Use Nano Banana from Claude Code

Nano Banana is Google's lightweight image generation model. Quick, cheap, broad aspect-ratio support. Good for iteration work when you don't need Imagen 4 Ultra quality.

If you use Claude Code and you want Nano Banana available as a native tool that the agent can call directly, the AetherWave MCP server wires it up in one command. No SDK to learn, no separate API key per provider, no polling loop to write.

Install in 30 seconds

Run this from your terminal:

Get your API key at your Profile page under the Developer tab. New accounts start with free credits to try it without spending anything.

Quick facts

How to use it

Once the MCP is installed, you can ask Claude Code naturally. It'll pick Nano Banana from the model-selection rubric in the tool description when your prompt matches its strengths (budget broad-aspect image generation).

Example interaction:

Claude Code calls aetherwave_generate_image with model: "google-nano-banana" and returns the finished asset URL. The result auto-saves to your AetherWave gallery (Cloudflare R2 hosted, no URL expiration).

Sample prompts that work well

When to pick Nano Banana

Nano Banana shines for:

• Quick iteration runs
• Wide aspect-ratio work (21:9, 1:8 mobile banners)
• Budget-conscious generation
• Concept exploration before committing to premium model
• Bulk content where consistency at lower fidelity is fine

How it compares

vs imagen-4-fast at 5 cr: Both are similar speed/budget tier. Imagen 4 Fast is slightly cheaper; Nano Banana supports more aspect ratios. Coin flip otherwise.

Run aetherwave_list_image_models from Claude Code to see the full live catalog with pricing.

Cost

Flat 6 credits per image. Single output. Google's lightweight image model.

Credits come from your AetherWave account. Plans:

• Free: Starter credits on signup plus 80 cr from one-time community quests
• Studio: $9.99/mo, 1,700 credits monthly, cancel anytime
• One-time bundles: from $4.99 (500 cr) up to $79.99 (9,000 cr). Bundle credits never expire.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install AetherWave MCP in Claude Code?

One command (shown above). Then restart Claude Code. The agent will have Nano Banana available as part of the aetherwave_generate_image tool with 1 output(s) per call.

How do I use Nano Banana from Claude Code?

Just describe what you want. The agent picks Nano Banana when your prompt matches its strengths (budget broad-aspect image generation). You can also explicitly request it by passing model: "google-nano-banana" in the tool call.

What does Nano Banana cost per generation?

Flat 6 credits per image. Single output. Google's lightweight image model. Credits come from your AetherWave account (Studio sub from $9.99/mo or one-time bundles from $4.99/500 cr).