Which image model should I use?
Nano Banana 2 is the default and the best all-rounder. Z Image is the cheapest at 2 credits, and Nano Banana Pro is the best for people, likeness and text.
There are 17 image models. You can ignore most of them most of the time — the short version is Nano Banana 2 unless you have a reason to pick something else.
The quick answer
| If you want… | Use | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A good default for anything | Nano Banana 2 | 10 / 15 / 20 at 1K / 2K / 4K |
| The cheapest possible image | Z Image | 2 |
| The best quality, people and likeness | Nano Banana Pro | 15 / 20 / 30 |
| Readable text or typography in the image | Nano Banana Pro or GPT Image 2 | 15–30 |
| Complex multi-part instructions followed exactly | GPT Image 2 | 3 / 8 / 30 by quality |
| Photographic detail and texture | FLUX 2 Pro | 8 |
| Artistic illustration and stylized work | Seedream 4.5 or Dreamina 3.1 | 5–6 |
| Logos, icons and vector-style design | Recraft 3 | 6 |
| Volume work on a budget | Nano Banana 2 Lite | 6 |
The families, briefly
- Nano Banana (Google) — the workhorse family. Pro is Gemini 3 Pro and is exceptional at keeping a person’s likeness across new poses and scenes. 2 is the default. 2 Lite is the cheap 1K option. The original is legacy.
- GPT Image (OpenAI) — the best instruction followers. Priced by quality level rather than resolution, and Low at 3 credits is genuinely useful for drafts.
- FLUX (Black Forest Labs) — strong photorealism and texture. FLUX 2, FLUX 2 Flex and FLUX 2 Pro. Pro and Flex generate one image at a time.
- Qwen (Alibaba) — good value, and Qwen Image 2 Pro handles text in images well.
- ByteDance — Seedream 4.5 for creative and high-resolution work, Dreamina 3.1 for vivid illustration.
- Z Image (Tongyi) — 2 credits and surprisingly photoreal. The best value per credit on the platform.
- Recraft 3 — built for design work, with a style picker of curated design styles. One image at a time.
Every one of these is available on every plan, and to users with no plan at all. Model choice only affects credit cost.
Last reviewed against the live product in August 2026.