MiniMax H3 Image vs Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.6: 5 Tests
ImagesArt.ai
11/15/2026
MiniMax H3 Image came out on November 10, 2026. It makes images from text and edits up to five reference photos in one model, and MiniMax has published its weights. We gave it the same five prompts, at the same sizes and aspect ratios, that we used in our Seedream 5.5 vs Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.6 test, so all four models are compared on identical inputs.
Short answer: MiniMax H3 Image did not win a round on quality. GPT Image 2.6 still made the best edits and Nano Banana 2.1 the cleanest poster. But H3 Image made all seven test images for 18 credits, about half of what Nano Banana 2.1 used (34), and every image finished in 20 to 26 seconds. It spelled every requested word right, Japanese included. Use it for drafts, text-heavy layouts and cheap 4K; use GPT Image 2.6 for the final product edit.
Try MiniMax H3 Image →MiniMax H3 Image vs the others at a glance
| MiniMax H3 Image | Nano Banana 2.1 | GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst | Seedream 5.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | MiniMax | OpenAI | ByteDance | |
| Rounds won (5 tests) | 0 | 1 win, 1 draw | 2 wins, 2 draws | 1 draw |
| Credits on ImagesArt | 2 at 1K or 2K, 6 at 4K, +1 per reference photo | 4 at 1K, 6 at 2K, 9 at 4K | Up to 15 at 1K, 30 at 2K, 60 at 4K, +5 per reference; unused credits are refunded | 4 at 1K, 7 at 2K, +2 per reference photo |
| What our 7 images cost | 18 credits | 34 credits | 68 credits | 45 credits |
| Our render times (7 images each) | 20 to 26 seconds | 28 to 57 seconds | 29 to 50 seconds | 15 to 37 seconds |
| Image size at 2K, 3:4 | 1760 × 2368 | 1792 × 2400 | 1536 × 2048 | 1776 × 2368 |
| Top resolution | 4K | 4K | 4K | 2K |
| Transparent PNG | No, it painted a checkerboard | No, it painted a checkerboard | Yes, ask for it in the prompt | Yes, Background setting |
| Open weights | Yes | No | No | No |
The H3 Image results were made in our MiniMax H3 Image generator on November 15, 2026; the other three were made between November 13 and 15 with the same prompts and settings. Seedream 5.5 images are in the earlier test; below we show H3 Image next to the two strongest of the three.
Test 1: realistic portrait with a chalkboard
Text to image, 3:4, 2K:
Cinematic close-up portrait of a 30-year-old woman with freckles and loose auburn hair, sitting by a rain-streaked café window at dusk, warm tungsten light on her face, neon reflections in the glass, natural skin texture with visible pores, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field. A small chalkboard behind her reads "Open Late · Fresh Pastries" in neat handwriting, and that is the only text on it.
H3 Image followed "that is the only text on it": the board says "Open Late Fresh Pastries" and nothing else, though it dropped the "·" and split the words over four lines. The skin texture, freckles and rain on the glass are strong. The woman looks closer to 40 than 30, which Nano Banana 2.1 got right.
This round: Nano Banana 2.1 and GPT Image 2.6 still lead. H3 Image is close behind for 2 credits instead of 6 or 13.
Test 2: event poster with English and Japanese text
Text to image, 16:9, 2K:
A clean modern event poster for a fictional night market called "Lantern Street Market". Warm paper lanterns hang over a street of food stalls at blue hour. Large headline "LANTERN STREET MARKET" at the top, with the Japanese line "ちょうちん横丁ナイトマーケット" beneath it. Small info text at the bottom reads "Fri–Sun · 6 PM – Midnight · 120 Food Stalls · Free Entry". Crisp editorial layout, readable typography, rich warm light.
H3 Image got every line right, Japanese included, and kept the headline on one line. It turned the info line into a neat bar with an icon for each item, which reads well but is not exactly what we asked for. It also added a small lantern icon under the title and a "Ramen · Snacks · Tea" sign on a stall. Nano Banana 2.1 still has the cleanest layout with nothing extra.
This round: Nano Banana 2.1, with H3 Image a close second.
Test 3: sticker on a transparent background
Text to image, 1:1, 1K. None of these three has a transparent setting on our site, so the prompt ends with "On a transparent background.":
A cute die-cut sticker of a smiling cartoon avocado wearing tiny sunglasses and holding a surfboard, bold clean outlines, vibrant flat colors, with the words "Stay Chill" in rounded bubble letters under it. On a transparent background.
H3 Image drew a good sticker, with "Stay Chill" spelled right, but like Nano Banana 2.1 it painted a pale checkerboard into a normal JPG. It looks transparent and is not. GPT Image 2.6 and Seedream 5.5 both return a real transparent PNG.
This round: GPT Image 2.6 and Seedream 5.5, as before. If you need a cutout from H3 Image, run it through a background remover.
Test 4: edit a product photo
Image to image, one reference photo, 4:3, 2K. This is the photo every model got:
Keep the canister, its label text and the camera angle exactly the same. Change only the setting: place it on a dark walnut table in a cozy morning kitchen with soft steam rising from a cup of coffee beside it.
H3 Image kept the label word for word, the matte sage finish and the scattered beans, and added a steaming cup on the right. It moved the camera in a little and replaced the plant and pour-over with kitchen shelves, so it sits between Nano Banana 2.1 and Seedream 5.5 on "keep everything else". GPT Image 2.6 is still the only one that reads as the same shot in a new room.
This round: GPT Image 2.6.
Test 5: three edits in a row
We started from the same canister photo and fed each result back in as the next input, at 4:3 and 1K:
- "Keep the canister, its label text and the camera angle exactly the same. Change only the setting: place it on a white marble kitchen counter in a bright minimalist kitchen."
- "Keep everything in the scene exactly the same: the canister, its label, the coffee beans and the camera angle. Change only the lighting: warm golden-hour sunlight streaming in from the left window, with long soft shadows across the marble."
- "Keep everything exactly the same: the canister, its label, the coffee beans, the camera angle and the golden-hour light. Add only two props on the counter: a white ceramic cup of latte with heart latte art to the right of the canister, and a small linen napkin under the cup."
MiniMax H3 Image, rounds 1–3 · 21 s, 25 s, 26 s · 3 credits each
GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst, rounds 1–3 · 41 s, 29 s, 41 s · 7, 9 and 7 credits
H3 Image kept the label sharp through all three rounds and put the latte on a napkin to the right of the canister, as asked. Two things went wrong. In round 1 it gathered the beans into a bowl and added a steel mug we never asked for. In round 2 the golden light turned the sage canister mustard yellow, and it stayed that way, a bigger shift than Nano Banana 2.1's olive tint. GPT Image 2.6 kept the color.
This round: GPT Image 2.6.
What it costs
- MiniMax H3 Image: 2 credits at 1K or 2K, 6 at 4K, plus 1 per reference photo. Our seven images cost 18 credits.
- Nano Banana 2.1: 4 credits at 1K, 6 at 2K or 9 at 4K. 34 credits for the same seven.
- Seedream 5.5: 4 credits at 1K or 7 at 2K, plus 2 per reference photo. 45 credits.
- GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst: holds up to 15 credits at 1K, 30 at 2K or 60 at 4K, plus 5 per reference photo, then refunds what the image did not use. 68 credits.
H3 Image's 4K is the cheapest here by far: 6 credits, against 9 for Nano Banana 2.1 and up to 60 for GPT Image 2.6. Credits are only used when an image comes out.
Which one should you use?
- MiniMax H3 Image for drafts, menus, posters and labels with exact words, and 4K on a budget. Re-check colors after a lighting edit.
- GPT Image 2.6 for product edits that must keep the framing and colors.
- Nano Banana 2.1 for the cleanest poster layouts.
- Seedream 5.5 for transparent PNGs at a low price.
A cheap workflow: explore ideas on H3 Image at 2 credits each, then run the final edit on GPT Image 2.6.
Try them on ImagesArt
MiniMax H3 Image has its own page with Text to Image and Image to Image, up to five reference photos and 1K, 2K or 4K output. Nano Banana 2.1, GPT Image 2.6 and Seedream 5.5 are all in the model list of our AI Image Generator. No MiniMax, Google, OpenAI or ByteDance account is needed.
Open the MiniMax H3 Image generator →Related reading
Editing photos with H3 Image? Read our MiniMax H3 Image edit guide with seven tested edit prompts. For the full three-way test without H3, read Seedream 5.5 vs Nano Banana 2.1 vs GPT Image 2.6.