Nano Banana 2 Lite

What is Nano Banana 2 Lite?

Nano Banana 2 Lite is the fastest and cheapest model in Google's Nano Banana family. It is the public nickname for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image, released as the low-cost tier alongside Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image). It returns a finished image in roughly four seconds — about 2.7x faster than Nano Banana 2 — at a flat per-image price with no resolution tiers. Output is capped at 1K (1024x1024). It supports 14 aspect ratios plus auto, accepts up to 14 reference images at 30 MB each, and takes prompts up to 20,000 characters. The model is available through the Nano Banana 2 Lite API for programmatic image generation.

Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana 2 Lite

	Nano Banana 2 Lite	Nano Banana 2	Nano Banana Pro
Base model	Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image	Gemini 3.1 Flash Image	Gemini 3 Pro Image
Max resolution	1K only	4K	4K
Speed	~4s	~12s at 1K	Slowest
Text rendering	Weakest	Good	Sharpest
Aspect ratios	14 + auto	14 + auto	10 + auto
Reference images	14	14	8
Web search grounding	No	Yes	Yes
Relative cost	Lowest	Middle	Highest

Pick Lite for drafts, batch runs, and 1K-native assets. Pick Nano Banana 2 when you need 2K or 4K with reliable text. Pick Pro when text sharpness and fine detail decide whether the image ships.

Use cases

High-volume developer pipelines where cost per image matters more than pixel count. Rapid prompt iteration before committing to an expensive final render on Nano Banana 2 or Pro. Thumbnails, avatars, in-app illustrations, and other 1K-native assets. Batch generation of concept variations. Lightweight reference-guided edits.

Inputs

All parameters are passed in the input object of the run request.

Parameter	Required	Description
prompt	Yes	Text description (1-20000 chars)
aspect_ratio	No	Output aspect ratio. Default 1:1. Supports 14 ratios including ultra-wide (8:1, 1:8) and auto
image_urls	No	Up to 14 reference images (max 30 MB each) for guided generation

There is no resolution parameter. Lite always renders at 1K.

Prompt tips

Draft on Lite, finish on Nano Banana 2

The two models share a prompt dialect. Iterate on wording, composition, and reference images here at a fraction of the cost, then re-run the winning prompt on Nano Banana 2 when you need 2K or 4K.

Keep text short

Lite renders text less reliably than Nano Banana 2 or Pro — long strings, small type, and dense signage tend to garble. A few large words work; a paragraph on a poster does not.

Describe lighting explicitly

Lite skews darker and moodier than the full model by default. If you want a bright, clean result, say so: "even studio lighting, bright white background".

Limitations

• 1K output only - no 2K or 4K, and no resolution parameter
• Text rendering is noticeably weaker than Nano Banana 2 and Pro
• No web search grounding, unlike the full Nano Banana 2
• Less reasoning depth on complex multi-subject prompts
• Maximum 14 reference images per request, 30 MB each
• Prompt length capped at 20,000 characters
• Image generation only - Nano Banana 2 Lite does not generate video

FAQ

How fast is Nano Banana 2 Lite?

Roughly four seconds per image, about 2.7x faster than Nano Banana 2 at the same 1K resolution. Speed is the whole point of the Lite tier — it trades resolution ceiling, text fidelity, and reasoning depth for latency and price.

Does Nano Banana 2 Lite support 4K?

No. Output is capped at 1K (1024x1024). There is no resolution parameter at all. If you need 2K or 4K, use Nano Banana 2 or Nano Banana Pro.

What aspect ratios does Nano Banana 2 Lite support?

Fourteen ratios plus auto: 1:1, 1:4, 1:8, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:1, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 8:1, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9. The default is 1:1.

Does Nano Banana 2 Lite add a visible watermark?

Not on Runbase. Images generated here come back clean — no "Gemini" corner badge, no overlay, nothing to crop out. The visible watermark some users see is a Gemini consumer-app behavior, not part of what the API returns.

Nano Banana 2 Lite vs Nano Banana 2: which should you choose?

Lite is roughly three times faster and costs about half as much, but it is 1K-only, renders text less reliably, and has no web search grounding. Nano Banana 2 goes up to 4K with sharper text and deeper reasoning. Use Lite for drafts, batches, and 1K-native assets; use Nano Banana 2 when the direction is settled and the output ships.

How to use Nano Banana 2 Lite

Two ways on Runbase: use the Playground at the top of this page to generate instantly with a prompt and optional reference images, or call the API by POSTing to /api/v1/runs with model: "google/nano-banana-2-lite" and an input object containing prompt (required), aspect_ratio, and up to 14 image_urls. New accounts receive free credit on signup to try it. See the API tab for full code samples.

How much does Nano Banana 2 Lite cost?

Runbase prices Nano Banana 2 Lite at a flat rate per generated image, with no resolution tiers - every generation costs the same, and the price is shown in the Pricing section above. Because there is no 2K or 4K upsell, your cost per image is predictable across a whole batch.

Is Nano Banana 2 Lite free?

It is pay-as-you-go rather than free, but new Runbase accounts receive free credit on signup that works toward Nano Banana 2 Lite and other models. Because Lite is the cheapest model in the family, that credit stretches furthest here.