Seedream vs Nano Banana Pro: Resolution, Editing and Cost

Seedream (ByteDance) and Nano Banana Pro (Google) are the two image models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Both generate images from text and edit existing ones. They differ in how they price resolution, what extra tools they offer, and — by a wide margin — what a single image costs.

The figures below are from the Reelina catalogue as of October 2026. We compare settings and prices, not taste: the fair quality test is the same prompt through both, which on Reelina is two generations on one balance.

Side by side

	Seedream 4.5 / 5.0	Nano Banana Pro
Maker	ByteDance	Google
Text-to-image	Yes	Yes
Editing	Yes, one or more images	Yes, one or more images
Size control	Exact pixel sizes, up to 6240×2656 (4.5)	Resolution steps: 1K, 2K, 4K; Ultra: 4K, 8K
Sets of matching images	Sequential mode	—
Extras	Layer decomposition (5.0 Pro), reasoning and prompt optimisation (5.0 Pro)	Web search grounding (text-to-image and edit)
Base price on Reelina	6–11 coins	42 coins (1K), Ultra 46 coins (4K)

Cost per image

Variant	Coins	Base size
Seedream 5.0 Flash	6	Text-to-image and edit
Seedream 5.0 Pro Layer Decomposition	7	Splits an image into layers
Seedream 5.0 Lite	10	Text-to-image, edit, sequential
Seedream 4.5	11	2048×2048
Seedream 5.0 Pro	11	Text-to-image and edit
Nano Banana Pro	42	1K
Nano Banana Pro Ultra	46	4K

Larger sizes cost proportionally more in both families. At base settings, a Seedream image costs between a seventh and a quarter of a Nano Banana Pro image — which matters when you generate dozens of candidates to find one.

Where Seedream fits better

• Volume. At 6–11 coins, exploring many variations is cheap.
• Large, exact sizes. Seedream 4.5 takes explicit pixel sizes up to 6240×2656 and 4096×4096, including wide banner shapes.
• Consistent sets. Sequential mode returns several images of the same subject — useful for character sheets, product angles and carousels, and as references for video models.
• Layers. Seedream 5.0 Pro can split a finished image into separate layers for further editing.

Where Nano Banana Pro fits better

• Prompts that depend on current facts. Its web search option lets the model look things up while generating.
• Very high resolution in one step. The Ultra variants go to 4K and 8K.
• Google's model for editing, with several input images per edit.

How to choose

1. Explore on Seedream 5.0 Flash (6 coins) until the idea is right.
2. Need a set of matching images? Seedream Sequential.
3. Need web-grounded content or 8K output? Finish on Nano Banana Pro or Pro Ultra.
4. Still deciding? Run your final prompt through both — two generations, one balance.

Every variant and its current price is on the Seedream 4.5, Seedream 5 and Nano Banana Pro pages. To try them, open Seedream 4.5 or Nano Banana Pro text-to-image.

FAQ

Is Seedream cheaper than Nano Banana Pro? Yes, by a wide margin at base settings: 6–11 coins per Seedream image against 42 coins for Nano Banana Pro at 1K.

Which one makes bigger images? Nano Banana Pro Ultra goes to 8K. Seedream 4.5 goes to 6240×2656 and 4096×4096, with exact pixel sizes rather than steps.

Can both edit my photos? Yes. Both have edit variants that take one or more input images and a prompt.

Do I need a Google or ByteDance account? No. Both run in your browser on one Reelina coin balance, with no API key. There is no free tier; each run's cost is shown before you start.