Intro
On February 27, 2026, Google and ByteDance both shipped new image generators within hours of each other.
Google released Nano Banana 2, a model that is not really an image generator at all. It is Gemini 3.1 Flash with native image output, which means it inherits language understanding, web search, and editing abilities that standalone image models do not have. It immediately hit #1 on Chatbot Arena's Image leaderboard.
ByteDance released Seedream 5.0 Lite, a dedicated image generation model with web-grounded generation, deep visual reasoning, and multi-reference control that accepts up to 14 input images. It outputs at up to 3K resolution and costs 22% less than its predecessor.
These two models represent fundamentally different approaches to the same problem. Nano Banana 2 is a language model that learned to draw. Seedream 5.0 Lite is a drawing model that learned to think. We ran 6 identical prompts through both to find out where each one wins.
TL;DR
- Nano Banana 2 wins 4 out of 6 tests — text rendering, web-grounded knowledge, complex scene composition, and stylized illustration. The language model foundation gives it a clear edge in understanding what the prompt actually asks for
- Seedream 5.0 Lite ties on 2 — portraits (more editorial) and product photography (cleaner minimalism). Different aesthetic, not worse
- But Seedream wins on specs — 3K resolution vs 2K, multi-reference control (14 inputs), style transfer, and cheaper at 2K (15 credits vs 16)
- Pick Nano Banana 2 if prompt accuracy matters: text in images, real-world knowledge, complex multi-person scenes, iterative editing
- Pick Seedream 5.0 Lite if output specs matter: higher resolution, reference-based workflows, style transfer, or the Seedream-to-Seedance animation pipeline
The Test: 6 Prompts, Both Models, Same Day
We designed 6 prompts that test specific capabilities. No cherry-picking. Every result shown is the first generation from each model.
Prompt 1 — Text Rendering
Prompt: A cozy coffee shop storefront with a hand-painted wooden sign reading "MOONBEAN COFFEE" above the door, and a chalkboard menu on the sidewalk listing "Espresso $4 / Latte $5 / Cold Brew $6"
This tests whether the model can render specific text accurately. Most image models scramble letters or skip words entirely.
Nano Banana 2: Rendered a full street scene with "The Morning Ritual Coffee & Bakery" sign, a chalkboard menu listing six items (Espresso, Latte, Cold Brew, Cappuccino, Pour Over, Muffins) with prices, plus a separate sidewalk sign reading "Fresh Coffee Daily / Baked Goods." Every letter is legible. The model went beyond the prompt and added more text elements than requested, all accurate.
Seedream 5.0 Lite: Clean storefront with "The Morning Ritual" sign and a three-item chalkboard menu (Espresso $4.50, Latte $5.75, Cold Brew $5.00). All text is legible. Fewer text elements than Nano Banana 2, but each one is rendered accurately.
Winner: Nano Banana 2. Both rendered clean text, but Nano Banana 2 produced significantly more text elements and every single one is legible. This is where the language model foundation shows.
Prompt 2 — Web-Grounded Knowledge
Prompt: Tokyo Tower at sunset in February, with the current seasonal illumination visible, photographed from Shiba Park with the skyline in the background
This tests whether the model uses real-world knowledge. Does it know what Tokyo Tower looks like in February 2026? Does it know the seasonal lighting pattern?
Nano Banana 2: Tokyo Tower lit up at sunset, viewed from a modern glass observation deck. City lights visible across the skyline, dramatic blue-to-orange sky. People taking photos. No cherry blossoms, which is correct for February (sakura blooms in late March/April). The winter atmosphere is accurate.
Seedream 5.0 Lite: Tokyo Tower at sunset from Shiba Park with visitors taking photos. Beautiful warm pink sky. However, the scene includes cherry blossoms (sakura) in full bloom, which is seasonally incorrect for February. The model defaulted to Japan's most iconic visual cue rather than grounding in the actual month.
Winner: Nano Banana 2. The prompt specifically said "February." Nano Banana 2 correctly rendered a winter scene. Seedream added cherry blossoms that would not exist for another two months. This is exactly the kind of real-world knowledge that a search-grounded language model catches.
Prompt 3 — Complex Scene Composition
Prompt: A modern coworking space with 8 people: a woman in a red blazer presenting at a whiteboard, two men debating over a laptop, a person with headphones coding at a standing desk, three women collaborating around a table with post-its, and someone reading alone by the window
8 distinct people with specific actions and positions. Most models collapse at 4+ figures.
Nano Banana 2: Modern coworking space with roughly 8 people doing different activities: some at laptops, others talking, a coffee bar area visible with a "The Daily Grind" sign. Warm, natural lighting through large windows. Good variety in clothing, posture, and activity. Not a perfect match to every specified action, but clearly understood the intent of diversity in the scene.
Seedream 5.0 Lite: Industrial-style coworking space with 8-9 people, but nearly everyone is wearing headphones and typing on a laptop. The scene lacks the variety the prompt requested (presenting at whiteboard, debating, reading by window). Rain visible through windows adds atmosphere, but the model defaulted to a uniform "people working at computers" pattern instead of parsing each specific action.
Winner: Nano Banana 2. The prompt described 8 people doing 5 distinct activities. Nano Banana 2 delivered noticeably more variety in actions and body language. Seedream treated it as "coworking space" and filled it with near-identical poses.
Prompt 4 — Photorealistic Portrait
Prompt: Professional headshot of a woman in her 40s with silver-streaked dark hair, wearing a navy blazer, warm natural lighting from a window to her left, shallow depth of field, neutral gray background
Portrait quality, skin detail, lighting accuracy. Both models should handle this, but the differences in detail and realism will be visible.
Nano Banana 2: Natural-looking headshot. Silver-streaked dark hair, navy blazer over a white top. Warm smile with visible smile lines. Small hoop earrings, delicate necklace. Gray background with soft focus. Skin has natural texture, pores visible at full resolution. The lighting reads as window light from the left, matching the prompt.
Seedream 5.0 Lite: More editorial/dramatic headshot. Silver-streaked dark hair, navy blazer. Sharper lighting with stronger shadow contrast. Skin is smoother, more retouched feel. Neutral expression vs Nano Banana 2's warm smile. No accessories. The image has a fashion magazine quality but less natural warmth.
Winner: Tie. Different strengths. Nano Banana 2 delivers a more natural, approachable headshot with realistic skin texture. Seedream delivers a more polished, editorial look. If you need a LinkedIn photo, Nano Banana 2. If you need a portfolio shot, Seedream.
Prompt 5 — Stylized Illustration
Prompt: A fantasy island map in watercolor style showing a volcanic mountain in the center, three coastal villages connected by dirt roads, a dense forest on the eastern side, a pirate cove to the south, compass rose in the corner, aged parchment texture
Pure creative generation with a specific art style. Tests whether the model can maintain watercolor consistency while placing multiple geographic features correctly.
Nano Banana 2: "Aetheria, Land of Magic & Wonder." Dense, ornate fantasy map on aged parchment. Two compass roses, decorative border, banner title. Over 15 labeled locations (Mount Ignis, The Ashen Peaks, Whispering Woods, Forest of Echoes, Eldoria, Havenport, Lake Mistral, The Glimmering Plains, Mare Mysteriosa, and more). Sea creatures (kraken, sea serpent) in the water. Every label is legible. The map feels like it belongs in a published fantasy novel.
Seedream 5.0 Lite: "The Whimsical Isle of Luminth." Cleaner watercolor style with fewer but well-placed labels (Smoldering Peak, Whispering Woods, Brineport Harbor, Kraken's Lair, Glittering Lagoon, Sea Serpent Waters). North arrow, volcano center, harbor with ships. The watercolor technique is more consistent, with a hand-painted feel. Simpler but cohesive.
Winner: Nano Banana 2. The density of detail is staggering. 15+ legible location labels, ornate borders, dual compass roses, sea creatures, all while maintaining the watercolor aesthetic. Seedream's version is charming, but Nano Banana 2 produced something that looks like a professional illustrator spent days on it. Text rendering advantage compounds here.
Prompt 6 — Product Photography
Prompt: White wireless earbuds in an open charging case on a white marble surface, soft studio lighting with a slight shadow to the right, minimal composition, 45-degree angle, product catalog style
Clean commercial product shot. Tests lighting precision, material rendering (marble grain, earbud plastic), and compositional restraint.
Nano Banana 2: White earbuds labeled "AURUM" with a matching charging case on marble. Green LED indicator on the case. Visible marble veining and reflections. The branding is consistent across both earbuds and the case. Soft pink gradient background. The model invented a plausible product brand and applied it consistently.
Seedream 5.0 Lite: White earbuds with an open case on marble. Cleaner, more minimal composition. Soft reflections on the marble surface. No branding, which is closer to the "product catalog style" requested. Slightly softer lighting overall. The minimalism reads as intentional restraint.
Winner: Tie. Nano Banana 2 added a fictional brand with impressive consistency (logo on both buds and case). Seedream delivered the cleaner, more true-to-brief product shot. For e-commerce mockups where you will add your own branding, Seedream's clean output is easier to work with. For concept visualization, Nano Banana 2's brand invention is remarkable.
Scorecard
| Test | Nano Banana 2 | Seedream 5.0 Lite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text Rendering | 6 menu items, all legible, sidewalk sign | 3 items, all legible, cleaner layout | Nano Banana 2 |
| Web-Grounded Knowledge | Correct winter scene, no cherry blossoms | Cherry blossoms in February (incorrect) | Nano Banana 2 |
| Complex Scene (8 people) | Varied activities, natural body language | Uniform poses, everyone on laptops | Nano Banana 2 |
| Photorealistic Portrait | Natural skin, warm expression | Editorial, polished, dramatic lighting | Tie |
| Stylized Illustration | 15+ labeled locations, ornate detail | 6 locations, cleaner watercolor style | Nano Banana 2 |
| Product Photography | Added fictional brand, consistent | Minimal, clean, true to brief | Tie |
| Overall | 4 wins, 2 ties | 0 wins, 2 ties | Nano Banana 2 |
Both models are live on VicSee. Same interface, same credit system, same prompt. New accounts get 60 free credits — enough to try both models yourself.
Try it now: Nano Banana 2 | Seedream 5.0 Lite | All AI Image Models
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Nano Banana 2 | Seedream 5.0 Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Google (Gemini team) | ByteDance (Seed team) |
| Architecture | Language model with native image output (Gemini 3.1 Flash) | Dedicated image generation model |
| Max Resolution | 2K (2048px) | 3K (~3072px) |
| Lowest Resolution | 512px | ~1K |
| Web Search Grounding | Yes (inherits Gemini search) | Yes (real-time information retrieval) |
| Text Rendering | Strong (language model understands text semantically) | Moderate |
| Character Consistency | 5 characters + 14 objects across scenes | Via multi-reference control |
| Multi-Reference Input | Not supported natively | Up to 14 reference images |
| Style Transfer | Limited | Strong (reference-based) |
| Image Editing | Native (same model, iterative) | Separate image-to-image endpoint |
| Batch Mode | Yes (half price) | Not documented |
| Image Arena Rank | #1 (Score: 1279) | Not yet ranked |
| Editing Arena Rank | #1 tied (Score: 1407) | Not yet ranked |
Pricing Comparison
Both models are significantly cheaper than their predecessors. But they price differently.
Official API Pricing
Nano Banana 2 uses resolution-based tiers:
| Tier | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 512px | $0.045 |
| Default | 1K | $0.067 |
| High | 2K | $0.101 |
| Ultra | 4K | $0.151 |
Seedream 5.0 Lite uses flat pricing:
| Quality | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|
| All tiers | Up to 3K | $0.035 |
At raw API pricing, Seedream is cheaper at every resolution tier. Nano Banana 2's batch mode (half price) at 1K ($0.034) roughly matches Seedream's flat rate.
On VicSee
| Model | Resolution | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 | 1K | 10 credits |
| Nano Banana 2 | 2K | 16 credits |
| Nano Banana 2 | 4K | 30 credits |
| Seedream 5.0 Lite | 2K (up to 3K) | 15 credits |
Seedream 5.0 Lite does not offer a 1K option, only 2K. Nano Banana 2 starts at 1K.
What this means on VicSee:
- At 1K (cheapest option): Nano Banana 2 wins at 10 credits. Seedream does not offer 1K, so Nano Banana 2 is the budget pick for quick iterations.
- At 2K (apples-to-apples): Seedream wins at 15 credits vs Nano Banana 2's 16 credits. Close, but Seedream also goes up to 3K at the same price.
- At max resolution: Seedream outputs up to 3K for 15 credits. Nano Banana 2 caps at 2K (16 credits) or jumps to 4K at 30 credits.
Bottom line: Nano Banana 2 is cheaper when you want fast 1K iterations (10 credits). Seedream is the better deal at 2K+ (15 credits for up to 3K). Both are dramatically cheaper than their predecessors.
Where Each Model Wins
Pick Nano Banana 2 when you need:
-
Text in images. Nano Banana 2 understands text semantically because it is a language model. It does not pattern-match letter shapes, it knows what the words mean. Signage, menus, labels, UI mockups.
-
Iterative editing. Nano Banana 2 edits from the same model endpoint. Upload an image, describe the change, get the edited version back. No separate pipeline. The Arena editing score (1407) is higher than the generation score (1279), which means editing is its actual strength.
-
Character consistency across scenes. 5 characters and 14 objects maintained across multiple generations. For visual narratives, storyboards, product campaigns with recurring characters.
-
Web-grounded scenes. "Tokyo Tower in February" returns the actual February illumination. "A grocery store in Shibuya" returns real Japanese brand packaging. The model uses Google Search to ground its visual output in reality.
-
Developer prototyping. 10 credits at 1K on VicSee, the cheapest HD image generation option. Generate 100 thumbnails to find the right direction, then upscale the winner.
Pick Seedream 5.0 Lite when you need:
-
Maximum resolution. 3K output for 15 credits on VicSee. Nano Banana 2 caps at 2K for 16 credits. If resolution matters, Seedream gives you more pixels for fewer credits.
-
Style transfer from references. Upload a style reference, generate new content in that style. Seedream's multi-reference system accepts up to 14 input images with assigned roles. Character references, style references, composition references, all in one call.
-
The Seedream-to-Seedance pipeline. Generate a character in Seedream 5.0 Lite, then animate it with Seedance 2.0's omni reference. Both are ByteDance models, both run on Dreamina (or VicSee). The handoff is seamless. This is the closed-loop ecosystem advantage Google does not yet have.
-
High-res commercial output. Product photography, marketing materials, print assets where 2K is not enough and 3K+ matters.
-
Budget-conscious volume. 15 credits for 2K output. No resolution tier anxiety. At 2K, Seedream is slightly cheaper than Nano Banana 2 (15 vs 16 credits), but with up to 3K max resolution.
The Bigger Picture: Two Ecosystems, One Day
This is not just two models. It is two ecosystems colliding.
Google's pipeline: Nano Banana 2 (image) -> Veo 3.1 (video) -> YouTube (distribution). Generate a character in Nano Banana 2, animate it with Veo, publish it on YouTube. One company, end to end.
ByteDance's pipeline: Seedream 5.0 Lite (image) -> Seedance 2.0 (video) -> TikTok (distribution). Same thing. Generate in Seedream, animate in Seedance, distribute on TikTok. One company, end to end.
The significance of both launching on the same day is not coincidence. It is competition. Both companies are racing to build the closed-loop creative pipeline where staying inside one ecosystem produces better results than mixing providers.
For creators, this means: pick the ecosystem that matches your distribution channel and commit to it. Cross-ecosystem workflows (Nano Banana 2 to Seedance, or Seedream to Veo) will work, but native pipelines will always be tighter.
For VicSee users: you do not have to choose. Both models run on VicSee. Generate in whichever model wins for your use case, then switch for the next one.
FAQ
Q: Is Nano Banana 2 the same as Nano Banana Pro?
No. Nano Banana 2 is a new model built on Gemini 3.1 Flash. Nano Banana Pro was built on Imagen 3. Nano Banana 2 is a language model with native image output. Pro was a dedicated image model. Nano Banana 2 is cheaper, faster, and scores higher on Image Arena.
Q: Is Seedream 5.0 Lite the same as Seedream 5.0?
Seedream 5.0 Lite is the first publicly available version of the Seedream 5.0 family. "Lite" suggests a full 5.0 model is coming, but as of February 27 this is the version available via API.
Q: Which one is better for text in images?
Nano Banana 2. It is a language model, so it understands text semantically. Seedream can render text but treats it as visual pattern, which leads to more errors on complex strings.
Q: Can I use both on VicSee?
Yes. Both Nano Banana 2 and Seedream 5.0 Lite are available on VicSee. Same interface, same credit system.
Q: Which is cheaper?
Depends on resolution. On VicSee: Nano Banana 2 at 1K = 10 credits (cheapest option). At 2K, Seedream wins at 15 credits vs Nano Banana 2's 16. Seedream does not offer 1K, so if you want cheap iterations, Nano Banana 2 is the pick. If you want 2K+ quality, Seedream gives more resolution for fewer credits.
Q: Which has better character consistency?
Nano Banana 2 for single-model consistency (5 characters, 14 objects across scenes). Seedream 5.0 Lite for reference-based consistency (upload character refs, style refs, up to 14 inputs).
Q: What about Nano Banana Pro and Seedream 4.5?
Both still available. Nano Banana Pro offers up to 4K resolution with different aesthetic qualities. Seedream 4.5 offers 4K with strong text rendering. The new models are not replacements, they are cheaper, faster alternatives that happen to score higher on benchmarks.
Q: Which ecosystem should I invest in?
If you publish to YouTube: Google's pipeline (Nano Banana 2 -> Veo 3.1). If you publish to TikTok: ByteDance's pipeline (Seedream -> Seedance 2.0). If you publish everywhere: use both, pick per-task.
Try Both Models
On VicSee, you switch between models with a single dropdown. Same account, same credits, same workflow. Run the same prompt through Nano Banana 2 and Seedream 5.0 Lite and compare results yourself.
New accounts get 60 free credits — enough to generate multiple images on both models. No credit card required.
Try it now: Nano Banana 2 | Seedream 5.0 Lite | All AI Image Models
