Nano Banana 2.1 Image Generator
Describe a picture, or add up to 3 photos to edit. 1K costs 3 credits and 2K costs 4.
- Released:
- 6 October 2026, by Google
- Output:
- 1K or 2K, seven aspect ratios
- Inputs:
- Text, or text plus up to 3 photos
What Nano Banana 2.1 made in our tests
We ran Nano Banana 2.1 on 8 October 2026 with five prompts: two from text, two photo edits and one 2K product shot. These are the real outputs, with the prompt under each one. Press Try this prompt to load it into the form above.
A poster with three lines of lettering
3:4, 1K, text to image, 44 s
All three quoted lines came out spelled as written, and no other words appear on the poster.
Prompt we used
A vertical poster for a neighbourhood night market. Headline in bold hand-lettered type: "NIGHT MARKET". Subline: "Fri & Sat, 6pm till late". Small print at the bottom: "Lanterns, noodles, live music". Warm lantern light, paper-cut illustration style, deep teal and amber palette.
The base portrait we edited twice
1:1, 1K, text to image, 27 s
Used as the single reference photo for the two edits below.
Prompt we used
A candid photo of a young barista with curly auburn hair and round glasses, wearing a cream linen apron, pouring latte art behind a wooden counter in a sunny cafe, shallow depth of field.
Edit 1: same person, rainy street
1:1, 1K, 1 reference photo, 48 s
Face, glasses and apron held. The hair came back a brighter red than the base photo.
Prompt we used
Keep the same person: same face, curly auburn hair, round glasses and cream apron. Move her outside the cafe on a rainy evening street, holding a paper cup, neon sign reflections on the wet pavement.
Edit 2: same person, reading at a desk
1:1, 1K, 1 reference photo, 91 s
Face, glasses and curls held. The hair moved into a bun, which the prompt did not ask for.
Prompt we used
The same person as in the reference photo, same face, curly auburn hair and round glasses. Now she is seated at a desk reading a paperback, wearing a mustard cardigan, soft window light.
A product shot with a printed card
1:1, 2K, text to image, 53 s (shown resized)
The card reads SMALL BATCH exactly. The 2K file is 2048 by 2048 pixels.
Prompt we used
Product photo of a ceramic pour-over coffee set on a pale oak table, morning light, soft shadows, a small card beside it reading "SMALL BATCH" in clean sans-serif type.
Next: put the picture to work in a vertical video ad.
Nano Banana 2.1 versus Nano Banana 2 on the same prompts
We also ran two of the prompts through Nano Banana 2 so the difference is on the page, not in a spec sheet. One run each, so a hint rather than a verdict.
2.1
22.1
2| Test | Version 2.1 | Version 2 | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster, three quoted lines | All three lines correct. No extra words anywhere. | All three lines correct, plus five stall signs we did not ask for (NOODLES, TACOS, BAKERY, GIFTS, LIVE MUSIC). | Pick 2.1 when only your words should appear. |
| Edit 1: same person on a rainy street | Neon sign cropped at the frame edge, no readable invented text. | Invented a CAFE OPEN LATE sign, a DAILY GRIND cup and a Japanese caption in the reflection. | Pick 2.1 for edits where stray lettering would be a retake. |
| Speed, same two prompts | 44 s and 48 s in our run. | 18 s and 18 s in our run. | Pick Nano Banana 2 when you are iterating fast on rough ideas. |
Which Nano Banana model to pick
Both models are in the picker on the AI image generator. Prices come from the same rate card the Generate button uses.
| Model | 1K | 2K | Best for | Not ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2.1 | 3 credits | 4 credits | Posters and cards with exact wording, and photo edits that should add nothing you did not ask for. | Rapid-fire sketching: it was the slower of the two in our run. |
| Nano Banana 2 | 5 credits | 7 credits | Quick drafts and many tries in a row, where speed matters more than strict wording. | Lettering you need exact: it added signs and captions we never wrote. |
How to use Nano Banana 2.1 on CastTake
- Choose Nano Banana 2.1 in the model list and pick an aspect ratio and size.
- Write the prompt. Put any words that must appear inside quotation marks.
- Optional: add up to 3 photos when you want an edit instead of a new picture.
- Check the credit price on the Generate button, then press it and wait for the image to appear beside the form.
Limits we hit with Nano Banana 2.1
Things that went wrong or sideways, so you know what to check before you rely on a result.
- Hair colour drifted in the rainy-street edit (auburn became a brighter red) even though the prompt said to keep it.
- The reading-desk edit moved the hair into a bun, which we never asked for. Name every feature that must not change.
- Version 2.1 took 27 to 91 seconds per image in our run, against 18 seconds for version 2 on the same two prompts.
- Both models need a second try now and then. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helped.
Render log, 8 October 2026
| Task | Version | Size | Inputs | Seconds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night market poster | Nano Banana 2.1 | 3:4 at 1K | Text | 44 |
| Barista portrait | Nano Banana 2.1 | 1:1 at 1K | Text | 27 |
| Rainy street edit | Nano Banana 2.1 | 1:1 at 1K | Portrait | 48 |
| Reading desk edit | Nano Banana 2.1 | 1:1 at 1K | Portrait | 91 |
| Pour-over product shot | Nano Banana 2.1 | 1:1 at 2K | Text | 53 |
| Night market poster | Nano Banana 2 | 3:4 at 1K | Text | 18 |
| Rainy street edit | Nano Banana 2 | 1:1 at 1K | Portrait | 18 |
Seconds run from submitting the job to downloading the finished file. One run per row, so read them as a snapshot, not an average.
Nano Banana 2.1 questions
What is Nano Banana 2.1?
Nano Banana 2.1 is the image model Google released on 6 October 2026 as an update to Nano Banana 2. It makes pictures from a text description and can also edit photos you give it. On CastTake you pick it in the model list above, type a prompt, and optionally add up to 3 reference photos. The page shows the credit price before you press Generate, and finished images appear in the results panel. We ran it on 8 October 2026 and published the prompts and timings further down this page, so you can judge it from real output rather than a feature list.
Is Nano Banana 2.1 better than Nano Banana 2?
It depends on the job. In our two matched runs on 8 October 2026, 2.1 wrote only the words we quoted on a poster, while Nano Banana 2 added five stall signs we never asked for. In the photo edit, 2.1 added no readable invented text and Nano Banana 2 added three. Nano Banana 2 was faster, at 18 seconds for both prompts against 44 and 48 for 2.1. Two prompts are a small sample, so treat this as a hint and test your own prompt, because the price is only 3 credits at 1K.
How much does Nano Banana 2.1 cost on CastTake?
One image costs 3 credits at 1K and 4 credits at 2K. Nano Banana 2 costs 5 and 7 credits for the same sizes, so 2.1 is the cheaper of the two here. If you ask for several images in one go, the form multiplies the price and shows the total on the Generate button before you press it. Credits come from a plan or a top-up pack. Adding reference photos does not change the price: the form charges the model and size, multiplied by the number of images.
Can I edit my own photo with Nano Banana 2.1?
Yes. Add one to 3 photos in the reference area, then describe the change in your prompt. We tested this by generating a portrait, then using it as the only reference for two edits: a rainy street and a desk scene. Face, glasses and clothing held in both, but the hair colour drifted in one and the hairstyle changed in the other. When the person must stay identical, say which features to keep in the prompt, and expect to try a few times.
Does Nano Banana 2.1 support 4K on CastTake?
Not at the moment. We offer 1K and 2K for Nano Banana 2.1. Some providers list a 4K tier, but we only put a size on the shelf after checking what it really bills on our account, and we have not run that check for 4K. The 2K file from our test is 2048 by 2048 pixels, which covers most web and social uses and a modest print. It is the largest size we offer for this model today, and we will say so on this page if that changes.
Can Nano Banana 2.1 write text inside images?
Short, quoted text worked well in our tests. A poster with a headline, a subline and a footer came out with all three lines spelled exactly as typed, and a product card read SMALL BATCH without a flaw. Put the exact wording in quotation marks inside the prompt and say where it should sit. Long paragraphs, small print and unusual scripts are harder for any image model, so check every letter before you publish. If a word is wrong, change one thing in the prompt and run it again rather than rewriting the whole prompt.
More from CastTake
- AI image generatorThe same form with every model we offer, including Nano Banana 2 and Seedream 4.5.
- AI video ad generatorTurn a product picture into a short vertical ad.
- AI video effectsOne-photo effects that run on a single upload.
- Credit pricingPlans and top-up packs for the credits each render uses.
AI face swap video: star in a ready-made scenePick a scene, from a product demo to a red carpet, add one photo, and you are the person in it. For creators, shops and anyone with a birthday to celebrate. One payment, no subscription.Try the face swap video toolGPT Image 2.5 vs Nano Banana 2.1
We later ran the poster and the rainy-street edit through GPT Image 2.5 with the exact prompts above. Both models spelled every poster line; GPT Image 2.5 added one stray character on a banner, and in the edit it kept the hair colour that 2.1 drifted, but invented a COFFEE sign. 2.1 is the cheaper of the two and stops at 2K, while GPT Image 2.5 goes to 4K.
GPT Image 2.5Nano Banana 2.1All seven GPT Image 2.5 test renders, its prices and a Flare versus Sunburst guide are on the GPT Image 2.5 image generator page.