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GPT Image 1 Minivs.Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

Which one is better?

In our own test, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) leads. Neither is in the arena. Neither has an API price.

Same prompt, two images

Same task, the first image of each. The task with the biggest difference is preselected.

GPT Image 1 Mini: Character and detail, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 1 Mini8 out of 100
Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image): Character and detail, first image from the fixed test run
Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)54 out of 100

Result for “Character and detail”:Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) slightly ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square cinematic full-body portrait of a fictional bicycle courier waiting under a transparent umbrella at a rainy tram stop in Hamburg at blue hour. She wears a mustard raincoat, navy trousers, red sneakers, a silver helmet, and carries a teal messenger bag. Keep both hands visible, render the bicycle correctly, use realistic wet-street reflections, and include no readable brand names.

What the rating looks at: Anatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency.

“Ahead”: better in all three rating rounds. “Slightly ahead”: a higher value, but not in every round.

Test protocol of the images

Both models receive the same archived prompt in exactly one request, and the first result counts. Files are normalized to 1,024 × 1,024 pixels without cropping. Provider resolution, randomness, quality tier and prompt processing can still differ. The images are a practical visual test, not a reconstruction of the arena configuration.

Character and detail

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:52 PM. Source

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image): fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, Fal schema does not expose an output-resolution parameter; require square output of at least 1024px, estimated cost $0.039800, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: c0e2174457ec7197947f10d76d4c5a8fa49aec091b31652f0247cf7e11e903ba

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) image SHA 256: 69ecb842e42e25cf866919f9bfa573f08398a78d4fa46bca2f9c9c27996d80a7

Infographic

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:52 PM. Source

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image): fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, Fal schema does not expose an output-resolution parameter; require square output of at least 1024px, estimated cost $0.039800, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: ed65cb4e6a51e2336f8b149ad4cbb16e020f07d527ad94362e719d2dcf91d94f

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: 08bac6b96a08de0ca51bedd1b6f0648e65d24461446b15231e80f668aaf6d603

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) image SHA 256: d12f93429b044d541a8ea71a1fd135f89343ff6efaefafe679e9e28699ee54cf

Product photography

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image): fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, Fal schema does not expose an output-resolution parameter; require square output of at least 1024px, estimated cost $0.039800, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: c67fd71e91304458a2feef5c91efa8677260fab0c0099a29a2c52cb579f5b2f3

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: a5e15f006cd5c689b9588fa55b37ea0d610cd9edb4bd167fabefda5d72f21480

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) image SHA 256: afdcf628727069979bcc9797a18b283079f9cafb136d8fcbc118ae1fc5523a15

Typography and layout

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image): fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, Fal schema does not expose an output-resolution parameter; require square output of at least 1024px, estimated cost $0.039800, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:50 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 2e012c3d14ee5dd02203a94f394ca80a5038cdebd6032b25a8b8a221f2255419

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: 16fcb3be0f7ea7a48eabaacb5052ebccc221c00dd9ed3ff9d8e2f38f91b66c15

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) image SHA 256: eeafdc566564b9398bc45b9e8cbaa7f4ca38a1b8795e198cd056c4bc47f72121

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
n/a

GPT Image 1 Mini

not in the arena

n/a

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
26

GPT Image 1 Mini

Rank 60 of 74

54

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

Rank 44 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better
n/a

GPT Image 1 Mini

no API price

n/a

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

no API price

Ranks among the 22 image models with an arena rating and the 74 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.

GPT Image 1 Mini

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from €6.83 a month (Poe Basic, with limited points). 14 plans in Germany.
Via API
No API price known. Access: API.
Weights
unknown.

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
No API price known. Access: API.
Weights
unknown.

Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.

GraduallyBench from Nov 1, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (34 days old)

All data side by side

The better value is bold. For ratings only when the gap is clear.

KennzahlGPT Image 1 MiniNano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is bettern/an/a
Arena rankn/an/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer ratingn/an/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1002654
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition4758
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details4377
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency854
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization827
API price
Per imagelower is bettern/an/a
100 imagesn/an/a
Profile
Releasedn/aOct 2, 2025
Weightsopen means: runs locallyunknownunknown
LifecycleDeprecated; API shutdown announced for December 1, 2026Active stable API ID; earliest announced shutdown date is March 15, 2027
AccessAPIAPI
Parametersnot publishednot published
Largest outputnot consistently publishednot consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model14n/a

API prices for one image at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels according to Artificial Analysis.

Sources: GPT Image 1 Mini model source, status source (verified Nov 1, 2026) · Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) model source, status source (verified Nov 1, 2026)

Arena ratings by category

From blind votes on LMArena. “Ahead” means the lead is clear.

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

The stored benchmark database contains no measurement for GPT Image 1 Mini and Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

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