GPT Image 2.5 vs Nano Banana Pro: which to use for your series' sheets and covers
Each family on its own page: GPT Image 2.5 and Nano Banana.
The two side by side
| Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 2.5 (Sunburst / Flare) | |
|---|---|---|
| Credits per image | 46 | 25 / 25 |
| Size on this site (vertical) | 1536 × 2752 | 1152 × 2048 |
| Maker | Google (Gemini 3 Pro Image) | OpenAI (released September 8, 2026) |
| Strength on this site | Detail kept from long English descriptions: many-part costumes, props with a mechanism | Sunburst: precise, holds a reference subject; Flare: fast, general |
| Free sheets | No | No |
Neither tier is covered by the free sheets: every account’s 15 free sheets are drawn on the default model, Qwen-Image 3.0.
Pick by job
- A lead whose costume has many named parts — a period gown with a stomacher, sash and lace cuffs; a uniform with insignia — Nano Banana Pro. It is the tier that drops the fewest of those parts.
- A lead’s state images — the same person bandaged, aged, in a second outfit. These are drawn from the main sheet: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst, which is built to hold a reference subject, at about half the price.
- The promo cover — drawn from your leads’ sheets with the title painted in: Sunburst first; Grok Imagine Image 2.0 is the other tier to try for lettering.
- Supporting cast, locations, props — neither premium tier is needed. GPT Image 2.5 Flare or Nano Banana 2.1 at 19 credits, or the default tier with the free sheets.
Mixing them in one project
The image tier is one setting that applies to new images only, so a project can use both: draw the leads on Nano Banana Pro, switch to Sunburst for their state images and the cover, switch to Flare or the default for the rest. Nothing you already drew is redrawn when you switch.
Settings → Model Preferences → Image Model, then pick Nano Banana Pro. From then on every new image is drawn on it: the character, location and prop sheets in step 2, regenerations, state images, and the promo cover posters. Images already drawn keep their pixels; switching never redraws anything. You can switch per group — leads on one tier, background places on another — and switch back.
What it costs for a typical cast
Take four leads, each with two state images, and a cover. On Nano Banana Pro for everything: 4 + 8 + 3 = 15 images at 46 credits. Split as above — leads on Nano Banana Pro, states and cover on Sunburst: 4 × 46 plus 11 × 25. The split costs much less, and the expensive tier goes where it changes what the audience sees most. If this is your first project, the first cover batch is free.
How to compare on your own lead
Benchmarks rank single pictures; a series needs the sheet that matches your description. Pick one lead, generate the sheet on one tier, download it, switch and regenerate the same sheet on the other — regenerating replaces the image on the card, so the download is your copy for comparison. Two images will tell you which tier reads your writing better.
All the image tiers, side by side
| Image tier | Credits per image | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Qwen-Image 3.0 (default) | 7 | The free sheets; a whole cast cheaply |
| Qwen-Image 3.0 Pro (Recommended) | 18 | Leads in close-up; Chinese descriptions |
| SeedDream 5.0 Lite | 8 | 2K locations and props on a budget |
| SeedDream 5.0 Pro | 25 | 2K, photographic skin, long descriptions read to the end |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | 19 | About 2K; Google’s faster model, the cheapest of the six new tiers |
| Nano Banana Pro | 46 | About 2K; detail kept from long descriptions; the most expensive tier |
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare | 25 | About 2K; OpenAI’s faster general-purpose model |
| GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | 25 | About 2K; OpenAI’s slower, more precise model |
| Grok Imagine Image 2.0 | 35 | About 2K; xAI’s model, strong on lettering |
| MAI-Image-2.6 | 31 | About 1 megapixel; Microsoft’s model, strict content filter |
Sources
- The Rundown: OpenAI ChatGPT Images 2.5 — GPT Image 2.5 Flare and Sunburst, September 8, 2026; checked October 25, 2026.
- Artlist: Nano Banana 2.1, what changed, and which Nano Banana to use — how Google’s Nano Banana models line up; checked October 25, 2026.
GPT Image is a trademark of OpenAI; Nano Banana and Gemini are trademarks of Google. They are named to identify the models offered as tiers. Prices are SceneMixer’s own, read from the live price list.
FAQ
Is GPT Image 2.5 better than Nano Banana Pro?
Neither is better for everything. On this site Nano Banana Pro keeps more of a long detailed description; GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is built to hold a reference subject and costs about half as much.
Which is cheaper on SceneMixer?
GPT Image 2.5: 25 credits per image. Nano Banana Pro is 46, the most expensive image tier on the site.
Which draws at a higher resolution here?
Nano Banana Pro draws more pixels (1536 by 2752 for a vertical image) than GPT Image 2.5 (1152 by 2048). Both are about 2K.
Can I use both in the same project?
Yes. The image tier is one setting that applies to new images only; switch it between groups.
Which is better for character consistency?
Consistency comes from reusing each sheet in every shot, on any tier. For state images drawn from a main sheet, Sunburst is the model built to hold the reference.
What about Nano Banana 2.1?
Google's faster Nano Banana model, 19 credits per image here: the cheapest of the new tiers and a good fit for supporting cast and locations.
Which one should I use for the cover poster?
Start with GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst or Grok Imagine Image 2.0, and check the spelling of the painted title before picking a candidate.
Are the free sheets usable on either?
No. The 15 free sheets per account are drawn on the default image model only.
Put both on one lead
Generate the same sheet on each tier and keep the one that reads as your character.
Updated October 25, 2026