Nano Banana 2.1: Infographics, Pricing, and Alternatives (2026)
Nano Banana 2.1 is Google's latest high-efficiency image generation and editing model. Google made it generally available on October 6, 2026, as an update to Nano Banana 2. Its developer docs highlight sharper text and more accurate infographic layouts, which matters if you build visuals for slides and reports.
This guide covers what changed, where you can use the model, what it costs, and how it compares with Nano Banana Pro. It ends with alternatives and a prompting method for infographics. Every detail comes from Google's pages and other vendors' pages, read on October 13, 2026.
What Google released on October 6
The Gemini API release notes carry an entry dated October 6, 2026: "Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 generally available (GA)." The model ID is gemini-nano-banana-2.1. The notes call it "the latest high-efficiency image generation and conversational editing model."
The entry frames the release as an update, not a new family. It says the model "maintains Flash-level speed and cost efficiency." It then lists gains in "visual quality, prompt adherence, multi-turn character consistency, text rendering," and in wide and panoramic aspect ratios.
Google announced the model on X the same day. Its post described "notable leaps in visual design, mask-based editing, and subject consistency." A follow-up post named the rollout surfaces. They are the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Google AI Studio, Flow, Stitch, Google Ads, and the Gemini Enterprise Platform.
The release also retires the model it replaces. The notes say "The gemini-3.1-flash-image model is deprecated (no shutdown date announced)." Developers are told to "Migrate to gemini-nano-banana-2.1."
What's new in Nano Banana 2.1
The Gemini API model page lists six key updates. Here they are in Google's own terms:
- Image quality. "Improved visual quality and realism across 1K, 2K, and 4K output resolutions," with 1K as the default.
- Wide formats. "Fixed tiling artifacts on wide and panoramic aspect ratios" of 1:4, 4:1, 1:8, and 8:1 at 2K and 4K.
- Text and layout. "Enhanced text rendering and infographic layout accuracy."
- Reference images. Up to 14 reference images, with "character consistency for up to 4 characters and object fidelity for up to 10 objects."
- Search grounding. "Grounding with Google Web and Image Search."
- Thinking. "Configurable Thinking levels," set to minimal, medium, or high, with medium as the default.
Google's pages give different limits for reference images. The API page says 4 characters and 10 objects. DeepMind's model page, in its section on the Nano Banana family, says "up to five characters" and "up to fourteen objects." If you build on the API, plan around the lower figures.
The API page lists the inputs as "Text, Image, Video, and PDF." The model returns images and text. Its input token limit is 131,072, and its output token limit is 32,768.
Google DeepMind's model page sums up the release in one line. It says the update is "Outperforming previous Nano Banana models to deliver better visual design, mask-based editing, subject consistency, and more natural-looking images."
Why the text and layout gains matter for infographics
Infographics fail on small details. A chart label with a wrong letter, or a number that blurs at slide size, undoes the whole graphic. For most work visuals, that makes the text rendering line the one to watch.
Google's own examples point the same way. The image generation guide uses an infographic as its multi-turn editing example. The prompt begins "Create a vibrant infographic that explains photosynthesis" and asks for a cookbook-style page.
The guide also explains how to refine results. It says "Multi-turn conversation is the recommended way to iterate on images." In practice, you ask for a first draft, then fix one label or color per turn.
DeepMind's page adds the use cases Google has in mind for the Nano Banana family. It says the models can "create infographics, or turn notes into diagrams." The wide 4:1 and 8:1 formats suit timelines and banner graphics.
One habit applies to every image model. The model renders the numbers in your prompt, and checking them against your data is a separate step. If the figures come from a spreadsheet, compute them first and check the final image against the source.
Where you can use Nano Banana 2.1
Google's announcement lists seven places where the model rolls out:
| Surface | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Gemini app | Everyday users who create and edit images in chat |
| AI Mode in Search | People who generate images inside Google Search |
| Google AI Studio | Developers who test prompts before writing code |
| Flow and Stitch | Creators and designers using Google's creative tools |
| Google Ads | Advertisers who build ad creative |
| Gemini Enterprise Platform | Companies that run models through Google Cloud |
For developers, the model ID is gemini-nano-banana-2.1 in the Gemini API. The model page lists the Batch API as supported, which lowers the price for jobs that can wait. Google Cloud's documentation lists the model at launch stage "GA" with a release date of October 6, 2026.
The announcement does not list usage limits for each Gemini app plan. If you plan to rely on the app for a large batch of images, check the limits shown in your own account.
Nano Banana 2.1 pricing
The Gemini API pricing page lists Nano Banana 2.1 by token, with a per-image equivalent. The page lists no free API tier for this model; the free tier column reads "Not available."
| Item | Standard | Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Input (text, image, video), per 1M tokens | $1.50 | $0.75 |
| Text and thinking output, per 1M tokens | $7.50 | $3.75 |
| Image output, per 1M tokens | $30.00 | $15.00 |
| One 1K image | $0.0336 | $0.0168 |
| One 2K image | $0.0504 | $0.0252 |
| One 4K image | $0.113 | $0.0567 |
The page explains the math. A 1K image consumes 1120 tokens, a 2K image 1680 tokens, and a 4K image 3780 tokens. At standard rates, 100 images at 2K come to about $5.04 before input and thinking tokens.
Two extra costs are easy to miss. The image generation guide says "thinking tokens are billed by default for thinking models." Search grounding includes 5,000 free search requests per month, shared across Gemini 3 and newer models. After that, it costs $14 per 1,000 requests.
Nano Banana 2.1 vs. Nano Banana Pro
Google offers Nano Banana 2.1 alongside its premium image model. The model page calls Nano Banana 2.1 "the more efficient counterpart to Gemini 3 Pro Image (Nano Banana Pro)."
| Nano Banana 2.1 | Nano Banana Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Model ID | gemini-nano-banana-2.1 | gemini-3-pro-image |
| Google's description | High-efficiency workhorse for generation and editing | "The premium choice for the most complex visual tasks" |
| Input, per 1M tokens | $1.50 | $2.00 |
| One 1K or 2K image | $0.0336 or $0.0504 | $0.134 |
| One 4K image | $0.113 | $0.24 |
The guide describes Nano Banana Pro as offering "the highest level of world knowledge, advanced localization, accurate brand consistency, and precision creative control." Those are the jobs where the higher price may pay off, such as a brand campaign or a localized ad set.
For drafts, internal decks, and high volumes, Google's guide calls Nano Banana 2.1 the "primary high-efficiency workhorse model." The guide's entry for the older Nano Banana 2 says "Recommended for all new projects to use Nano Banana 2.1." Our earlier comparison of Nano Banana 2 vs. Nano Banana Pro covers how the two families behave on slide visuals.
Limits Google lists
Google's pages spell out several limits. Each one is worth knowing before you build a workflow around the model.
- Watermark. The image generation guide says "All generated images include a SynthID watermark." DeepMind describes SynthID as "an invisible digital watermark" that lets an image be "identified as AI generated."
- People in search results. Search grounding with this model does "not support using real-world images of people from web search at this time."
- Languages. The guide lists the languages that work best for image generation. They include English, Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.
- API features. The model page marks function calling, structured outputs, code execution, and caching as not supported.
- Free tier. The free tier column on the pricing page reads "Not available" for this model.
None of these block an infographic workflow. They do shape it, though. Keep the data work in a tool that can trace each number, and use the image model for the visual layer.
Nano Banana 2.1 alternatives
Several other models and tools produce work visuals. The table compares what each vendor's pages describe.
| Option | What it is | Price on the vendor's page | Where you run it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2.1 | Google's high-efficiency image model | From $0.0336 per 1K image | Gemini app, AI Studio, Gemini API |
| Nano Banana Pro | Google's premium image model | $0.134 per 1K or 2K image | Gemini API |
| OpenAI GPT Image 2.5 | OpenAI's image model family | $8.00 input and $30.00 output per 1M image tokens | OpenAI API and ChatGPT |
| Qwen-Image-2.1-Turbo | An open checkpoint from the Qwen team | No price listed; self-hosted | Your own GPU |
| Powerdrill Bloom | An AI workspace that turns files into charts, slides, and images | Free plan; Pro $199.00 per year | Web workspace |
OpenAI GPT Image 2.5. OpenAI's API pricing page lists two GPT Image 2.5 variants. Each costs $8.00 per 1M image input tokens and $30.00 per 1M image output tokens. Our explainer on ChatGPT Images 2.5 covers the ChatGPT side of that release.
Qwen-Image-2.1-Turbo. Its Hugging Face card calls it "an accelerated checkpoint of Qwen-Image-2.1" that runs "with 8 denoising steps." It "uses the same 7B visual generation architecture." The card's install steps start with "Install a CUDA-compatible PyTorch build," so plan on your own GPU. The card names its license qwen-research, so read the license file before any commercial use.
Powerdrill Bloom. It starts from your data rather than from a prompt alone. The next section explains where it fits.
Where a data-first workspace fits
An image model makes the picture. A business infographic also needs numbers that someone can check, and those usually live in a spreadsheet, a PDF, or a report.
That is the job Powerdrill Bloom is built around. Its homepage calls it "The AI data analyst that shows its work." It also says "Every number comes back with the page, the row and the figure behind it."
The plans spell out the image side. The Powerdrill Bloom pricing page lists "Upload Excel, CSV, PDF, and docs" and "Create basic slides, docs, sheets, and images" on the Free plan. The Pro plan, at $199.00 per year, lists "Create slides, Office docs, Excel analysis, and Nano Banana images."
The Nano Banana slides page shows the workflow. After the analysis, you pick "To PPT" or "To Infographics with Nano Banana Pro." That page names Nano Banana Pro as the model, not version 2.1. The AI infographic generator page describes the same idea for one-page infographics from Excel, CSV, or PDF files.
For more ways to put generated visuals on slides, see our guide to adding AI-generated images, graphs, and infographics to your slides.
How to prompt Nano Banana 2.1 for an infographic
A clear process gives you an infographic you can defend in a meeting. These six steps follow Google's guidance and keep the numbers honest:
- Settle the numbers first. Compute every figure from your source file before you write the prompt.
- Spell out every label. Put exact titles, values, and units in the prompt, so the model works from your figures.
- Pick the size and shape. Choose 1K, 2K, or 4K, and match the aspect ratio to the slide or page.
- Raise the thinking level for dense layouts. Google's guide shows the high level in its own example.
- Fix one thing per turn. Use follow-up turns to correct a label, a color, or a spacing issue.
- Check the final image. Compare every number and label in the picture against the source file.
A sample prompt shows the pattern: "Create a 16:9 infographic titled Q3 Sales by Region. Show four bars: North 42%, South 27%, East 19%, West 12%. Use a white background and one accent color." The figures here are illustrative.
When the numbers come from your own exports, start with the data. You can try Powerdrill Bloom on one of your files and turn the findings into slides or an infographic.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 is Google's image generation and editing model, released on October 6, 2026. It updates Nano Banana 2 with better visual quality, text rendering, infographic layout, and wide-format output. Developers call it as gemini-nano-banana-2.1 in the Gemini API.
Is Nano Banana 2.1 free?
Google rolled Nano Banana 2.1 out in the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, and Google AI Studio, among other surfaces. In the Gemini API, the pricing page lists no free tier for this model. Paid API use starts at $0.0336 per 1K image at standard rates.
How much does Nano Banana 2.1 cost?
The Gemini API pricing page lists image output at $30.00 per 1M tokens. That works out to $0.0336 per 1K image, $0.0504 per 2K image, and $0.113 per 4K image. The Batch API halves those figures, and thinking tokens are billed separately.
What is the difference between Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro?
Google calls Nano Banana 2.1 the more efficient counterpart to Nano Banana Pro. Nano Banana Pro is the premium model for complex visuals, brand consistency, and localization. It costs $0.134 per 1K or 2K image, against $0.0504 for a 2K image from Nano Banana 2.1.
Can Nano Banana 2.1 make infographics?
Yes. Google's model page lists "Enhanced text rendering and infographic layout accuracy" as a key update. Its image guide uses an infographic as a worked example. For data infographics, compute the numbers from your source first, then check every label in the final image.
Sources: Google AI for Developers, Gemini API release notes · Google AI for Developers, Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 · Google AI for Developers, Gemini API pricing · Google AI for Developers, Image generation · Google DeepMind, Nano Banana 2.1 · Google Cloud, Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 · Google on X, Nano Banana 2.1 rollout · OpenAI, API pricing · Hugging Face, Qwen-Image-2.1-Turbo. Details read from vendor pages on October 13, 2026.