Nano Banana 2 Lite Text-to-Image API by Google
Nano banana lite is the efficiency-focused model in the image generation family. Sub-2 second latency with cost-effective generation and editing, fast multi-turn local edits, and 14 supported aspect ratios.
Google Nano Banana 2 Lite — Text-to-Image
Nano Banana 2 Lite (Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Image, gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image) is Google's fastest and most cost-efficient image model in the Nano Banana family. This variant turns a natural-language text prompt into a high-quality image in as little as 4 seconds, making it purpose-built for rapid iteration, high-throughput pipelines, and cost-sensitive workflows — from blank page to finished layout in a single, near-instant step.
It replaces the original Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) with improved visual quality, better world knowledge, stronger character consistency, and more legible in-image text — all while being faster and cheaper.
🌟 Why it stands out
- Lightning-fast generation — Produces images in roughly 4 seconds, delivering the lowest latency in its class so you can iterate faster than you can rethink the prompt.
- Reliable prompt adherence — Faithfully interprets subjects, backgrounds, and spatial relationships to build contextually correct compositions.
- Strong character consistency — Keeps character identities and object fidelity stable across multiple generations, ideal for storyboards and series content.
- Legible in-image text — Renders readable text and quick localizations directly into generated images for posters, mockups, and social assets.
- World knowledge — Drafts accurate contextual scenes, rough data visualizations, and location-specific mockups grounded in real-world understanding.
- Most cost-efficient tier — The budget-friendly member of the Nano Banana family, engineered for high-volume generation at scale.
⚙️ Capabilities
- Input: text prompt (natural language)
- Output: high-quality image (JPEG/PNG/WEBP), delivered as a URL (or BASE64 via the API)
- Resolution:
1k - Aspect ratios:
auto,1:1,3:2,2:3,3:4,4:3,4:5,5:4,9:16,16:9,21:9,4:1,1:4,8:1,1:8 - Thinking level:
default,high, orminimal— controls how much internal reasoning the model performs before generating. Higher levels can improve quality on complex prompts at the cost of latency;minimalmaximizes speed. - Compatible with descriptive prompts such as:
- "A golden retriever playing in a field of sunflowers at sunset."
- "A futuristic city skyline with neon reflections on wet streets, cinematic lighting."
- "A minimalist product poster for a coffee brand with the headline 'Freshly Roasted'."
💰 Pricing
Pricing is a simple flat fee per generated 1k image. There is a single SKU and the total scales linearly with the number of images returned.
| SKU | Description | Unit Price |
|---|---|---|
sku_1k | 1k image | $0.04 |
Pricing Formula
cost = sku_1k × num_images
num_images— number of images generated by the request (default1).
Examples
| Images | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.04 × 1 | $0.04 |
| 4 | $0.04 × 4 | $0.16 |
| 10 | $0.04 × 10 | $0.40 |
For the exact pricing configuration, see models/google/banana/price/google-nano-banana-2-lite-text-to-image.json.
💡 Best Use Cases
- Rapid ideation & A/B testing — Fire off many variations and quickly compare directions.
- Social media & marketing — Generate on-brand visuals and ad variations at speed.
- Storyboarding & concept art — Build moodboards and sequential frames with consistent characters.
- Slide decks & web pages — Produce supporting imagery for presentations and landing pages on the fly.
- High-volume, real-time apps — Power interactive image generation for large user bases and autonomous workflows.
🔒 Content Authenticity
Generated images include C2PA content credentials and an imperceptible SynthID watermark by default, so outputs can be identified as AI-generated.
⚠️ Limitations
Optimized for speed and cost, this model may struggle with small faces, accurate spelling, and very fine details. Data-driven content can occasionally be misinterpreted or factually incorrect, and advanced edits or major lighting transformations are better handled by higher-tier Nano Banana models.
📝 Notes
Please ensure your prompts comply with Google's Safety Guidelines. If an error occurs, review your prompt for restricted content, adjust it, and try again.
🔗 Related Models
- Nano Banana 2 Lite — Edit — The same model driven by input images plus a text prompt for editing.
- Nano Banana Pro — Text-to-Image — Higher-fidelity tier for premium production.
