---
format: "aidr-story-markdown/v1"
id: "416bcb4a1203f202e18087784a2d4ba78b5c5e969d7d0011b2915f78807be851"
canonical_url: "https://aidr.today/416bcb4a?lang=en"
title: "Google's Nano Banana 2.1 Takes #4 in Image Benchmarks at Half Cost"
lang: "en"
requested_lang: "en"
available_langs: ["en","vi"]
translation_fallback: null
fallback_fields: []
published_at: "2026-10-08T17:08:49.000Z"
category: "Models"
topics: ["google","inference"]
source_urls: ["https://marketbrief.now/ai/update-googles-nano-banana-21-takes-4-in-image-benchmarks-at-half-cost-68f9dbf6","https://x.com/ArtificialAnlys/status/2108236656700768310","https://x.com/arena/status/2107576893973344578","https://x.com/nicdunz/status/2108236991943098398","https://x.com/lyraxana/status/2107295323819233403","https://x.com/testingcatalog/status/2107499443532530001","https://x.com/mark_k/status/2107513352876425400","https://huggingnews.com/ai/update-googles-nano-banana-21-takes-4-in-image-benchmarks-at-half-cost-68f9dbf6"]
summary: "Google's Nano Banana 2.1 image model ranked #4 on Artificial Analysis Text-to-Image and Image-Editing leaderboards at half the cost of Nano Banana 2. Based on Gemini 3.6 Flash, the model is available via Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, the Gemini app, and third-party providers."
---

# Google's Nano Banana 2\.1 Takes \#4 in Image Benchmarks at Half Cost

> [Open the canonical story](<https://aidr.today/416bcb4a?lang=en>)

**Published:** 2026-10-08T17:08:49.000Z
**Category:** Models
**Topics:** google, inference

## Summary

Google's Nano Banana 2\.1 image model ranked \#4 on Artificial Analysis Text\-to\-Image and Image\-Editing leaderboards at half the cost of Nano Banana 2\. Based on Gemini 3\.6 Flash, the model is available via Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, the Gemini app, and third\-party providers\.

## Sources

- [Story source](<https://marketbrief.now/ai/update-googles-nano-banana-21-takes-4-in-image-benchmarks-at-half-cost-68f9dbf6>)
- [Story source](<https://x.com/ArtificialAnlys/status/2108236656700768310>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/arena/status/2107576893973344578>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/nicdunz/status/2108236991943098398>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/lyraxana/status/2107295323819233403>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/testingcatalog/status/2107499443532530001>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/mark_k/status/2107513352876425400>)
- [Story source](<https://huggingnews.com/ai/update-googles-nano-banana-21-takes-4-in-image-benchmarks-at-half-cost-68f9dbf6>)