TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has recently entered the artificial intelligence image tool business and has now released an open-source multimodal AI image model called Seedream 4.0 to compete with Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, also known as “Nano Banana.” The launch marks the latest signal of ByteDance’s growing interest in creative AI as the use of generative media expands worldwide.
Seedream 4.0 combines the text-to-image capabilities of Seedream 3.0 with the editing abilities of SeedEdit 3.0 to provide users with one program that can generate and edit images. According to ByteDance, the model can generate high-quality images or accurately edit them with a single sentence prompt. It can also convert photos into various artistic styles, such as watercolor, cyberpunk, or vintage effects, within seconds.
The company claims that Seedream 4.0 outperforms Google’s Nano Banana in several areas. Internal testing indicated an improved accuracy in prompt following, better visual management, and stronger aesthetics. Although independent results are yet to be published, ByteDance has its own benchmark, MagicBench, where Seedream surpassed its rival across multiple categories.
Practical use cases of the newly launched tool include designing climate zone charts, building themed websites, creating step-by-step illustrations, and making historical timelines as well. These functions make Seedream a versatile, complementary resource for academics, designers, and common users.
Beyond creativity, ByteDance is also focused on accessibility and cost. Seedream 4.0 is available in China via the company’s Jimeng and Doubao apps, while enterprise clients can access it from Volcano Engine, its cloud platform. Pricing is set at $0.03 per image on Fal.ai, slightly cheaper than Google’s $0.039 for Nano Banana. Bulk pricing remains at $30 per 1,000 generations, making it affordable for large-scale use.
As the race for supremacy in AI media is heating up, Chinese technology giants Tencent and Kuaishou, along with Tsinghua-backed startup Shengshu AI, are also planning to launch their own tools on the market.
Meanwhile Nano Banano has already become viral for being able to transform photos into realistic 3D figurines, a craze that many celebrities and influencers have shared. ByteDance is betting that Seedream’s speed, low cost, and integrated editing will provide it with an advantage in both the international and domestic markets.
