AI image models · compared
Nano Banana 2.1 vs Seedream 5 Pro
Nano Banana 2.1 and Seedream 5 Pro 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.
- Nano Banana 2.1
- From $0.05 per run from $0.05/image
- Seedream 5 Pro
- From $0.0675/image
Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01.
Nano Banana 2.1 vs Seedream 5 Pro: 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 | Nano Banana 2.1 | Seedream 5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | ByteDance | |
| Takes and makes | Text to image, Image to image | Text to image, Image to image |
| Price | From $0.05 per run | From $0.0675/image |
| Rates on the cheapest route | Resolution 1K: $0.05/image; Resolution 2K: $0.07/image; Resolution 4K: $0.15/image; Other: $0.15/image; Minimum charge: $0.05 | Image size square_hd: $0.0675/image; Image size square: $0.0675/image; Image size portrait_4_3: $0.0675/image; Image size portrait_16_9: $0.0675/image; Image size landscape_4_3: $0.0675/image; Image size landscape_16_9: $0.0675/image; Image size auto_1K: $0.0675/image; Other: $0.135/image |
| Billed | per image | per image |
| Typical time | ~20 s | ~25 s |
| Routes | 2 on fal | 3 on byteplus and fal |
| Model id | nano_banana_2_1 | seedream_5_pro |
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 Nano Banana 2.1 when
- you want the lower starting rate: from $0.05/image, against from $0.0675/image; the table gives each model's rate by setting.
- you want the shorter typical wait: ~20 s, against ~25 s, by the catalog's estimates.
Pick Seedream 5 Pro when
you prefer its output. On price, limits and inputs the catalog states no advantage for Seedream 5 Pro over Nano Banana 2.1, so run one prompt on both and compare.
Call Nano Banana 2.1 and Seedream 5 Pro
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.
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"}'Seedream 5 Pro
curl -X POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/image/call \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "seedream_5_pro",
"prompt": "A ceramic teapot shaped like a sleeping fox, studio product shot, soft light"
}'vargai call_tool --tool image '{"model":"seedream_5_pro","prompt":"A ceramic teapot shaped like a sleeping fox, studio product shot, soft light"}'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
Nano Banana 2.1 vs Seedream 5 Pro: questions
- Which is cheaper, Nano Banana 2.1 or Seedream 5 Pro?
- By starting rate, Nano Banana 2.1 is lower: Nano Banana 2.1 from $0.05/image, Seedream 5 Pro from $0.0675/image. 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 Nano Banana 2.1 and Seedream 5 Pro 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": "nano_banana_2_1" or "model": "seedream_5_pro". Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01.