Skip to content

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

Nano Banana vs Adobe Firefly vs Recraft

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

Recraft

3.8

From $12/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Nano Banana

4.6
Best overallBest valueEasiest to use

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.

Recraft

3.8

Pick it if: Designers, marketers and founders who need brand assets they can keep editing.

Overview

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyRecraft
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 logos, icons and illustrations as editable vector files you can keep working on.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$19.99/mo$9.99/mo$12/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes No Yes

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyRecraft
Overall rating4.6Winner3.83.8
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.0
3.5
FeaturesHow much it can do, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
4.0
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
3.5
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 FireflyRecraft
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 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 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/ 179/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyRecraft
Plans

Free (Gemini app and AI Studio)

Free

Trying it and occasional images.

Free

Free

Trying it and the odd image.

Free

Free

Learning the tool on personal projects.

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.

BasicOur pick

$12/mo, or $10/mo billed yearly

Founders and marketers making occasional brand assets.

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

From $20/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly

Designers producing assets every week.

Gemini API

From $0.034 per image

Developers and automated workflows.

Firefly Pro Plus

$49.99/mo

Regular video and audio work.

Teams

From $22/seat/mo, or $18/seat/mo billed yearly

Design teams who share a house style.

Firefly Premium

$199.99/mo

Studios producing video at volume.

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.Basic is the sensible start for a business because it unlocks private images and commercial rights, and 1,000 credits goes a long way on stills. Pick Pro only if you are generating daily. Teams is for agencies where several people need the same brand style.

Key features

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyRecraft
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
  • Vector output
  • Custom styles
  • Icon and illustration sets
  • Mockups
  • Image tools
  • API

Pros and cons

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyRecraft
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
  • Real, editable vector files, which almost no other generator does well
  • Custom brand styles keep every asset consistent
  • Paid plans include clear commercial rights and private images
  • API makes it useful inside developer workflows
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 unusable for business: images are public, owned by Recraft and not for commercial use
  • Busier interface than the simpler generators
  • Credits run down faster on vector output and image tools
  • Photoreal images are not its strength

Who each one is for

AttributeNano BananaAdobe FireflyRecraft
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
  • Logos and icon sets
  • Illustrations in a consistent style
  • Vector graphics for print
  • Brand-matched assets
You'll find it used by
  • Marketers
  • Ecommerce store owners
  • Content creators
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • Agencies
  • In-house creative teams
  • Photographers
  • Marketers
  • Designers
  • Brand teams
  • Founders
  • Developers

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.

Swap in another tool

More image, logo & design tools from the library.