Perceptron Mk1.5 is $1.35 cheaper per 1M input tokens (90% lower; 10x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewNano Banana 2.1 vs Perceptron Mk1.5
Pick Perceptron Mk1.5 for lower cost; pick Nano Banana 2.1 only if the larger context window matters more.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Perceptron Mk1.5 for lower cost; pick Nano Banana 2.1 only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Perceptron Mk1.5 is estimated at $0.9 vs $5.25 for Nano Banana 2.1, saving $4.35 (82.9% lower).
Cost-first pickPerceptron Mk1.5
Context-first pickNano Banana 2.1
Sample savings$4.3582.9%
10x traffic gap$43.5
Nano Banana 2.1 has more context, but Perceptron Mk1.5 saves $4.35 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $43.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Perceptron Mk1.5 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Nano Banana 2.1 | Perceptron Mk1.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Perceptron Mk1.5 | $11.25 | $1.5 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Perceptron Mk1.5 | $9 | $1.65 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Perceptron Mk1.5 | $39 | $7.65 |
Perceptron Mk1.5 is $6 cheaper per 1M output tokens (80% lower; 5x difference).
Nano Banana 2.1 has 28.67K more context (1.78x larger).
Perceptron Mk1.5 is $4.35 cheaper on the standard workload (82.9% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
Perceptron Mk1.5 has the lower input price; Perceptron Mk1.5 has the lower output price; Nano Banana 2.1 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Perceptron Mk1.5 is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $5.25 for Nano Banana 2.1 and $0.9 for Perceptron Mk1.5.
Choose Nano Banana 2.1 when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Perceptron Mk1.5 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Perceptron Mk1.5 is estimated at $0.9 vs $5.25 for Nano Banana 2.1, saving $4.35 (82.9% lower).
- Perceptron Mk1.5 is $4.35 cheaper on the standard workload (82.9% lower).
- Perceptron Mk1.5 is $1.35 cheaper per 1M input tokens (90% lower; 10x difference).
- Perceptron Mk1.5 is $6 cheaper per 1M output tokens (80% lower; 5x difference).
- Nano Banana 2.1 has 28.67K more context (1.78x larger).
| Feature | NewNano Banana 2.1 (Google) | Perceptron Mk1.5 (Perceptron) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $1.5 | $0.15 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $7.5 | $1.5 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $5.25 | $0.9 |
| Context Window | 65.54K | 36.86K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Perceptron Mk1.5 | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Perceptron Mk1.5 is estimated at $0.9 vs $5.25 for Nano Banana 2.1, saving $4.35 (82.9% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Perceptron Mk1.5 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Perceptron Mk1.5 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Nano Banana 2.1 | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Nano Banana 2.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Nano Banana 2.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Nano Banana 2.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Nano Banana 2.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.47 sample workload cost.
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Step 5 Preview · StepFun · #2
- GLM 5.3 Flash · Z.ai · #3
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash · Xiaomi · #4
Cheaper alternatives
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