Google Gemini Nano Banana AI's rival is here, backed by TikTok maker Bytedance
The tool builds on the capabilities of its predecessor, Seedream 3.0.
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Google’s Gemini AI has dominated the generative AI space in recent weeks, fuelled by the viral success of its Nano Banana trend. Now, a new challenger has emerged — not from expected rivals such as Meta or OpenAI, but from TikTok parent company ByteDance.
The Chinese tech giant has introduced Seedream 4.0, its latest AI image-generation model, which it claims outperforms Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image — better known to users as Nano Banana — across several critical benchmarks.
According to ByteDance, internal tests conducted on its proprietary MagicBench platform show Seedream 4.0 delivering superior results in prompt accuracy, image alignment and overall visual quality. The tool builds on the capabilities of its predecessor, Seedream 3.0, while integrating the advanced editing functions of SeedEdit 3.0.
A redesigned architecture also gives the model a significant performance boost, with image inference speeds reportedly ten times faster than earlier versions.
Introducing Seedream 4.0
— Freepik (@freepik) September 9, 2025
Banana jokes aside, this changes everything
– Generate in 2k and 4k resolution
– Up to 6 image references
– Choose any aspect ratio
Unlimited generations for Premium+ and Pro pic.twitter.com/VfTQf07rpk
Among its standout features are 2K and 4K resolution image generation, support for up to six reference images, and the ability to select aspect ratios. These improvements are designed to make Seedream 4.0 more versatile for both creative and professional users.
Pricing has been set at $30 per 1,000 image generations, positioning it competitively in the AI market. By contrast, Google’s Nano Banana services are available free for most users, with only premium subscribers paying for additional image-generation tokens.
The tool has already been rolled out to domestic audiences through ByteDance’s AI apps Jimeng and Doubao, as well as to enterprise customers via its Volcano Engine cloud service. For international users, Seedream 4.0 is currently accessible through the Freepik web and mobile apps.
With both companies aggressively pushing their AI offerings, the competition between Google and ByteDance underscores the intensifying global race to lead in next-generation image generation technology.
