Model comparison
Seedream 5.5 vs Nano Banana Pro
We ran the same six prompts on Seedream 5.5 and Nano Banana Pro, in the same shape and at 2K. One try each, nothing picked or re-rolled. Here is how they compare.
Try Seedream 5.5The short answer
- Seedream 5.5 costs 1 credit at 2K. Nano Banana Pro costs 4.5. You get four and a half images for the price of one.
- Both spelled every word right on all six prompts.
- Seedream 5.5 kept the infographic to the words we asked for. Nano Banana Pro added extra text to the icons.
- Seedream 5.5 can return a PNG with a see-through background, ready for logos and stickers.
- Nano Banana Pro made the most natural portrait. It also takes more reference images, up to 14 against 10.
- Nano Banana Pro goes up to 4K. Seedream 5.5 stops at 2K.
At a glance
| Seedream 5.5 | Nano Banana Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | ByteDance | |
| Price at 2K | 1 credit | 4.5 credits |
| Price at 1K | 0.5 credits | 4.5 credits |
| Largest size | 2K, about 4 megapixels | 4K (7.5 credits) |
| Reference images | Up to 10 (1.5 credits at 2K) | Up to 14 |
| See-through background | Yes, as a PNG | No |
| Time per image in this test | 31 to 47 seconds | 36 to 40 seconds for four images, 3 and 9 minutes for the other two |
Three signs in one photo
Both spelled all three signs right. Seedream 5.5 has the stronger golden hour glow, with dust in the light and her face lit by the window. Nano Banana Pro hung the sign on the left wall and wrote the fern tag sideways. Seedream 5.5 also slipped a small extra card onto the counter.
Photograph on a 35mm lens at eye level: a beautiful woman in her late twenties with long glossy chestnut hair, bright green eyes, flawless glowing skin and a radiant smile, in a fitted cream knit top and a mustard corduroy jacket, stands behind the counter of a small plant shop at golden hour, holding a terracotta pot with a fern. A hand painted wooden sign on the wall behind her reads "THE GREEN ROOM". A small chalkboard on the counter reads "REPOTTING EVERY SATURDAY". A paper tag tied to the pot reads "FERN 14". Low warm sun through the front window lighting her face, dust in the light, shelves of plants softly blurred, shallow depth of field, natural skin texture, the text must be exact, no other text anywhere.
Editorial portrait
Nano Banana Pro gives the most natural face of the test, like an unretouched photo on a misty harbor wall. Seedream 5.5 goes for a polished magazine look with film grain and sharp hair. Both did well, and Seedream 5.5 cost less than a quarter as much.
Tight beauty editorial portrait on an 85mm lens at f/2: a strikingly handsome man in his early thirties with thick dark tousled hair, a sharp jawline, light stubble and warm hazel eyes, in a navy fisherman sweater, turns toward the camera with a slight confident smile on a harbor wall at dawn as sea mist drifts behind him, soft silver light with a faint warm glow from the left, individual hairs and wool fibers visible, natural skin texture, fine color negative film grain, magazine cover quality, no text.
Product shot with a label
Both wrote DEW NO. 5 cleanly, and both look like real ads. Nano Banana Pro placed exactly three droplets, as asked. Seedream 5.5 framed the label in a thin box and added a few more drops. Here price decides: 1 credit against 4.5.
Studio product photograph on a 100mm macro lens: a frosted glass bottle of pale green skincare serum with a brushed gold cap stands on a wet slab of dark slate, three water droplets on the glass, one sprig of fresh mint beside it, hard rim light from the right, soft fill from the left, deep forest green gradient background, crisp reflections, advertising quality, photoreal. The label on the bottle reads "DEW NO. 5" in thin black capitals, the text must be exact, no other text.
Concert poster
Every line is spelled right on both. Nano Banana Pro went bold, with blocky letters and bands of color. Seedream 5.5 kept a softer mid-century look with a huge sun and a city of rooftops. Both did well.
Flat vector concert poster in a mid-century style. Headline at the top reads "SUNDOWN SESSIONS" in tall cream geometric capitals. Below it a smaller line reads "LIVE JAZZ ON THE ROOF". Central illustration: a trumpet player in silhouette against a huge orange sun with city rooftops below. At the bottom a line reads "EVERY FRIDAY 8 PM" and under it "TICKETS AT THE DOOR". Palette of burnt orange, cream, teal and charcoal, subtle paper grain, the text must be exact, no other text anywhere.
Infographic
Both got the title and all four labels right. Seedream 5.5 kept the words to the labels, as the prompt asked. Nano Banana Pro also wrote 20 G on the scale and 94 C on a thermometer, which the prompt ruled out.
Clean flat infographic on a cream background titled "HOW TO BREW POUR OVER COFFEE" in bold dark brown capitals at the top. Four numbered steps in a row, each with a simple icon and a short label under it: step 1 a scale icon with the label "WEIGH 20 G", step 2 a kettle icon with the label "HEAT TO 94 C", step 3 a dripper icon with the label "BLOOM 30 SEC", step 4 a cup icon with the label "POUR IN CIRCLES". Thin arrows between the steps, palette of dark brown, terracotta and sage green, the text must be exact, no other text anywhere.
Food photo
Nano Banana Pro shot closer to straight down, as the prompt asked. Seedream 5.5 shot from an angle. Both put in every topping, the pickles and the iced tea, with steam and long shadows. Both look good enough to eat.
Overhead food photograph on a 50mm lens: a blue ceramic bowl of ramen with a soft egg cut in half, three slices of pork, spring onion, a sheet of nori and chili oil catching the light, wooden chopsticks resting on the rim, a small dish of pickles and a glass of iced tea beside it on a dark walnut table, steam rising, hard window light from the top left with long shadows, photoreal, no text.
Run your own test
Both models are on Pixel Dojo. Copy any prompt above and try it on each.