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
18.5
arena score
#35 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
Not enough comparable category data
The chart appears once both models have ratings across at least three shared arena categories.
Nano Banana Pro
28.2
arena score
#2 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Best Image Editing right now
Top 2 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
DALL-E 3
0.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Nano Banana Pro
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + High resolution and polished lighting effects.
- + Creative interpretation of the blue sphere with an internal landscape.
- − Failed the spatial instructions significantly; the book and sphere are both inside the cube instead of the book being on top.
- − The 'glass cube' is more of a wooden frame with glass panels.
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect adherence to the spatial prompt, placing the book on top and sphere inside.
- + Highly realistic photographic style with natural window lighting.
- + Correctly positioned the plant behind the glass.
- − The glass cube has some slight perspective distortion on its left edge.
- − Smaller resolution compared to the other image.
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the clear winner as it followed every spatial instruction in the prompt, accurately placing the red book on top of the cube and the blue sphere inside. DALL-E 3 failed the prompt requirements by placing both objects inside a wooden frame, ignoring the logic of the request despite producing a high-quality render.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent use of reflections and puddle dynamics to enhance the mood
- + Captures a very cinematic, high-contrast lighting style
- + Strong adherence to the framing request with foreground elements
- − Anatomical errors in the man's feet and legs
- − The man appears barefoot in the rain which is unrealistic
- − The car in the background lacks the requested motion blur
Nano Banana Pro
- + Highly realistic skin textures and clothing details
- + Successful application of motion blur on the passing vehicle
- + Authentic 'candid' street photography aesthetic with no artificial stylization
- − Slightly less dramatic reflections compared to Model A
- − The 'light rain' is very subtle and mostly visible against dark backgrounds
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the clear winner for its adherence to the 'no stylization' and 'natural skin texture' prompts, producing an image that looks like a genuine photograph. DALL-E 3 creates a beautiful cinematic scene, but it suffers from anatomical issues (bare feet and strange leg posture) and feels more like a digital painting than a candid photo.
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 Pro
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Exceptional level of ornate detail in the engraving and filigree
- + Intense, lifelike gaze with high-contrast warm lighting
- + Very clean image with virtually no artifacts
- − The character looks slightly 'over-polished' and less battle-worn than requested
- − Armor structure around the head is somewhat fantastical and non-functional
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfectly captures the 'battle-worn' aesthetic with realistic dirt and grittiness
- + Shows the textiles and leather strap textures much more clearly
- + Features realistic braiding and bead details exactly as described
- − Lighting is a bit flatter on the face compared to the armor
- − Less 'ornate' engraving than the competing model
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt well, but Nano Banana Pro delivered a superior 'battle-worn' look with a more realistic grit and better texture on the secondary materials like leather and cloth. While DALL-E 3 produced a stunningly detailed set of armor, it felt a bit too clean and 'editorial', whereas Nano Banana Pro felt like a character in a real environment.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent variety of layouts showing different design concepts
- + High-quality, professional food photography within the grids
- + Good use of color blocking and modern graphic elements
- − Text is largely gibberish and unreadable
- − Layout is more of a spread than a single usable menu page
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect adherence to specifically requested sections (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains)
- + Cleanest text rendering with semi-legible descriptions and clear pricing
- + Logical, easy-to-read grid structure that follows professional menu standards
- − Composition feels slightly more generic/template-like
- − Food photos are somewhat repetitive in style
Verdict: DALL-E 3 provides a more creative, artistic look at branding with multiple layout options, but its text is completely illegible. Nano Banana Pro is much more functional and successfully followed the specific categorization requirements (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains) with readable sans-serif fonts, making it the more practical choice for a design mock-up.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent visual drama with fire and ground interaction
- + Highly detailed textures on the burger patty and lettuce
- + Strong sense of motion with flying ingredients and lighting
- − Several spelling errors including 'AGIC BURGR' and 'Limiited'
- − Failed to use a starburst for the price element
- − The price tag lacks the requested fiery/glowing effect
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect adherence to all text requirements with no spelling errors
- + Accurately rendered all requested elements including the starburst and fiery glow
- + Clean and photorealistic burger components with professional lighting
- − The composition is slightly less dynamic than the other model
- − Background embers are simplified into linear streaks rather than complex sparks
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 creates a more visually explosive scene, it fails significantly on text accuracy and the specific 'starburst' requirement. Nano Banana Pro successfully integrates every detail of the prompt, including perfect spelling and the glowing fiery text effect, making it much more suitable for an actual advertisement.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent chalk texture and artistic flourishes.
- + Creative layout with complex borders and illustrations.
- + Good atmospheric lighting.
- − Numerous spelling errors including 'Trufle', 'Occtus', and 'Grililled'.
- − Prices are nonsensical, such as '$234'.
- − The title contains a double 'S' artifact ('Today's SS').
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect text rendering with zero spelling errors.
- + Strictly follows the requested menu items and date.
- + Clean and realistic chalkboard background with natural eraser smudges.
- − The handwriting style is a bit too uniform, bordering on a digital font look.
- − Lacks the 'elegant cursive' specifically requested for the title.
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the clear winner for its perfect adherence to the text content and spelling, even though the handwriting style is slightly more plain than requested. DALL-E 3 produces a more visually interesting and complex design, but fails significantly on readability and spelling accuracy.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent cinematic lighting and composition
- + High visual quality with a beautiful nebula background
- + Clean anatomical representation of both the astronaut and the horse
- − Failed specifically to invert the roles as requested, showing the astronaut riding the horse instead of the horse riding the astronaut
Nano Banana Pro
- + Successfully followed the difficult logic of the prompt where the horse is 'on top'
- + Great detail on the horse's fur and the astronaut's suit
- + Creative use of the nebula pattern on the horse's cape
- − The posing is a bit stiff, with the horse appearing to be carried rather than 'riding'
- − Anatomical weirdness where the horse's hooves meet the astronaut's shoulders
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 produced a much more aesthetically pleasing and 'cinematic' image, it completely ignored the specific instruction for the horse to be on top. Nano Banana Pro followed the complex prompt instruction perfectly, delivering the requested surreal role reversal despite having a slightly less atmospheric composition. Nano Banana Pro is the winner for its superior prompt adherence.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent fur texture rendering and lighting
- + Captures the professional expression well
- + Clean and crisp graphic quality with strong color saturation
- − Completely misses the second subject (human businesswoman) requested in the prompt
- − The composition feels more like a studio-lit illustration than a realistic photo
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect adherence to all prompt elements including both the capybara and the bored human passenger
- + Highly realistic cinematic photography style with authentic Manhattan background blur
- + Composition creates a believable narrative arc through the mirror and passenger placement
- − The capybara's paws on the wheel look slightly claw-like and less detailed than the rest of the body
- − The yellow cap is a bit crumpled compared to the traditional driver cap style
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the clear winner as it followed the entire prompt, including the crucial detail of the bored human businesswoman in the back seat, which DALL-E 3 omitted entirely. Additionally, Nano Banana Pro achieved a much higher level of photorealism and atmosphere, whereas DALL-E 3 felt more like a digital rendering.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent 3D depth and cinematic lighting
- + Highly intricate borders with physical-looking textures
- + Accurately captures the moody, dark gothic aesthetic
- − Text rendering is poor with several typos and garbled words
- − The date 2026 is repeated incorrectly and fragmented
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested information
- + Includes the scroll banner exactly as described
- + Good hierarchy of design elements with a clear central focus
- − Lighting is a bit flatter compared to the more cinematic Model A
- − The parchment texture is less realistic
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the clear winner for this task because it successfully rendered all specific text, dates, and locations correctly, whereas DALL-E 3 produced mostly gibberish text. While DALL-E 3 had a more sophisticated and atmospheric visual style, Nano Banana Pro's ability to follow complex text instructions makes it the only functional invitation of the two.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + High-quality 3D render with excellent lighting and subsurface scattering.
- + Integrated text and icons into the diorama base effectively.
- − Failed to place text at the top-center as requested.
- − Missed the 'SUSHI' text requirement.
Nano Banana Pro
- + Strictly followed layout instructions for top-center text and flag.
- + Excellent variety and realism in the miniature sushi models.
- − The 2D floating text clashes slightly with the 3D diorama lighting.
- − Borders of the diorama base contain more mossy detail than the 'minimal' request.
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the winner for adhering to all layout and text instructions, including the specific placement of 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI' at the top. While DALL-E 3 produced a cleaner individual 3D model, it failed to include the secondary text and ignored the requested spatial arrangement of labels.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent depiction of warm golden light and god rays
- + Coherent composition with all animals huddled together
- + Vibrant colors and a very high-quality 'masterpiece' feel
- − The butterflies have strange furry bodies that look like bird hybrids
- − The art style is noticeably stylized and illustrative rather than hyper-photorealistic
- − Anatomically strange paws on the fox
Nano Banana Pro
- + Much closer to a photorealistic style as requested in the prompt
- + Captures the 'playfully chasing' and 'tumbling' movement better than Model A
- + Anatomically correct animals and realistic butterflies
- − The god rays are a bit more subdued compared to the other version
- − Minor fur-clumping artifacts on the kitten's forehead
Verdict: While both models followed the prompt well, Nano Banana Pro is the winner because it adhered much better to the request for a 'hyper-photorealistic' scene, whereas DALL-E 3 produced a highly stylized, almost CGI-animation look. Nano Banana Pro also correctly interpreted the action of chasing and tumbling, and its butterflies were realistically rendered unlike the furry hybrids in DALL-E 3.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Strong vector emblem aesthetic
- + Cohesive use of high-contrast warm tones
- + Excellent subtle texture across the image
- − Failed to include the requested brand name 'Caffè Florian', replacing it with generic text
- − The layout is a bit cluttered for a 'minimalist' request
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfect adherence to the brand name 'Caffè Florian' including the accent
- + Elegant minimalist composition that fits a vintage restaurant theme
- + Accurately places 'Est. 1720' on a banner as requested
- − The font for 'Caffè Florian' is a bit modern compared to the 'vintage' request
- − The steam effect is slightly less integrated into the vector style than in Model A
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro is the winner because it successfully followed the core instruction to include the specific brand name 'Caffè Florian', whereas DALL-E 3 hallucinated generic 'Coffee House' text. Nano Banana Pro also better captured the minimalist aspect of the prompt with a clean, classic layout and a lighter background.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Features a highly artistic and retro-stylized aesthetic
- + Captures the NASA-inspired color palette effectively across multiple layout variations
- − Fails to follow the specific 6-step logical flow requested in the prompt
- − Text is entirely illegible gibberish
- − Includes incorrect spacecraft like space shuttles which were not part of Apollo 11
Nano Banana Pro
- + Perfectly adheres to the requested 6-step chronological structure
- + Exceptional text rendering and accurate labeling of mission phases
- + Clean, consistent flat-vector iconography that matches the prompt exactly
- − The 'Descent' phase icon is slightly cluttered compared to the other clean steps
Verdict: Nano Banana Pro significantly outperformed DALL-E 3 by delivering a functional, readable, and logically sequenced infographic that followed all prompt instructions. While DALL-E 3 produced aesthetically pleasing art, it failed on technical accuracy (including Space Shuttles) and logical flow, whereas Nano Banana Pro provided crisp vector icons and accurate mission details.
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