Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2 Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2: Google's two image makers, side by side
Google sells two versions of its Nano Banana image model, and the names don't tell you which one to use. We gave both exactly the same 8 descriptions, from a birthday card to a glass whale, and show you both pictures, untouched.
By chatmodel team Tested with Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana 2 Updated
The short answer
Very close, and often a matter of taste: Nano Banana Pro won 3 of our 8 tests, Nano Banana 2 won 2 and 3 were ties. Pick Nano Banana Pro for posters and cards. Pick Nano Banana 2 for speed and for cozy home scenes.
- Nano Banana Pro: 3 wins
- Nano Banana 2: 2 wins
- 3 ties
Pick Nano Banana Pro if…
- You're making a poster or a card and want only the words you wrote.
- You want the main subject big and clear, like a pie on a table.
Pick Nano Banana 2 if…
- You don't want to wait: it took 10 to 12 seconds for every picture.
- You want a painting that looks like real watercolor paper, edges and all.
You don't have to choose: in chatmodel you can use both in the same conversation.
Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2 at a glance
| Nano Banana Pro | Nano Banana 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Google (its technical name is Gemini 3 Pro Image) | Google (its technical name is Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) |
| Best at, in our test | Clean posters and cards, subject front and center | Speed, and rich home scenes and paintings |
| Weakest at, in our test | Slower, and signed a painting with a made-up name | Adds things you didn't ask for, like extra words on a poster |
| Rounds won (of 8) | 3 (+3 ties) | 2 (+3 ties) |
| Edits your own photos | Yes | Yes |
| Came out | September 2025 | May 2026 |
| On chatmodel | Included in Pro | Included in Pro |
The 8 tests, picture by picture
The same description to both, one try each, nothing retouched. Press “Try these words” to make your own.
Test 1 · A poster with real words on it
A poster with words on it: Nano Banana Pro sticks to your words
The description both got
A vintage travel poster with the words "VISIT LISBON" in bold letters at the top, a yellow tram climbing a steep hill at sunset, terracotta rooftops and the river in the distance, mid-century illustration style, flat colors
Winner: Nano Banana Pro. Both spelled “VISIT LISBON” correctly and drew a lovely yellow tram. Nano Banana 2 added a line nobody asked for, “The city of seven hills, Portugal”, at the bottom. Nano Banana Pro wrote only what we asked.
Test 2 · A card with a name on it
A card with a name on it: Nano Banana Pro, ready to print
The description both got
A birthday card with the words "Happy 60th, Maria!" in elegant gold letters, surrounded by spring flowers and a small cake with candles, soft watercolor style
Winner: Nano Banana Pro. Both wrote “Happy 60th, Maria!” correctly and both put “60” candles on the cake. Nano Banana Pro made the card itself, big and full of flowers. Nano Banana 2 showed the card standing on a table, so the words are smaller.
Test 3 · A warm family portrait
A family portrait: a tie
The description both got
A smiling grandmother in her sixties picking ripe tomatoes in a sunlit vegetable garden, straw hat, soft golden evening light, natural skin texture and laugh lines, shallow depth of field, 50mm documentary photo
A tie. Two warm, believable grandmothers. Nano Banana 2 shows her actually picking tomatoes off the plant, as the description said. Nano Banana Pro has softer golden light and a fuller garden. Pick the one you like.
Test 4 · Food that looks good enough to eat
Food that looks good enough to eat: Nano Banana Pro
The description both got
A homemade apple pie with a golden lattice crust on a rustic wooden table by a rainy window, a wisp of steam rising, cinnamon sticks and a cup of tea beside it, cozy autumn kitchen, food magazine photo
Winner: Nano Banana Pro. Nano Banana Pro put the pie front and center, with rain clearly running down the window, the tea and the cinnamon sticks. Nano Banana 2's pie was smaller in a wider kitchen scene, and the rain is harder to see.
Test 5 · A pet portrait
A pet portrait: Nano Banana 2 feels more like home
The description both got
A fluffy orange cat asleep on a sunny window seat next to a stack of old books and a potted fern, soft morning light, warm and cozy home photo
Winner: Nano Banana 2. Nano Banana 2 put the cat on a real window seat with a blanket, next to a stack of old books tied with string and the fern. Nano Banana Pro's cat is sleeping on top of a cabinet, smaller in a room full of plants.
Test 6 · Something that could never happen
Something impossible, a dog on the moon: a tie
The description both got
A golden retriever wearing a small astronaut helmet sitting on the surface of the moon, the blue Earth rising behind him, footprints in the grey dust, playful, photorealistic
A tie. Both made a happy golden retriever in a helmet and a little suit with the Earth behind it. Nano Banana Pro drew paw prints and a lunar module; Nano Banana 2 added a flag and a name tag, “Buddy”. Both are great.
Test 7 · A scene from a dream
A scene from a dream: a tie
The description both got
A giant whale made of clear glass floating above desert sand dunes at sunrise, sunlight refracting through its body and throwing rainbow patterns on the sand, a lone traveler looking up, photorealistic, wide shot
A tie. Both made a detailed glass whale with rainbow patterns on the sand, exactly as described. Nano Banana Pro has bolder rays of light; Nano Banana 2 a clearer sky with clouds. Two of the best pictures in our test.
Test 8 · A painting in a classic style
A painting in a classic style: Nano Banana 2 looks hand-painted
The description both got
A watercolor painting of a small Tuscan village on a hilltop with cypress trees and a winding road, loose brushstrokes, soft pastel colors, white paper showing through, painted by hand
Winner: Nano Banana 2. We asked for white paper showing through. Nano Banana 2 painted it on what looks like real watercolor paper, with torn edges, loose strokes and more of the village. Nano Banana Pro's painting is pretty, but it signed it with a made-up name, “Giulia Rossi”.
Scorecard
| Test | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1. A poster with real words on it | Nano Banana Pro |
| 2. A card with a name on it | Nano Banana Pro |
| 3. A warm family portrait | Tie |
| 4. Food that looks good enough to eat | Nano Banana Pro |
| 5. A pet portrait | Nano Banana 2 |
| 6. Something that could never happen | Tie |
| 7. A scene from a dream | Tie |
| 8. A painting in a classic style | Nano Banana 2 |
| Total | Nano Banana Pro 3 · Nano Banana 2 2 · 3 ties |
Why two versions?
Nano Banana is the nickname Google uses for its image models, and there are two of them. Nano Banana Pro is Google’s Gemini 3 Pro Image. Nano Banana 2 is Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. The “2” doesn’t mean it replaces Pro: both are available, and in our test they were closer than the names suggest.
What you’ll notice: Nano Banana 2 answers faster, and it likes to add extra things to the scene. Nano Banana Pro keeps the main subject bigger and sticks closer to your words on posters and cards.
What it costs, in plain words
Google sells its own plans. In chatmodel, both Nano Banana models are included in Pro, with every other image model, so you can try the same idea with each of them. See the current prices on the pricing page.
Can you trust the pictures?
Both spelled every word right in our test, but both added things we didn’t ask for: an extra line on the poster, a signature with a name that doesn’t exist. Before you print a card or a poster, read every word on it. And remember the pictures are made up: don’t use them to show something that really happened.
How we tested
We wrote 8 descriptions of the pictures people actually make: a family portrait, food, a poster, a birthday card, a pet, and a few impossible scenes. Both models got exactly the same words, one try each, and we kept the first picture without retouching it. We judged how well each picture followed the description and how good it would look printed or shared.
One try each is a small test: ask again and you’ll get a different picture. Treat the winners as a guide, and try your own idea with both. To see how Google’s models do against OpenAI’s, read GPT Image vs Nano Banana Pro.
What changed
- First test: Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana 2, 8 descriptions, one try each.