ByteDance's new AI image generator takes on Google's
ByteDance (yep, TikTok's parent company) just dropped Seedream 5.0, a new AI image generator now in beta on Jimeng and CapCut.
It's aiming to take on Google's Nano Banana Pro by offering smarter image creation and editing—plus, it comes at a lower price point.
Seedream 5.0 creates images at native 2K resolution
Seedream 5.0 creates crisp images at native 2K resolution (and can upscale to 4K).
It handles complex or abstract prompts better than before, pulling info from the web for more accurate results.
While Google charges $0.14 for each 2K image and $0.24 for 4K, Seedream promises similar features for less.
Seedream is better for visual realism and editing
Seedream shines in visual realism, variety, and easy editing—all big pluses if you want creative control.
But it's slower than Nano Banana Pro (10-30 seconds per image vs under 10 seconds), and not as sharp with text or prompt accuracy.
If you're working with Chinese characters, Alibaba's Qwen-Image-2.0 is faster and delivers cleaner results there.