GPT Image 2.6 vs Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana Pro, Seedream 5.0 and Qwen Image 3.0: Which Image API to Use (2026)

Short answer

• Need animated GIFs or SVG files? GPT Image 2.6 — it's the only one of these whose official docs list GIF and SVG output.
• Lowest list price per image? Seedream 5.0 flash ($0.018), then Qwen Image 3.0 ($0.03) and Nano Banana 2.1 (about $0.034 at 1K).
• Dense text, posters and complex instructions? Nano Banana Pro (Google's premium model with reasoning) or Qwen Image 3.0 (Alibaba cites 10px text in 12 languages).
• Multi-step edits that keep details? GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst or Nano Banana 2.1 — both vendors call out consistency across edits.
• One key for several of them? On TeamoRouter you can call GPT Image 2.6 (Flare and Sunburst) and Google's Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana 2 with the same key. Seedream and Qwen Image aren't on TeamoRouter; you'd use BytePlus or Alibaba Cloud directly.

Everything below comes from each vendor's own documentation and pricing pages, checked on November 5, 2026.

New accounts start with a $0 balance — top up before your first request. Top up from $5. If a request returns 402 (400 on the OpenAI format) with "wallet balance is insufficient", your balance is empty — your base URL and key are fine. Top up and retry.

Get one API key for GPT Image 2.6 and Nano Banana — sign up and top up from $5 by card or USDT.

The models at a glance

Sources: OpenAI image generation guide and @OpenAIDevs; Google Gemini image generation docs; BytePlus Seedream 5.0 and ModelArk pricing; Alibaba Cloud qwen-image-3.0.

Features only some models have

"Not listed" means the vendor's docs we checked don't mention it, not that it's impossible.

Official prices

Per output image unless noted; list prices from each vendor's pricing page, without promotions.

The Google per-image figures are Google's own conversions. OpenAI doesn't publish a fixed per-image price for GPT Image 2.6; use the calculator in its image generation guide or the usage field in the response. TeamoRouter's own prices are on the pricing page.

Which one to pick

For GIFs, stickers and animated mascots: GPT Image 2.6 Flare to iterate on the motion, Sunburst for the final loop. Nothing else in this list lists GIF output.

For logos and icons you'll edit later: GPT Image 2.6 with output_format: "svg". The others return raster images.

For high volume at the lowest unit price: Seedream 5.0 flash or Qwen Image 3.0 if you're fine using BytePlus or Alibaba Cloud directly; Nano Banana 2.1 if you want it on the same key as your other models.

For posters, infographics and UI mockups with lots of text: Nano Banana Pro or Qwen Image 3.0; GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst with complexity: "high" is the OpenAI option.

For product photos edited in several steps: GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst with a markup overlay, or Nano Banana 2.1 in a multi-turn conversation.

Calling them through one key

GPT Image 2.6 uses the OpenAI Images API format:

curl https://api.teamorouter.com/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TEAMO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "gpt-image-2.6-flare", "prompt": "A sticker of a smiling cactus, flat colors", "quality": "low"}'

Nano Banana uses the native Gemini API (generateContent), with the same TeamoRouter key:

curl https://api.teamorouter.com/v1beta/models/gemini-nano-banana-2.1:generateContent \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TEAMO_API_KEY" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "contents": [{"role": "user", "parts": [{"text": "A sticker of a smiling cactus, flat colors"}]}],
    "generationConfig": {"responseModalities": ["IMAGE"], "imageConfig": {"imageSize": "1K"}}
  }'

Both return the image as Base64. The full parameter lists are in GPT Image 2.6 API and Nano Banana 2.1 API.

FAQ

Is GPT Image 2.6 better than Nano Banana?

It depends on the job. GPT Image 2.6 is the one with GIF and SVG output and a complexity control; Nano Banana 2.1 is cheaper per 1K image at list price and adds Google Search grounding; Nano Banana Pro is Google's pick for complex instructions and text.

Which is the cheapest image API?

At list price per image, Seedream 5.0 flash ($0.018), then Qwen Image 3.0 ($0.03) and Nano Banana 2.1 (about $0.034 at 1K).

Can I use Seedream or Qwen Image through TeamoRouter?

Not at the moment; they aren't on TeamoRouter's price list. GPT Image 2.6 and Google's Nano Banana models are.

Do I need an OpenAI or Google account?

Not through TeamoRouter: one TeamoRouter key works for both. See how to use the GPT Image 2.6 API without OpenAI organization verification.

Read more

• GPT Image 2.6 API: what's new, Sunburst vs Flare, GIF and SVG, pricing
• Use the GPT Image 2.6 API without OpenAI organization verification or a card
• Nano Banana 2.1 API: model ID, pricing, resolutions
• Model catalog