Cheap Image Generation API: Compare Nano Banana and GPT Image Providers
Compare Nano Banana and GPT Image 2, 2.5, 2.6 API prices on APIMaster, fal, Kie.ai and WaveSpeedAI. Same-model rates, public discounts and 1,000-image budgets.
Published · Updated
APIMaster offers Nano Banana 2 from $0.0134 per 1K image and Nano Banana Pro from $0.0201 per 1K or 2K image. At 1K, the checked Nano Banana 2 quote is 66.5% below Kie.ai's $0.04 and about 78.7% below WaveSpeedAI's publicly discounted $0.063. GPT Image 2, both 2.5 models and both 2.6 models each start at $0.025 per 1K image. Compare the same model across platforms before changing models to save money.
Checked 2026-11-09. All image prices are USD per output. APIMaster counts only enabled, non-exclusive public routes; prices shown are starting quotes, with current account prices and supported settings governed by the live marketplace card. The first table uses Google's published image-output estimates for Nano Banana and explicitly labeled marketplace references for GPT Image. Input, search, editing and other charges can differ.
| Model ID | Original / reference price: 1K | APIMaster current price: 1K | Active public routes | Discount | Model card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gemini-3.1-flash-image · Nano Banana 2 |
Google output estimate $0.067 | From $0.0134 | 4 | Up to 80% off Google output estimate | Buy Nano Banana 2 |
gemini-nano-banana-2.1 |
Google output estimate $0.0336 | From $0.016011 | 6 | Up to ~52.3% off Google output estimate | Buy Nano Banana 2.1 |
gemini-3-pro-image · Nano Banana Pro |
Google output estimate $0.134 | $0.0201 | 1 | Up to 85% off Google output estimate | Buy Nano Banana Pro |
gpt-image-2 |
Market reference $0.25 | From $0.025 | 5 | Up to 90% off market reference | Buy Image 2 |
gpt-image-2.5-flare |
Market reference $0.25 | From $0.025 | 4 | Up to 90% off market reference | Buy 2.5 Flare |
gpt-image-2.5-sunburst |
Market reference $0.25 | From $0.025 | 4 | Up to 90% off market reference | Buy 2.5 Sunburst |
gpt-image-2.6-flare |
Market reference $0.25 | From $0.025 | 5 | Up to 90% off market reference | Buy 2.6 Flare |
gpt-image-2.6-sunburst |
Market reference $0.25 | From $0.025 | 5 | Up to 90% off market reference | Buy 2.6 Sunburst |
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Nano Banana API price comparison: APIMaster vs fal, Kie.ai and WaveSpeedAI
These are text-to-image output quotes for the same named model and resolution, without web/image search. WaveSpeedAI's checked 1K form already includes its public 10% discount. Kie.ai rows use ordinary pay-as-you-go rates; its conditional high-tier top-up bonuses are discussed below. Google rows cover image output only, rather than the entire request bill.
| Same model / output | APIMaster from | Other platform | Other platform price | How much cheaper is APIMaster? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 · 1K | $0.0134 | Kie.ai | $0.04 | 66.5% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2 · 1K | $0.0134 | WaveSpeedAI · public 10% off | $0.063 | About 78.7% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2 · 1K | $0.0134 | fal | $0.08 | About 83.2% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2 · 2K | $0.0202 | Kie.ai | $0.06 | About 66.3% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2 · 4K | $0.0302 | Kie.ai | $0.09 | About 66.4% cheaper |
| Nano Banana Pro · 1K / 2K | $0.0201 | Kie.ai | $0.09 | About 77.7% cheaper |
| Nano Banana Pro · 1K | $0.0201 | WaveSpeedAI · public 10% off | $0.126 | About 84.0% cheaper |
| Nano Banana Pro · 1K / 2K | $0.0201 | fal | $0.15 | 86.6% cheaper |
| Nano Banana Pro · 4K | $0.036 | Kie.ai | $0.12 | 70% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2.1 · 1K | ~$0.016011 | Kie.ai | $0.02 | About 19.9% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2.1 · 2K | ~$0.024017 | Kie.ai | $0.03 | About 19.9% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2.1 · 4K | ~$0.054038 | Kie.ai | $0.045 | APIMaster costs about 20.1% more |
The strongest checked advantages are Nano Banana 2 and Pro; APIMaster does not win every row. For 2.1 at 4K, Kie.ai's ordinary quote is lower. Keep that distinction when selecting a provider. For direct Google, Nano Banana 2's 1K / 2K / 4K output estimates are $0.067 / $0.101 / $0.151; Pro's are $0.134 / $0.134 / $0.24. APIMaster's corresponding starting quotes are 80% and 85% lower, respectively.
Kie.ai advertises approximate bonus-adjusted 1K prices of $0.036 for Nano Banana 2 and $0.082 for Pro on qualifying high-tier top-ups. Against those displayed approximations, APIMaster is still about 62.8% and 75.5% lower. These are conditional credit economics, not rates available to every small top-up. Do not subtract another 10% from a price that already includes a bonus.
GPT Image 2 and 2.5: compare the same per-image offer
For ordinary image outputs, Kie.ai lists $0.03 / $0.05 / $0.08 at 1K / 2K / 4K for GPT Image 2 and both GPT Image 2.5 variants. APIMaster's minimum quotes are $0.025 / $0.039 / $0.078 for each of those exact models.
| Same model | Output | APIMaster from | Kie.ai ordinary rate | How much cheaper is APIMaster? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2 | 1K / 2K / 4K | $0.025 / $0.039 / $0.078 | $0.03 / $0.05 / $0.08 | About 16.7% / 22% / 2.5% cheaper |
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare | 1K / 2K / 4K | $0.025 / $0.039 / $0.078 | $0.03 / $0.05 / $0.08 | About 16.7% / 22% / 2.5% cheaper |
| GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | 1K / 2K / 4K | $0.025 / $0.039 / $0.078 | $0.03 / $0.05 / $0.08 | About 16.7% / 22% / 2.5% cheaper |
These compare published per-image tariffs, not a paid test proving identical results or support for every quality setting. APIMaster's lowest $0.025 route explicitly lists 1K only; 2K and 4K minima come from other routes. Kie.ai also advertises conditional top-up bonuses. A 10% bonus means dividing a cash payment by 1.10: its $0.08 rate would become about $0.07273, below APIMaster's $0.078. The ordinary-rate saving is not a promise to beat every membership or wallet offer.
GPT Image 2.6: flat image quotes versus token and quality pricing
Both 2.6 Flare and 2.6 Sunburst start at $0.025 / $0.039 / $0.078 for 1K / 2K / 4K static images. Their 1K public price range is $0.025–$0.25; each has five enabled public routes.
Kie.ai's 2.6 offer uses token billing, including $4.50/M text input, $7.20/M image input and $27/M image output. For an illustrative request with 1,000 uncached text-input tokens and 4,000 image-output tokens, its listed formula gives $0.1125, before image input or other usage. That is a calculation, not a measured 1K image price or a fixed percentage saving. The output-only token cost reaches $0.025 at about 926 tokens; the actual usage determines which tariff is cheaper.
WaveSpeedAI uses quality-specific image prices. Its 2.6 Flare and Sunburst pages show a default 1K medium quote of $0.045 after a public 10% discount, versus a $0.05 list price. APIMaster's $0.025 is a lower displayed starting tariff, but the marketplace response alone does not establish identical quality settings; confirm the chosen route's profile before calculating a matched-quality saving.
The same care matters for older models: WaveSpeedAI's 2.5 Flare and Sunburst list $0.024 at 1K medium, below APIMaster's $0.025 starting quote. Its Image 2 page lists low-quality 1K at $0.01. These lower offers should remain visible rather than being relabeled as an APIMaster win. fal's Image 2 page also varies by dimensions and quality: a 1024×1024 output estimate is $0.006 low, $0.053 medium or $0.211 high, with other token usage separate.
What do 1,000 images cost on each platform?
The following budgets multiply a fixed published per-image quote by 1,000, before retries, taxes or additional billable items. They are not volume-discount offers or measured acceptance rates.
| Same model / tier | APIMaster | Other platform budget | Generation-budget difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 · 1K | $13.40 | Kie.ai $40.00 | $26.60 less; 66.5% cheaper |
| Nano Banana 2 · 1K | $13.40 | WaveSpeedAI public promotion $63.00 | $49.60 less; about 78.7% cheaper |
| Nano Banana Pro · 2K | $20.10 | fal $150.00 | $129.90 less; 86.6% cheaper |
| Nano Banana Pro · 4K | $36.00 | Kie.ai $120.00 | $84.00 less; 70% cheaper |
| GPT Image 2 / 2.5 · 2K | $39.00 | Kie.ai ordinary rate $50.00 | $11.00 less; 22% cheaper |
| GPT Image 2.6 Flare / Sunburst · 1K | $25.00 | Kie.ai token-billed; no fixed total | Match returned token usage |
For product images and ad creatives, run a small acceptance test with your exact lettering, reference asset and output canvas. Record the actual provider charge and number of usable images. APIMaster's price advantage is useful when the selected route delivers the required result; a low starting quote alone does not establish equivalent speed, quality or advanced editing support.
Get an image generation API key
Choose Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro or the exact GPT Image variant above. Register, fund the API wallet and create an API key. Use https://apimaster.ai/v1, keeping your key on your server.
For GPT Image, submit to POST /images/generations/async with model: "gpt-image-2", your prompt, size: "16:9", resolution: "2k", quality: "high" and n: 1, after checking that the selected route supports that profile. Save the task ID and poll GET https://apimaster.ai/v1/tasks/{task_id}?model=gpt-image-2. Do not add unsupported fields or resubmit merely because the initial response times out. See the Image 2 API guide and 2.6 API guide for each contract.
For Nano Banana, use the model-specific guide; reference editing requires the actual input image. The automatic GPT trial promotion has a separate live catalog and does not promise free image-generation credits.
FAQ
Which cheap image generation API has the clearest APIMaster saving?
In the 2026-11-09 comparison, Nano Banana 2 at 1K is 66.5% below Kie.ai and about 78.7% below WaveSpeedAI's public promotional quote. Nano Banana Pro at 1K/2K is 86.6% below fal. Those savings concern the listed same-model output tariffs.
Are GPT Image 2, 2.5 and 2.6 all available?
Yes. The checked APIMaster public catalog lists Image 2, 2.5 Flare/Sunburst and 2.6 Flare/Sunburst, each from $0.025 at 1K. Use the exact model ID; these are distinct models rather than interchangeable labels.
Does 90% off mean 90% cheaper than every other provider?
No. GPT Image's 90% figure uses APIMaster's configured marketplace reference. The named-provider tables use each platform's own published prices, with different savings and some cheaper competing offers.
Is APIMaster always cheaper than Kie.ai or WaveSpeedAI?
No. Kie.ai's Nano Banana 2.1 4K rate is lower in this snapshot, and WaveSpeedAI's 2.5 1K medium tariff is below APIMaster's starting quote. Top-up bonuses and quality settings can change the comparison. Compare the exact purchase.
How do I start?
Register → create an API key → use https://apimaster.ai/v1 with an exact ID such as gpt-image-2.6-flare or gemini-nano-banana-2.1. Open the live model card before submitting. For video workloads, compare video API providers.
Sources and comparison method
Public pricing checked 2026-11-09: APIMaster live marketplace, Google image-output pricing, and the individual fal, Kie.ai and WaveSpeedAI model pages linked in each row. No paid cross-platform generations were performed. Savings use (other quote − APIMaster quote) / other quote on unrounded prices, then conservative display rounding. Public promotions are included where verified; conditional top-up bonuses are identified separately. Static-image prices do not automatically cover SVG conversion, animated GIF sheets, search or reference-image input. The live card and actual usage log govern your purchase.
Same-model platform prices: APIMaster vs OpenRouter and Vercel.