# Nano Banana 2.1 release: Google updates its image model and halves the price

> The Nano Banana 2.1 release came on October 6, 2026: Google released an update to Nano Banana 2 built on Gemini 3.6 Flash, straight to a stable version. It costs half as much in the API, is better at mask editing and character consistency, and renders cleaner panoramas up to 8:1. In the first tests it beat Nano Banana 2, but not Pro. Nano Banana 2.1 is already available in AI2Face.

Published 2026-10-07 · Updated 2026-10-07
URL: https://ai2face.com/news/nano-banana-2-1

On October 6, 2026, Google released **Nano Banana 2.1** (`gemini-nano-banana-2.1`), an update to [Nano Banana 2](/models/nano-banana-2), which came out in February. It went straight to GA — a stable, production-ready version rather than a preview. Google calls it “the more efficient counterpart” to [Nano Banana Pro](/models/nano-banana-pro) and recommends it over Nano Banana 2 for all new projects. A full rundown of its features, specs and prompts is on the [Nano Banana 2.1](/models/nano-banana-2-1) page.

## Where Nano Banana 2.1 is available

The new version of the [Nano Banana](/models/nano-banana) family is built on the **Gemini 3.6 Flash** language model. On launch day Nano Banana 2.1 arrived in several Google products at once:

- the Gemini app;
- AI Mode in Google Search;
- Google AI Studio and the Gemini API;
- the Gemini Enterprise platform on Google Cloud;
- Google Ads and the Stitch design tool.

## What's new in Nano Banana 2.1

Google claims improvements across the board:

- **Visual quality and design.** More natural-looking images and more accurate infographic and poster layouts.
- **Prompt adherence.** According to Google, the model follows instructions more closely. User feedback is mixed here — more on that below.
- **Mask-based editing.** Mark an area and only that area changes.
- **Character and object consistency.** A person or product stays recognizable across several edits in a row in one conversation.
- **Text in images.** Crisper lettering and more accurate facts in infographics.
- **Panoramas.** The extreme 1:4, 4:1, 1:8 and 8:1 formats at 2K and 4K are cleaner: Google removed the tiling artifacts in very wide images.
- **Thinking levels.** Before generating, the model “thinks”: minimal, medium (the default) or high.

Everything else stays the same: 1K, 2K and 4K resolution, up to 14 references, and Google Search grounding for text and images. The 512 px option that Nano Banana 2 had is gone.

## Half the price of Nano Banana 2

At launch Google cut the per-image price: a 1K image in the Gemini API costs **$0.0336** instead of $0.067 on Nano Banana 2. Below are Google's official API prices in US dollars. In AI2Face, generation is usually cheaper, and the exact credit cost is shown before you run it.

| Model | 1K | 2K | 4K |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Nano Banana 2.1 | $0.0336 | $0.0504 | $0.113 |
| Nano Banana 2 | $0.067 | $0.101 | $0.151 |
| Nano Banana Pro | $0.134 | $0.134 | $0.24 |

In Batch mode all prices are half. Input tokens, on the other hand, now cost three times as much: $1.50 per million vs. $0.50. But a reference image costs only about $0.0017, so it barely affects the total.

Early coverage quotes **$0.0756 per 4K image**. That's the price Google showed on launch day, when it counted a 4K image as 2,520 tokens. It later corrected the figure to 3,780 tokens, so the current price is $0.113. A detailed breakdown of pricing across the family is in [Nano Banana pricing and subscriptions](/blog/nano-banana-cena).

## What Google's tests and the Arena leaderboard show

In Google's own blind comparisons, Nano Banana 2.1 with Thinking scored **1,050** Elo in text-to-image. Nano Banana 2 scored 990 and Pro 935. The biggest gains are in multi-character consistency (1,106 vs. 978 for Nano Banana 2) and mask-based editing (1,049 vs. 965). Infographic factuality nearly tripled, from 0.179 to 0.521. These are the developer's internal tests, not an independent measurement. Both full tables are on the [model page](/models/nano-banana-2-1).

On the open Arena leaderboard, where users pick the better image blind, 2.1 ranked **5th** with 1,328 points as of October 6. Nano Banana 2 is 11th and Pro is 16th. The top three spots belong to OpenAI's [GPT Image](/models/gpt-image) models. The result is preliminary: 2.1 has only about 5,300 votes so far. For a closer look at how they compare, see [Nano Banana vs. GPT Image](/blog/nano-banana-vs-gpt-image).

## Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2 and Pro on the same prompts

The three models got five identical tasks: one run per model, no retries, 2K resolution. The input images for the edits were made by a third model so that none of them edited its own output. The judges checked hands, faces, labels, small type and every letter of the requested text.

**Test 1. Photorealistic scene:** an elderly fisherman mending an orange net on a dock at dawn in the mist.

![Three versions of a fisherman on a misty dock: Nano Banana 2.1 shows the whole figure, Nano Banana 2 a warmer shot, Pro only the hands and net](https://ai2face.com/_astro/test-photoreal-scene.CRGOaOpV_Ndowd.jpg "Photorealism: left to right, Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro")

Nano Banana 2.1 delivered the whole brief: the full figure in frame, cool mist, a muted palette, sharp hands and no text anywhere. Nano Banana 2 made the scene warmer and more saturated and, unprompted, painted the name “SEA BREEZE” on a boat. Pro had the best hand detail but cropped in to the hands and net — the fisherman's face is out of frame. **Winner: Nano Banana 2.1.**

**Test 2. Text on a poster:** a concert poster with a wave and four lines of text, including a small URL.

![Three NIGHT TIDE posters with a blue wave: all three models spelled every line correctly](https://ai2face.com/_astro/test-poster-text.CCYzGn3p_Z1fTlKQ.jpg "Text on a poster: all three models got it right. Left to right, Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro")

All three models spelled every line correctly, including the middle dot and the URL, and got the type right: a condensed bold headline and a lighter second line. 2.1 showed the poster as a sheet on a pale surface, Nano Banana 2 as a print on cardboard. Only Pro returned flat, full-bleed artwork you could send straight to a printer. **A tie on accuracy;** if you need the artwork itself rather than a photo of it, use Pro.

**Test 3. Product shot with copy space:** a ceramic pour-over dripper, light from the left, shadow to the right, the right third of the frame left empty.

![Three shots of a green ceramic dripper on an oak board: only Nano Banana 2.1 cast the shadow to the right](https://ai2face.com/_astro/test-product-shot.DpCI1aIu_Z1Ji1Tx.jpg "Product shot: only Nano Banana 2.1 lit from the left with the shadow to the right")

Nano Banana 2.1 met every requirement: light from the left, a shadow falling right across the board, a clean product and open space on the right. Nano Banana 2 split the frame with a blank white panel and lit the scene so evenly the shadow barely shows. Pro made convincing handmade ceramics but lit it from the right, so the shadow fell left — the opposite of the brief. **Winner: Nano Banana 2.1** — the only image usable as is.

**Test 4. Background edit that keeps the product:** move a studio shot of a “LUMA 02” serum bottle onto a mossy stone by a forest stream, changing only the setting and lighting.

![The original LUMA 02 bottle on a grey background and three edits on a stone by a stream](https://ai2face.com/_astro/test-edit-product.DRv73Ni9_1KdToO.jpg "Edit: the original and results from Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro")

All three models kept the bottle's shape, amber glass, dropper and the “LUMA 02” label. None kept the cap exactly: the smooth glossy collar became ribbed on all of them. 2.1 pulled the camera back and used harsh sunlight, but the label stayed clean. Nano Banana 2 and Pro framed the bottle larger and added water droplets to the label. **A tie:** check small product hardware after an edit, whichever model you use.

**Test 5. Same person, new scene:** the woman from a reference portrait rides a bicycle down a neon-lit street at night in a yellow raincoat.

![A reference portrait of a red-haired woman in glasses and three images of her cycling down a wet street at night](https://ai2face.com/_astro/test-same-person.uZZvw_i9_Z1k8oWr.jpg "Likeness: the reference and results from Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro")

Pro preserved the face best: face shape, curls, freckles and a neutral expression. Its signs are legible: “RAMEN BAR,” “OPEN LATE,” “CAFÉ.” Nano Banana 2 kept the curls and glasses but added a broad smile the reference doesn't have, and its signs are half gibberish. 2.1 composed a natural full-body shot but loosened the curls, thinned the frames and nearly erased the freckles, and its signs are illegible. **Winner: Nano Banana Pro.**

| Task | Winner | What decided it |
|---|---|---|
| Photorealistic scene | Nano Banana 2.1 | mist, palette and full figure, no stray text |
| Text on a poster | tie | all correct; Pro gave print-ready artwork |
| Product shot | Nano Banana 2.1 | the only one to follow the light and shadow brief |
| Background edit | tie | all kept the product, none kept the cap |
| Same person, new scene | Nano Banana Pro | closest face, legible signs |

Across the five tasks, 2.1 never lost to Nano Banana 2 and never added text or logos nobody asked for. Pro is still stronger when a face has to match a reference and lettering inside a photo scene has to be legible. We compared the previous generation of the same pair in [Nano Banana 2 vs. Pro](/blog/nano-banana-2-vs-pro).

A tricky composition prompt paints a similar picture: a monkey with a pink banana on a tiger, and in the background a horse riding an astronaut.

![Left, Nano Banana 2.1: the horse stands on the astronaut's back; right, Nano Banana Pro: the horse only leans on the astronaut](https://ai2face.com/_astro/horse-astronaut-2-1-vs-pro.DYGmrCA4_2gMrOt.jpg "A complex composition: left, Nano Banana 2.1; right, Nano Banana Pro")

2.1 took the key instruction literally: the horse stands on the astronaut's back. But the scale is off — the horse looks like a pony. Pro has more realistic colors and proportions, although its horse only leans on the astronaut instead of riding him.

## What users say about Nano Banana 2.1

Early feedback from Gemini users is noticeably more restrained than the official tests.

Some users call 2.1 “objectively a lot better” than the previous version and single out its character consistency across images.

Others complain that:

- it follows prompts less closely than Nano Banana 2;
- Thinking “reinterprets” the request too aggressively;
- safety filters have become stricter;
- the model adds things to the image that nobody asked for;
- in some scenarios the result is worse than Nano Banana 2.

The most common balanced take: image quality went up, while prompt adherence slipped on some tasks. If the result drifts from your prompt, try the minimal Thinking level so the model second-guesses less.

## What happens to Nano Banana 2

As of October 6, `gemini-3.1-flash-image` (Nano Banana 2) is deprecated. Google recommends migrating to `gemini-nano-banana-2.1`. No shutdown date has been set yet.

On launch day the release notes listed a shutdown date of October 29, 2026, which is why it appears in early coverage. Google later removed it. Nano Banana 2 still works, but new projects are better off on 2.1 from the start.

What to check when you migrate:

- the model ID in your code and settings;
- your input-token budget: it's three times higher;
- the missing 512 px resolution;
- the Thinking level: medium is the default, and it's slower than minimal;
- a sample run of your typical prompts before you move all traffic to 2.1.

The lighter [Nano Banana 2 Lite](/models/nano-banana-2-lite) and Nano Banana Pro remain in the lineup unchanged: Lite for speed and the lowest price, Pro for the most demanding work.

## How to try Nano Banana 2.1 in AI2Face

Nano Banana 2.1 is already available in the AI2Face generator. You can pay by card or crypto, and new accounts get welcome credits. Select Nano Banana 2.1 in the generator, write a prompt and upload references if needed — the credit cost is shown before you run it.

AI2Face strips C2PA metadata and other AI tags from finished files and writes the EXIF of an ordinary camera instead. So social networks find no AI marker in the file and don't label the post as AI-generated. The invisible SynthID watermark is embedded in the pixels themselves and isn't affected.

How to write prompts and where 2.1 beats Pro is covered on the [Nano Banana 2.1](/models/nano-banana-2-1) page. Ready-made ideas are in our [Nano Banana prompts](/blog/nano-banana-pro-prompts) collection.

## FAQ

### When was Nano Banana 2.1 released?

On October 6, 2026, straight to GA — a stable, production-ready version. The same day it arrived in the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Google AI Studio, the Gemini API and Google Cloud.

### How is Nano Banana 2.1 different from Nano Banana 2?

It's built on Gemini 3.6 Flash, is better at mask editing and character consistency, renders cleaner 1:8 and 8:1 panoramas and has three Thinking levels. A 1K image costs $0.0336 in the API vs. $0.067.

### Is Nano Banana 2.1 better than Nano Banana Pro?

Not across the board. In Google's tests 2.1 beats Pro in every category, but in an independent same-prompt comparison Pro matched a reference face more closely and was the only model with legible signs in the scene.

### Will Nano Banana 2 be shut down?

The gemini-3.1-flash-image model is deprecated, but no shutdown date has been set. Google recommends migrating to gemini-nano-banana-2.1.

## Sources

- https://deepmind.google/models/model-cards/nano-banana-2-1/
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-nano-banana-2.1
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/changelog
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing
- https://docs.cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/models/gemini/nano-banana-2-1
- https://fuser.studio/articles/nano-banana-2-1-vs-nano-banana-2-vs-pro
- https://the-decoder.com/googles-new-image-model-nano-banana-2-1-generates-better-images-for-less-money/
- https://decrypt.co/380257/google-launches-nano-banana-2-1
- https://kingy.ai/blog/nano-banana-2-1/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/GeminiAI/comments/1wymuce/nano_banana_21_is_rolling_out_now/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/GeminiAI/comments/1wz6g8o/nano_banana_21/