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Side-by-side comparison · Image, Logo & Design

ChatGPT Images vs Nano Banana vs OpenArt

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

ChatGPT Images

4.2

Free to start

Best overall

Nano Banana

4.6

From $19.99/mo

OpenArt

3.5

From $14/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who already uses ChatGPT and wants quick, accurate images without learning another tool.

Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Marketers, store owners and creators who need realistic images and edits that stay true to the original person or product.

Pick it if: Creators and small brands making story-led content with recurring characters: social series, music videos, ads and picture books.

Overview

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
In one lineMake and edit images inside ChatGPT by describing what you want, words included.Google's image model. Describe an edit and it keeps faces and products looking the same.Make consistent characters, short stories and videos using over 100 AI models in one app.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumPaid
Starting priceFree$19.99/mo$14/mo
Free plan Yes Yes No
Works with Claude Code No Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
Overall rating4.24.6Winner3.5
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
5.0
4.5
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.5
5.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.0
4.5
3.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.5
3.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes No
Mobile app Yes Yes No
Desktop app Yes No No
Browser extension Yes No No
API access Yes Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes No Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes Yes
Makes images Yes Yes Yes
Makes video Yes No Yes
Writes code Yes No No
Runs agents or automations Yes No Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes No Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes No
Capabilities score16/ 179/ 1710/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
Plans

Free

Free

A few images a day.

Free (Gemini app and AI Studio)

Free

Trying it and occasional images.

Free trial

Free

A quick look before paying.

Go

See website

Light users who hit the free limits.

Google AI ProOur pick

$19.99/mo

Marketers and creators making images every week.

Starter

$14/mo, or $13/mo billed yearly

Personal projects only.

PlusOur pick

See website

Most marketers and business owners.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy daily image and video makers.

PlusOur pick

$34/mo, or $27/mo billed yearly

Creators and small brands publishing weekly.

Pro

See website

Heavy daily users.

Gemini API

From $0.034 per image

Developers and automated workflows.

Pro

$56/mo, or $44/mo billed yearly

Channels publishing video several times a week.

Business

See website

Teams who need shared workspaces and admin.

Wonder

$240/mo, or $175/mo billed yearly

Studios and heavy video producers.

Which plan to pickFree is enough to find out if the quality suits you. Plus is the one to buy if you make images most days, because the limits stop getting in the way and you get the whole assistant too. Pro is only for people living in ChatGPT all day.Start free in the Gemini app to see if it suits your work. If you make images most weeks, Google AI Pro is the one to buy because it unlocks Nano Banana Pro and comes with Gemini, video credits and storage. Developers should use Nano Banana 2 on the API and save Pro for hero images.Skip Starter if the work is for a business, because it has no commercial rights. Plus is the sensible plan for most creators. Pay monthly until you know how fast you use credits, since refunds are hard to get.

Key features

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
Standout features
  • Edit by conversation
  • Accurate text
  • Reference images
  • Thinking mode
  • Lives inside ChatGPT
  • API as gpt-image-2
  • Edit by describing
  • Consistent characters
  • Blend reference images
  • Sharp text and 4K
  • Grounded in Google Search
  • Gemini API
  • Consistent characters
  • One-Click Story
  • Director
  • Many models
  • Editing tools
  • MCP and CLI

Pros and cons

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
Pros
  • No learning curve: describe it, then describe the fix
  • Reliable text and faithful use of your logo and product photos
  • Included in every ChatGPT plan, including Free
  • Handles many languages well
  • Thinking mode makes complex layouts and infographics workable
  • The best at editing a photo while keeping the person or product identical
  • Free to try in the Gemini app
  • Pro renders accurate text and up to 4K
  • Cheap, fast API with a half-price batch mode
  • Built into Canva, Photoshop and Higgsfield as well as Google's apps
  • Consistent characters that hold up across images and video
  • One-Click Story makes a short story video from a single prompt
  • Over 100 models with the credit cost shown before you run
  • Chat Mode picks models and settings for beginners
Cons
  • Slower than dedicated generators
  • Free plan limits run out quickly on a busy day
  • Less distinctive artistic style than Midjourney
  • Limited fine control over composition compared with a design tool
  • No vector output
  • Less artistic flair than Midjourney
  • Free images carry a visible watermark, and every image has an invisible SynthID mark
  • Model names and plan limits change often
  • Safety filters can block harmless requests involving people
  • Credits drain quickly on video and don't roll over month to month
  • Many complaints about charges after cancelling and refused refunds
  • Users report paying for failed or unusable Director results
  • No commercial rights on the cheapest plan
  • Bugs, downtime and features that change between updates

Who each one is for

AttributeChatGPT ImagesNano BananaOpenArt
Best for
  • Mockups and signage with real text
  • Editing an image by describing changes
  • Social tiles and quick marketing visuals
  • Multilingual text in images
  • Editing photos by describing the change
  • Product shots and lifestyle scenes
  • Consistent characters across images
  • Posters and graphics with readable text
  • Consistent characters across images and video
  • Short story and music videos
  • Faceless social media channels
  • Picture book illustrations
You'll find it used by
  • Small business owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Anyone on ChatGPT
  • Marketers
  • Ecommerce store owners
  • Content creators
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • Content creators
  • YouTubers
  • Musicians
  • Small brands
  • Authors

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT Images, Nano Banana or OpenArt?

Nano Banana scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT Images 4.2/5, Nano Banana 4.6/5 and OpenArt 3.5/5). ChatGPT Images is best for mockups and signage with real text and editing an image by describing changes. Nano Banana is best for editing photos by describing the change and product shots and lifestyle scenes. OpenArt is best for consistent characters across images and video and short story and music videos.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT Images, Nano Banana or OpenArt?

ChatGPT Images: It's free to use. Nano Banana: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. OpenArt: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $14/mo.

Which is easier to use, ChatGPT Images, Nano Banana or OpenArt?

ChatGPT Images rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who already uses ChatGPT and wants quick, accurate images without learning another tool.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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