Nano Banana 2.1, FLUX 3 and 13 More New Models on Ropewalk

By Ropewalk Team. Tested on 2026-10-12: we ran 3 demo generations and a cover test on the day these 15 models arrived.

On 12 October 2026, Ropewalk added 15 new models, led by Nano Banana 2.1 and FLUX 3: 8 text, 5 image and 2 video. This roundup shows what each model does, what it costs to try, and which one to pick for which job.

Quick answer

Ropewalk now offers 15 new models as of 2026-10-12, spanning 8 text, 5 image and 2 video models. Nano Banana 2.1 is the fast image model for legible text and conversational edits, and FLUX 3 brings Black Forest Labs' video (from $0.06 per second in draft) and image generation. Claude Sonnet 5.5 and GPT-6.1 Sol lead the text side, and Ideogram 4.5 handles images with exact text.

Headliners

Nano Banana 2.1: legible text at 4K

Nano Banana 2.1 is Google's latest fast image model, with sharp text rendering, conversational editing, multi-image fusion and output up to 4K. Use it when a poster, sign or label needs legible words. We ran the prompt below on 2026-10-12 at the default 1K setting, and the neon marquee came back with "OPEN ALL NIGHT" spelled correctly on the first try. A default generation costs .

FLUX 3 video from Black Forest Labs

FLUX 3 video is the video side of the new Black Forest Labs family: it generates video with synchronized audio from a text prompt or a starting image, and it is labelled an early access preview. It supports text-to-video and image-to-video only. Pricing is per second of output: $0.17/s at 720p, $0.29/s at 1080p and $0.06/s in draft mode. A default clip costs , the highest price among the 15 models, so use draft mode or a cheaper image model to test the idea first.

FLUX 3 Image: text-to-image and multi-reference edits

FLUX 3 Image is Black Forest Labs' text-to-image and image-editing model: it generates from a prompt or edits with up to 10 reference images, at 5 resolutions from 768sq to 4k and 16 aspect ratios. We ran the pottery prompt below on 2026-10-12 at 1k, and the wet clay, linen apron and glazed shelves all landed in a single pass. A default generation costs .

More flagship models

Three more models complete the lineup of headliners: the new all-round Claude, the 1M-token GPT flagship and the typography-focused Ideogram.

Claude Sonnet 5.5: the new all-round default

Claude Sonnet 5.5 from Anthropic is a fast, capable all-round model for writing, coding and analysis, with a 1M-token context window. That window holds roughly 700,000 words, so a full report, a long contract or a mid-size codebase fits in a single request. Use it as the default when a task mixes drafting, reasoning and editing. Its smaller sibling, Claude Haiku 5.5, appears further down for high-volume jobs. The card below shows the live cost in gems.

GPT-6.1 Sol: the 1M-token flagship

GPT-6.1 Sol from OpenAI is a flagship general-purpose model with a 1M-token context window, the same ceiling as Claude Sonnet 5.5, and both arrived on 2026-10-12. It is the one to try for long documents, mixed tasks and anything where a single strong generalist beats a specialist. A good first test is a 40-page contract or report: ask for a one-page brief with obligations, deadlines and risks. The live cost sits on the card, so compare it against Sonnet 5.5 before settling on a default.

Ideogram 4.5: precise images, legible text

Ideogram 4.5 is built for precise image generation and editing, and Ropewalk exposes 7 canvas sizes from 1024x1024 to 1536x640 plus 4 quality tiers from very_low to high. We ran the prompt below on 2026-10-12 at the default low tier, and the hand-painted sign came back with every letter of "NEW ARRIVALS" correct on the first try. A default generation costs . Raise the quality tier when a final render matters.

Text models

Six more text models join Claude Sonnet 5.5 and GPT-6.1 Sol, and 6 of the 8 text models in this batch offer a 1M-token context window or close to it. Each card below shows the live cost.

Claude Haiku 5.5

Claude Haiku 5.5 from Anthropic is the fastest and most affordable Claude, built for high-volume everyday work: triage, tagging, short replies and quick extraction. Pick it when 1,000 small requests matter more than one brilliant answer.

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash is a fast, low-cost text model with a 1M-token context window. It suits long transcripts, bulk summarising and drafts where speed and price decide the choice.

Inkling

Inkling is a frontier text model from Thinking Machines Lab with a 524k-token context window. Try it for explanation, reasoning and long-document questions when a second opinion beside the big names is useful.

MiniMax M3

MiniMax M3 is a long-context frontier text model with a 1M-token window. Feed it several papers or a whole codebase excerpt and ask for a synthesis rather than a summary.

Mistral Large 4

Mistral Large 4 is Mistral's new flagship, also with a 1M-token context window. European-language drafting and polished business writing are the natural fit.

Qwen3.7-Max

Qwen3.7-Max is Alibaba's flagship closed-weight Qwen model: a 1M-token window, agent-grade reasoning and tool use. It joined the catalog on 2026-07-14 and belongs to this batch because it was never covered in a release roundup.

Image models

Nano Banana 2.1, FLUX 3 Image and Ideogram 4.5 are covered above; two more image generators round out the 5 image models in this batch, from a painterly illustrator to a fast sketch tool.

Krea 2 Medium

Krea 2 Medium is a foundation image model from Krea, tuned for expressive illustration, anime and painterly styles. It stays consistent across artistic directions, which makes it the pick for series work and stylised art.

Nano Banana 2 Lite

Nano Banana 2 Lite is the lightweight, low-cost sibling of Nano Banana 2 and Google's fastest image model. Choose it for rapid ideation and quick edits before spending more on a final render with Nano Banana 2.1.

Video models

Two video models arrive on 2026-10-12. FLUX 3 video is covered in the headliner section above; see its model page for settings.

Seedance 2.0 Mini

Seedance 2.0 Mini is a lower-cost variant of ByteDance's Seedance 2.0, built for high-volume video with multimodal inputs and native audio. It is the practical choice when a project needs many clips.

Which model for which job

All 15 models in one table, headliners first. Start with the job, then open the card to see the live cost.

Model	Type	Best for
Nano Banana 2.1	Image	legible text, conversational edits, 4K
FLUX 3 video	Video	video with synchronized audio, text- or image-to-video
FLUX 3 Image	Image	photoreal images, multi-reference edits
Claude Sonnet 5.5	Text	writing, coding, analysis
GPT-6.1 Sol	Text	flagship general work, 1M context
Ideogram 4.5	Image	precise images with text, edits
Claude Haiku 5.5	Text	high-volume everyday tasks
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash	Text	cheap long-context drafts
Inkling	Text	reasoning, 524k context
MiniMax M3	Text	multi-document synthesis
Mistral Large 4	Text	polished business writing
Qwen3.7-Max	Text	agent workflows, tool use
Krea 2 Medium	Image	illustration, anime, painterly
Nano Banana 2 Lite	Image	fast, low-cost drafts
Seedance 2.0 Mini	Video	high-volume video clips

Want earlier releases? See 18 new models from September 2026 and the week 38 roundup. To start with any model above, open Ropewalk and pick it in a new chat.