Key Takeaways
- API pricing ranges from $0.027-$0.045 per image across all three models
- Qwen is the only open-source option (Apache 2.0), enabling free self-hosting
- Nano Banana offers the most generous free tier with unlimited testing
- Seedream provides the lowest API costs at $0.027/image on Replicate
- Self-hosting Qwen eliminates recurring costs after initial hardware investment
The Three Contenders
Google Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Ranked #1 on LMArena for image editing (score: 1,362)
ByteDance Seedream 4.0
Ranked #1 on Artificial Analysis (ELO: 1,607 text-to-image)
Alibaba Qwen-Image-Edit
Open-source (Apache 2.0) with 20B parameters
Price vs Speed vs Quality Analysis
Value Analysis:
- Seedream offers the best price-to-performance ratio for API use
- Nano Banana provides superior free tier and character consistency
- Qwen enables zero recurring costs through self-hosting
Open Source vs Proprietary: The Critical Difference
The fundamental architectural difference between these models shapes their long-term cost implications. Qwen-Image-Edit stands alone as the only open-source option, released under Apache 2.0 license with full commercial use permitted. You can download the 20-billion parameter model weights from GitHub or Hugging Face and deploy it locally at zero per-image cost beyond hardware expenses.
Open Source: Qwen-Image-Edit
- Apache 2.0 license - full commercial use
- Self-hosting eliminates recurring API costs
- One-time hardware investment (~$1,600)
- Complete control and privacy
- Unlimited editing after setup
Proprietary: Nano Banana & Seedream
- Closed-source, API-only access
- Perpetual per-image costs
- No self-hosting option
- Vendor lock-in
- Costs scale linearly with usage
Cost Calculation Example
A user generating 10,000 images monthly would spend $270-$450 on APIs perpetually, while self-hosting Qwen requires only the initial hardware investment (RTX 4090 with 24GB VRAM recommended at ~$1,600) plus electricity, breaking even within 4-6 months.
Official API Pricing Breakdown
All three models price similarly through their official channels, clustering tightly around 3-4 cents per image:
Google Nano Banana: $0.039/image
Available through Google AI Studio and Vertex AI with identical base pricing. Technically billed at $30 per million output tokens, with each 1024×1024 image consuming 1,290 tokens.
ByteDance Seedream 4.0: $0.030/image
Available through BytePlus (official API provider). The model uses 12 billion parameters and generates native 2K images in just 1.8 seconds, supporting up to 4K resolution.
Alibaba Qwen-Image-Edit: $0.043-$0.045/image
Priced at $0.045/image through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (Singapore region) or $0.043 in Beijing region. Built on 20-billion parameter architecture with specialized bilingual capabilities.
Third-Party Platform Pricing
Multiple API aggregators provide access to these models, often undercutting official pricing with optimized infrastructure:
| Platform | Nano Banana | Seedream 4.0 | Qwen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official API | $0.039 | $0.030 | $0.043-$0.045 |
| Replicate | Listed | $0.027 | $0.030 |
| fal.ai | $0.039 | $0.030 | $0.03/MP* |
| OpenRouter | $0.039 | - | - |
| Self-Hosted | Not Available | Not Available | Free** |
*MP = Megapixel (resolution-dependent pricing) | **After initial hardware investment (~$1,600)
Best Platform Deals
- Lowest Price: Seedream 4.0 on Replicate at $0.027/image (10% cheaper than official)
- Best Free Tier: Google AI Studio (unlimited testing, no credit card)
- Largest Trial Credits: BytePlus with 200 free Seedream images
- Zero Recurring Cost: Self-hosted Qwen (open source)
Free Tier Comparison
Each model offers free access but with vastly different structures and limitations:
Nano Banana
- Google AI Studio - completely free
- No credit card required
- Gemini app - free for all users
- Includes SynthID watermarks
Seedream 4.0
- BytePlus official - 200 images
- Unlimited web editing (seedream.pro)
- OpenArt - 40 credits (7 days)
- No watermarks required
Qwen
- Alibaba Cloud - 100 images (180 days)
- Unlimited when self-hosted
- Free demos on Hugging Face
- Full commercial rights
Volume Discounts & Enterprise Pricing
Google Nano Banana - Batch Processing
Offers 50% discount for batch mode processing (asynchronous requests), reducing effective costs to ~$0.0195 per image for large-scale operations.
ByteDance Seedream 4.0 - Subscription Tiers
While official BytePlus remains $0.03/image pay-as-you-go, third-party platforms offer subscription packages:
Enterprise: Up to $250K in bonus credits at scale
Alibaba Qwen - Regional & Batch Discounts
Beijing region offers slight savings ($0.043 vs $0.045 per image). Batch processing receives 50% discounts for non-real-time requests.
Technical Capabilities Comparison
Nano Banana Strengths
- Character consistency
- Multi-image fusion
- Semantic understanding
- 1-2 second generation
Seedream 4.0 Strengths
- Best-in-class text rendering
- 15 matching images simultaneously
- Native 2K in 1.8 seconds
- Up to 4K resolution support
Qwen Strengths
- Bilingual text (CN/EN)
- Font preservation editing
- Advanced style transfer
- 512px - 4,096px support
Recommendations by Use Case
Testing & Experimentation
Best Choice: Google AI Studio (Nano Banana) - Unlimited free testing without credit card.
Low-Volume Production (Under 1,000 images/month)
Best Choice: Seedream 4.0 on Replicate - $0.027/image (~$27/month)
High-Volume Production (5,000+ images/month)
Best Choice: Self-hosted Qwen - Eliminate per-image costs entirely
Enterprise Deployments
Options: Negotiate enterprise agreements (Google Vertex AI, BytePlus, Alibaba Cloud) or self-host Qwen for maximum control and privacy.
Platform Availability Matrix
Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Seedream 4.0
Qwen-Image-Edit
Final Verdict
Your three target models represent distinct positions in the AI image editing market. The critical decision factor is open vs. closed source: Qwen's Apache 2.0 license fundamentally changes the cost equation at scale, while Nano Banana and Seedream's proprietary nature locks users into perpetual per-image fees.
For occasional use, API convenience favors the closed models. For volume operations, self-hosting Qwen delivers superior economics. All three achieve production-quality results, making the choice primarily about deployment model, specific capabilities, and long-term cost optimization rather than raw output quality.
Try AI Image Editing for Free
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