Quick answer: which model for which task
| Your task | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photo-real images and photo edits | Nano Banana | “Exceptional at creating and editing photo-real visuals” |
| Graphics with short, readable text | Nano Banana | “Polished graphics with sharp, legible type” |
| Infographics and dense layouts | Seedream 5 | “Excellent for high-density infographics” |
| Text in more than one language | Seedream 5 | Lists “native multilingual text” |
| Precise edits from an instruction | Seedream 5 | Lists “precise editing” |
| Many options to choose from | Seedream 4 | “Six takes at a time,” up to 4K |
| Combining several reference images | Seedream 4, Seedream 5 or GPT Image 2.5 | All list building from multiple references |
| Cut-outs with a transparent background | GPT Image 2.5 | “Export PNGs with transparency” |
| Images you’ll animate straight away | Grok Imagine | Pairs Image 2.0 with Imagine Video 1.5 |
These are starting points, not rankings. The fastest way to be sure is to run your own prompt on two models; see compare them yourself.
Model by model
Nano Banana
Photo-real & type“Google’s Nano Banana is an image model that’s exceptional at creating and editing photo-real visuals, and polished graphics with sharp, legible type.”
A strong all-rounder for realistic images and clean graphics. Pika’s Edit Image app runs on Nano Banana 2.
Consider it for: product and lifestyle photos, portraits, posters with a short headline.
Seedream 5
Complex tasks“An image generation and editing model built for complex visual tasks. It’s excellent for high-density infographics, precise editing, and native multilingual text.”
Comes in Pro and Lite tiers: Lite goes up to 4K and Pro is recommended at 2K. Pro takes up to 10 references and Lite up to 14. Edits from direct instructions, such as Pika’s example “replace the lemon with a white dove.”
Consider it for: infographics, menus and signage, multilingual designs, precise edits.
Seedream 4
Six takes“Write the frame and get it back at up to 4K, six takes at a time — or attach up to 10 references and edit, combine and restyle what you already have.”
Six variations per prompt makes it well suited to exploring options quickly and picking the best.
Consider it for: concept exploration, high-resolution output, restyling and combining images.
GPT Image 2.5
Transparent PNG“GPT Image 2.5 is OpenAI’s state-of-the-art image model.” “Prompt from scratch, build from multiple image references, or edit an existing visual.”
The model page that mentions transparency: “you can export PNGs with transparency.”
Consider it for: product cut-outs, logos and assets for layouts, reference-based edits.
Grok Imagine
Image + video“Imagine Image 2.0 lets you create and edit polished visuals.”
Pika says Grok Imagine models “cover both video and image in one fluid workflow”: Imagine Video 1.5 “can turn those images into cinematic clips with fluid motion, realistic physics, and synchronized speech.”
Consider it for: images you plan to animate, especially with speech.
Quotes are from each model’s Pika app page, checked September 24, 2026. The “consider it for” suggestions are our own.
Side by side
| Model | Generate | Edit | Multiple references | Max resolution | Stand-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Photo-real; legible type |
| Seedream 5 | Yes | Yes | Up to 10 (Pro) or 14 (Lite) | 4K (Lite) | Infographics; multilingual text |
| Seedream 4 | Yes | Yes | Up to 10 | 4K | Six takes per prompt |
| GPT Image 2.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes (number not listed) | Not listed | PNG with transparency |
| Grok Imagine | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Pairs with Imagine Video 1.5 |
“Not listed” means the model’s Pika page didn’t state it; the app may show more. Prices aren’t listed on these pages and are shown in the app before you generate. See Pika pricing.
A simple decision guide
- Need a transparent background? Use GPT Image 2.5.
- Need lots of text, a dense layout or more than one language? Use Seedream 5.
- Want many options to pick from? Use Seedream 4 (six takes).
- Going straight to video with speech? Try Grok Imagine.
- Everything else, especially realistic photos? Start with Nano Banana.
Keep one model per project. Each model has its own look. For a series of images that must match, such as a product range or a character’s scenes, pick one model and stay with it.
Compare the models yourself
Published descriptions only go so far. A short, fair test on your own prompt tells you more than any comparison table.
- Write one prompt for the task you actually need.
- Use the same aspect ratio and no references on every model.
- Generate on two or three models from the quick-answer table.
- Score each result 1–5 for prompt accuracy, detail, text (if any) and style.
- Note the credits used for each, shown in the app.
- Repeat once, since one take can be lucky or unlucky.
Test prompt with text: A retro travel poster of a mountain lake at sunrise, pine trees in the foreground. Bold flat colours, 1960s screen-print style. Headline at the top reading “Visit Lake Aurora” in a clean sans-serif.
Test prompt, photo-real: A glass bottle of cold-pressed orange juice on a pale stone surface, centred, with a slice of orange beside it. Bright, soft studio light from above. Clean commercial photo.
See more prompts with example results in Pika image prompts. The test method and prompts are our own.
Models inside Pika’s image apps
You don’t always pick a model directly. Some Pika apps use a model for you:
| App | Model |
|---|---|
| Edit Image | Nano Banana 2 (listed on the app page) |
| Image Studio | Choose in the app; options can change |
| Product Shot | Not listed on the app page |
| Character Studio | Not listed on the app page |
For video models, see Pika video models. All image tools are in the AI image hub.
Image model FAQs
Which Pika image model is best?
It depends on the task. Nano Banana for photo-real images, Seedream 5 for infographics and multilingual text, Seedream 4 for many variations, GPT Image 2.5 for transparent cut-outs, and Grok Imagine when you’ll animate the image next.
Which model is best for text in images?
Nano Banana’s page mentions “sharp, legible type” and Seedream 5’s lists “native multilingual text.” Keep text short, put it in quotation marks, and check every word.
Which model gives the highest resolution?
Seedream 4 lists up to 4K, and Seedream 5’s Lite tier goes up to 4K. You can also use Upscale on any final image.
Do the models cost the same?
Pika’s model pages don’t list prices; the app shows the cost for your settings before you generate.
Is this the official Pika website?
No. pikaais.com is an independent informational guide. Generation, accounts and purchases take place on Pika’s official services.
Test one prompt on two models
Pick your task from the quick-answer table, run the same prompt on the suggested model and one alternative, and compare.
Open Image Studio ↗Next: Image prompts · Image Studio · AI image hub
Sources: Pika app pages for Nano Banana, Seedream 5, Seedream 4, GPT Image 2.5, Grok Imagine and Edit Image, checked September 24, 2026. Image: Pika. Recommendations and test method are our own.