Comparison · Image models
Imagen 4.0 vs Nano Banana Pro
Imagen 4 or Nano Banana Pro? Plain text-to-image versus editing with 14 references and 4K. Differences, price per image and what my tests showed.
Specs side by side
| Imagen 4.0 | Nano Banana Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | ||
| Type | Image | Image |
| Modes | text-to-image | text-to-image image-to-image |
| Released | 2025-05 | 2025-11 |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16 | 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9 |
| Prompt length | up to 4,000 chars | up to 32,000 chars |
| Resolutions | - | 1K, 2K, 4K |
| Reference images | - | up to 14 |
Price per unit and per clip
| Model | Variant | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Imagen 4.0 | - | $0.115 / image |
| Nano Banana Pro | 1K | $0.0747 / image |
| 2K | $0.0747 / image | |
| 4K | $0.0813 / image |
Prices exclude taxes and are charged from your prepaid USD balance. Failed generations cost nothing.
Both models come from Google, but they do different jobs. Imagen 4 turns a description into an image and nothing more: no input images, no resolution choice, 5 aspect ratios. Nano Banana Pro does the same and also edits photos, combines up to 14 references and outputs 4K. On Jantaris Nano Banana Pro is also the cheaper of the two, so I would pick Imagen 4 only for its speed or its look.
Key differences
- Modes. Imagen 4.0 is text-to-image only. Nano Banana Pro generates from text and from images, and edits.
- Resolution. Imagen 4 has no resolution setting. Nano Banana Pro offers 1K, 2K and 4K.
- Aspect ratios. Imagen 4: 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16 (default 16:9). Nano Banana Pro: 10 ratios, including 21:9, 4:5 and 2:3.
- Prompt. Imagen 4 takes up to 4,000 characters in English or Chinese; Nano Banana Pro up to 32,000.
- Speed. In my 32-model test on another provider, Imagen 4 returned an image in about 9-12 s and Nano Banana Pro in about 21 s.
When to pick Imagen 4
- Simple 16:9 blog illustrations when you have no source material.
- Quick concepts for a moodboard.
- Short in-image text: in my 32-model test Imagen 4 was among the models with the cleanest signage.
- When you want shorter waits than Nano Banana Pro.
When to pick Nano Banana Pro
- Editing your own photo or product shot.
- A scene with a character or product from several references.
- 4K output, or formats like 21:9 and 4:5.
- Almost any job where cost matters, since it is cheaper here.
Cost in practice
Imagen 4 costs about 1.5 times as much per image as Nano Banana Pro at 1K and 2K, and about 1.4 times as much as Nano Banana Pro at 4K. It is an unusual case: the simpler model is the pricier one. Neither charges for references (Imagen 4 does not accept them), and both return one image per request. Rates: $0.115 per image and from $0.0747 per image; other models on /pricing.
My tests on promptowy.com (Polish blog): in the 32-model test both were among the photorealism leaders, with natural, calm lighting, and Imagen 4 correctly spelled a made-up word on a sign. Nano Banana Pro had the top average in my later image ranking (9.0/10), which did not include Imagen 4. Prompting tips for both are in the AI image prompt guide.
FAQ
Imagen 4 or Nano Banana Pro: which is better?
For most work, Nano Banana Pro: it does more and costs less on Jantaris. Imagen 4 makes sense for plain text-to-image when time matters.
Can Imagen 4 edit photos?
No. It accepts no reference images or masks. For editing use Nano Banana Pro or FLUX.1 Kontext [pro].
How much is one Imagen 4 image?
$0.115 per image, whatever the aspect ratio. A failed generation costs nothing.
Which one is faster?
In my test on another provider, Imagen 4, at roughly half the waiting time of Nano Banana Pro. Timings on Jantaris may differ.
Vendor examples
Imagen 4.0
Nano Banana Pro
Official examples from the model vendors, not our generations.