Google’s Gemini dominates the generative AI landscape with the recently hyped Nano Banana trend, which went viral beyond expectations. As usual, its rivals were expected to come back with a response, all in a bid to nab the topmost position in the AI race. Surprisingly, it isn’t Meta and OpenAI that are the first responders – it’s TikTok maker Bytedance and its new AI image tool called Seedream 4.0.
The ByteDance Seedream 4.0 tool claims to outperform Google DeepMind’s Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) in terms of image generation based on existing photos.
According to internal tests conducted by ByteDance on its proprietary MagicBench platform, Seedream 4.0 scored higher than Google Gemini 2.5 Flash Image in several key parameters, including prompt accuracy, image alignment, and overall visual quality.
TikTok maker’s Nano Banana rival is here
Based on the internal tests, Seedream 4.0 seems to be a more versatile tool that combines the text-to-image creation capabilities of its predecessor, Seedream 3.0. The new version includes the powerful editing features of SeedEdit 3.0. This model also features a new architecture that dramatically increases its raw image inference speed, making it more than 10 times faster than earlier versions.
Some of the key highlights of Seedream 4.0 include image generation in 2K and 4K resolutions. There’s also the ability to include up to six images for reference for the AI model. Additionally, users can also choose the aspect ratio of the image they want to generate.
The pricing for Bytedance’s Seedream 4.0 tool remains competitive at $30 per 1,000 image generations. However, in comparison, Google offers its Nano Banana services for free to users, with paid users only getting additional tokens for generating more images via prompts.
Initial feedback positive, says Bytedance
Initial feedback from users has been highly positive, particularly praising the accuracy and quality of the new editing functions. Users on X were excited to share their creations, both photos and videos.
The tool is currently available to domestic users on ByteDance’s popular AI apps, Jimeng and Doubao, and is also offered to corporate clients through its cloud service, Volcano Engine.
For users outside China, the Seedream 4.0 model is available to try on the Freepik web app and mobile app.
