AI Filmmaking

Google Launches Nano Banana 2.1 at About Half the Price of Nano Banana 2

Google launched Nano Banana 2.1 on October 6 at about half the per-image price of Nano Banana 2. Here is what changed, how it compares with FLUX 3, and what is still unclear.

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Bottle Rocket Content

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Google Launches Nano Banana 2.1 at About Half the Price of Nano Banana 2

Google launched Nano Banana 2.1 on October 6, an update to its Nano Banana 2 image model, at about half the price per image. The Gemini API lists it at $0.0336 for a 1K image, against $0.067 for Nano Banana 2.

Google says the model improves visual design, mask-based editing, and subject consistency. It is rolling out in the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Google AI Studio, and Flow. The model is generally available in the Gemini API.

What Google Says Is New

Google describes Nano Banana 2.1 as an update to Nano Banana 2, which is Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. It says the model keeps Flash-level speed and cost efficiency while improving visual quality, prompt adherence, and text rendering.

Google's announcement says the model outperforms its previous models across the board. It points to visual design, mask-based editing, and subject consistency as the biggest gains.

Mask-based editing generally means marking one region so an edit changes only that area. Google's API docs do not describe how masks are supplied. It is unclear whether the feature is in the API or only in Google's apps.

The docs list other changes. Tiling artifacts on very wide and tall aspect ratios at 2K and 4K are fixed. The model also adds Google Image Search grounding and configurable thinking levels.

What Filmmakers Can Do With It

Nano Banana 2.1 takes up to 14 reference images. That includes up to 4 characters for consistency and up to 10 objects for fidelity.

For storyboards and keyframes, that is the useful part. A character sheet and a few props can anchor each frame in a sequence. Google lists multi-turn character consistency among the improvements.

The model also accepts video as an input. Google's docs show it generating a poster or thumbnail from a video, using a YouTube link or an uploaded file.

Output runs at 1K, 2K, and 4K, with 1K as the default. The 0.5K size that Nano Banana 2 offered is not supported.

Competitive Context

At 1K, Nano Banana 2.1 costs $0.0336 per image, against $0.067 for Nano Banana 2 and $0.134 for Nano Banana Pro. At 2K it costs $0.0504, against $0.101 and $0.134. At 4K it costs $0.0756, against $0.151 and $0.24.

Nano Banana 2 Lite, Google's cheapest image model, lists at $0.0336 for 1K, the same as 2.1. Lite supports only 1K and is not built for multiple references or multi-turn editing.

BRC covered FLUX 3 Image on October 2. Black Forest Labs lists it at $0.048 for 1K, $0.10 for 2K, and $0.607 for 4K. fal's launch price for FLUX 3 at 1K is $0.024 through October 8.

A 24-frame storyboard at 1K costs about $0.81 on Nano Banana 2.1 and $1.15 at FLUX 3's list price. At 2K it is about $1.21 against $2.40, and at 4K about $1.81 against $14.57.

FLUX 3 takes up to 10 references and places elements with bounding boxes. Nano Banana 2.1 takes up to 14, with at most 4 characters and 10 objects.

The Signal in the Noise

The price cut is the most concrete part of this launch. At each resolution, the per-image price is about half of Nano Banana 2's.

The quality claims are Google's. Google says the model outperforms its earlier ones across the board, and no independent scores have appeared yet. Mask-based editing is also unclear in the API docs.

The per-image prices cover image output only. Input tokens, text, and thinking tokens bill separately, at $1.50 and $7.50 per million tokens. Real costs run higher than the per-image figures.

The pricing page lists no free API tier for this model.

For storyboard and keyframe work, the price and reference limits make it worth testing against whatever you use now. Character consistency is the claim to check first.

If you build storyboards with AI, would you move them to a cheaper model, or does consistency matter more to you?

Specs & Pricing

  • Model ID: gemini-nano-banana-2.1
  • Resolutions: 1K (default), 2K, and 4K
  • References: up to 14, with up to 4 characters and 10 objects
  • Price per image: $0.0336 (1K), $0.0504 (2K), $0.0756 (4K), excluding text and thinking tokens
  • Batch price per image: $0.0168 (1K), $0.0252 (2K), $0.0378 (4K)
  • Nano Banana 2 for comparison: $0.067 (1K), $0.101 (2K), $0.151 (4K)
  • Free API tier: not available
  • Exact pricing is available on Google's Gemini API pricing page.

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