What is Nano Banana?
Nano Banana is the name Google uses for its family of image generation and editing models, developed by Google DeepMind and built into the Gemini app. It currently includes four versions: Nano Banana 2.1, the newest, reserved for Google AI plan subscribers; Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), the free model; Nano Banana 2 Lite, faster and meant for simple images; and Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image), the most detailed one. The original Nano Banana, Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, is still available through the API.
Compared with generators such as Midjourney, its main strength is editing photos with plain-language instructions: you upload an image and ask it to change the background, add an object or apply a style, while keeping the details. It is free to use in the Gemini app, with no dedicated software.
Main Features
- Text-to-image generation: creates images from a description, with control over style, framing and format
- Natural language editing: changes the background, lighting, angle or single objects in a photo
- Multiple reference images: blends several photos into one scene or applies one photo's style to another
- Text in images: legible lettering, useful for infographics, diagrams and graphics
- Redo with Pro: Google AI plan subscribers can regenerate an image with Nano Banana Pro
- SynthID watermark: every image carries an invisible and a visible mark identifying it as AI-generated
How Does Nano Banana Work?
In the Gemini app or website you pick the Create images tool, then type a prompt or upload a photo to edit. The model depends on the one selected in Gemini: with Flash or Pro you get Nano Banana 2, with Flash-Lite the Lite version. Google AI plan subscribers get Nano Banana 2.1 instead. You can refine the result in the same conversation by asking for further changes.
Subscribers can regenerate an image with Nano Banana Pro, which helps when you need precise text or more detail. By connecting Google Photos you can edit your own pictures without downloading them. Developers access the models through the Gemini API, paying as they go.
Who is Nano Banana for?
- Users who want to retouch photos without photo editing software
- Creators and social media managers preparing visual content
- Small businesses producing graphics and product images
- Teachers and students putting together diagrams and infographics
- Developers adding image generation to their apps
Use Cases
- Changing the background or mood of a photo
- Merging two photos into a single image
- Creating infographics and diagrams with legible text
- Resizing an image for different social media formats
- Trying different looks or hairstyles on a portrait
Pricing
Nano Banana is free in the Gemini app with the Nano Banana 2 model and standard limits, which Google does not quantify and may change; without a plan, images download at 1K. To use Nano Banana 2.1, the best model, you need a Google AI plan: Google AI Plus at $4.99 per month (€4.99 in Italy, twice the standard limits), Google AI Pro at $19.99 per month (€21.99 in Italy, four times the limits) and Google AI Ultra from $99.99 per month. All plans also let you regenerate images with Nano Banana Pro and download them at 2K.
Through the Gemini API you pay as you go: a 1K image costs $0.0336 with Nano Banana 2.1, $0.067 with Nano Banana 2, $0.0336 with the Lite version and $0.134 with Nano Banana Pro.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Free to use in the Gemini app, with nothing to install
- Very effective at editing existing photos with plain-language instructions
- Good rendering of text inside images
Cons:
- Free limits are not stated in numbers and can change
- Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro in the app are reserved for subscribers
- Visible watermark on images created in the Gemini app
Final Verdict
Nano Banana is currently one of the simplest ways to edit photos and create images with AI, and it is recommended for anyone who wants quick results without professional software. The free version is enough for occasional use; if you produce many images or need precise text, consider Google AI Plus or Pro, while for fine artistic control a specialised generator is the better choice.