Can I switch models inside one project?

Yes. The model picker sits in the prompt bar, so you can pick a different model for each image. Your Brand DNA and saved attachments stay the same.

Does a refine cost more on Nano Banana Pro?

A refine uses the credits of the model it runs on, so a refine on Pro costs 4 credits and on Lite 2. Refine on the cheaper model when the fix is simple.

Is 4K worth paying for?

We did not test 4K here. It is available on the Max plan for Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro, and is mainly useful for print or very large displays.

Is Pro faster or slower?

In our runs Nano Banana 2 Lite was the quickest every time, at 15 to 18 seconds an image. Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro took 23 to 31 seconds and swapped places from run to run.

Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro: when is Pro worth it?

Yash SoniFounder of BrandGen

October 22, 20266 min readLast updated Oct 22, 2026

Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro: when is Pro worth it?

Nano Banana Pro is worth it when an image has to carry exact small text with nothing made up, such as a label, a nutrition panel or fine print. For everyday posts, product shots and short headlines, Nano Banana 2 Lite and Nano Banana 2 matched it in our tests for half to three quarters of the cost.

We ran the same five prompts for one brand on all three models in BrandGen and checked every word at full size.

Key takeaways

In BrandGen, Nano Banana 2 Lite costs 2 credits per image, Nano Banana 2 costs 3 and Nano Banana Pro costs 4.
All three spelled our headlines right, including a dense poster and a two-language poster.
Pro was the only model that rendered our small print exactly and added nothing.
The cheaper models were likelier to add text we did not ask for.
Pro is not automatically "better": it once switched a photo brief to an illustration.

What is the difference between the three models?

They are three of Google's Gemini image models, from fastest and cheapest to most capable.

Nano Banana 2 Lite is Google's "fastest, most cost-efficient Gemini Image model", built for work "where speed and cost are the primary constraints" (Google, June 30, 2026).
Nano Banana 2 brings "the advanced world knowledge, quality and reasoning you love in Nano Banana Pro, at lightning-fast speed" (Google, February 26, 2026). BrandGen's model picker calls it "Everyday on-brand work, flash speed".
Nano Banana Pro is, in Google's words, "the best model for creating images with correctly rendered and legible text" (Google, November 20, 2025). BrandGen's picker calls it "Flagship detail, sharpest text".

In BrandGen they cost 2, 3 and 4 credits per image, and your Brand DNA applies to all three.

How did we test them?

Got any questions left?

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