Best AI Image Models in 2026: GPT Image 2, nano-banana-2, FLUX.2, Imagen & Midjourney Ranked
July 2026. GPT Image 2 sits at Image Arena Elo 1512, 242 points ahead of #2, the largest gap on record. nano-banana-2 costs $0.067/image and tops Artificial Analysis. FLUX.2 is open-source. Ranked by instruction-following, text rendering, artistry, and realism, with an October note on what Nano Banana 2.1 changed.
2026-07-2112 min read