Nano Banana 2vs.Seedream 5.0 Lite
Which one is better?
We have not tested Seedream 5.0 Lite ourselves yet. Seedream 5.0 Lite has no arena rating yet. Seedream 5.0 Lite has no API price.
Same prompt, two images
Same task, the first image of each.
No image from the four fixed tasks for Seedream 5.0 Lite yet.This model does not yet have a complete GraduallyBench run.
Result for “Typography and layout”:only Nano Banana 2 tested
What the rating looks at: Legible text, hierarchy, and composition.
“Ahead”: better in all three rating rounds. “Slightly ahead”: a higher value, but not in every round.
Missing image run for Seedream 5.0 Lite
This model does not yet have a complete GraduallyBench run. Run the missing fixed tasks, archive the first output of each, and evaluate them blind.
DocumentationThe numbers at a glance
Nano Banana 2
Rank 8 of 22
Seedream 5.0 Lite
not in the arena
Nano Banana 2
Rank 40 of 74
Seedream 5.0 Lite
not tested yet
Nano Banana 2
fairly expensive
Seedream 5.0 Lite
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.
Nano Banana 2
- Subscription
- Free to use at Google (Google AI Free, with limited credits), more from €4.99 a month (Google AI Plus, with limited credits). Through other providers from ≈ €6.39 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 68 plans in Germany.
- Via API
- $0.067 per image, 100 images $6.70.
Seedream 5.0 Lite
- Subscription
- No ByteDance / Volcengine subscription includes this model. Through other providers from €6.83 a month (Poe Basic, with limited points). 27 plans in Germany.
- Via API
- No API price known. Access: API, Web app.
- Weights
- unknown.
Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.
Arena rating (LMArena) from Oct 28, 2026 · GraduallyBench from Nov 1, 2026 · API prices from Oct 28, 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.
| Kennzahl | Nano Banana 2 | Seedream 5.0 Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | ||
| Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better | 1,257 | n/a |
| Arena rank | Rank 8 of 22 | n/a |
| Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating | 73,278 | n/a |
| GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 | 55 | n/a |
| GraduallyBench by task | ||
| Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition | 78 | n/a |
| Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details | 39 | n/a |
| Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency | 62 | n/a |
| InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization | 43 | n/a |
| API price | ||
| Per imagelower is better | $0.067 | n/a |
| 100 images | $6.70 | n/a |
| Profile | ||
| Released | February 2026 | Feb 13, 2026 |
| Weightsopen means: runs locally | proprietary | unknown |
| Lifecycle | Previous generation to Nano Banana 2.1; Google recommends Nano Banana 2.1 for all new projects, the stable API has existed since May 28, 2026 and no shutdown is announced, the arena entry names the earlier pre-release configuration | Still-listed T2I/I2I model ID; Ark marks it as pending shutdown without giving a date in the reviewed source |
| Access | API, Web app | API, Web app |
| Parameters | not published | not published |
| Largest output | 4K | not consistently published |
| Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model | 68 | 27 |
API prices for one image at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels according to Artificial Analysis.
Sources: Nano Banana 2 model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Seedream 5.0 Lite 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 Nano Banana 2 and Seedream 5.0 Lite from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.
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