Imagen 4 vs Nano Banana Pro
Is Imagen 4 Better Than Nano Banana Pro?
Google’s diffusion model against its Gemini image model: what each did well, and what to use now.
Updated
Is Imagen 4 better than Nano Banana Pro? Both come from Google, but they are different kinds of model. Imagen 4 is a text-to-image model: you describe a picture and it draws it. Nano Banana Pro is a Gemini model that can also understand images, follow editing instructions and combine several references. That difference decides which one fits your work.
Short answer
For most work, no. Imagen 4 was a fast, low-cost text-to-image model, while Nano Banana Pro also edits photos by instruction, combines reference images and renders dense text at up to 4K. Google also shut Imagen 4 down in the Gemini API on August 17, 2026, and names Nano Banana 2.1 as its replacement.
Imagen 4 vs Nano Banana Pro: the verdict
| Criterion | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Editing your own photos | Nano Banana Pro | Imagen 4 only turns text into a new image. Nano Banana Pro edits an uploaded photo from a plain instruction. |
| Reference images | Nano Banana Pro | Pro can blend several reference images, for example a person, a product and a location. Imagen 4 takes text only. |
| Text in images | Nano Banana Pro | Imagen 4 improved typography over Imagen 3, but Pro handles long, dense text and infographics better. |
| Maximum resolution | Nano Banana Pro | Imagen 4 and Imagen 4 Ultra go up to 2K. Pro goes up to 4K. |
| Cheap, fast text-to-image | Imagen 4 Fast | Imagen 4 Fast launched at $0.02 per image. Pro lists at $0.134 per 1K image. Today Nano Banana 2 Lite and 2.1 fill that role. |
| Availability | Nano Banana Pro | Imagen models were shut down in the Gemini API in August 2026. Nano Banana Pro is generally available. |
Specs compared
| Imagen 4 | Nano Banana Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Google Imagen 4 (Fast, Standard, Ultra) | Gemini 3 Pro Image |
| Model type | Text-to-image diffusion model | Gemini multimodal image model |
| Released | 2025 (Gemini API GA in August 2025) | November 2025 |
| Inputs | Text prompt | Text plus reference images |
| Edit by instruction | No | Yes |
| Max resolution | 2K (Standard and Ultra) | 4K |
| Google API price | From $0.02 per image (Fast) | $0.134 (1K and 2K), $0.24 (4K) |
| Gemini API status | Shut down August 17, 2026 | Generally available |
| Credits per image on Nano Banana AI | Not available here | 90 credits at 1K, 90 credits at 2K, 120 credits at 4K |
| Max resolution here | Not available here | 4K |
| Reference images here | Not available here | Up to 4 |
| Included from | Not available here | Pro plan |
What Imagen 4 is
Imagen is Google’s line of text-to-image diffusion models. Imagen 4 came in three versions: Fast for cheap, quick images, Standard as the flagship, and Ultra for the closest prompt adherence. Google made the family generally available in the Gemini API in August 2025, with Standard and Ultra outputting up to 2K. Before Nano Banana arrived, Imagen models powered image creation in the Gemini app.
Imagen 4 was good at clean, photographic text-to-image results at a low price. What it could not do was work with your images: no edits from instructions, no reference photos, no multi-turn changes.
What Nano Banana Pro is
Nano Banana Pro is Gemini 3 Pro Image, the top tier of Google’s Nano Banana family. Because it is a Gemini model, it reads images as well as text. You can upload a photo and say “replace the sky with a storm”, combine a face, an outfit and a location from separate images, or ask for an infographic with several paragraphs of text. It reasons about the image before rendering, which is slower but more precise, and it outputs up to 4K.
Where Imagen 4 still had the edge
- Price for simple images. Imagen 4 Fast launched at $0.02 per image, far below Pro’s $0.134.
- Speed. As a diffusion model without a reasoning step, it returned plain text-to-image results quickly.
Both advantages now belong to Google’s Flash image models. Nano Banana 2 Lite and Nano Banana 2.1 list at $0.0336 per 1K image on Google’s API, with editing included.
Imagen 4 is retired: what to use instead
Google’s Gemini API documentation now says Imagen models are shut down and points developers to Nano Banana. Its deprecations page lists August 17, 2026 as the shutdown date for Imagen 4, Imagen 4 Fast and Imagen 4 Ultra, with gemini-nano-banana-2.1 as the recommended replacement.
On Nano Banana AI the closest picks are:
- Nano Banana 2 for fast, affordable images up to 4K (40 credits at 1K, 60 credits at 2K, 90 credits at 4K).
- Nano Banana Pro when quality, text or 4K detail matter most (90 credits at 1K, 90 credits at 2K, 120 credits at 4K).
- Nano Banana 2 Lite for the cheapest 1K text-to-image drafts.
If you used Imagen through the API, the Nano Banana API guide lists the current model IDs and prices.
Imagen 4 vs Nano Banana 2
The same logic applies. Nano Banana 2 is faster and cheaper than Pro and still edits photos and follows references, which Imagen 4 never did. For a straight text-to-image job, Imagen 4 Fast was cheaper per image; for anything involving your own photos, Nano Banana 2 was the better tool. With Imagen retired, the choice now sits inside the Nano Banana family: see Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana Pro.
Imagen 4 vs Nano Banana Pro FAQ
Is Imagen 4 better than Nano Banana Pro?
Not for most uses. Imagen 4 was cheaper and quick for plain text-to-image, but Nano Banana Pro edits photos, uses reference images, renders dense text better and outputs up to 4K.
Is Imagen 4 still available?
Not in the Gemini API. Google lists August 17, 2026 as the shutdown date for Imagen 4, Imagen 4 Fast and Imagen 4 Ultra and recommends Nano Banana 2.1 instead.
Is Nano Banana the same as Imagen?
No. Both are Google models, but Imagen is a text-to-image diffusion family and Nano Banana is the Gemini image family that can also edit and combine images.
What replaced Imagen 4?
Google names Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1) as the replacement in the Gemini API. Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro cover the same jobs with editing added.
Can I use Imagen 4 on Nano Banana AI?
No. Nano Banana AI offers Nano Banana, Nano Banana 2 Lite, Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro, plus models from OpenAI, ByteDance, Black Forest Labs, xAI and Alibaba.