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Nano Banana 2.1 API

The Nano Banana 2.1 API: Google's newest image model at 1K, 2K and 4K, from $0.03 an image, below Google's price at every size.

Price per image11%off
1K
$0.03$0.0336
2K
$0.04$0.0504
4K
$0.06$0.113
Get your API keyTry it in the playground
Model IDnano-banana-2.1
generate.py
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.zurelay.com/v1",
    api_key="YOUR_ZURELAY_KEY",
)
image = client.images.generate(
    model="nano-banana-2.1",
    prompt="A red fox sitting in fresh snow at dawn, photo",
    size="2K",
    extra_body={"aspect_ratio": "16:9"},
)
print(image.data[0].url)

Base URL https://api.zurelay.com/v1. Works with any OpenAI SDK. Nano Banana guide

Resolutions
1K · 2K · 4K
Aspect ratios
1:1 to 21:9
Input
Text, Image
Output
Image, Text
Released
Oct 6, 2026
Status
Operational

Examples

Made with Nano Banana 2.1. Straight from the API.

Every image here is a single API call with the prompt underneath it, not retouched or upscaled. They're shown as compressed WebP; the API returns full-quality PNG.

Make your own
  • A vintage travel poster for Lisbon: a yellow tram climbing a steep cobbled street, terracotta rooftops and the river behind, flat screen-printed colors. Across the top, the word "LISBOA" in tall Art Deco capitals; at the bottom, smaller text reading "Tram 28 · Since 1914".
  • Product photo of a matte black kraft coffee bag standing on a light oak counter, morning window light, a few roasted beans scattered in front, a ceramic cup out of focus behind. The front label reads "NORTHLIGHT ROASTERS" in clean white sans-serif, with "Ethiopia Yirgacheffe" and "Light Roast · 250 g" beneath it. Commercial product photography, photorealistic.
  • A clean editorial infographic titled "How a Cup of Coffee Is Made": four numbered steps in a vertical flow, each with a simple flat illustration and a short label: "Harvest the cherries", "Dry and hull", "Roast the beans", "Grind and brew". Warm brown and cream palette, generous white space, modern sans-serif type.
  • Aerial photograph of a winding river through a valley of autumn forest at sunrise, low mist in the hollows, orange and gold trees, a small stone bridge and a farmhouse with smoke rising from the chimney, soft side light, landscape photography, photorealistic.

Pricing

Nano Banana 2.1 API pricing. A fraction of the list price.

Pay as you go from prepaid credit, with no subscription. Top up from $10. Requests that fail are never billed.

RateZurelayGoogle list
1K image
per image
$0.03$0.0336
2K image
per image
$0.04$0.0504
4K image
per image
$0.06$0.113

Every image is checked against the resolution and aspect ratio you asked for before it's delivered.

Savings calculator

Move the sliders to your monthly usage.

Images per month1,000
Resolution
Zurelay
$30.00
Google list price
$33.60
You save every month$3.60

$43.20 a year

Overview

What is Nano Banana 2.1?

Nano Banana 2.1 is Google's update to Nano Banana 2, released on October 6, 2026, with better visual quality, prompt adherence, text in images and character consistency across edits. The Zurelay Nano Banana 2.1 API turns a text prompt and up to 14 reference images into 1K, 2K or 4K images through an OpenAI-style images endpoint, below Google's price at every resolution, and checks every image against Google's official size.

Google released Nano Banana 2.1 on October 6, 2026, as a stable model with the API name gemini-nano-banana-2.1. Google describes it as an update to Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), built for high-efficiency image generation and conversational editing, with improved visual quality, multi-turn character consistency and accurate text rendering. Google also lists it as the recommended replacement for Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. On Zurelay, the Nano Banana 2.1 API uses the model ID nano-banana-2.1.

Each resolution has its own price, at Google and on Zurelay. Google lists $0.0336 for a 1K image and $0.113 for a 4K image, half of Nano Banana 2's price at 1K and 2K. Zurelay charges $0.03 at 1K and $0.06 at 4K, with 2K priced in between, and the price table on this page shows all three. You pay per image generated, and failed attempts are not billed.

On Zurelay, output comes in three resolutions (1K, 2K and 4K) and ten aspect ratios: 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9 and 21:9. Google's own API adds four extra-tall and extra-wide ratios (1:4, 4:1, 1:8 and 8:1), video and PDF inputs and Google Search grounding, which Zurelay doesn't offer. Every image carries Google's invisible SynthID watermark, which identifies it as AI-generated.

Send a prompt to POST /v1/images/generations with size set to 1K, 2K or 4K and an optional aspect_ratio, the same request shape as Nano Banana 2 and Nano Banana Pro, so switching is a one-word change. To edit or combine pictures, add up to 14 reference images in images, or send them as files to /v1/images/edits. Google says the model keeps up to 4 characters consistent and up to 10 objects faithful in one workflow. Zurelay checks every image's pixel dimensions against Google's official size for the resolution and ratio you asked for, and an image that doesn't match counts as a failed attempt.

Strengths

Where Nano Banana 2.1 shines. And what teams build with it.

01

Google's newest Nano Banana

An update to Nano Banana 2 with better visual quality, prompt adherence and text rendering, released on October 6, 2026.

02

Consistent across edits

Google improved multi-turn character consistency: up to 4 characters and 10 objects stay recognizable from one image to the next.

03

Readable text in images

More accurate in-image text and infographic layout, for posters, packaging, menus and localized ads.

04

The real model, checked

Every image is measured against Google's official pixel size for your resolution and ratio, so a cheaper model can't stand in for it.

Use cases

  • Product images and packaging

    Generate product shots and label mockups where the text on the product has to read correctly.

  • Characters across a series

    Keep the same people, mascots or products recognizable across a storyboard, a comic or a run of ad variations.

  • Posters and infographics

    Lay out headlines, labels and short copy inside the image, then localize it by asking for the same design in another language.

  • 4K for print and hero banners

    Render posters, wallpapers and banners at 4K in the aspect ratio you need, without a separate upscaling step.

Get started

Call Nano Banana 2.1 in three steps.

No waitlist and no new SDK. If your code already talks to OpenAI, it already talks to Zurelay.

  1. 1

    Create a key

    Sign up, add credit and create an API key. Set a monthly budget or a rate limit per key if you like.

    Get your API key
  2. 2

    Point your SDK at Zurelay

    Change the base URL. Everything else in your code stays the same.

    https://api.zurelay.com/v1
  3. 3

    Use nano-banana-2.1

    Send a prompt to /v1/images/generations with a size and aspect ratio, and get back a link to your image.

    nano-banana-2.1

Works with the tools you already use

Compare

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FAQ

Nano Banana 2.1 API questions.

Anything else? Ask our team and we’ll answer by email.

What is the Nano Banana 2.1 API price on Zurelay?

Zurelay charges one price per resolution: $0.03 for a 1K image, rising to $0.06 at 4K, with 2K priced in between. Google's list price is $0.0336 at 1K and $0.113 at 4K, so Zurelay is below Google at every resolution. You pay per image generated, and failed attempts are not billed.

What's new in Nano Banana 2.1?

Google describes Nano Banana 2.1 as an update to Nano Banana 2 with improved visual quality, prompt adherence, multi-turn character consistency and text rendering, plus fixes for tiling artifacts in very wide and very tall images. Google's own price for it is half of Nano Banana 2's at 1K and 2K, and Google lists it as the recommended replacement for Gemini 3.1 Flash Image.

How do I generate a Nano Banana 2.1 image at 4K?

POST to https://api.zurelay.com/v1/images/generations with model set to nano-banana-2.1, your prompt, size set to 4K and an aspect_ratio such as 16:9. size also accepts pixel sizes like 1024x1536, which map to the nearest resolution and ratio. 4K images are billed at $0.06. Zurelay also accepts Google's model name, gemini-nano-banana-2.1.

Can I call the Nano Banana 2.1 API with the OpenAI SDK?

Yes. Point the OpenAI SDK at https://api.zurelay.com/v1 and call images.generate with model nano-banana-2.1 and size 1K, 2K or 4K. aspect_ratio is not an OpenAI field, so pass it through extra_body in the Python SDK or as an extra body property in Node.

Which resolutions and aspect ratios does Nano Banana 2.1 support?

On Zurelay, three resolutions: 1K, 2K and 4K. Ten aspect ratios: 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9 and 21:9. If you leave size out, you get 1K, and if you leave aspect_ratio out, the model picks the shape. Google's own API also has the 1:4, 4:1, 1:8 and 8:1 ratios, which Zurelay doesn't offer.

Should I use Nano Banana 2.1 or Nano Banana 2?

Nano Banana 2.1 is Google's newer model, with better text, prompt adherence and character consistency, and Google recommends it in place of Nano Banana 2. Both take the same request on Zurelay, so you can switch by changing the model name and compare them on your own prompts. On Zurelay, Nano Banana 2 costs a little less at each resolution.

Can I use reference images with Nano Banana 2.1 on Zurelay?

Yes. Nano Banana 2.1 takes up to 14 reference images per request, as on Google's API. Send them in images on /v1/images/generations, as https URLs or base64 data URLs, or upload them as files to /v1/images/edits with the OpenAI SDK's images.edit. An edit costs the same as a new image at that resolution. Masks and Google Search grounding are not available.

How are Nano Banana 2.1 images returned?

By default you get a signed URL for each image, and images are kept for 30 days. Set response_format to b64_json to get base64 data in the response instead. Images are returned directly, not streamed. Prompts can be up to 32,000 characters, and n can be 1 to 4 images.

Are Nano Banana 2.1 images on Zurelay the same as from Google's API?

Yes, they come from the same model, and Zurelay rejects any image that doesn't match Google's official size for your request. Every image carries Google's SynthID watermark. Generation is sampled, so the same prompt gives a different image each time on any API. Zurelay is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.

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