AI
All About AI

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Gemini Image (Nano Banana): pricing, features and which to choose

Plans, prices, deployment options, strengths and limits for GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Gemini Image (Nano Banana), taken from each company's pricing page, docs and changelog. Updated October 2026.

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images)Gemini Image (Nano Banana)
GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) logo

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images)

Image AI Tools

GPT Image is OpenAI’s image-generation and editing capability for ChatGPT users and developers. It suits people who want conversational revisions, reference-image editing, and generated text, while API customers can integrate image generation into products. ChatGPT is free with limits, Plus starts at $20/month, and API usage is metered by tokens.

Full reviewWebsite
Gemini Image (Nano Banana) logo

Gemini Image (Nano Banana)

Image AI Tools

Gemini Image, branded Nano Banana, is Google’s hosted image generator and editor for consumers, creative teams, and developers. It creates images from text, edits references, combines multiple inputs, and renders text in many languages. Gemini offers free access with changing limits, Google AI Plus starts at $4.99/month in the US, and API use is metered.

Full reviewWebsite

Quick comparison

FeatureGPT Image (ChatGPT Images)Gemini Image (Nano Banana)
CategoryImage AI ToolsImage AI Tools
Main useAI image creationConversational images
Pricing modelPay per useFree plan + paid tiers
Free plan Yes Yes
Entry paid plan$20/month (ChatGPT Plus)$4.99/month (Google AI Plus)
PlatformsWeb & APIWeb, API, Cloud
Open source No No
Self-hosted No No
Public API Yes Yes
Profile updatedOctober 2026October 2026

Pricing plans

Every public plan, as listed on each company's pricing page.

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images)

  • ChatGPT Free$0

    Limited and slower image generation; OpenAI does not publish one permanent image allowance for all users.

  • ChatGPT GoPaid monthly

    Includes more image creation than Free; the public pricing page does not show a fixed amount in the listed text.

  • ChatGPT Plus$20/month

    Includes more complex and accurate image creation; usage limits apply.

  • ChatGPT Pro 100$100/month

    Includes unlimited and faster image creation subject to abuse guardrails.

  • ChatGPT Pro 200$200/month

    Includes unlimited and faster image creation subject to abuse guardrails.

  • ChatGPT Pro 500$500/month

    Includes unlimited and faster image creation subject to abuse guardrails.

  • ChatGPT Business Standard$25/user/month

    Includes ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and Codex; at least two seats are required.

  • ChatGPT Business Standard annual$20/user/month billed annually

    Includes ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and Codex; at least two seats are required.

  • ChatGPT Business Premium$125/user/month

    Includes higher usage limits than Standard seats and access to ChatGPT, Work, and Codex.

  • ChatGPT Business Premium annual$100/user/month billed annually

    Includes higher usage limits than Standard seats and access to ChatGPT, Work, and Codex.

  • ChatGPT EnterpriseCustom

    OpenAI’s public pricing page lists Enterprise as a plan without a fixed public price.

  • GPT Image 2 / 2.5 API Standard$8/1M image input tokens, $30/1M image output tokens

    Text input costs $5/1M tokens and cached text input costs $1.25/1M; cached image input costs $2/1M in supported Responses workflows.

  • GPT Image 2 / 2.5 API Batch$4/1M image input tokens, $15/1M image output tokens

    Text input costs $2.50/1M tokens and cached text input costs $0.625/1M; cached image input costs $1/1M.

Gemini Image (Nano Banana)

  • Gemini free$0/month

    Image generation is available where Gemini operates, with daily limits that can change and reset.

  • Google AI Plus$4.99/month

    US plan with 400 GB storage and higher Gemini access, including more image-generation access. Google does not list a separate annual price on the cited plan page.

  • Google AI Pro$19.99/month

    US plan with 5 TB storage, expanded Gemini access, and higher Nano Banana Pro limits. Google does not list a separate annual price on the cited plan page.

  • Google AI Ultra 5x$99.99/month

    US plan with 20 TB storage and higher access limits, including Nano Banana Pro. Google does not list a separate annual price on the cited plan page.

  • Google AI Ultra 20x$199.99/month

    US plan with 30 TB storage and the highest listed consumer access limits, including Nano Banana Pro. Google does not list a separate annual price on the cited plan page.

  • Gemini APIUsage-based

    Nano Banana Pro output is $0.134 at 1K or 2K and $0.24 at 4K, plus token charges. Nano Banana 2 costs $0.067 at 1K, $0.101 at 2K, and $0.15 at 4K.

  • Vertex AIUsage-based

    Vertex AI bills image models by tokens and resolution. Regional pricing and billing terms can differ from the Gemini API.

Strengths and limits

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images)

  • Conversational revisions support multi-turn image editing.
  • Images API and Responses API cover direct and agentic workflows.
  • Current models accept text and image inputs and output images.
  • C2PA metadata and safety controls support provenance review.
  • ChatGPT image access varies by plan and usage limits.
  • API billing is token-based and harder to forecast than flat image pricing.
  • The model can still fail on small text and spatial detail.

Gemini Image (Nano Banana)

  • It supports multi-turn creation and editing with text and image context.
  • Nano Banana Pro accepts up to 14 input images and preserves up to five people.
  • Google reports up to 4K output for Nano Banana Pro.
  • Every generated image receives a SynthID watermark.
  • Consumer limits can change by plan, region, demand, and model.
  • The Gemini app and API use different model names and access rules.
  • Google does not publish a standalone self-hosted Nano Banana package.

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) if

  • People who want iterative image edits in a familiar chat.
  • Creators who need reference-image editing and generated text.
  • Developers embedding image generation in conversational products.
  • Teams already using ChatGPT for creative briefs and revisions.

Look elsewhere if

  • Users needing fully local or open-source image generation.
  • Production pipelines requiring deterministic pixel-perfect output.
  • Organizations unwilling to review rights, provenance, and safety policies.

Choose Gemini Image (Nano Banana) if

  • Creators who prefer conversational image editing and follow-up changes.
  • Developers integrating Google image generation through an API.
  • Designers needing reference composition and readable multilingual text.
  • Google AI subscribers who want higher Nano Banana limits.

Look elsewhere if

  • Teams requiring a bundled stock library and asset licensing.
  • Organizations requiring self-hosted image generation.
  • Workloads needing a fixed, unlimited consumer image quota.

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) logo GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) in brief

GPT Image is OpenAI’s image generation and editing capability for ChatGPT users and developers. OpenAI introduced native GPT-4o image generation in ChatGPT on March 25, 2025, and released the related gpt-image-1 API capability on April 23, 2025. OpenAI reported that more than 130 million users created over 700 million images during its first week. ChatGPT supports prompts, image uploads, and conversational revisions, making iterative changes easier without switching tools. Free accounts have limited, slower generation, while Plus costs $20 monthly and offers higher limits. Pro plans include unlimited, faster creation subject to abuse guardrails. API customers pay by token and can integrate generation into applications. The proprietary service does not offer self-hosting or open-source distribution.

GPT Image supports prompt-based generation, uploaded-image editing, inpainting, and natural-language revisions. Developers can use the Images API for direct generations and edits or the Responses API for conversational workflows that retain image context across turns. Settings cover quality from low through max, image size, format, compression, and multiple outputs per call. GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst accepts text and image inputs and returns images, although organization verification may be required. ChatGPT offers limited, slower image creation on its free plan, while Plus costs $20 monthly and raises access, with usage limits still applying. Pro plans offer unlimited, faster creation subject to abuse guardrails, and API customers pay by token. This makes the tool practical for iterative design, reference-image changes, and applications needing controlled output settings.

GPT Image offers conversational creation and editing for ChatGPT users and developers, including reference-image changes, generated text, and API integration. Its practical value is quick revision through natural-language instructions, though users should inspect small text, complex spatial arrangements, and safety-sensitive results before publishing. Testing reported that OpenAI’s launch system handled more objects than earlier tools but still struggled with very small text, while euphemistic prompts exposed moderation edge cases. ChatGPT is free with limits, Plus costs $20 monthly, and API use is metered by tokens, so costs depend on usage and plan. Midjourney suits style-led work, Adobe Firefly fits Creative Cloud users, and Google Gemini offers conversational generation. Choose GPT Image for conversational workflows, editing, and OpenAI API integration.

Read the full GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) review

Gemini Image (Nano Banana) logo Gemini Image (Nano Banana) in brief

Gemini Image is Google’s hosted image generation and editing capability, available in the Gemini app, Google AI Studio, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI. Google introduced the original Nano Banana in 2025 as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, then introduced Nano Banana Pro on November 20, 2025. The current Gemini image page identifies Nano Banana 2.1 as the advanced consumer model, while Google’s developer documentation lists Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana 2 Lite, Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro, and the original Nano Banana. Google does not publish a separate employee count or funding figure for this product. It is a managed service, not an isolated open model or self-hosted package.

The workflow is conversational. In Gemini, select Create images, write a prompt, or upload an image, then request changes in follow-up turns. Google highlights character consistency, reference-style transfer, photo combination, localized edits, camera and lighting changes, aspect-ratio changes, and text in multiple languages. The API accepts text and image content through the Interactions API, allowing applications to generate, edit, and iterate on images. Nano Banana Pro supports up to 14 input images and can preserve the resemblance of up to five people, according to Google’s launch material. Google embeds SynthID in generated images, and free and Google AI Pro outputs also receive a visible AI watermark.

Nano Banana has fewer production-management features than Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, or Freepik AI. Google exposes changing consumer quotas rather than a published unlimited-generation plan, model names differ between the Gemini app and developer products, and the API requires developers to handle their own application workflow. Adobe Firefly offers a broader Adobe-centered production workflow, Midjourney focuses on image creation through its own subscription service, and Freepik combines generation with stock assets and other media tools. Choose Nano Banana for conversational editing, reference composition, readable image text, Google Search grounding, or Google API access. Choose a competitor when asset libraries, team production controls, or a dedicated creative workspace matter more.

Read the full Gemini Image (Nano Banana) review

Frequently asked questions

How do GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Gemini Image (Nano Banana) compare on price?

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) has a free option, and its first paid plan (ChatGPT Plus) is listed at $20/month. Gemini Image (Nano Banana) has a free option, and its first paid plan (Google AI Plus) is listed at $4.99/month. Prices are from each company's pricing page and can change, so check before you buy.

Which has a free plan, GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Gemini Image (Nano Banana)?

All of them. GPT Image (ChatGPT Images): Limited and slower image generation; OpenAI does not publish one permanent image allowance for all users. Gemini Image (Nano Banana): Image generation is available where Gemini operates, with daily limits that can change and reset.

Can I self-host or integrate GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Gemini Image (Nano Banana)?

None of them is open source. All of them run as hosted services only. GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) and Gemini Image (Nano Banana) offer a public API.

How much does ChatGPT image generation cost?

ChatGPT Free costs $0 and includes limited image generation. Plus costs $20 per month. Pro has $100, $200, and $500 monthly plans. Business Standard costs $25 per user monthly or $20 billed annually, while Premium costs $125 monthly or $100 billed annually. API use is separate, with GPT Image 2 and 2.5 Standard image tokens priced at $8 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens.

Is GPT Image free?

Yes. ChatGPT Free includes limited and slower image generation. OpenAI does not publish one permanent allowance that applies to every Free user, and its launch reporting said limits could change with demand. Paid plans offer more access, while API use requires separate billing. Image generation remains subject to usage limits, safety controls, and service policies.

How much does Gemini Image cost?

Gemini offers image generation free with changing daily limits. In the US, Google AI Plus costs $4.99/month, AI Pro costs $19.99/month, and AI Ultra starts at $99.99/month. API output is metered, with Nano Banana Pro priced at $0.134 for 1K or 2K images and $0.24 for 4K, plus token charges.

Is Nano Banana free?

Yes. Nano Banana image generation is available in the Gemini app without a paid subscription where the app operates, subject to daily limits. Paid Google AI plans provide higher access and Nano Banana Pro availability. Google AI Studio also has a free API tier in supported regions, with model and request limits that can change.

Related comparisons

GPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs MidjourneyGPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Adobe FireflyGPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs IdeogramGPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs Stable DiffusionGPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs GeminiGPT Image (ChatGPT Images) vs FLUX.1Gemini Image (Nano Banana) vs Adobe FireflyGemini Image (Nano Banana) vs Midjourney

Sources