Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 vs Nano Banana: Google Video and Google Images Compared
Flash 1.1 makes 4-to-10-second video from 36 credits; Nano Banana makes a still for 6. Exact per-tier credit costs, five use cases with a named winner, and the workflow that combines them for less.
Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 and Nano Banana are both Google models on VdoBloom, but they are not competitors — Flash 1.1 makes 4-to-10-second video from a prompt or a photo starting at 36 credits ($1.80), while Nano Banana makes a single still image for 6 credits ($0.30). The comparison matters because they are the two cheapest routes into Google’s generative stack on the platform, and using them in the wrong order is the fastest way to waste credits. Short verdict: compose in Nano Banana, animate in Flash 1.1.
This post sets out what each one really does, the exact credit cost of every tier, and five use cases with a clear winner named for each.
The two models in one paragraph each
Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 is the faster, broader tier of the Gemini Omni video family. It accepts a text prompt or a starting image, renders 4, 6, 8 or 10 seconds, and offers four quality tiers — 360p, 720p, 1080p and 4K — in 16:9 or 9:16. The 360p tier is the thing its siblings do not have. The family is rated 4.7 and carries VdoBloom’s strictest content label.
Nano Banana is a still-image generator. One prompt, one image, 6 credits, with a wide aspect list covering 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9 and 21:9. It is rated 4.2 and also sits in the strict content tier. There is a companion edit variant at 5 credits per image and a Pro tier with 1K, 2K and 4K resolution control at 18 to 24 credits.
Spec and price table
All credit numbers are read from the VdoBloom credit tables. Dollars convert at the Lite-plan rate, where $15 buys 300 credits, so one credit is $0.05.
| Attribute | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 | Nano Banana |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Video, 4–10 seconds | One still image |
| Inputs accepted | Text prompt or starting image | Text prompt |
| Quality options | 360p, 720p, 1080p, 4K | Single quality (Pro tier adds 1K/2K/4K) |
| Aspect ratios | 16:9, 9:16 | 10 ratios, 1:1 through 21:9 |
| User rating | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Cheapest run | 36 credits ($1.80) — 4s at 360p/720p/1080p | 6 credits ($0.30) per image |
| 6-second render | 48 credits ($2.40) up to 1080p | Not applicable |
| 8-second render | 60 credits ($3.00) up to 1080p | Not applicable |
| 10-second render | 72 credits ($3.60) up to 1080p | Not applicable |
| 4K pricing | 84 / 96 / 108 / 120 credits for 4 / 6 / 8 / 10s | Pro variant: 24 credits ($1.20) at 4K |
| Cost of 10 outputs | 360–1,200 credits ($18–$60) | 60 credits ($3.00) |
| Content tier | Strictest | Strict |
The ratio that should drive your workflow is in the last cost row: ten Nano Banana images cost less than one 4-second Flash 1.1 render at any tier. Exploration belongs in images.
The 360p tier is not a discount
This surprises people, so it is worth stating plainly. On Flash 1.1, 360p, 720p and 1080p all bill at the same credits — 36 for 4 seconds, 48 for 6, 60 for 8, 72 for 10. Choosing 360p saves you nothing. Its genuine uses are a lighter file for a quick share or a preview where render behaviour matters more than pixels; if you are picking it to economise, you are not economising. Render at 1080p instead and keep the option of using the result.
Only 4K carries a real premium, and it is steep: 120 credits for 10 seconds against 72 for the same clip at 1080p, a 67% uplift. Decide on 4K when you know the clip is shipping, not while you are still exploring.
Five use cases, with a winner named
Concepting and mood boards — Nano Banana wins, decisively. Twenty directions at 6 credits each is 120 credits ($6.00), less than one 10-second 4K video. Its wide aspect list also means you can lay out 1:1 grid tiles and 21:9 banners that Flash 1.1 cannot produce at all.
Anything that has to move — Flash 1.1, obviously, but earn it. If your deliverable is a Reel, a Short, a hero loop or an ad, you need video, and Flash 1.1 is the cheapest entry point in the Gemini Omni family. Feed it an approved still rather than a cold prompt and your hit rate goes up sharply.
Square or ultrawide framing — Nano Banana, with no contest. Flash 1.1 offers 16:9 and 9:16 only. For a 1:1 marketplace tile, a 4:5 feed post or a 21:9 site banner, the video model has no matching output, and cropping a 16:9 render throws away the resolution you bought.
Editing an existing image — Nano Banana Edit, at 5 credits. Flash 1.1 animates an image but does not correct one. If your still has the wrong background or the wrong colour, fix it in image editing for 5 credits before spending video credits on it.
Highest-fidelity finish — depends on the medium. For stills, the Nano Banana Pro tier at 18 credits (1K or 2K) or 24 credits (4K) beats the base 6-credit model. For video, Flash 1.1 at 4K is the top of this particular line, and the wider VdoBloom catalog has longer-form and more permissive video models if 10 seconds or the strict filter is the blocker.
The workflow that costs least
Three steps, and it consistently beats prompting video cold.
- Generate four to eight candidate frames in image generation with Nano Banana. Eight images is 48 credits ($2.40). Pick one.
- Fix anything wrong with the winner in image editing for 5 credits rather than hoping the video model corrects it.
- Run that frame through Flash 1.1 in image-to-video at 6 seconds and 1080p for 48 credits ($2.40).
Total: about 101 credits, roughly $5.05, for a finished 6-second 1080p clip built on a frame you actually chose. The cold-prompt alternative — three 6-second video attempts at 48 credits each — costs 144 credits and gives you no control over composition. If the photo you animate shows a real person, you must have that person’s consent before running it.
What neither model will do
Both sit in strict content tiers. Google filters explicit material, graphic violence and likeness-sensitive prompts before generation, on uploads as well as text. VdoBloom labels every model by filter strictness precisely so you can see this before spending credits; the more flexible tiers in the catalog handle swimwear, dance, fitness and fashion concepts that these two will refuse. Explicit and illegal content stays blocked everywhere on the platform.
Neither model produces audio, and neither exceeds 10 seconds in a single pass. For longer clips you either chain shots or pick a longer-form model from the catalog.
Every price above is shown in the interface before a render starts, new accounts get 10 free credits with no card, and credit packs start at $2.49 for 75 credits that never expire. Full detail is on the pricing page, where paid plans also remove the watermark and add commercial rights.
Frequently asked questions
Can Nano Banana make video?
No. It is a still-image model at 6 credits per image. If you need motion you need a video model such as Gemini Omni Flash 1.1, which starts at 36 credits for 4 seconds.
Is Flash 1.1 cheaper than the other Gemini Omni video variants?
It shares the same credit table as the Gemini Omni text-to-video and image-to-video variants. What it adds is a 360p option and the ability to take either a prompt or an image, not a lower price.
Why would anyone choose 360p on Flash 1.1?
Only for a lighter file or a quick look at how a prompt behaves. It bills identically to 720p and 1080p, so there is no credit saving in it.
Which is better for Instagram?
Both, in sequence. Nano Banana handles the 4:5 and 1:1 static posts that Flash 1.1 cannot frame; Flash 1.1 handles the 9:16 Reel. Building the Reel from a Nano Banana frame is cheaper than prompting the video cold.
Do these two models share a credit balance?
Yes. VdoBloom runs one credit system across every model in the catalog, so the same balance covers images, video and every other tool, with the cost of each run displayed before you confirm it.
Ready to try it?
Create your first AI video in minutes — no credit card required.
Start Creating Free →