Nano Banana Provs.Recraft V4.1 Utility
Which one is better?
In our own test both are on par. Recraft V4.1 Utility has no arena rating yet. Nano Banana Pro costs 3.8 times as much per image.
Test images
Same task, the first image of each. The task with the biggest difference is preselected.
Result for “Product photography”:Nano Banana Pro ahead
What the rating looks at: Materials, reflections, and fine details.
“Ahead”: better in all three rating rounds. “Slightly ahead”: a higher value, but not in every round.
Test protocol of the images
Each test attempt uses the same archived prompt and one request. The first output of that attempt counts. Repeats after technical test failures are disclosed for the affected images. 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
Nano Banana Pro: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:20 PM. Source
Recraft V4.1 Utility: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.035000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:37 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6
Nano Banana Pro image SHA 256: eed53dcc080d2710e6e890382f6273382a12e2c5b079b8813962bff0c92b5df7
Recraft V4.1 Utility image SHA 256: d2ba0b86ed4214659720cdcf68ff09ca748700a32afc3d25808b6a3af74223f2
Infographic
Nano Banana Pro: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:20 PM. Source
Recraft V4.1 Utility: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.035000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:38 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: ed65cb4e6a51e2336f8b149ad4cbb16e020f07d527ad94362e719d2dcf91d94f
Nano Banana Pro image SHA 256: 4ff7d3965d18e197f00647c35d6aed5a86a376c92779ee9e748c598aebafa51d
Recraft V4.1 Utility image SHA 256: 7d383a257e5152b2781a6e5a78edd54fe55900dfb2580f85078f8142b63194c5
Product photography
Nano Banana Pro: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:19 PM. Source
Recraft V4.1 Utility: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.035000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:37 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: c67fd71e91304458a2feef5c91efa8677260fab0c0099a29a2c52cb579f5b2f3
Nano Banana Pro image SHA 256: d50770f426cac7920c9ffdaf210db2f11cdc51a8cf0b7ef52e6cd26850b1de70
Recraft V4.1 Utility image SHA 256: 7fd9cfe67371d0fecc6d605105ca777bec170d4d4e8dcad5b4f15f813e21c1ab
Typography and layout
Nano Banana Pro: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:00 PM. Source
Recraft V4.1 Utility: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.035000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:05 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 2e012c3d14ee5dd02203a94f394ca80a5038cdebd6032b25a8b8a221f2255419
Nano Banana Pro image SHA 256: fc173de00b0df04772321167cfeabb55418d3d016081e7ebfb589c69a629b712
Recraft V4.1 Utility image SHA 256: 3aa0bc86cccfd2140ba4f5606f1f814a5a6ded23cb06b7aebe26f8dcf946a752
The numbers at a glance
Nano Banana Pro
Rank 12 of 21
Recraft V4.1 Utility
not in the arena
Nano Banana Pro
Rank 35 of 108
Recraft V4.1 Utility
Rank 41 of 108
Nano Banana Pro
expensive
Recraft V4.1 Utility
fairly cheap
Ranks among the 21 image models with an arena rating and the 108 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.
Nano Banana Pro
- Subscription
- At Google from €4.99 a month (Google AI Plus, with limited credits). Through other providers from ≈ €6.36 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 79 plans in Germany.
- Via API
- $0.13 per image, 100 images $13.40.
Recraft V4.1 Utility
- Subscription
- Free to use at Recraft (Recraft Free, with limited credits), more from ≈ €12.72 a month (Recraft Basic, with limited credits). 4 plans in Germany.
- Via API
- $0.035 per image, 100 images $3.50.
Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.
Arena rating (LMArena) from Nov 6, 2026 · GraduallyBench from Nov 3, 2026 · API prices from Nov 6, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (38 days old)
All data side by side
The better value is bold. For ratings only when the gap is clear.
| Kennzahl | Nano Banana Pro | Recraft V4.1 Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | ||
| Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better | 1,246 | n/a |
| Arena rank | Rank 12 of 21 | n/a |
| Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating | 191,257 | n/a |
| GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 | 66 | 65 |
| GraduallyBench by task | ||
| Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition | 92 | 96 |
| Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details | 70 | 32 |
| Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency | 37 | 66 |
| InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization | 65 | 64 |
| API price | ||
| Per imagelower is better | $0.13 | $0.035 |
| 100 images | $13.40 | $3.50 |
| Profile | ||
| Released | November 2025 | May 2026 |
| Weightsopen means: runs locally | proprietary | proprietary |
| Access | API, Web app | API, Web app |
| Parameters | not published | not published |
| Largest output | 4K | 1 Megapixel |
| Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model | 79 | 4 |
API prices for one image at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels according to Artificial Analysis.
Sources: Nano Banana Pro model source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Recraft V4.1 Utility model source (verified Aug 15, 2026)
Arena ratings by category
From blind votes on LMArena. “Ahead” means the lead is clear.
Artificial Analysis from Nov 6, 2026
All individual values with sources
| Rating | Nano Banana Pro | Recraft V4.1 Utility | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text to Image Arena | 1,119 | 1,028 | Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026 |
More comparisons
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