The best image model for AI agents depends on the task, not the hype. Seedream 5 wins on photorealism and instruction-following. Nano Banana Pro dominates creative and stylized output. FLUX Kontext Max leads on style transfer. This guide covers every model available through the AnyCap API — with real benchmarks, credit costs, and a decision matrix so your agent always picks the right model automatically.
Why Model Selection Matters for Agent Workflows
When a human generates an image, they can eyeball the result and reprompt. An agent can't — it needs to pick the right model upfront and get a usable result on the first pass. A wrong model choice means:
- Blurry or off-style output that fails the downstream task (broken design assets)
- Wasted credits on regeneration loops
- Pipeline stalls when the agent can't proceed without a good image
The model selection table below is designed to be embedded directly in agent system prompts.
Full Model Comparison: Image Generation 2026
| Model | Best For | Quality | Speed | Credits | Supports Ref Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedream 5 | Photorealism, UI, product shots | ★★★★★ | Fast | 8–12 | ✅ |
| Nano Banana Pro | Stylized, illustration, creative | ★★★★★ | Very Fast | 5–8 | ✅ |
| Nano Banana 2 | Quick drafts, high-volume batch | ★★★★☆ | Very Fast | 3–5 | ✅ |
| GPT Image 2 | Text in images, instruction-heavy | ★★★★☆ | Fast | 10–15 | ✅ |
| FLUX Kontext Max | Style transfer, img2img, editing | ★★★★★ | Moderate | 12–18 | ✅ (required) |
| Seedream 4.5 | Consistent style, batch series | ★★★★☆ | Fast | 6–10 | ✅ |
| Qwen Image | Anime, manga, Asian aesthetics | ★★★★☆ | Fast | 6–8 | ✅ |
Detailed Model Profiles
Seedream 5 — Best Overall for Agent Tasks
Seedream 5 is the default choice for most agent image tasks. It handles:
- Product photography on white or contextual backgrounds
- UI mockups and dashboard screenshots
- Marketing hero images with complex composition
- Portraits and people (photorealistic)
When to use: Any time your agent needs a professional, client-ready image on the first pass.
anycap image generate \
--model seedream-5 \
--prompt "Professional headshot of a software developer, warm lighting, office background" \
--output assets/headshot.png
Weakness: Less expressive for artistic/painterly styles. Switch to Nano Banana Pro for those.
Nano Banana Pro — Best for Creative & Stylized Output
Nano Banana Pro excels at non-photorealistic imagery: illustrations, icons, conceptual art, brand mascots, and stylized backgrounds. It follows creative prompts with more flair than any photorealistic model.
When to use: Illustrations, app icons, stylized marketing, anything with a distinct aesthetic.
anycap image generate \
--model nano-banana-pro \
--prompt "Flat design icon of a rocket ship, neon gradient, dark background, 3D-ish shadow" \
--output assets/icon.png
Nano Banana 2 — Best for High-Volume Drafts
Same architecture as Pro but distilled for speed and cost. Credit cost is 3–5 per image, making it ideal for generating 20+ variants for A/B testing or iterative refinement loops where the agent self-evaluates and regenerates.
anycap image generate \
--model nano-banana-2 \
--prompt "Social media post background, abstract geometric" \
--count 6 \
--output-dir assets/social-variants/
GPT Image 2 — Best for Text Inside Images
The standout feature: GPT Image 2 actually renders legible text inside images. If your prompt includes words that need to appear in the image — banners, business cards, slides, certificates — this is your model.
anycap image generate \
--model gpt-image-2 \
--prompt "Conference badge for 'Sarah Chen, Lead Engineer' at DevSummit 2026, clean corporate style" \
--output assets/badge-sarah.png
Warning: Other models hallucinate or mangle text inside images. Always use GPT Image 2 when text accuracy matters.
FLUX Kontext Max — Best for Style Transfer & Editing
FLUX Kontext Max takes a reference image and transforms it — applying a new style, changing the background, swapping colors, or making targeted edits described in text. It is the only model that reliably preserves the subject while changing the context.
anycap image generate \
--model flux-kontext-max \
--image assets/product-raw.jpg \
--prompt "Place the product on a marble countertop, soft natural light, lifestyle photography" \
--output assets/product-lifestyle.png
Use cases: Product photography retouching, background removal and replacement, brand style application across an image library.
Seedream 4.5 — Best for Consistent Batch Output
When you need 50 images that all look like they belong to the same visual system (a product catalog, an icon set, a social template), Seedream 4.5's consistency wins. It holds character appearance, color palette, and lighting style across a batch better than any other model.
for product in chair desk lamp monitor; do
anycap image generate \
--model seedream-4-5 \
--prompt "Studio photo of a $product, white background, consistent lighting" \
--output "assets/catalog-$product.png"
done
Qwen Image — Best for Anime, Manga & Asian Aesthetics
Built by Alibaba, Qwen Image is the strongest model for Japanese anime style, Chinese ink painting, manga line art, and East Asian illustrative aesthetics. If your product serves markets or audiences where these styles are valued, Qwen Image will outperform all Western models.
anycap image generate \
--model qwen-image \
--prompt "Anime-style illustration of a young developer, cherry blossoms in background, detailed linework" \
--output assets/anime-mascot.png
Agent System Prompt Snippet: Automatic Model Selection
Paste this into your agent's system prompt to enable automatic model selection:
When generating images, select the AnyCap model as follows:
- Text must appear inside the image → gpt-image-2
- Style transfer or editing a reference image → flux-kontext-max
- Anime, manga, or East Asian art style → qwen-image
- Stylized illustration, icon, creative art → nano-banana-pro
- High-volume batch (>5 images, consistency required) → seedream-4-5
- Quick draft or iteration (low cost priority) → nano-banana-2
- All other cases (photorealism, UI, product, portrait) → seedream-5
Benchmark: Prompt Adherence Score (Internal Testing)
We evaluated 200 prompts across six categories. Scores are 1–10 (10 = perfect adherence).
| Category | Seedream 5 | Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 2 | FLUX Kontext Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product photography | 9.1 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 8.4 (ref required) |
| UI / dashboard | 8.7 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 7.5 |
| Text accuracy | 4.2 | 3.8 | 9.4 | 5.1 |
| Style transfer | 6.1 | 7.0 | 5.9 | 9.2 |
| Illustration / icon | 7.3 | 9.0 | 7.1 | 6.8 |
| Portrait / people | 8.9 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.9 |
Pricing Quick Reference
All costs are in AnyCap credits. 1,000 credits ≈ $10 (varies by plan).
| Model | Credits per Image | ~USD per Image |
|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 | 3–5 | $0.03–0.05 |
| Nano Banana Pro | 5–8 | $0.05–0.08 |
| Seedream 4.5 | 6–10 | $0.06–0.10 |
| Qwen Image | 6–8 | $0.06–0.08 |
| Seedream 5 | 8–12 | $0.08–0.12 |
| GPT Image 2 | 10–15 | $0.10–0.15 |
| FLUX Kontext Max | 12–18 | $0.12–0.18 |
Quick Start
curl -fsSL https://anycap.ai/install.sh | sh
anycap login
# Test every model in 60 seconds
for model in seedream-5 nano-banana-pro gpt-image-2 flux-kontext-max; do
anycap image generate \
--model $model \
--prompt "A modern logo for a tech startup, minimalist" \
--output "test-$model.png"
done
→ Install AnyCap free — 250 credits for new users
FAQ
Q: Can I use multiple models in one agent session?
A: Yes. The CLI and API are stateless — each call specifies the model. Your agent can use Seedream 5 for a hero image and GPT Image 2 for a banner with text in the same workflow.
Q: Do any of these models support inpainting (editing part of an image)?
A: FLUX Kontext Max supports region-targeted editing through the --mask flag. Describe the region to change in the prompt and provide the mask image. Other models do full-image generation.
Q: Which model works best inside Claude Code?
A: All models work identically via CLI. The recommended default for Claude Code is Seedream 5 for general tasks, with the model-selection snippet above in the system prompt.
Q: Are these models fine-tuned versions or base models?
A: AnyCap routes to the official model endpoints. No fine-tuning or quality reduction. The same Seedream 5 you get through AnyCap is the same model available on the provider's own API.
Q: What resolution do images come out at?
A: Default is 1024×1024. Pass --width 1920 --height 1080 or --aspect 16:9 for widescreen. Most models support up to 2048×2048.
What to Read Next
- Cursor Can't Generate Images — Here's the 2-Minute Fix (2026) — full Cursor setup guide
- How to Generate Images with Claude Code (2026) — image generation inside Claude Code
- Seedream 5: The Default Image Model for AI Agents in 2026 — deep dive on the top-ranked model
- Nano Banana Pro: Targeted Image Editing for Agents — edit images without full regeneration
- Best AI Video Models for Agents 2026 — same guide for video models