01 / MODEL IDENTITY

Names are helpful. IDs are decisive.

The October 6, 2026 release note records the GA release of Nano Banana 2.1 and deprecates Nano Banana 2. That announcement does not specify a shutdown date for the predecessor.

FROM / PREVIOUS GENERATIONNano Banana 2gemini-3.1-flash-imageDeprecated
TO / RELEASED 06 OCT 2026Nano Banana 2.1gemini-nano-banana-2.1Generally available

Do not substitute a similarly named general text model or assume a reseller’s “Nano Banana” label identifies the same endpoint. The calculator uses the exact IDs shown above.

The 2.1 specification confirms 1K, 2K, and 4K output, Standard and Batch availability, and no Flex or Priority support. The calculator therefore offers only Standard and Batch.

02 / REBUILD THE COST MODEL

Carry over your workload, not your old formula.

Compare the same number of outputs, resolution, and delivery mode. Then budget inputs and other services separately. Both models’ rates are linked in the official pricing table.

3×

Check the input line.

Standard input rises from $0.50 to $1.50 per million tokens; Batch input rises from $0.25 to $0.75. An image-heavy editing conversation can change the total-cost comparison.

4K

Check the token count.

The square 4K reference changes from 2,520 to 3,780 image tokens. The image rate changes too. A blanket “half the old cost” assumption would miss this difference.

These comparisons use the two model sections in the pricing page, checked 22 Oct 2026. They describe individual line items, not a promised saving on your full bill.

Start with the previous model
03 / WORKFLOW COMPATIBILITY

Budget for the experience you need.

A

Interactive and asynchronous are different products.

Use Standard for time-sensitive interactions. Evaluate Batch for non-urgent work with queued processing. Review result retrieval, partial failures, and duplicate submissions before moving production traffic. The Batch guide describes a 24-hour target and currently documents the generateContent API workflow.

B

Keep your output settings explicit.

Record resolution, aspect ratio, reference inputs, and expected images per request. Check representative text rendering, composition, and editing continuity with your own prompts. A price comparison cannot establish quality equivalence.

C

Audit every paid line item.

Capture input, image output, text and thinking output, and search usage where provided. Keep token categories separate. Avoid applying an image rate to all tokens in an interleaved response.

For another provider or an unlisted model, use the calculator’s Custom per-image rate with a rate you independently verify. Match the billing unit first. Unsupported resolutions, estimated discounts, and consumer subscription prices should not become API facts.

04 / A MEASURED ROLLOUT

A small comparison can prevent a large surprise.

  1. Save a baseline. Keep a representative set of your existing prompts, settings, outputs, and usage records.
  2. Run the same work on the candidate model. Measure accepted outputs and paid usage. Count discarded variants as part of the project’s cost.
  3. Compare cost per accepted image. Divide measured spend by usable outputs. Include the input and service costs omitted from this planner.
  4. Increase volume in stages. Set your own budget limit, review actual billing, and keep a tested fallback while the new workflow settles.

BEFORE YOU SWITCH

Confirm current availability and deprecation status in the official release notes and model specification. This guide is a dated snapshot; it does not execute migrations or call an API.

Plan your image output budget