Nano Banana 2 from Google and Nano Banana Pro from Google, run on the same six prompts. Which one is better depends on the prompt, so the images are the comparison; the facts below are what differs regardless of prompt.
What differs
Nano Banana Pro costs 5 credits per megapixel, 1.7× the 3 credits of Nano Banana 2.
ImageForge lists Typography as a strength of Nano Banana 2 but not of Nano Banana Pro.
Nano Banana 2
Nano Banana Pro
Provider
Google
Google
Credits per megapixel
3
5
Refinement
Yes
Yes
Native aspect ratios
10 of 10
10 of 10
Listed strengths
Reasoning, Typography
Reasoning
Same prompt, both models
Unedited, at 1 megapixel, with the exact prompt each pair was given. How we ran the test.
Photorealism
What to look for: skin texture, natural light and a believable shallow depth of field.
“Close-up portrait of an elderly fisherman with a weathered face and grey stubble, wearing a yellow raincoat, soft overcast light from a window, shallow depth of field, 85mm photograph”
Nano Banana 2Nano Banana Pro
Text rendering
What to look for: both lines of text spelled correctly and placed on the sign, not floating beside it.
“A vintage enamel sign on a brick wall that reads "FRESH BREAD DAILY" in bold red serif letters, with "since 1962" in smaller script below, morning sunlight”
Nano Banana 2Nano Banana Pro
Product shot
What to look for: glass, metal and water rendered convincingly in one studio setup.
“A frosted glass perfume bottle with a brass cap on wet black slate, droplets on the glass, soft rim light, reflections on the stone, studio product photography”
Nano Banana 2Nano Banana Pro
Prompt adherence
What to look for: exactly three red cubes on the sphere, with the cone on the left and the cylinder on the right.
“Three red cubes stacked on top of a blue sphere, a green cone to the left and a yellow cylinder to the right, on a black and white checkerboard floor, soft studio lighting”
Nano Banana 2Nano Banana Pro
Illustration
What to look for: a consistent watercolor-and-ink style rather than a photo with a filter.
“Children's book illustration of a fox in a knitted scarf reading a book under a large mushroom in light rain, soft watercolor and ink, warm palette”
Nano Banana 2Nano Banana Pro
Complex scene
What to look for: mixed light sources, wet reflections and several subjects in one frame.
“A narrow street in Tokyo at night after rain, neon signs reflecting in puddles, a cyclist with an umbrella passing a lit ramen shop, cinematic”
Nano Banana 2Nano Banana Pro
Sending one prompt to several models at once is part of the Basic and Pro plans.