Nano Banana Pro API
What is Nano Banana Pro
Nano Banana Pro is varg's catalog name for Google's Gemini 3 Pro Image model — text-to-image generation routed via fal.ai. A lighter, cheaper sibling (Nano Banana 2) and a reference-editing variant (Nano Banana Pro / Edit) exist in the same family.
Nano Banana Pro via varg vs. calling fal.ai directly
Direct fal.ai access means a separate account and billing relationship for this one model. Through varg, Nano Banana Pro shares the same gateway, credit balance, and 30-day generation cache as every other image, video, and speech model in the catalog.
Pricing
Estimated cost via varg: $1.26 per image, flat — this is a per-image rate, not per-megapixel, so cost doesn't change with output resolution the way Flux Pro's does.
Code example
curl https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/image \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "fal:nano_banana_pro",
"prompt": "editorial-style photo of a running shoe on wet asphalt, dramatic side light"
}'
See docs.varg.ai for the confirmed request/response shape.
When to use Nano Banana Pro vs. other image models
Use Nano Banana Pro for straightforward text-to-image generation via Google's model. Use Nano Banana Pro / Edit instead for reference-based editing of an existing image rather than generating from scratch. For a cheaper Google option, Nano Banana 2 is the previous generation at an estimated $0.68/image. Against Flux Pro ($0.68/megapixel) the pricing structure differs enough (flat per-image vs. per-megapixel) that the cheaper option depends on your target resolution — check both at your actual output size before committing.
Nano Banana Pro API via varg vs. direct
| Direct | Via varg | |
|---|---|---|
| Separate provider account needed | Yes (fal.ai account) | No — one VARG_API_KEY |
| Combine with video/speech in one pipeline | Manual glue code | Built-in (same gateway, same credit balance) |
| Automatic caching of repeated generations | No | Yes — content-addressed, 30-day TTL |
| Billing | fal.ai's own billing | Credit-based, 1 credit = 1 cent |
FAQ
How much does Nano Banana Pro cost via varg?
An estimated $1.26 per image, flat — it doesn't scale with resolution the way per-megapixel models do.
Is Nano Banana Pro the same as Gemini's image generation?
Yes — varg's catalog describes it as Google's Gemini 3 Pro Image model, routed via fal.ai.
Can I edit an existing image with this model?
Use the separate 'Nano Banana Pro / Edit' route for reference-based editing — this page covers base text-to-image generation.
Is there a cheaper Nano Banana option?
Yes — Nano Banana 2, the previous generation, at an estimated $0.68 per image.