Nano Banana vs Midjourney vs FLUX: Real AI Image Cost and Licensing in 2026
Per-image price is only half the decision. Keeper rate, interface, API access, commercial rights and the exact licence for a client workflow can change the real cost.
Cost per usable image
API prices can be compared per generated image when model and resolution match. Midjourney's subscription and GPU-time model needs a different calculation. Divide spend by approved images, not by generations, and include rerolls.
Google consumer plan multipliers, Midjourney jobs and FLUX hosted API prices are not interchangeable units. Keep provider facts separate from keeper-rate assumptions.
Commercial licensing dossier
Check the plan-level terms for client work, company revenue, training-data permissions, attribution, resale and whether a hosted API or self-hosted licence is being used. A low generation price does not grant the same rights on every surface.
Adobe Firefly licensing, SKU names, generative-credit caps and regional plan details remain unresolved where the current public material does not define an equivalent unit. Do not fill those gaps with an old table; use the Adobe Firefly pricing guide and verify the exact account offer.
Practical decision
Use Midjourney for a ready-made creative workflow, FLUX for metered or integrated production, and Nano Banana when its model, resolution or API fit justifies the price. Run a small prompt sample and read the current licence before a commercial purchase.