The best AI image generator for creators
Nano Banana 2.1 wins narrowly (8.9 vs 8.7) and costs about half as much. Ideogram 4.0 wins on character sheets and group photos. Both are very good, and every image scored 8 or higher.
Try Gemini (Nano Banana) ↗ Try Ideogram ↗ Side-by-side VS page →
| Use | Prompt | Nano Banana | Ideogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisherman portrait | Photoreal headshot of a 60-year-old fisherman, weathered skin, overcast light. | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| Text: GRAND OPENING | A poster with the exact text "GRAND OPENING SATURDAY" in bold retro type. | 9.7 | 9.3 |
| Isometric bedroom | Isometric cozy bedroom, Pixar-style 3D render. | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| Skincare flat-lay | Flat-lay of a skincare product line on marble, ad-ready. | 8.7 | 8.0 |
| Fantasy island map | Fantasy map of an island kingdom, hand-drawn ink and watercolor. | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Rooftop selfie (hands) | Five friends taking a selfie at a rooftop party, everyone's hands visible. | 8.3 | 8.7 |
| Character sheet | A consistent character: a red-haired girl in a yellow raincoat, 3 poses on one sheet. | 9.0 | 9.3 |
| YouTube thumbnail | YouTube thumbnail: a shocked man pointing at a giant glowing graph, high contrast. | 8.7 | 8.0 |
Character sheet
Ideogram 4.0 9.3 adherence 10quality 9artifacts 9
Proper turnaround sheet, consistent character.
Nano Banana 2.1 9.0 adherence 9quality 9artifacts 9
Consistent character in 3 expressive poses.
Text: GRAND OPENING
Ideogram 4.0 9.3 adherence 10quality 8artifacts 10
Exact text, clean retro type; plain composition.
Nano Banana 2.1 9.7 adherence 10quality 9artifacts 10
Exact text, richer retro poster design.
Rooftop selfie (hands)
Ideogram 4.0 8.7 adherence 9quality 9artifacts 8
Five friends taking a selfie, hands mostly correct; a few hidden.
Nano Banana 2.1 8.3 adherence 8quality 9artifacts 8
Five friends plus background crowd; hands well formed.
More: Best for text & thumbnails · Product shots · People & faces · All outputs
FAQ
What is the best AI image generator in October 2026?
In our 8-prompt test, Nano Banana 2.1 scored 8.9 and Ideogram 4.0 scored 8.7. Nano Banana won 5 prompts, Ideogram won 2, and 1 tied.
Which AI image generator is best for text?
Both spelled "GRAND OPENING SATURDAY" exactly. Nano Banana scored slightly higher on the poster and the YouTube thumbnail, and the map was a tie. Both added small spelling slips in text we didn't ask for.
Which is best for character sheets?
Ideogram 4.0 (9.3). It produced a proper front, 3/4-back and side turnaround with a consistent character.
How much do they cost?
Nano Banana 2.1: $0.04 per 1024² image. Ideogram 4.0: $0.07 per 2048² image at medium quality (Runway Dev API).