Midjourney v5 vs 
Nano Banana 2.1
Nano Banana 2.1 is the newer model, released after Midjourney v5.
Hyperrealistic Portrait
One prompt, one photorealistic portrait. Skin, eyes, light.
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Which answer wins?
Price and specs
Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Nano Banana 2.1 has the edge: newer, bigger context window, major provider backing.
| Spec | Midjourney v5 | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | — | $1.5/M tokens |
| Output price | — | $7.5/M tokens |
| Context window | — | 66K tokens |
| Weights | — | Closed |
| Free API (OpenRouter) | — | No |
| Released | Nov 2023 | Oct 2026 |
| At 10M a month | not listed | $15.00 |
Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.
Where to run it
Midjourney v5
No hosts listed on OpenRouter.
Nano Banana 2.11 host
Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 6 Oct 2026.
Common questions
What is the difference between Midjourney v5 and Nano Banana 2.1?
Midjourney v5 is developed by Midjourney while Nano Banana 2.1 is developed by Google AI. You can compare their actual outputs across 3 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.
Which is better, Midjourney v5 or Nano Banana 2.1?
It depends on your use case. Midjourney v5 and Nano Banana 2.1 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 3 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.
How can I compare Midjourney v5 and Nano Banana 2.1 on Rival?
This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Midjourney v5 and Nano Banana 2.1 across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.
More comparisons
Against the newest arrivals
- Midjourney v5 vs Recraft V4.1 FlashLanded Sep 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.5 SunburstLanded Sep 2026
- Midjourney v5 vs GPT Image 2.5 FlareLanded Sep 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana 2 LiteLanded Jun 2026
- Midjourney v5 vs Riverflow V2.5 FastLanded Jun 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Riverflow V2.5 ProLanded Jun 2026
- Midjourney v5 vs Recraft V4.1Landed May 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Recraft V4.1 ProLanded May 2026
Same lab, same size, long tail
- Midjourney v5 vs GPT Image 2.5 SunburstSame size
- Midjourney v5 vs Riverflow V2.5 ProSame size
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana 2Same lab
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Imagen 4Same lab
- Midjourney v5 vs Recraft V4.1 ProSame size
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Stable Diffusion XLSame size
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Seedream 4Same size
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Seedream 4.5Same size
