Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) vs GPT-4o Search Preview
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) (2026) and GPT-4o Search Preview (2025) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) ships a 131k-token context window, while GPT-4o Search Preview ships a 128k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is ~400% cheaper at $0.50/1M; pay for GPT-4o Search Preview only for provider fit.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | GPT-4o Search Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and multimodal apps | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Long context and Vision | RAG, Long context, and Classification |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $60/1M tokens | $10/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) for Long context and Vision.
- GPT-4o Search Preview has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $10/1M tokens.
- GPT-4o Search Preview uniquely exposes Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4o Search Preview for RAG, Long context, and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
$15,400
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Google AI Studio
GPT-4o Search Preview
$4,500
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $10,900. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and GPT-4o Search Preview; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- GPT-4o Search Preview is $50/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- GPT-4o Search Preview adds Structured outputs in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for GPT-4o Search Preview and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is $50/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-28 | 2025-02-26 |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2023-10 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | GPT-4o Search Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | $2.50/1M tokens |
| Output price | $60/1M tokens | $10/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | GPT-4o Search Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), multimodal input: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), reasoning mode: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), and structured outputs: GPT-4o Search Preview. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) lists $0.50/1M input and $60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while GPT-4o Search Preview lists $2.50/1M input and $10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GPT-4o Search Preview lower by about $13.60 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) when reasoning depth, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose GPT-4o Search Preview when provider fit are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or GPT-4o Search Preview?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) supports 131k tokens, while GPT-4o Search Preview supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or GPT-4o Search Preview?
GPT-4o Search Preview is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) costs $0.50/1M input and $60/1M output tokens. GPT-4o Search Preview costs $2.50/1M input and $10/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or GPT-4o Search Preview open source?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is listed under Proprietary. GPT-4o Search Preview is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or GPT-4o Search Preview?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or GPT-4o Search Preview?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and GPT-4o Search Preview?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is available on Google AI Studio. GPT-4o Search Preview is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-05. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.