No image generator won everywhere. In our test of 10 prompts, ChatGPT Image was best at following strict layouts, Grok Image at realism and texture, and Nano Banana at blending surreal scenes, while Seedream was the cheapest but added the most things nobody asked for. Below you can compare all 40 images and choose the right model for your job.
Which AI image generator is best for what?
| Model | Version tested | PromptHero credits per image | Image size | Stood out for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Image | GPT Image-2.5 | 10 | 1024 × 1024 | Strict layouts, several characters, clear text | Adds extras: a label, a hat, a bench |
| Nano Banana | Nano Banana 2.1 | 4 | 1024 × 1024 | Engraved look, blended surreal scenes | Loose with layouts, small subjects |
| Grok Image | Grok Image 2 | 5 | 2048 × 2048 | Product views, portraits, texture and mood | Fake checkerboard instead of transparency |
| Seedream | Seedream 5 Pro | 3 | 2000 × 2000 | Lowest price, largest images for the price | Most invented elements, ignored the feet in one prompt |
How we ran the test
- We picked 10 real prompts from the PromptHero community, covering text, products, portraits, layouts, characters, interiors and style.
- We ran each prompt, word for word, once on each of the four models on PromptHero on 5 November 2026.
- We used each model’s default version and settings, with a square 1:1 image.
- We kept the first result from every model, with no retries and no edits.
- We compared each image with what the prompt asked for.
This is a small test and the picks are our judgement. One run can’t prove what a model always does, and prices and versions change, so try your own prompt before you commit.
The 10 prompts, side by side
Select a model’s name under any image to open that result on PromptHero, with its prompt and settings.
1. Text in a scene: sneakers and a painted arrow
Close-up top-down view of fashionable sneakers on a city pavement. A yellow painted directional arrow on the ground points away from the feet, featuring the inscription "Follow me". Streetwear vibe, grainy asphalt texture, soft daylight, sharp focus on the shoes and text. ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
All four spelled «Follow me» correctly. ChatGPT Image, Nano Banana and Grok Image showed the shoes on someone’s feet with the arrow ahead. Seedream left out the feet and placed the shoes on the ground between two arrows.
Our pick: ChatGPT Image, for the large, clean text on the arrow. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
2. Poster with text: vintage Berlin
Create a vintage poster illustration of Berlin, rendered in a retro engraved drawing style with fine ink lines, cross-hatching, and delicate shading on a subtly textured paper background. Include the city name as stylized text, designed in classic serif or hand-lettered typography that harmonizes with the illustration. Use a muted palette of teal, ochre, coral, olive green, and warm beige. The overall mood should evoke nostalgia and elegance like an antique illustrated postcard rediscovered in an old travel journal. ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
All four spelled the city name correctly. Nano Banana and Grok Image came closest to an engraving. ChatGPT Image looks softer and more painted. Seedream added beer, cake, a sandwich and stamps that nobody asked for.
Our pick: Nano Banana and Grok Image, level. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
3. Product shot: serum bottle in water
Product photography, natural light. A hand holding an amber coloured face serum bottle with a white dropper top in a pool of water surrounded by pink peonies. The water is sparkling and reflecting sunlight with pastel colours . Shot on Leica M6 in the style of nature photography ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
Grok Image gave the clearest view of the bottle. ChatGPT Image invented a label. Nano Banana made the bottle small, so the scene outweighs the product. Seedream has the most pastel shimmer on the water.
Our pick: Grok Image, for the product view. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
4. Portrait: black and white, looking up
Portrait of a woman with long, wavy hair, looking up and to the side. Black and white with strong chiaroscuro accentuating facial features. Dramatic lighting, focused on the face, with a dark, blurred background. The expression is pensive, with the mouth slightly open. A high-resolution, fashion aesthetic with fine detail. ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
Grok Image matched «looking up» most clearly and lit the face strongly against the dark. ChatGPT Image is moody but darker. Nano Banana’s gaze is closer to the camera. Seedream has the least contrast.
Our pick: Grok Image. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
5. Many items: a grid of food plates
Assorted food plates, overhead view, various cuisines, high-angle shot, studio lighting, white background, different types of pasta, fried fish, chicken, grilled vegetables, pierogi, eggs, bacon, caesar salad, french fries, fish fingers, dishes arranged in a grid pattern, food photography style, detailed textures of food, isolated food, realistic food render, food platters, white plates, close up, detailed food, vivid colors, appetizing, realistic lighting, simple composition. ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
ChatGPT Image produced the tidiest grid, with four rows of four plates. Grok Image and Seedream also made clean grids with fewer plates. Nano Banana looks appetizing, but it is a loose layout with plates cut off at the edges, not a grid.
Our pick: ChatGPT Image. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
6. Several characters: four geese, one by one
cute cartoon geese lineup, four white geese standing side by side, simple kawaii illustration style, thick clean black outlines, flat pastel colors, minimal shading, children book illustration style.
goose 1: wearing a red white and blue bow and holding a small Puerto Rico flag.
goose 2: playing a small maraca decorated with Puerto Rico flag colors (red, white stripes and blue star).
goose 3: holding a coffee cup with Puerto Rico flag pattern.
goose 4: wearing a patriotic top hat in red white and blue and holding a star shaped sparkler.
all geese have yellow beaks and orange feet, simple rounded body shapes, cute minimal faces with dot eyes.
composition: characters evenly spaced in a straight horizontal row.
background: light pastel gray, minimal clean background.
vector style illustration, flat graphic, t-shirt design, playful cute aesthetic, high resolution ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
All four kept the four geese in order, each with the right object, which is the hard part of this prompt. ChatGPT Image drew them largest and boldest. Nano Banana drew them small, added sparkles and used a bluish background. Seedream’s hat is mostly red.
Our pick: ChatGPT Image. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
7. A surreal idea: a landscape leaving the screen
On a desk, a laptop displays a wallpaper of a countryside landscape with a small river. The landscape extends beyond the computer screen, invading the desk, the walls, and the room. The river overflows the screen, and plants and trees grow beyond its boundaries, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The style is a stunning 3D rendering, with deep, cinematic lighting. ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
All four sent the river over the desk. Nano Banana blended the screen into the plants and walls most naturally. ChatGPT Image gave the most dramatic waterfall. Seedream added a window onto a city at the side.
Our pick: Nano Banana. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
8. Interior: a beige bedroom in great detail
Photorealistic modern bedroom interior design with a calm beige color theme for the entire room. Simple and elegant upholstered headboard with clean horizontal panels behind the bed. Background wall finished with subtle textured paint or limewash texture in warm beige tones. Minimal and sophisticated wardrobe design on the side wall with smooth matte panels, thin groove lines, and soft gold accents. Bed with neutral beige bedding, soft cushions and minimal styling. Light marble flooring, warm ambient lighting, modern wall sconces beside the headboard. Contemporary ceiling fan and clean ceiling design. Elegant, subtle luxury bedroom, balanced composition, soft natural daylight, realistic shadows, high-end residential interior design. ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
The closest result of the test: all four included the ceiling fan, wall lights, panelled wardrobe and beige theme. ChatGPT Image added a bench and a painting. Seedream ran the headboard panels up the wall.
Our pick: A tie, so choose on price. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
9. Style and mood: a rusted robot on an alien planet
Create a retro-futuristic style image featuring a solitary robot standing in a vast desert on an unknown planet. The robot should have a striking color scheme dominated by red and black, with numerous rust marks visible on its surface, giving it a weathered and aged appearance. The robot should be standing upright, exuding a sense of loneliness and abandonment. The background should depict a barren, alien landscape with multiple moons visible in the sky, enhancing the feeling of isolation and mystery. The overall atmosphere should blend elements of vintage sci-fi with futuristic technology, evoking a sense of nostalgia and wonder ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
All four delivered the robot, the desert and several moons. Grok Image’s worn paper texture and heavy rust feel the most vintage. ChatGPT Image turned the robot away from the viewer. Nano Banana added debris in the sand. Seedream’s robot is the cleanest, with the least rust.
Our pick: Grok Image. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
10. Sticker: a duck on a transparent background
Cute white duck walking confidently, wearing oversized pink cowgirl boots and a pastel bandana, long eyelashes and blush cheeks, surrounded by floating retro daisy flowers and small sparkles arranged around the character (not background), bold thick black outlines, flat vector cartoon style, vibrant pastel color palette (pink, orange, yellow, lavender), sticker style composition, isolated design, transparent background PNG, no background, no shadows, no gradients, clean edges, high resolution 300dpi ChatGPT Image |  Nano Banana |
 Grok Image |  Seedream |
None of the four produced a truly transparent background from the prompt alone. ChatGPT Image and Grok Image drew a fake checkerboard pattern, and Nano Banana and Seedream used white. ChatGPT Image also added a cowboy hat.
Our pick: Nano Banana and Seedream, level, because white is easier to remove than a checkerboard. See the original prompt on PromptHero.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI image generator is best overall?
None in our test. ChatGPT Image and Grok Image took the most picks, but for different jobs: layouts for the first, realism and texture for the second.
Which model is best for text in images?
All four spelled the requested words correctly in our two text tests. ChatGPT Image had the cleanest short text, and Nano Banana and Grok Image the best poster lettering. Always proofread the result.
Which model is best for product photos?
Grok Image gave the clearest product view in our serum test. ChatGPT Image invented a label, so check for extras if your product must stay unbranded.
Is the most expensive model the best?
Not in this test. ChatGPT Image cost the most per image on PromptHero and led on layouts, but Grok Image and Nano Banana cost less and won other prompts. In the bedroom test, price was the only real difference.
How do I get a transparent background?
Don’t rely on the prompt alone: none of the four delivered real transparency that way in our test. On PromptHero, ChatGPT Image also has a Background setting with a transparent option. We did not test that setting here.
Can I try these prompts myself?
Yes. Each test links to the original prompt, and you can browse more on the pages for ChatGPT Image, Nano Banana, Grok Image and Seedream.
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