FLUX.2 Flex
FLUX.2 [flex] editing takes one to three source images and an instruction such as new light, a combined scene or added text. It works at 1k and keeps the source shape or offers nine shapes.
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FLUX.2 Flex vs Nano Banana 2.1
FLUX.2 Flex or Nano Banana 2.1, tier by tier: matched prices, request fields, limits and the content policy measured on each.
Nano Banana 2.1
Nano Banana 2.1 image editing takes one to fourteen source images and a description of the change, at 1k, 2k or 4k. It keeps faces and product details across edits and can print new text into the picture.
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The short answer
Start with the input you have, the result you want and your budget. These are the differences that affect that choice.
- The two bill on different tiers, so there is no like-for-like row: FLUX.2 Flex starts at $0.115 / output images and Nano Banana 2.1 at $0.022 / output images.
- Both are listed as Filtered. Compare the examples and content-test details on each model page for the scenes you want to create.
Compare the published examples, then try the same input on both models with matching settings.
Test scores side by side
The Spicy Index and Freedom Score for both models, from the same daily calculation as the leaderboards.
| Measure | FLUX.2 Flex | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Spicy Index | 51.8 | 64.1 |
| Freedom Score | 29.1 | 34.0 |
| Evidence | Tested 6 of 6 probe types · 50 runs | Tested 6 of 6 probe types · 52 runs |
| Range if the rest pass | 29.1–29.1 | 34.0–34.0 |
| Price | $0.0578 per image | $0.0217 per image |
| Reviews | Read the FLUX.2 Flex review | Read the Nano Banana 2.1 review |
Current price
Price at the same setting
A start price answers a different question than the one you have. These are the tiers both models publish, matched setting for setting, in US dollars per billed unit with no conversion step in between.
These two bill on different tiers, so there is no row to line up. Each one's own published tiers are listed here instead.
FLUX.2 Flex: $0.115 / output images
Nano Banana 2.1: 1K $0.022 / output images · 2K $0.035 / output images · 4K $0.063 / output images
What one ordinary job costs
- FLUX.2 Flex: $11.54 for one hundred images.
- Nano Banana 2.1: $2.17 for one hundred images at 1K.
Arithmetic on the published rates at each model's own default setting, not a quote. The console prices your actual settings before a request is accepted.
About this comparison
Controls and limits
Every row here is read from the JSON Schema the endpoint validates against, so it matches what the API will really accept rather than a feature list written by hand.
Swipe horizontally to compare all fields.
| Controls and limits | FLUX.2 Flex | Nano Banana 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Supported tasks | image-to-image | image-to-image |
| Resolution tiers | 1K | 1K · 2K · 4K |
| Aspect ratios | auto · 1:1 · 16:9 · 9:16 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 3:2 · 2:3 · 21:9 · 9:21 | auto · 1:1 · 3:2 · 2:3 · 3:4 · 4:3 · 4:5 · 5:4 · 9:16 · 16:9 · 21:9 · 1:4 · 4:1 · 1:8 · 8:1 |
| Reference material | Up to 3 files | Up to 14 files |
| High-resolution tier | Yes | Yes |
| Seed | Yes | No |
| Execution | Submit, then poll or take the callback | Submit, then poll or take the callback |
| Request timeout | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Availability | Live | Live |
Do low-filter models allow every request?
Content policy, side by side
Two separate facts sit behind these labels. The first is what we do, which is nothing: no platform content filter, and no maturity flag to set on a request. The second is what each model does on its own, and that is the only part that varies between these two.
FLUX.2 Flex
Filtered
This model refuses requests beyond its own limits outright. Measured, not assumed — models we have not measured carry no label at all.
Nano Banana 2.1
Filtered
This model refuses requests beyond its own limits outright. Measured, not assumed — models we have not measured carry no label at all.
Use these content labels to shortlist models, then open each model page for available examples and content-test details.
The label never changes your obligations. Age, consent, real-person likeness and the law where you operate stay with you, and SpicyAPI does not inspect each request.
Can I swap the model ID without changing the request body?
Request body, field by field
The task lifecycle is shared; the body is not. Each endpoint publishes its own JSON Schema and the API validates against that, so this is the list to reconcile before a switch.
- 4 fields appear in both request bodies under the same names. aspect_ratio, image_urls, prompt, resolution
- Only FLUX.2 Flex accepts: seed.
- Only Nano Banana 2.1 accepts: enable_image_search, enable_web_search, official_fallback, output_format.
- FLUX.2 Flex requires image_urls, prompt.
- Nano Banana 2.1 requires image_urls, prompt.
- Both reject unknown fields outright, so a parameter left over from the other model comes back as a validation error instead of being quietly ignored.
Compare
Moving from one to the other
The model identifiers are black-forest-labs/flux-2-flex/edit and google/nano-banana-2.1/edit, and both go in the same field of the same request.
Both run the same way: submit the task, then poll it or take the callback. Queueing and retry logic carry over unchanged.
Both use the same submit-and-track flow, but their required inputs may differ. Check each model page before switching.
One key, one balance, one set of spend caps. Both bill to the same account in US dollars, and the per-key daily, monthly and lifetime limits apply to whichever one you call.
Questions developers ask
Which is cheaper, FLUX.2 Flex or Nano Banana 2.1?
Which is cheaper, FLUX.2 Flex or Nano Banana 2.1?
The two bill on different tiers, so there is no like-for-like row: FLUX.2 Flex starts at $0.115 / output images and Nano Banana 2.1 at $0.022 / output images. Prices may change; check the estimate shown for your actual settings before submitting.
How long can a single request run?
FLUX.2 Flex allows 30 minutes per task and Nano Banana 2.1 allows 30. Those are ceilings rather than typical times — most requests finish far sooner — but they are what your own client timeout has to survive.
Prices and capabilities shown here come from the current public model catalogue. Check each model page for its latest inputs and examples.
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