Comparison · Images
Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana 2 Lite
Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana 2 Lite: Lite renders one 1K image for about half the rate, full NB2 adds 4 variants per call and 2K-4K. When each one fits.
What each one accepts
| Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana 2 Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | ||
| Type | Image | Image |
| Modes | text-to-image image-to-image | text-to-image image-edit |
| Released | 2026-02 | 2026-06 |
| Resolutions | 0.5K, 1K, 2K, 4K | - |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9, 1:4, 4:1, 1:8, 8:1 | 1:1, 1:4, 1:8, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:1, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 8:1, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9, auto |
| Reference images | up to 14 | up to 10 |
| Prompt length | up to 32,000 chars | up to 20,000 chars |
Rates and clip costs
| Model | Variant | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 | 0.5K | $0.07 / image |
| 1K | $0.07 / image | |
| 2K | $0.0875 / image | |
| 4K | $0.113 / image | |
| Nano Banana 2 Lite | - | $0.0375 / image |
Charged from a prepaid USD balance, no taxes added. A failed generation is $0.
Lite is the budget member of Google's Nano Banana 2 family. It always returns a single 1K image and costs a little over half what Nano Banana 2 charges at 1K. Full Nano Banana 2 brings the range: 0.5K to 4K, up to four images per request and more references. For hundreds of 1K images from a script, Lite. For print sizes or several variants at once, the full model.
When to pick Nano Banana 2
- You need 2K or 4K for print or a large banner.
- You want several thumbnail candidates from one request.
- Your composition leans on more than 10 reference images.
- The image carries text with diacritics: this is the model that went through my typography test with no letter errors.
When to pick Nano Banana 2 Lite
- A store or blog needs a large batch of images and 1K is plenty.
- You fix product photos with a short text instruction.
- An edit should keep the proportions of the source photo, via
auto(the default). - You are picking a direction and will render the final elsewhere at a higher resolution.
Differences you will notice
- Price. Nano Banana 2 Lite costs $0.0375 per image. Nano Banana 2 costs from $0.07 per image at 1K, about 1.9x more. Against one Lite image, a Nano Banana 2 image is about 2.5x at 2K and 3.7x at 4K. The 0.5K tier of Nano Banana 2 is billed like 1K, so it is no cheaper preview.
- Resolution. Nano Banana 2: 0.5K, 1K, 2K, 4K. Lite: 1K only.
- Per request. Up to 4 images in Nano Banana 2 (
num_images, each billed), one in Lite. - References. 14 in Nano Banana 2; 10 in Lite (JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 30 MB each).
- Editing and prompt. Lite generates from text and edits by instruction, no masks. Both share 14 formats from 8:1 to 1:8, and Lite adds
auto. Prompts reach 32,000 characters in Nano Banana 2 and 20,000 in Lite.
How to decide
If every image you need is 1K and one per request, Lite saves almost half. Once you need 2K, 4K, batches of variants or many references, move to Nano Banana 2. I have scored Nano Banana 2 (8.6/10, 12.2 s average) but have not tested Lite yet, so run a short text check in Lite before a big batch. Bulk scripting is covered in generate images with Python; rates on /pricing.
Questions
How do I queue 500 Lite images without waiting on each one?
Submit tasks to POST /v1/generate with a webhook_url, and Kadraris sends each finished image to your server. The generate docs show the fields.
Is 0.5K in Nano Banana 2 a cheaper alternative to Lite?
No. It is charged at the 1K rate, which is still well above Lite.
Does Lite keep the original framing when I edit a photo?
Yes, with auto it keeps the source aspect ratio. Nano Banana 2 has no auto option.
Samples from the makers
Nano Banana 2
Nano Banana 2 Lite
These clips and images come from the vendors, not from my runs.