Z-Image Turbovs.Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Neither is in the arena. Neither has an API price.

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

Z-Image Turbo: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Z-Image Turbo28 out of 100

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image): Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)77 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square premium product photograph of a brushed titanium wristwatch standing upright on dark green marble. The watch has a cream dial, thin black hands set to 10:10, twelve distinct hour markers, a realistic crown, and a dark brown leather strap. Soft window light from the left, controlled reflections, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no extra objects.

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

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

Z-Image Turbo: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=457367499, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:35 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

Z-Image Turbo image SHA 256: 5297796931ae8a9259947d2ee85881444a6408266aa7c9bc45d365b56bd11fe1

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

Infographic

Z-Image Turbo: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=364147116, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:35 PM. Source

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

Z-Image Turbo image SHA 256: 2a0bbce06ee9f7e009876b2d9abc02657f7be5535cd79ab7f37df0bf61b141a8

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

Product photography

Z-Image Turbo: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=453185405, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:35 PM. Source

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

Z-Image Turbo image SHA 256: 16330b5b71c71290aaa2994dd589e5e2088712d286fddcee8046e56c300f124e

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

Typography and layout

Z-Image Turbo: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=249593273, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:35 PM. Source

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

Z-Image Turbo image SHA 256: 0a9ee8166b04fc677b96ca3f74d8fcf37657d812f81d3b94940092aa661dba50

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

Z-Image Turbo

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

Z-Image Turbo

Rank 54 of 74

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

Rank 44 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

n/a

Z-Image Turbo

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.

Z-Image Turbo

Subscription: No Tongyi-MAI / Alibaba subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €12.78 a month (Recraft Basic, with limited credits). 3 plans in Germany.
Via API: No API price known. Access: API, local, Web app.
License: Open weights.

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.

Kennzahl	Z-Image Turbo	Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	n/a	n/a
Arena rank	n/a	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	n/a	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	37	54
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	54	58
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	28	77
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	46	54
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	21	27
API price
Per imagelower is better	n/a	n/a
100 images	n/a	n/a
Profile
Released	Nov 26, 2025	Oct 2, 2025
Weightsopen means: runs locally	open	unknown
Lifecycle	no notice	Active stable API ID; earliest announced shutdown date is March 15, 2027
Access	API, local, Web app	API
Parameters	not published	not published
Largest output	2K	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	3	n/a

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

Sources: Z-Image Turbo model 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 Z-Image Turbo and Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

Compare another matchup

First image modelSecond image model

More matchups

Compare Z-Image Turbo and Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) with other important image models.

View the complete image model comparison

Same prompt, two images

The numbers at a glance

Z-Image Turbo

Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

Compare another matchup

Related image model comparisons