pricing is higher, however, at $1.50 per 1 million text, image or video tokens, compared with $0.50 for Nano Banana 2. Text and Thinking output costs $7.50 per 1 million tokens, compared with $3 for the earlier model.

Nano Banana 2.1 supports image generation, conversational editing, search grounding and minimal, medium or high Thinking levels. It accepts up to 14 reference images, including as many as four characters for consistency and 10 objects for fidelity.

In the cited Elo-based overall-preference test, Nano Banana 2.1 scored 1,050 with Thinking enabled, compared with 990 for Nano Banana 2 and 935 for Nano Banana Pro. The models scored 1,106, 978 and 1,011, respectively, in multi-character consistency. Their mask- or ink-based editing scores were 1,049, 965 and 927.

An infographic-factuality metric assigned scores of 0.521 to Nano Banana 2.1, 0.179 to Nano Banana 2 and 0.265 to Nano Banana Pro. The automated metric should not be treated as directly comparable with the Elo-based results.

The model is available through the Gemini app, Google AI Studio, the Gemini API, Google Search AI Mode, Google Ads, Flow and Stitch. It is based on Gemini 3.6 Flash and serves as a lower-cost, higher-efficiency counterpart to Gemini 3 Pro Image.

Nano Banana 2 is scheduled to shut down Oct. 29, 2026, with Nano Banana 2.1 designated as its replacement.