Seedream 4.0 vs Nano Banana: The Ultimate Comparison Guide

Initially, I thought Nano Banana would be difficult to beat. However, my assumptions were proven wrong with the arrival of Seedream 4.0, a new image editor and generator released by ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. This tool is not only an image editor but also a powerful image generator, making it one of the most advanced tools available today.

In this article, I will:

• Test Seedream 4.0 thoroughly.
• Compare it with Nano Banana and other top image models like GPT40.
• Show you how it performs in various tasks.
• Provide a step-by-step guide to using it.

Key Features of Seedream 4.0

Seedream 4.0 excels at:

• Character consistency and style preservation.
• Complex editing tasks like object swapping, text replacement, and style transfers.
• Generating new images with precise world understanding.
• Handling camera perspectives and angles accurately.
• Creating diagrams, posters, and infographics from text prompts.

Character Consistency and Pose Generation

To test character consistency, I uploaded two characters with intricate designs and added a rough pose drawing.

• Prompt: Make the characters fight in an arctic background with a blizzard.

Results:

• Seedream 4.0: Perfectly preserved both characters, including detailed patterns on their armor. The fight pose matched my drawing exactly.
• GPT40: Characters didn't resemble the original ones, and the pose was completely off.
• Nano Banana: Maintained character consistency but didn't get the pose quite right.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Day-to-Night and Night-to-Day Transformations

I tested the tool by converting an aerial daytime city photo into a nighttime scene and vice versa.

Day to Night

• Seedream 4.0: Flawlessly transitioned the image, maintaining every detail, including building structures.
• Nano Banana: Failed to replicate nighttime accurately.
• GPT40: Turned the scene dark but changed too many details.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Night to Day with Explosion

For a more complex test, I added a massive explosion to the nighttime scene.

• Seedream 4.0: Converted the image to daytime, turned off street lamps, and added a realistic explosion while preserving details like electrical lines and reflections.
• Nano Banana: Street lamps stayed on, and reflections didn't match the sky. Explosion looked unrealistic.
• GPT40: Explosion and day transition worked, but too many details were altered.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Camera Perspectives and Angles

Seedream 4.0 understands different camera perspectives, including fisheye and ultra-wide shots.

1. Fisheye Overhead View

• Seedream 4.0: Delivered a perfect fisheye overhead shot while maintaining details of the original image.
• GPT40: Overdid the fisheye effect and distorted details.
• Nano Banana: Produced a decent zoom-out but not a true fisheye effect.

2. Ultra-Wide Below-Angle Shot

• Seedream 4.0: Nailed the ultra-wide effect, preserving background characters as well.
• Nano Banana & GPT40: Failed to capture the correct perspective.

Winner for both tests: Seedream 4.0.

Google Maps to Real Photo Test

I took a random satellite image from Google Maps and prompted the model to generate a front-facing wide-angle photo of the building.

• Seedream 4.0: Produced an image almost identical to the actual street view.
• Nano Banana: Surprisingly failed, despite being from Google.
• GPT40: Came close but missed key structural details.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Fashion Mood Board Collage

I tested a complex prompt:

Create a fashion mood board collage showing the main character surrounded by cutouts of each clothing item with handwritten notes.

• Seedream 4.0: Perfectly cloned the main character and labeled items accurately. Only minor issues like one missing label and some gibberish text.
• Nano Banana: Added correct items but lacked handwritten, playful styling.
• GPT40: Failed completely, cartoonizing everything.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Text and Object Editing

Changing Text and Objects

• Input: An image with the word "Bake Off" and a bear.
• Goal: Change text to "Puggles" and turn the bear into a pug.

Results:

• Seedream 4.0: Perfect execution while preserving surrounding elements.
• Nano Banana: Turned the bear into a pug but kept the original red color.
• GPT40: Altered too many background details.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Text Translation in Images

I prompted Seedream 4.0 to translate all text into Chinese.

• Seedream 4.0: Flawlessly translated the text while preserving the original font and details.
• Nano Banana: Failed to translate everything, producing non-existent characters.
• GPT40: Also generated incorrect, nonsensical characters.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Clothes and Race Swapping

1. Clothes Swap and Pig-to-Chicken Conversion

• Seedream 4.0: Accurately swapped human outfits and turned a pig's head into a chicken's head while preserving original styles.
• Nano Banana: Decent but left small errors like partially visible old clothes.
• GPT40: Added extra elements and failed to swap outfits correctly.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

2. Race Swapping in a Family Photo

• Seedream 4.0: Changed races perfectly while preserving facial features.
• Nano Banana: Changed races but distorted facial features.
• GPT40: Completely failed.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Photo Restoration and Colorization

I tested with a damaged black-and-white photo:

• Seedream 4.0: Restored the image, removed scratches, repaired faded edges, and added accurate colors.
• Nano Banana: Fixed most damage but left faded edges.
• GPT40: Completely changed facial features.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Light Mode to Dark Mode Conversion

For UI design:

• Nano Banana: Outperformed Seedream 4.0 by accurately converting all elements and preserving text clarity.
• Seedream 4.0: Struggled with small text.
• GPT40: Failed completely.

Winner: Nano Banana.

Model Sheet Generation

Prompt: Generate front, back, and side views of a mecha robot.

• Nano Banana: Correct wing details and side-view gun, but missed a green handle detail.
• Seedream 4.0: Included both guns but missed some wing accuracy.
• GPT40: Complete failure.

Result: Tie between Seedream 4.0 and Nano Banana.

Diagram and Poster Creation

Unlike Nano Banana, Seedream 4.0 is also an image generator.

Water Cycle Diagram

• Seedream 4.0: Produced a scientifically accurate diagram with correct text.
• Imagine 4: Decent but had arrow inaccuracies.
• GPT40: Failed completely.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Coffee Benefits Poster

• Seedream 4.0: Near-perfect poster with accurate text and graphics.
• Imagine 4: Visual errors like two-handled cup.
• GPT40: Accurate but incorrect layout due to aspect ratio.

Winner: Seedream 4.0.

Strengths and Weaknesses Table

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Seedream 4.0

1. Access the Tool
   • Visit the official Seedream 4.0 page (linked on ByteDance platforms).
2. Upload an Image
   • Choose the photo you want to edit or use as a reference.
3. Choose Editing or Generation Mode
   • Editing Mode: Modify existing images (e.g., text swaps, object swaps).
   • Generation Mode: Create images from text prompts.
4. Provide a Clear Prompt
   • Example: "Convert this city photo from day to night while preserving all building details."
5. Select Output Options
   • Choose number of variations (e.g., 4 generations).
6. Review Results
   • Pick the best output and refine if necessary.
7. Download Final Image
   • Save in high resolution for your project needs.

Final Verdict

Seedream 4.0 is a superior all-in-one AI image tool. It not only matches Nano Banana's strong editing abilities but also surpasses it with powerful image generation features.

• Choose Seedream 4.0 for:
  • Complex edits like pose matching, photo restoration, and world-aware tasks.
  • Generating diagrams, posters, and infographics.
  • High accuracy in translating and preserving styles.
• Choose Nano Banana if your primary need is UI transformations or simpler text-based edits.

Seedream 4.0 clearly represents the next level in AI-powered creativity, offering unmatched capabilities for both professionals and casual creators.