The Nano Banana Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Nano Banana in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Nano Banana
The Insider’s Guide
Google's image creation and editing model inside the Gemini app
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from Nano Banana’s own pages.
Made by Google · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Nano Banana’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Nano Banana’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 159 of the 168 other AI image and video generators we grade
Nano Banana is the name Google gives its image generation and editing models in the Gemini app. You describe an image or upload a photo and ask for changes such as a new background, a different style or an added object. The standard model is free; a newer version needs a paid Google AI plan.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Nano Banana, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The newest model needs a paid plan, and images carry a visible watermark.
- 1
Best for Google image generation and editing in Gemini
Nano Banana is Google's image model inside Gemini, for making and editing pictures by instruction.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free Gemini plan with Nano Banana 2 image generation and editing, at lower usage limits than the paid plans.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Text-to-image generation
Describe a scene in the Gemini chat and get an image back, then ask for changes in plain follow-up messages.
- 6
Photo editing by instruction
Upload a photo and ask for a different background, lighting, camera angle or an added object while the rest is kept.
- 7
Combine and restyle images
Merge two uploaded pictures into one, or apply the texture, color or style of a reference photo to your subject.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 159 of 168
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Nano Banana you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Nano Banana at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for Google image generation and editing in Gemini
Nano Banana is Google's image model inside Gemini, for making and editing pictures by instruction. The free plan has Nano Banana 2 at lower limits, and AI Plus is $4.99. The newest model needs a paid plan, and images carry a visible watermark.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Google AI Plus is $4.99 a month, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter of $8.33. Pro is $19.99 and Ultra $99.99. |
| Free plan and trial | B | A free Gemini plan includes Nano Banana 2 for generating and editing, at lower limits. Limits are stated only as multiples of it. |
| Features | C | Text-to-image, editing by instruction, combining and restyling, text in images and resizing. The newest model needs a paid plan. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating figure here, but it lives inside Gemini, an account most people already have, so there is nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android through Gemini, with Google Flow and Search. No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Nano Banana is for
- Fits if you already use Gemini and want to edit photos by describing the change
- Works for casual image making on a free plan
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want the newest model on the free plan, as Nano Banana 2.1 needs a paid Google AI plan
- Watch out: generated images carry a visible watermark as well as an invisible one
- Tight if you make many images: limits are stated as multiples of the free plan, not image counts
- Not for you if you want a standalone app, since it lives inside Gemini
Good to know
Good for
- Casual photo edits described in a sentence
- People who already use Gemini and want images in the same chat
- Posters, invitations and other graphics that need short text
Worth knowing
- Nano Banana 2.1, the newest model, needs a paid Google AI plan; the free plan has Nano Banana 2.
- Generated images carry a visible watermark as well as an invisible one.
- Usage limits are stated only as multiples of the free plan, not as image counts.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Nano Banana has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus).
Limits are stated only as multiples of it.
Free
$0
per month with a Google Account
Image generation and editing with Nano Banana 2; Flow access includes limited Nano Banana Pro.
Google AI Plus
$4.99
per month
Twice the usage of Free, 200 Flow credits and 400 GB of storage.
Google AI Pro
$19.99
per month
Four times the usage of Free, 1,000 Flow credits and 5 TB of storage; Nano Banana 2.1 per Google's FAQ.
Google AI Ultra
$99.99
per month, or $199.99 for the higher tier
Highest limits: 5x the usage of Pro at $99.99, 20x at $199.99, with 10,000 or 25,000 Flow credits.
The free plan
Free Gemini plan with Nano Banana 2 image generation and editing, at lower usage limits than the paid plans.
Read from gemini.google on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Education
Students: a Plus plan free for one year
The Gemini page says students can unlock more Nano Banana access with a Google AI Plus plan at no cost for one year.
Stated on gemini.google
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Google's image creation and editing model inside the Gemini app. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, chat assistant, image generation.
Text-to-image, editing by instruction, combining and restyling, text in images and resizing.
- Text-to-image generation
- Describe a scene in the Gemini chat and get an image back, then ask for changes in plain follow-up messages.
- Photo editing by instruction
- Upload a photo and ask for a different background, lighting, camera angle or an added object while the rest is kept.
- Combine and restyle images
- Merge two uploaded pictures into one, or apply the texture, color or style of a reference photo to your subject.
- Text inside images
- Google says logos, invitations, posters and comics can carry readable text, in many languages.
- Resizing to other formats
- A creation can be resized to a different aspect ratio for each place it will be shared.
- SynthID watermark
- Images carry an invisible SynthID mark and a visible watermark that shows they are AI-generated.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Google Flow
- Google Search
Nano Banana is made by Google.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
159/168
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
Nano Banana's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 159 of the 168 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 149 of 168) and worst on features (C, above 6).
Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $11.88 for the category: 5 of the 120 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 169 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Nano Banana’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 149 of 168
- BFree plan and trialAbove 148 of 168
- CFeaturesAbove 6 of 168
- BEase of useAbove 119 of 168
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 75 of 168
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 123 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Nano Banana is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Nano Banana you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 159 of the 168 other AI image and video generators we grade. It costs $59.88 a year.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Nano Banana’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Midjourney, Ideogram, Adobe Firefly, Seedream and FLUX by Black Forest Labs
The 5 tools Nano Banana is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Midjourney
From $8/mo
Image and short-video generator run on monthly GPU time.
- Nano Banana has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- Only Nano Banana lists iOS and Android apps.
- Nano Banana also covers chat assistant.
- 2.8GPA
Ideogram
Free plan · from $15/mo
Image generator for designs with text, plus editing and video apps.
- Only Nano Banana lists an Android app.
- Nano Banana also covers chat assistant.
- Ideogram also covers video generation.
- 3.0GPA
Adobe Firefly
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Adobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models.
- Nano Banana also covers chat assistant.
- Adobe Firefly also covers video editing and video generation.
- 1.6GPA
Seedream
From $13.99
ByteDance's image generation and editing model, sold by the image.
- Nano Banana has a free plan. Seedream does not.
- Only Nano Banana lists iOS and Android apps.
- Nano Banana also covers chat assistant.
- 2.0GPA
FLUX by Black Forest Labs
Free plan
FLUX image and video models, paid per use via API and playground.
- Only Nano Banana lists iOS and Android apps.
- FLUX by Black Forest Labs is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Nano Banana also covers chat assistant.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Nano Banana free?
Nano Banana has a free plan. Free Gemini plan with Nano Banana 2 image generation and editing, at lower usage limits than the paid plans.
How much does Nano Banana cost?
Nano Banana lists 4 plans. Free: $0 per month with a Google Account.
What platforms does Nano Banana work on?
Nano Banana is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Nano Banana offer any discounts?
Nano Banana publicly lists the following: Students: a Plus plan free for one year.
Does Nano Banana have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Nano Banana is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Nano Banana have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Nano Banana is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Nano Banana open source?
Nano Banana is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Nano Banana integrate with?
Nano Banana's listing names Google Flow and Google Search. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Nano Banana have a student discount?
Students: a Plus plan free for one year. The Gemini page says students can unlock more Nano Banana access with a Google AI Plus plan at no cost for one year.
Who makes Nano Banana?
Nano Banana is made by Google.
What are the alternatives to Nano Banana?
The closest alternatives to Nano Banana in our directory are Midjourney, Ideogram, Adobe Firefly, Seedream and FLUX by Black Forest Labs.
How does Nano Banana compare with other AI image and video generators?
Nano Banana's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 159 of the 168 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 8.
Is Nano Banana good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Nano Banana A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month, against a middle price of $11.88 for the category: 5 of the 120 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Nano Banana?
To replace Nano Banana you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Nano Banana’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Google's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices change, so check gemini.google before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Nano Banana, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/nano-banana
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Nano Banana: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/nano-banana
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/nano-banana/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI image and video generators after Nano Banana, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Image & Video Generators Insider's GuideEvery one of the 169 AI image and video generators we grade, compared
- Pixlr Insider's GuideBrowser photo editors with AI image, video and audio tools3.2 GPA
- Adobe Firefly Insider's GuideAdobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models3.0 GPA
- ComfyUI Insider's GuideOpen-source node editor for image and video AI workflows, plus a cloud3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Nano Banana’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Nano Banana is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices and plans change: check gemini.google before you buy.