What Nano Banana is
Nano Banana is Google’s model for working with images. The name is funny, the model is serious: it has become one of the industry standards for editing photos.
The difference between generating and editing matters here. Many models can create a picture from scratch. Nano Banana is especially strong at something else: taking an existing image and changing it carefully without breaking the face, the details or recognisability.
Its superpower: edits that keep the face
This is why people love it. You give it a photo and say in words what to change: «make the background a studio», «put this product in a living room», «show this person in profile», «put this jacket on the model». The model does exactly that while keeping everything you did not ask to change.
It sounds simple, but this is exactly where most models stumble: they «improve» the face beyond recognition or change details that should have stayed. Nano Banana Pro keeps the subject stable.
Hence its main scenarios:
- Background changes for product cards and portraits.
- Product in an interior: the same item in a new setting.
- Changing a character’s angle while keeping the face (building a character sheet for video).
- Clothing on a model: putting a real garment on a person.
- Spot edits: removing or adding an object, changing a detail.
For product cards it is the workhorse, more in the article on product cards with AI. For video it is indispensable at the character-building stage, see the article on character consistency.
Four versions in the line
| Version | Price per image | Resolution | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana (base) | 5 tokens (~8 rub.) | 1K | simple tasks, volume |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | 5 / 6 / 13 tokens (~8 / 9 / 21 rub.) | 1K / 2K / 4K | new, inexpensive 2K and 4K |
| Nano Banana 2 | 8 tokens (~13 rub.) | up to 2K | fast, quality close to Pro |
| Nano Banana Pro | 16 tokens (~25 rub.) | 2K and up, to 4K | flagship, complex edits, maximum |
This is not a public offer. KADR prices, October 2026.
A nuance: Pro does not do 1K, its minimum is 2K. So if you need a small picture quickly, go to the base or second version. Pro is for when the quality of the edit matters.
Text on images
This is one of the main reasons to choose Pro. Most models draw Cyrillic as a pattern: it looks like Russian letters but cannot be read. Nano Banana Pro writes readable Russian text reliably: headlines, captions with arrows, short lists of benefits. That is why it is used for marketplace infographics, banners and covers.
Limitations remain: decorative and handwritten fonts, very small text and long paragraphs can break. Put the text in the prompt word for word and in quotes, ask for a simple bold font and check every word. The base Nano Banana is noticeably worse with Cyrillic. A detailed breakdown: marketplace product images with AI.
Nano Banana Pro versus other image models
Briefly, based on the nature of the models:
- Nano Banana Pro is the strongest at editing an existing photo while keeping details.
- Flux.2 is about photorealism from scratch.
- GPT-5 Image understands complex text descriptions better.
- Recraft is about graphics, vectors and typography.
Roughly: if you have a photo and need to change it, that is Nano Banana Pro. If the picture has to be created from scratch, look at Flux or GPT-5 Image.
Who it is for
Good for: anyone who edits existing images, works with product cards, builds character angles, changes backgrounds and settings. This is its home turf.
Keep in mind: Pro does not do 1K (minimum 2K). It writes Russian text readably, but still check every word.
How to use the model from Russia: Nano Banana Pro in Russia. Ready-made wording: Nano Banana Pro prompts.
In short
Nano Banana Pro is Google’s model and the industry standard for editing photos by text while keeping the face and details. Four versions from 8 to 25 rubles per image. Take Pro for delicate edits and building characters, the second version for quick tasks, the base one for volume. For Russian text on images take Pro specifically: the base versions write Cyrillic worse.
