Ideogram 3.0 Character vs Nano Banana 2.1: Which Should You Use?

TL;DR

• Need "one reference locks the character, new scenes keep the face"? Use ideogram-v3-character. Need "lower per-image price, resolution options, several references at once"? Use gemini-nano-banana-2.1.
• The hardest number is the price gap: Ideogram 3.0 Character TURBO at $0.09 per image versus Nano Banana 2.1 1K at $0.022 — $0.068 more per image, which is $90.00 versus $22.00 at 1,000 images.
• Both are live on HiAPI: the Ideogram 3.0 Character page and the Nano Banana 2.1 page, one shared /v1/tasks endpoint, 200 free credits on signup.

At a glance

	ideogram-v3-character	gemini-nano-banana-2.1
Role	Reference-image character generation: same character, new scenes	Text-to-image plus reference mixing
References	Exactly 1 (JPEG/PNG/WebP, ≤10 MB)	image_input up to 10, optional
Size control	No size parameter; aspect follows the reference	resolution 1K / 2K / 4K; aspect_ratio 15 options incl. auto
Output	WebP, 1 per call	jpg / png, 1 per call
Price (per image)	TURBO $0.09; BALANCED $0.13; QUALITY $0.18	1K $0.022; 2K $0.036; 4K $0.058
Character keeping	Face and outfit follow the reference	Follows image_input; more references lean harder on the prompt
Best for	Series art, serialized stories, brand-character assets	Volume generation, multi-reference blends, resolution-sensitive delivery

HiAPI current prices, checked October 22, 2026. Pay for successful images; failures refund in full; references are free.

Same prompt, both models, real outputs

Identical prompt and the same reference (a landscape illustrated character) — only model changes.

Pair A: night market

The explorer character walking through a lantern-lit night market, holding a paper cup of hot noodles, warm glowing stalls on both sides, storybook illustration, no text, no signs

ideogram-v3-character (TURBO)	gemini-nano-banana-2.1 (1K)

Left: ideogram-v3-character, 16:9, 1328×752, WebP, $0.09. Right: gemini-nano-banana-2.1, 16:9, 1K (1376×768), png, $0.022. Same reference, same prompt, one render each.

Generate with Ideogram 3.0 Character → | Generate with Nano Banana 2.1 →

What you can see in pair A:

• The character holds on both sides: round glasses, blue-green hair, yellow hooded jacket, backpack, hot food in hand at the center of the market, storybook style.
• The lanterns differ: Ideogram's carry vertical lettering (the prompt said no text, and it appeared anyway); NB2.1's stay solid color — lettering-sensitive workflows still need a manual pass.
• Foreground density differs: NB2.1's bowl has chopsticks, a phone in one hand, and a price board on the wall; Ideogram's frame carries fewer elements.

Pair B: a photographed person in a new scene

The same man working as a barista in a sunlit neighborhood cafe, pouring latte art into a ceramic cup, wearing a canvas apron, shallow depth of field, photorealistic, no text

ideogram-v3-character (TURBO)	gemini-nano-banana-2.1 (1K)

Left: ideogram-v3-character, REALISTIC, 16:9, 1328×752, WebP, $0.09. Right: gemini-nano-banana-2.1, 16:9, 1K (1376×768), png, $0.022. Same reference, same prompt, one render each.

Generate with Ideogram 3.0 Character → | Generate with Nano Banana 2.1 →

What you can see in pair B:

• The person holds on both sides: dark short hair, trimmed stubble, canvas apron, latte art pouring into a ceramic cup, shallow depth of field.
• The environment differs: Ideogram sets a wooden grinder in a bookshop-coffee corner under warm light, a quiet frame; NB2.1 sets an espresso machine plus grinders by a window in daylight, with customers and a chalkboard menu behind.

Aspect ratios match in both pairs (16:9); output format and pixel size differ (WebP vs png, 1328×752 vs 1376×768) — that's the endpoints themselves, so keep it in mind when comparing at full size.

Choosing by scenario

• Brand mascot sets and serialized storybooks: ideogram-v3-character — one reference, dozens of scenes, no face drift.
• Volume generation and resolution-graded delivery: gemini-nano-banana-2.1 — $0.022 per 1K image, savings scale with volume.
• Blending several references (product + scene + style): gemini-nano-banana-2.1, whose image_input takes up to 10.
• Delivery needs jpg / png: gemini-nano-banana-2.1; ideogram-v3-character outputs WebP, so format conversion adds a step.
• Browse the prompt guide for scene recipes, or the pricing page for tier details.

Switching cost: change model and input only

Both models POST to /v1/tasks with the same key and polling; only model and the input field names differ:

{
  "model": "ideogram-v3-character",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "The explorer character walking through a lantern-lit night market",
    "reference_image_urls": ["https://example.com/character.jpg"],
    "rendering_speed": "TURBO"
  }
}

{
  "model": "gemini-nano-banana-2.1",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "The explorer character walking through a lantern-lit night market",
    "image_input": ["https://example.com/character.jpg"],
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "1K",
    "output_format": "png"
  }
}

Swap reference_image_urls for image_input, and set the aspect explicitly instead of inheriting it from the reference — nothing else in your code moves.

FAQ

Can I mix the two models?

Keep ideogram-v3-character on the hero line for character fidelity; push high-volume drafts and backgrounds to gemini-nano-banana-2.1.

Is a pricier model automatically better?

Multi-reference blending, resolution options, and png output exist only on NB2.1; full-image character repainting is Ideogram Character's lane — pick by need, not price.

Do both refund failures?

Failed tasks cost nothing on either model, and references are free on both.

Can both control the aspect ratio?

Ideogram Character follows the reference image's aspect; NB2.1 takes aspect_ratio explicitly (fifteen options incl. auto); for a precise 9:16, passing the parameter on NB2.1 is simpler.

Do the output formats differ?

Ideogram Character emits WebP; NB2.1 emits jpg / png — check this row first when the delivery spec is strict.

Next: take the pair-A prompt, run one image from your own reference on both Ideogram 3.0 Character and Nano Banana 2.1, and see which one holds up on your subject matter.