MiniMax Image-01 vs 
Nano Banana 2.1
Nano Banana 2.1 is the newer model, released after MiniMax Image-01.
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 | MiniMax Image-01 | 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 | Jun 2025 | Oct 2026 |
| At 10M a month | not listed | $15.00 |
Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.
Where to run it
MiniMax Image-01
No hosts listed on OpenRouter.
Nano Banana 2.11 host
Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 7 Oct 2026.
Common questions
What is the difference between MiniMax Image-01 and Nano Banana 2.1?
MiniMax Image-01 is developed by MiniMax while Nano Banana 2.1 is developed by Google AI. You can compare their actual outputs across 17 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.
Which is better, MiniMax Image-01 or Nano Banana 2.1?
It depends on your use case. MiniMax Image-01 and Nano Banana 2.1 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 17 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.
How can I compare MiniMax Image-01 and Nano Banana 2.1 on Rival?
This page shows a side-by-side comparison of MiniMax Image-01 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
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Recraft V4.1 FlashLanded Sep 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.5 SunburstLanded Sep 2026
- MiniMax Image-01 vs GPT Image 2.5 FlareLanded Sep 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana 2 LiteLanded Jun 2026
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Riverflow V2.5 FastLanded Jun 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Riverflow V2.5 ProLanded Jun 2026
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Recraft V4.1Landed May 2026
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Recraft V4.1 ProLanded May 2026
Same lab, same size, long tail
- MiniMax Image-01 vs GPT Image 2.5 SunburstSame size
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Riverflow V2.5 ProSame size
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana 2Same lab
- Nano Banana 2.1 vs Imagen 4Same lab
- MiniMax Image-01 vs HiDream L1 (Fast)Same size
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Hunyuan Image 3Same size
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Ideogram v3 BalancedSame size
- MiniMax Image-01 vs Ideogram v3 QualitySame size
