The image AI market in 2025 has entered into a direct dispute among giants: the Nano-Banana (Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) and the Seedream 4.0 (from ByteDance). In this article, we put the two face to face in five practical tests, from text-to-image to character consistency, using the same prompts and references.

The goal? To clearly show which model can be the ideal creative co-pilot for designers, art directors, social media professionals, and others who rely on impactful images.

Direct comparison: Nano-Banana vs Seedream 4.0 in 5 practical tests

We pitted the Nano-Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) against the Seedream 4.0 (ByteDance) in five scenarios that represent the main uses of creatives with image AI. We used the same prompts and references to understand where each model excels.

1. Text-to-Image: creating from scratch

Prompt used: a photo of an Asian female model wearing an oversized leather jacket with zipper details, posing for Vogue magazine, fashion editorial photography, professional color grading, soft shadows, no contrast, clean sharp focus digital photography.

2. Image-to-Image: variation of angles

Prompt used: change the angle of the image to a top view of the room.

3. Image-to-Image: precision in editing

Prompt used: change the decor to a winter theme, and also with typical winter sweets.

4. Multiple references: combining different inputs

Prompt used: Change the image on the can label to the reference image and set the scene with the other image.

5. Consistency: maintaining the same character

Prompt used: Change the background of the image to Paris and she's seated on the ground at an angle pose, using the black overcoat from the image.

Nano-Banana: Google's model that redefined image editing in 2025

The Nano-Banana appeared unexpectedly in August 2025, first as an enigma in the LM Arena and later confirmed by Google as the Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. The absence of official announcements only fueled curiosity. Within hours, the creative community pointed out that it delivered something different: character consistency and precise edits, two critical points in previous models.

While most image AIs shine in creating from scratch, like MidJourney and Stable Diffusion, the Nano-Banana goes beyond. Its strength lies in editing with precision, something that has always been the Achilles' heel of visual AI.

The balance between creation and smart post-production is what makes the Nano-Banana stand out as a tool that resembles what art directors and photographers would call a “creative co-pilot”.

Character consistency across multiple prompts

The Nano-Banana can maintain the same visual identity of a character in different contexts, which is still a challenge for other models on the market.

Face reconstruction with impressive realism

By completing entire features, the model delivers natural faces, without the common distortions found in other AI systems.

Localized editing without losing the original aesthetic

Whether adjusting lighting, textures, or facial expressions, the Nano-Banana preserves the atmosphere of the scene.

Integration of multiple images into a single result

The model allows for coherent merging of different inputs, creating space for realistic mockups, advertising campaigns, or complex visual compositions.

Seedream 4.0: ByteDance's expansion in the realm of visual AIs

The Seedream 4.0 was launched in September 2025 by ByteDance, which had been consolidating its space in the AI market far beyond TikTok. 

The company has heavily invested in models for text, audio, and image, and the new version of Seedream emerges as a key piece of this strategy: a visual AI designed for consistency, scalability, and integration with global creative flows.

The Seedream 4.0 bets on stability, predictability, and volume. It is the model designed for brands and agencies that need to run complex campaigns without sacrificing cohesive visual identity.

Multiple references

The Seedream 4.0 allows sending multiple reference images and generating several outputs at once, speeding up the creative workflow.

Prompt-based editing

With just one sentence in natural language, it's possible to create high-quality images or make precise edits.

Versatile styles

The Seedream 4.0 unlocks a wide library of styles, allowing photos or images to be transformed into artistic pieces with their own identity.

Knowledge-driven generation

The model also creates educational illustrations, graphs, and images with aesthetic appeal and informational precision, broadening its use for areas such as education, e-learning, and corporate communication.

Conclusion

The comparison between Nano-Banana and Seedream 4.0 shows that we have reached a turning point. Until recently, AI was seen solely as a creative experiment: interesting outputs, but little consistency to sustain real campaigns. Today, both Google and ByteDance demonstrate that we have entered the Era of Consistency, a time when AI not only creates but maintains coherent visual identity, narrative, and characters from beginning to end.

What does this mean in practice? That it's not about choosing a “better” tool, but learning to drive AI as a creative co-pilot, knowing when to use Seedream's predictability and when to unleash Nano-Banana's boldness. The creative who masters this orchestration will come out ahead.

And if you want to experience this in practice, on the 18th and 19th of October the AI Videolab 3 will take place, a live and 100% practical dive into how to create videos with AI that maintain character consistency and aesthetics from start to finish.

Two intense days, using the most relevant tools of 2025, Veo 3, Kling, Runway, Nano-Banana, Flux Kontext, Seedream 4.0, and much more.

⚡️ Attention: this will be the last edition of the year and the chance to close 2025 applying real AI in audiovisual. 👉 Secure your spot at AI Videolab 3