Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) vs GPT-5 Image Mini
GPT-5 Image Mini costs 1.5x less per output token than Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) ($2.00 vs $3.00 per million). Updated October 21, 2026; 3 benchmarks have a result for both.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) or GPT-5 Image Mini: which to pick
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Compare them on price, context and the boards below.
- Shared results
- 3
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) only
- 0
- GPT-5 Image Mini only
- 0
- Like-for-like categories
- 1 of 9
Only benchmarks that tested both models count toward a pick; a result only one model has is shown but not compared.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Image generation
Design Arena: images
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview)
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) leads, 1269 against 1184.
Same board, both measured
Long documents
Listed context window
GPT-5 Image Mini
GPT-5 Image Mini takes 400K tokens against 66K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview)
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) $0.0020, GPT-5 Image Mini $0.0035 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) not benchmarked, GPT-5 Image Mini not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Image generation, 8.7 points apart on average over 3 shared benchmarks.
- Widest single gap
- Design Arena: images: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) 1269 against GPT-5 Image Mini 1184, 10.6 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) $3.00 against GPT-5 Image Mini $2.00 per million output tokens, 1.5x apart.
- Context window
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) takes 66K tokens, GPT-5 Image Mini 400K.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | Bars | GPT-5 Image Mini | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image generation | 3 | 0 | ||
| All shared boards | 3 | 0 |
CodingNot comparableSix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 39 boards here | |||
IntelligenceNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 2 boards here | |||
Agentic workNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 41 boards here | |||
ReasoningNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 22 boards here | |||
MathNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 13 boards here | |||
KnowledgeNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 18 boards here | |||
Web designNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 9 boards here | |||
GeneralNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 46 boards here | |||
Image generationLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index30
| Benchmark | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | GPT-5 Image Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Arena: images | 1269 | 1184 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) |
| Design Arena: graphic design | 1249 | 1165 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) |
| Design Arena: logos | 1248 | 1209 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) |
| Neither model has a result on the other 2 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | Google Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | OpenAI GPT-5 Image Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | OpenAI | |
| Weights | No public weights listed | No public weights listed |
| Released | February 26, 2026 | October 16, 2025 |
| Context window | 66K | 400K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.50 | $2.50 |
| Output $/Mtok | $3.00 | $2.00 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) better than GPT-5 Image Mini for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Compare them on price, context and the boards below.
Which is cheaper, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) or GPT-5 Image Mini?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) costs $0.50 per million input tokens and $3.00 per million output tokens; GPT-5 Image Mini costs $2.50 and $2.00. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) or GPT-5 Image Mini?
GPT-5 Image Mini, with 400K tokens against 66K.
How many benchmarks is the Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) vs GPT-5 Image Mini comparison based on?
3 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 21, 2026. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview)'s coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and GPT-5 Image Mini's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.