Google has updated its image model: Nano Banana 2.1 has been generally available since October 6, 2026, and takes over from Nano Banana 2. In the ChatX AI image generator, it has replaced its predecessor. An image now costs 8,000 tokens instead of 14,000. We tried the model out and show you what it does better, how it compares, and how to get good results.
What Nano Banana 2.1 does better
In its model overview, Google describes the model as an update to Nano Banana 2 that is just as fast and improves in four areas:
- Image quality: Subjects look more realistic, especially in photos.
- Prompt adherence: The model sticks more closely to what you describe.
- Text in images: Signs, posters, and infographics come out legible more reliably.
- Consistent characters: People and objects stay the same across multiple edits.
On top of that, there are panorama formats up to 8:1 without visible seams and up to 14 reference images per request. Google has considered Nano Banana 2 deprecated ever since. For developers, Google has cut the price per image in half, and ChatX passes that saving on.
Our test with a bookstore
Text in images was the weak spot of image models for a long time. So that is exactly what we tested, and we did it in German: a chalkboard with German wording, a time of day, and a comma. Umlauts are part of the challenge.
Schaufenster einer kleinen Buchhandlung am Abend, warmes Licht fällt auf das Kopfsteinpflaster, vor der Tür steht eine Kreidetafel, auf der gut lesbar steht: Lesung heute um 19 Uhr, Eintritt frei (Storefront window of a small bookstore in the evening, warm light falls on the cobblestones, in front of the door stands a chalkboard that clearly reads: Reading today at 7 p.m., free admission)
The image was ready after 9 seconds. The text on the board, “Lesung heute um 19 Uhr, Eintritt frei” (Reading today at 7 p.m., free admission), is correct word for word. The model even spelled the name above the door flawlessly, although we never specified one: “Bücher & Geschichten” (Books & Stories).
The first image, straight from the ChatX AI image generator, 16:9 format.
In the second step, we uploaded the image as a reference and asked for a change:
Es ist jetzt Winter und es schneit, auf der Kreidetafel steht stattdessen: Glühwein & Bücher ab 17 Uhr, alles andere bleibt gleich (It is now winter and it is snowing, the chalkboard now reads instead: Mulled wine & books from 5 p.m., everything else stays the same)
That took 13 seconds. The board shows the new text, “Glühwein & Bücher ab 17 Uhr” (Mulled wine & books from 5 p.m.), in the same handwriting, umlauts and ampersand included. Snow covers the street, the bench, and the windowsill. The shop itself is unchanged, right down to the individual books in the window. The model did take one liberty: it drew a small steaming cup next to the text.
The edit: same scene, new season, new text.
How good is it compared to others?
The platform Artificial Analysis has people rate images from different models against each other in blind comparisons. The result is a score (Elo). As of November 10, 2026:
| Model | Score | On ChatX |
|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst (highest quality) | 1,259 | yes, with an account |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | 1,176 | yes |
| Nano Banana 2 | 1,142 | replaced by 2.1 |
| Nano Banana Pro | 1,119 | removed |
| Nano Banana 2 Lite | 1,110 | yes, as “Nano Banana (Budget)” |
That puts Nano Banana 2.1 ahead of every other Google image model, including the much more expensive Nano Banana Pro. That is why we removed Pro from the image generator. GPT Image from OpenAI still tops the leaderboard, though only at its highest and most expensive quality setting.
What an image costs on ChatX
- Nano Banana 2.1: 8,000 tokens per image. With Nano Banana 2, it was 14,000 tokens.
- Nano Banana (Budget): 7,000 tokens per image, for quick drafts.
- Editing: A change to an existing image costs the same as a new image.
You can try both models in the AI image generator without signing up. The free daily allowance for guests covers one image a day.
Four tips for better images
- Spell out the text word for word: Put the exact wording after a colon or in quotation marks, as in the example above. Short texts work most reliably.
- When editing, say what stays: In our test, adding “everything else stays the same” made sure the shop, the lighting, and the composition were preserved.
- Rule out extras: In our test, a small drawing showed up on the board without being asked for. If you don’t want that, add: “text only, no drawings”.
- Pick the right format: Besides 1:1, 16:9, and 9:16, you can choose panoramas such as 21:9, 4:1, and 8:1, for banners and headers, for example.
If you want to keep a character or a product consistent across several images, upload photos of it as references. Nano Banana 2.1 accepts up to 14 reference images per request.