AI image models · compared
Flux 3 Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
Flux 3 Image and Nano Banana 2.1 are both AI image models that run on one varg API key. This page puts what the varg catalog states about each side by side: the price, how it is billed, what it takes and the typical time. It ranks neither on quality.
- Flux 3 Image
- From $0.02 per run $0.048/MP
- Nano Banana 2.1
- From $0.05 per run from $0.05/image
Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01.
Flux 3 Image vs Nano Banana 2.1: side by side
Every row is read from the varg catalog and each model's input schema. A "from" price is the cheapest request the catalog states for that model, at its own cheapest settings. For the exact price of a request, send its body to POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/estimate.
| Fact | Flux 3 Image | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Black Forest Labs | |
| Takes and makes | Text to image, Image to image | Text to image, Image to image |
| Price | From $0.02 per run | From $0.05 per run |
| Rates on the cheapest route | Per megapixel: $0.048; Minimum charge: $0.02 | Resolution 1K: $0.05/image; Resolution 2K: $0.07/image; Resolution 4K: $0.15/image; Other: $0.15/image; Minimum charge: $0.05 |
| Billed | per megapixel | per image |
| Typical time | ~30 s | ~20 s |
| Routes | 2 on fal | 2 on fal |
| Model id | flux_3_image | nano_banana_2_1 |
Which to pick
Each line is a difference between two rows of the table. None of it says which model's output looks better: that depends on the prompt.
Pick Flux 3 Image when
- you want the lower starting price: from $0.02 per run, against from $0.05 per run, each at the model's own cheapest settings.
Pick Nano Banana 2.1 when
- you want the shorter typical wait: ~20 s, against ~30 s, by the catalog's estimates.
Call Flux 3 Image and Nano Banana 2.1
One endpoint and one API key for both: POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/image/call with Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY. It answers 202 with a job right away; poll GET /v2/jobs/{id} until its status is completed.
Flux 3 Image
curl -X POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/image/call \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "flux_3_image",
"prompt": "A red fox leaping over a stream in a pine forest, low-angle wildlife photograph."
}'vargai call_tool --tool image '{"model":"flux_3_image","prompt":"A red fox leaping over a stream in a pine forest, low-angle wildlife photograph."}'Nano Banana 2.1
curl -X POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/image/call \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "nano_banana_2_1",
"prompt": "An infographic poster explaining how a coffee bean becomes espresso, five labelled steps, clean flat illustration.",
"aspect_ratio": "3:4"
}'vargai call_tool --tool image '{"model":"nano_banana_2_1","prompt":"An infographic poster explaining how a coffee bean becomes espresso, five labelled steps, clean flat illustration.","aspect_ratio":"3:4"}'How billing works
Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01. varg's fee is on the top-up, not on the run: 5.5% of the credits you buy ($0.80 at the least), or 8% for a team workspace. Pricing
Flux 3 Image vs Nano Banana 2.1: questions
- Which is cheaper, Flux 3 Image or Nano Banana 2.1?
- Flux 3 Image starts lower: from $0.02 per run, against from $0.05 per run for Nano Banana 2.1. Those are each model's cheapest settings, and the price of a request depends on what it asks for: the table lists each model's rates. For the exact price of a request before you run it, send the same body to POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/estimate.
- Can I use Flux 3 Image and Nano Banana 2.1 with one API key?
- Yes. Both run on varg behind POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/image/call with one API key and one credit balance: send "model": "flux_3_image" or "model": "nano_banana_2_1". Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01.