Best tool for what
Which AI image generator should you pick: ChatGPT Images, Midjourney, Nano Banana or Ideogram?
Pick by job. According to each vendor (pages read Oct 19, 2026): ChatGPT Images 2.5 for conversational edits to real photos, Midjourney V8.2 for a distinctive look and style exploration, Google Nano Banana 2.1 for multi-reference composites and infographics, and Ideogram for accurate in-image text and open weights. None of these claims has been tested by us.
Latest claim verified . By Found Motive Editorial. We have not tested these tools ourselves. How to read the labels.
Disclosure. Found Motive has no affiliate links on this page and earns nothing from these tools. If that changes, affiliate links will be marked next to the link and will not change what we say.
Pick X if…
| Pick | …if you |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT Images 2.5 (OpenAI) | you already use ChatGPT, want conversational edits to real photos and product shots, or need an API with masks and transparent backgrounds. |
| Midjourney V8.2 | you care most about a distinctive aesthetic, style exploration and personalization, and want unlimited Relax-mode images. |
| Nano Banana 2.1 (Google) | you want multi-reference composites (up to 14 references), search-grounded infographics, or you work in the Google AI ecosystem. |
| Ideogram | you need accurate in-image text and layout for ads and posters, or open weights you can fine-tune and self-host. |
ChatGPT Images 2.5 (OpenAI)
OpenAI's image model in ChatGPT since Sep 8, 2026; in the API as gpt-image-2.5-flare (default) and gpt-image-2.5-sunburst (premium editing).
Strengths
OpenAI says the model is "better at editing only what you've asked for" and keeps edits consistent over multiple turns.
Latency is reduced by up to 50% compared with Images 2.0, according to OpenAI.
The API supports masks and inpainting, custom sizes up to 3840 px per edge, and transparent PNG/WebP backgrounds.
Available in ChatGPT across all tiers, including Free with limits.
Limits
OpenAI lists its own limits: complex prompts can take up to 2 minutes, text placement can still struggle, and character and brand consistency is not guaranteed.
Outputs carry C2PA metadata and invisible watermarking.
ChatGPT plans describe image allowances only loosely ("Limited", "More", "Unlimited") with no published counts.
Who it's for: Everyday ChatGPT users, marketers editing real photos and product shots, and developers who need an editing API.
Plan/credits as of Oct 19, 2026 (according to ChatGPT pricing): ChatGPT Free (limited), Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo. API: $30 per 1M image-output tokens. Prices change; re-check on the vendor page.
Midjourney V8.2
A subscription image service on the web and Discord. V8.2 (Jul 24, 2026) is the default model, with a new Edit Model.
Strengths
V8.2 "focuses on aesthetics and image quality and personalization", according to Midjourney.
Personalization profiles, Moodboards, Style Reference codes and Raw mode for more literal prompts.
HD images are native 2K (2048 px) without upscaling, according to Midjourney.
The Edit Model handles instruction-based edits, image references, inpainting and outpainting.
Limits
No free plan: "All Midjourney plans are subscriptions."
Images are public by default; Stealth Mode is Pro and Mega only.
Companies with over $1M a year in gross revenue must buy Pro or Mega.
Inpainting and outpainting on HD images downscale the result to SD.
Who it's for: Artists, art directors, and concept and mood-board work where a distinctive look matters more than exact text or layout.
Plan/credits as of Oct 19, 2026 (according to Midjourney docs: Comparing plans): Basic $10/mo ($8/mo billed annually, 3.3 Fast GPU hours); Standard $30/mo with unlimited Relax images; Pro $60/mo; Mega $120/mo. Prices change; re-check on the vendor page.
Nano Banana 2.1 (Google)
Google's newest Flash-tier image generation and editing model (model card published Oct 6, 2026), in the Gemini app, AI Studio, the Gemini API, Flow and Google Ads.
Strengths
Up to 14 reference images, with consistency for up to 4 characters and fidelity for up to 10 objects, according to Google.
Google claims better text rendering, infographic layout and localized text, plus search grounding for factual images.
Google's own human-preference Elo puts 2.1 with Thinking ahead of Nano Banana 2 and Pro on text-to-image (1050 vs 990 vs 935). These are Google's internal evaluations.
Limits
Google says small text is "often blurry in 1k" and long paragraphs render poorly.
Character consistency between input and output is "not always perfect", and left/right spatial confusion happens, according to the model card.
No free tier for this model in the Gemini API.
Who it's for: Developers who need high-volume image generation and editing, and marketers making infographics and multi-product or multi-character composites.
Plan/credits as of Oct 19, 2026 (according to Gemini API pricing): Gemini API about $0.034 per 1K image and $0.113 per 4K; Google AI Plus $4.99/mo and Pro $19.99/mo for the consumer apps. Prices change; re-check on the vendor page.
Ideogram
A design-focused image platform (web, iPhone, API, MCP) with Ideogram 4.5 for editing and Ideogram 4.0, an open-weight model released Jun 3, 2026.
Strengths
Ideogram claims "frontier-grade text rendering across languages", bounding-box layout control and color-palette conditioning.
Open weights (4.0): enterprises can download, fine-tune on brand data and self-host, according to Ideogram.
Ideogram says 4.5 "eliminates artifact buildup" in multi-turn edits and can edit high-resolution sources without downsizing.
Flat API pricing: each image has a fixed price regardless of prompt length, references or resolution.
Limits
Native output tops out at 2K for 4.0 and 4.5.
No free subscription tier is listed; pay-as-you-go is 1 cent per credit.
Private generation is listed on Plus and up.
Who it's for: Brand and graphic designers and ad teams who need accurate text in images, and companies that want to self-host a fine-tuned model.
Plan/credits as of Oct 19, 2026 (according to Ideogram pricing): Pay as you go 1¢/credit; Plus $20/mo ($15/mo billed annually); Pro $60/mo; API from $0.008 per image. Prices change; re-check on the vendor page.
Put it to work
What we have not verified
- Ideogram's comparison claiming other models' edits "become unusable within a few edits" is a vendor-run test, so we do not use it.
- Whether Midjourney has an official public API, and how well V8.2 renders text, were not stated on the pages read.
- Whether the Gemini app's "Nano Banana 2" label now runs 2.1, and per-plan image counts for ChatGPT and Gemini, are unverified.
- Ideogram free trial terms, commercial-use terms and the 4.5 release date are unverified. Flux was not researched.
- We have not tested any of these ourselves.
Quick answers
Which AI image generator should I use?
Pick by job. According to the vendors: ChatGPT Images 2.5 for conversational photo edits, Midjourney V8.2 for a distinctive look, Nano Banana 2.1 for multi-reference composites and infographics, and Ideogram for text in images and open weights.
Does Midjourney have a free plan?
No. According to Midjourney's docs, "All Midjourney plans are subscriptions."
Which image generator is best for text in images?
Ideogram claims "frontier-grade text rendering across languages", and Google claims better text rendering for Nano Banana 2.1. Both are vendor claims we have not tested.
Can I self-host an image model?
Ideogram 4.0 is open-weight: according to Ideogram, enterprises can download, fine-tune and self-host it.
How many references can Nano Banana 2.1 use?
Up to 14 reference images, according to Google's model card.
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