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

Nano Banana vs Adobe Firefly vs Ideogram

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

Best overall

Nano Banana

4.6

From $19.99/mo

Adobe Firefly

3.8

From $9.99/mo

Ideogram

4.0

From $20/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Nano Banana

4.6
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.

Adobe Firefly

3.8

Pick it if: Agencies and businesses that need generated imagery they can use for clients with less legal worry.

Ideogram

4.0

Pick it if: Marketers and small business owners who need graphics with words on them, fast.

Overview

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
In one lineGoogle's image model. Describe an edit and it keeps faces and products looking the same.Image and video generator trained on licensed content, so it's safer for client work.Generates images that spell words correctly, so posters and ads come out readable.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$19.99/mo$9.99/mo$20/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes No No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
Overall rating4.6Winner3.84.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.0
4.5
FeaturesHow much it can do, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
3.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
5.0
3.5
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
3.5
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

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

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes No
Desktop app No Yes No
Browser extension No No No
API access Yes Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace No Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes No
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 No Yes No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations No No No
Learns your brand or style No Yes Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes No
Capabilities score9/ 1713/ 178/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
Plans

Free (Gemini app and AI Studio)

Free

Trying it and occasional images.

Free

Free

Trying it and the odd image.

Free

Free

Seeing whether it suits you.

Google AI ProOur pick

$19.99/mo

Marketers and creators making images every week.

Firefly Standard

$9.99/mo

Occasional images and a little video.

PlusOur pick

$20/mo, or $15/mo billed yearly

Most marketers and small businesses.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy daily image and video makers.

Firefly ProOur pick

$19.99/mo

Marketers who generate most days.

Pro

$60/mo, or $42/mo billed yearly

Agencies and heavy ad testing.

Gemini API

From $0.034 per image

Developers and automated workflows.

Firefly Pro Plus

$49.99/mo

Regular video and audio work.

Team

$30/user/mo, or $20/user/mo billed yearly

Small teams sharing one bill.

Firefly Premium

$199.99/mo

Studios producing video at volume.

Enterprise

Custom

Larger organisations.

Firefly Pro for teams

$19.99/licence/mo, billed yearly

Agencies and teams who need admin and support.

Which plan to pickStart 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.Pro is the one for most marketers because it bundles Express Premium and web Photoshop, which many people would pay for anyway. Standard is fine for stills only. The two expensive plans are only worth it if video is a weekly job.Treat Free as a demo, not a plan, because everything you make is public. Plus covers a normal week of social and ad graphics. Only step up to Pro if you are testing many ad variations a day.

Key features

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
Standout features
  • Edit by describing
  • Consistent characters
  • Blend reference images
  • Sharp text and 4K
  • Grounded in Google Search
  • Gemini API
  • Commercially safe models
  • Partner models
  • Generative Fill and Expand
  • Text to video
  • Text to vector
  • Audio and translation
  • Readable text
  • Magic Prompt
  • Canvas
  • Styles and colour palettes
  • Batch generation
  • API

Pros and cons

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
Pros
  • 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
  • Trained on licensed content, so safer for commercial and client work
  • Image, video, vector and audio in one subscription
  • Partner models give you other looks without leaving the app
  • Deep integration with Photoshop, Illustrator and Express
  • Pro bundles Express Premium and web Photoshop
  • Best-in-class at getting words right on an image
  • Easy enough that a first-timer gets a usable poster in minutes
  • Plus is reasonably priced and keeps your work private
  • Styles and colour palettes make on-brand output easier
Cons
  • 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
  • Adobe's own models trail Midjourney and ChatGPT Images on quality
  • The commercial-safety promise does not cover partner models
  • Credits are confusing and video burns through them fast
  • Plans and promotional pricing change often, so the price you see today may not hold
  • Free plan is tiny, public, and locked to Google, Apple or Microsoft sign-in
  • Artistic quality is a step behind Midjourney
  • No video and no mobile app
  • Credit-based, so heavy months can run dry

Who each one is for

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyIdeogram
Best for
  • Editing photos by describing the change
  • Product shots and lifestyle scenes
  • Consistent characters across images
  • Posters and graphics with readable text
  • Commercially safe stock replacements
  • Extending and retouching photos
  • Vector graphics from a prompt
  • Existing Adobe users
  • Posters and ad creatives
  • Quote and announcement graphics
  • Logo concepts
  • Merch and t-shirt designs
You'll find it used by
  • Marketers
  • Ecommerce store owners
  • Content creators
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • Agencies
  • In-house creative teams
  • Photographers
  • Marketers
  • Marketers
  • Small business owners
  • Social media managers
  • Merch sellers

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability. The "Visit" buttons may use affiliate links, which never affect a score.

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