OpenAI's previous generation image model with higher quality than DALL-E 2 and support for larger resolutions
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
DALL-E 3
18.9
arena score
#37 of 48 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Nano Banana 2 Lite
22.3
arena score
#27 of 48 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
DALL-E 3
0.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Nano Banana 2 Lite
100.0%
win rate
0.0%
0.0% ties
100.0%
Shared challenges
13
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
Geometric Composition
Text-to-Image“A glass cube on a wooden table. Inside the cube is a small blue sphere. On top of the cube sits a red book. A green plant is behind the cube, partially visible through the glass. Soft window light from the left.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + High resolution and smooth textures
- + Creative interpretation with a terrarium-like blue sphere
- − Failed the spatial prompt: the red book is inside the cube, not on top
- − The cube has a wooden frame not mentioned in the prompt
- − The sphere is on the book rather than just 'inside the cube'
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Perfect adherence to all spatial instructions
- + Realistic photographic quality with natural window lighting
- + Excellent text rendering on the book spine matching the prompt content
- − The sphere appears to be floating mid-air inside the glass, which may look slightly unnatural
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite followed every spatial instruction perfectly, placing the sphere inside, the book on top, and the plant behind. DALL-E 3 failed the primary spatial logic by placing the book inside the cube and adding an unrequested wooden frame. Nano Banana 2 Lite also provided a more realistic photographic style compared to the digital art look of DALL-E 3.
Candid Street Photography
Text-to-Image“A candid street photo of an elderly Japanese man repairing a red bicycle in light rain, reflections on wet pavement, shallow depth of field, 50mm lens, natural skin texture, imperfect framing, motion blur from passing cars, cinematic but realistic, no stylization.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent composition with a unique foreground element and strong reflection
- + Very cinematic lighting and atmosphere
- + Includes requested motion blur on passing vehicles
- − Anatomical issues with the man's neck and fingers
- − Skin appears overly smoothed and lacks requested natural texture
- − The man being barefoot and his clothing seem historically and practically inconsistent
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Superior realism in skin texture and clothing details
- + Realistic tools and logical interaction with the bicycle
- + Highly authentic 'candid' street photography aesthetic
- − Lacks significant motion blur on the passing cars
- − Lower resolution/slight fuzziness compared to Model A
- − Composition is a bit more centered and conventional
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite is the winner because it achieves a level of gritty realism and anatomical accuracy that DALL-E 3 lacks, particularly in the natural skin texture and clothing. While DALL-E 3 has a more striking cinematic composition with reflections, its anatomical flaws and 'smooth' AI aesthetic fail the 'no stylization' requirement of the prompt.
Fantasy Warrior
Text-to-Image“Close portrait of a battle-worn paladin in ornate engraved plate armor, hair braided with small beads, faint scars and dirt on the skin, warm torchlight reflecting off metal, shallow depth of field, bokeh sparks, lifelike eyes, highly detailed texture on leather straps and cloth underlayer.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent high-contrast cinematic lighting that emphasizes the metal engraving
- + Very detailed skin texture and facial hair
- + Strong adherence to the 'engraved plate armor' and 'warm torchlight' prompts
- − Missed the request for braided hair with beads
- − The scars appear slightly artificial or superficial
- − The close-up framing obscures much of the 'leather straps and cloth' details
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Perfectly captures the braided hair with beads as requested
- + Lifelike eyes and complex facial expression tell a stronger narrative
- + Superior detail on leather straps, buckles, and chainmail underlayer
- − Unintentional white pillar artifacts on the left and right sides of the image
- − Lighting is a bit less dramatic compared to the warm torchlight request
- − The engraving on the armor is less distinct than in Model A
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite followed more complex prompt details like the braided hair with beads and the specific layer textures, though it suffered from significant technical framing artifacts. DALL-E 3 produced a cleaner, more cinematic image with beautiful lighting, but failed several specific descriptor prompts like the hair styling.
Modern Clean Menu
Text-to-Image“Modern minimalist restaurant menu design, white background with colorful food photos in grid, sections for appetizers/pizza/mains, bold sans-serif fonts, vibrant accents, clean professional layout for casual dining.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Features a more modern grid-based editorial design aesthetic.
- + Good use of vibrant color blocking.
- + Provides multiple design layout variations in one image.
- − Text is mostly gibberish or illegible placeholder marks.
- − Photos of food are somewhat blurry and lack fine detail.
- − The layout feels more like a magazine than a functional restaurant menu.
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Excellent text legibility and professional font choice.
- + Superior prompt adherence regarding specific sections (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains).
- + High-quality, appetizing food photography that integrates perfectly with the layout.
- − The centered alignment of section headers is a bit more traditional than strictly 'minimalist' modern.
- − Slight spelling errors in small descriptive text under dishes.
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite produced a far more superior and functional result with high-resolution food photography and legible, structured text that perfectly matched all prompt requirements. DALL-E 3 produced more abstract editorial layouts that suffered from poor text rendering and lacked the realism of a commercial menu.
Magic Burger Explosion: Fiery Photorealism Challenge
Text-to-Image“Ad for 'Magic Burger'. Dynamic, exploded burger with all components (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce) suspended in mid-air. Emphasize photorealistic detail and a sense of motion. Dark, fiery background with glowing embers. Integrate text: 'MAGIC BURGER' as a prominent title, 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' as a secondary message, and '€6.99' in a starburst, all rendered with a fiery, glowing effect.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent food texture with high-fidelity grease and moisture detail on the patty and cheese.
- + Creative use of flying debris and glowing backlighting to create a sense of action.
- − Major spelling errors in the text including 'MAGIC BURGR' and 'Limiited'.
- − The price is contained in a plain box rather than the requested starburst.
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested strings with the specified fiery effect.
- + Includes the requested starburst element for the price and follows the 'exploded' instruction well.
- + The lighting and ember effects are very cinematic and consistent.
- − The bacon in the burger was not explicitly requested, though it adds to the visual appeal.
- − The sauce drops look slightly less realistic than the food in Model A.
Verdict: Model B (Nano Banana 2 Lite) is the clear winner as it successfully rendered all complex text requirements without spelling errors, whereas Image A (DALL-E 3) failed on multiple words. Model B also correctly implemented the specific 'starburst' and 'fiery text' design elements requested in the prompt.
Chalkboard Menu
Text-to-Image“Handwritten-style chalkboard menu in a cozy café, all text rendered in the exact same realistic chalk handwriting style with natural variations in letter size, slight slant, and chalk texture — no printed or digital fonts anywhere on the board. Title at the top in elegant cursive chalk handwriting: ‘TODAY’S SPECIALS – APRIL 30, 2026’. Below it, three menu items also in the same handwritten chalk style: ‘Truffle Mushroom Risotto – $24’, ‘Grilled Octopus with Lemon & Herbs – $28’, ‘Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – $9’. At the very bottom, smaller text in the identical handwritten chalk style (slightly smaller but still clearly legible with the same handwriting characteristics): ‘All items made fresh daily • Ask about our gluten-free options’. Warm ambient café lighting, visible chalk dust and smudges, realistic handwriting imperfections, no clean printed text anywhere.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent chalk-like texture and artistic flourishes
- + Captures a warm, atmospheric gallery-style lighting
- − Numerous spelling errors including 'Trufle' and 'Occtus'
- − Completely failed to follow the numerical pricing requested ($234 instead of $24/$28)
- − Messy, incoherent layout with repeated scrambled text
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Near-perfect adherence to the text prompt including specific items and prices
- + Very clean and readable composition within a café environment
- + Accurately rendered both cursive and print-style chalk handwriting as requested
- − The 'natural variations' in handwriting are subtle, making it look slightly like a digital chalk font
- − The bottom footer text is a bit too clean compared to the rest of the board
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite is the clear winner as it followed every detail of the text prompt perfectly, including the specific menu items and their prices. DALL-E 3 struggled significantly with text rendering, hallucinating incorrect prices and misspelling almost every word.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent cinematic lighting and atmospheric clouds.
- + High visual quality with a beautiful nebula background.
- − Failed the specific spatial instruction; the astronaut is riding the horse.
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Successfully followed the difficult 'horse on top' instruction.
- + High level of detail on the space suit and the horse's equipment.
- + Creative interpretation of a surreal space scene with a pilot seat.
- − The composition is a bit cluttered with multiple planets and celestial bodies.
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite is the clear winner as it successfully interpreted the complex 'horse on top' prompt, which is a classic test for spatial relationship reasoning in AI. DALL-E 3 produced a high-quality but generic image of an astronaut riding a horse, completely ignoring the specific instruction to reverse the positions.
The Capybara Taxi Driver
Text-to-Image“Photorealistic scene inside a yellow New York taxi at night. A capybara is driving, wearing a yellow taxi driver cap and a dark jacket. It has a calm, professional expression and both front paws on the steering wheel. In the back seat sits a human businesswoman in a coat, looking at her phone with a completely normal, bored expression (as if this is just another normal ride). Through the windows you can see the streets of Manhattan at night with blurred lights. Realistic taxi interior, photorealistic, detailed fur and fabric, 35mm lens, night lighting with reflections, shallow depth of field.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent fur detail and cinematic lighting
- + Clear 'capybara' sign on the street shop adds a clever touch
- + Strictly follows the 'yellow cap' instruction
- − Completely missing the human passenger in the back seat
- − The interior looks a bit too clean and digital
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Successfully includes the businesswoman in the back seat looking at her phone
- + Captures a gritty, realistic NYC taxi interior with a meter and GPS
- + Composition better illustrates the bored interaction between passenger and animal driver
- − The driver's cap has a checkered pattern more typical of UK police or taxis than NYC
- − Slightly muddy textures on the car seat in the foreground
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite is the clear winner as it successfully incorporated the businesswoman in the back seat, which DALL-E 3 failed to generate entirely. While DALL-E 3 produced a cleaner, more stylized image, Nano Banana 2 Lite captured the specific narrative requested in the prompt with a more authentic New York grit.
The Halloween Invitation
Text-to-Image“Vintage gothic Halloween party invitation. Dark parchment poster, spooky border with webs and thorns, central glowing jack-o-lantern, bats, twisted trees, moody night sky. Add elegant gothic title text saying "Halloween Party Invitation", a small scroll banner saying "You are invited to a night of frights", and event details at the bottom: Date: 30.10.2026 Time: 7pm Location: The Arches, NYC Spooky but polished, cinematic lighting, square format.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Ornate 3D-like frame and physical depth in the composition
- + Strong vintage gothic atmosphere with textured parchment
- + Cinematic lighting and shadows
- − Text rendering is largely illegible and contains gibberish
- − Failed to include the specific banner requested
- − Layout is cluttered and difficult to read as an invitation
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Excellent text rendering with near-perfect accuracy for all requested details
- + Followed all layout instructions including the banner and event details
- + Polished, vibrant illustration with clear focal points
- − Art style is slightly more 'digital illustration' than 'vintage parchment'
- − Some minor repetition in skull elements on the border
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite is the clear winner as it successfully rendered all the requested text with high accuracy and followed the layout instructions perfectly. While DALL-E 3 created a moody atmosphere, its complete failure to produce legible text or the specific banner makes it unusable as a party invitation.
Isometric Miniature Diorama Scenes
Text-to-Image“Create a clear, 45° top-down isometric miniature 3D cartoon scene of Japan's signature dish: sushi, with soft refined textures, realistic PBR materials, gentle lighting, on a small raised diorama base with minimal garnish and plate. Solid light blue background. At top-center: 'JAPAN' in large bold text, 'SUSHI' below it, small flag icon. Perfectly centered, ultra-clean, high-clarity, square format.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent geometric isometric composition
- + Clean 3D cartoon aesthetic with soft lighting
- + Includes a creative 3D flag as part of the diorama
- − Completely failed to generate the requested text 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI'
- − The sushi shapes are more abstract and less recognizable as specific types
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Perfect adherence to text requirements and flag placement
- + High-quality realistic PBR textures on the sushi fish and rice
- + Accurate representation of various sushi types (nigiri, maki, tamago)
- − The diorama base is very simple with rounded corners rather than a sharp isometric block
- − The background lighting is a bit flat compared to the soft shadows in typical 3D renders
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 captures the 'cartoon' and '3D miniature' style with more artistic flair, it failed the primary text instructions. Nano Banana 2 Lite followed every part of the prompt, including the specific text and flag placement, while providing much more realistic food textures. Nano Banana 2 Lite is the winner for its superior prompt adherence and clarity.
Adorable Baby Animals in Sunny Meadow
Text-to-Image“Hyper-photorealistic scene of fluffy baby animals—a golden retriever puppy, tabby kitten, baby bunny, and red fox kit—with big expressive eyes and ultra-detailed soft fur, playfully chasing butterflies and tumbling together in a lush wildflower meadow, warm golden sunrise light with god rays and dew sparkles, joyful wholesome vibe, 8K masterpiece.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent depiction of warm golden light and dramatic god rays.
- + Vibrant colors and a very clean, high-resolution aesthetic.
- − The style is heavily stylized and 3D-rendered rather than hyper-photorealistic.
- − Contains surreal anatomical errors, such as butterflies with furry animal heads.
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Much closer to a hyper-photorealistic style with realistic anatomy for all animals.
- + Better handles the 'tumbling' and 'chasing' action requested in the prompt.
- + Accurate representation of the golden sunrise and dew sparkles on the grass.
- − The fox kit's leg posture is slightly awkward.
- − Some butterflies are a bit small and lack fine wing detail compared to the foreground subjects.
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 creates a charming, storybook-style illustration, it fails the request for hyper-photorealism and features bizarre hybrid creatures (butterfly-birds). Nano Banana 2 Lite successfully delivers a realistic scene that accurately depicts all four requested animals in a dynamic, wholesome composition with convincing lighting.
Vintage Cafe Logo
Text-to-Image“Vintage minimalist restaurant logo for "Caffè Florian", retro cloche dome with steam and "Est. 1720" banner, classic typography, warm brown and cream tones, subtle texture on light background, vector emblem style.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent use of texture and vintage color palette
- + High-quality vector emblem illustration
- + Correctly included the established date
- − Failed to render the core brand name correctly, substituting it with Coffee House
- − Overall design is somewhat busy and less minimalist than requested
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Perfect text rendering of the requested brand name Caffè Florian
- + Highly minimalist and clean aesthetic suitable for a modern-vintage logo
- + Accurately represents all elements including the cloche, steam, and banner
- − Simplified vector style lacks some of the artistic depth seen in the alternate model
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 produced a more visually rich and textured emblem, it failed the fundamental task of including the specific brand name 'Caffè Florian'. Nano Banana 2 Lite followed every instruction perfectly, including the exact name and maintaining a clean, minimalist style that fits a logo application better.
Apollo 11: Journey to Tranquility
Text-to-Image“Create a clean, modern vector infographic poster about the Apollo 11 mission. NASA-inspired palette (navy, white, muted red, light gray). Flat-vector style, crisp lines, consistent iconography, subtle gradients only. Steps (stop at landing): 1. Launch (Saturn Vicon) 2. Earth Orbit (Earth + orbit ring icon) 3. Translunar (trajectory arc icon) 4. Lunar Orbit (Moon + orbit ring icon) 5. Descent (lunar module descending icon) 6. Landing (lunar module on the surface icon) Small supporting elements (minimal text): • Crew strip: three silhouette icons with only last names: Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins. • Landing site marker: Moon pin labeled "Tranquility" only. Layout constraints: generous margins, large readable labels, clean background with subtle stars. Vector-only, print-poster look, high resolution.”
DALL-E 3
Nano Banana 2 Lite
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent artistic style with a retro-futuristic space aesthetic.
- + Effective use of the specified NASA-inspired color palette.
- + Strong visual balance across three vertical panels.
- − Failed to follow the specific 6-step logical sequence requested.
- − Inaccurate iconography, such as using Space Shuttle silhouettes instead of the Saturn V.
- − Contains nonsensical placeholder text and spelling errors like 'APPOLLO'.
Nano Banana 2 Lite
- + Perfect adherence to the 6-step sequential instruction.
- + Clean and legible typography with accurate names (Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins).
- + Correct iconography for the Saturn V, Earth/Moon orbits, and Lunar Module.
- − Simple layout that is less visually 'ambitious' compared to the other model.
- − The 1-6 numbering along the center line is slightly crowded.
Verdict: Nano Banana 2 Lite is the clear winner because it followed every specific step of the prompt, including the complex 6-step mission sequence and specific iconography like the Saturn V. While DALL-E 3 produced a more artistic and visually striking image, it failed the core instruction by including Space Shuttles and ignoring the logical flow of the infographic.
Next steps
Explore each model
The lightweight, low-cost variant of Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image). Ultra-low-latency image generation and editing at a fixed 1K resolution, designed for high-volume interactive use cases.