Astria Plugin vs Photoshop Generative Fill: 2026 Guide
Photoshop 27.x put Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro, FLUX.2 pro and FLUX.1 Kontext into Generative Fill's model picker. A retoucher can now run Google's model on a selection without installing anything. The question is no longer whether Nano Banana works inside Photoshop. It is which route into it fits professional work.
The short answer: the Astria Nano Banana plugin for Photoshop is the overall winner for retouchers, photographers, agencies and ecommerce studios. It places results as Smart Objects at the model's full returned resolution, bills per image or on your own Google key, adds GPT Image 2 and Seedream, and picks up new models without a plugin update. Photoshop Generative Fill keeps three real advantages: zero install, Adobe's commercial-safety framing for Firefly, and Nano Banana Pro on the day Google announced it.
How we evaluated Photoshop Generative Fill and the Astria plugin
We scored both routes on six questions a Photoshop professional asks before committing a job: which models are in the panel today and how fast new ones arrive; output fidelity, meaning returned resolution, layer type and mask handling; the editing workflow inside the document; billing flexibility and bring-your-own-key support; maintenance and longevity; and what happens to production beyond the single document. Adobe facts come from Adobe's help, legal and community pages; Astria facts from its landing page and live model catalog. No controlled output-quality benchmark was run.
What ships natively today
Photoshop's Generative Fill model picker, per Adobe's Generative Fill help page and partner models page, both updated 10 September 2026:
| Picker entry | Provider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Firefly Fill & Expand | Adobe | Reference image with object or whole-image scope and swap or place intent |
| Firefly Image 5 | Adobe | Added in Photoshop 27.6, April 2026 |
| Firefly Image 1 | Adobe | Listed in the picker |
| Gemini 3.1 (with Nano Banana 2) | Added in 27.6, April 2026; supports several reference images | |
| Gemini 3 (with Nano Banana Pro) | Announced by Adobe on 20 November 2025 | |
| FLUX.2 pro | Black Forest Labs | Supports several reference images |
| FLUX.1 Kontext [pro] | Black Forest Labs | In the picker before Nano Banana Pro arrived |
| Gemini 2.5 (with Nano Banana) | Photoshop began removing it on 10 September 2026 with build 27.11 |
Every GPT Image version, 2.5 Flare and Sunburst included, is listed for Firefly, Boards, Illustrator or Express, not Photoshop. No Seedream model appears on Adobe's partner list. Check Adobe's current partner-model page for current usage terms.
Quick verdict: Astria vs Photoshop Generative Fill
| Decision factor | Photoshop Generative Fill | Astria plugin | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Models in the panel today | Three Firefly models plus Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro, FLUX.2 pro and FLUX.1 Kontext; GPT Image is Firefly-web only; no Seedream | GPT Image 2 (mask-aware, 1K/2K/4K), Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro, Seedream 5 Pro, Seedream 5, Flux 2 Pro | Astria for GPT Image and Seedream inside the document |
| New-model lead time | Arrives with a Photoshop release and an Adobe partnership; Nano Banana Pro on launch day, Nano Banana 2 in 27.6; GPT Image 2.5 in Firefly web only | Model list is served by the Astria platform, so a model added to Astria appears in the panel that day; GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst and Flare and Muse Image are already on the platform | Astria |
| Returned resolution and layer type | Adobe's FAQ states Firefly returns 1024×1024 to Photoshop and publishes no partner-model size; a community thread reports Nano Banana Pro output well below Gemini web, no fix timeline | Smart Object holding the model's full returned resolution, up to 4K on GPT Image 2 and the Gemini models; re-transform, mask and re-edit without resampling | Astria |
| Selection-to-layer workflow | Selection, Generative Fill in the Contextual Task Bar, model picker, prompt, Generate, then pick a variation in Properties | Select with marquee, lasso, brush or color range, prompt, generate, all in one panel; mask-aware models read the selection; model switched per task from one dropdown; result lands as a new layer, placed as a Smart Object | Astria for per-task model choice and Smart Object output |
| Reference-driven edits | Reference image for Firefly Fill & Expand, and for the Gemini and Flux partner models with a prompt | Reference images dropped into the panel act as visual instructions for every model in the panel, GPT Image 2 and Seedream included | Astria for references across every model |
| Billing paths | Generative credits from the Creative Cloud plan, or an add-on credit plan; no documented bring-your-own-key path; enterprise IT can define which models each user may use | Astria key on pay-as-you-go, one key for every model, or your own Google AI Studio key for the Gemini models billed by Google; keys switched inside the panel | Astria |
| Billing model | Uses the current partner-model terms attached to the subscriber's Adobe plan | Hosted pay-as-you-go through one Astria key, or a Google key for Gemini models; compare current terms on the Astria pricing page and Adobe's pricing pages | Depends on the team's existing accounts and model mix |
| Production beyond the document | Firefly web app and Firefly Boards, on the same credit pool | The same Astria key and balance drive Astria workspaces, templates and the API for the rest of the collection | Astria for catalog-scale work |
| Maintenance and longevity | Roster changes ship with Photoshop point releases; retirements follow the provider, as with Gemini 2.5 in 27.11 | Maintained CCX/UXP build with a dated changelog and support desk; roster is platform-served, so additions do not wait for a plugin release; legacy JSX users upgraded free | Astria for roster upkeep without an app update |
| Best fit | A Creative Cloud subscriber whose day is Firefly fill and expand | A retoucher, photographer, agency or ecommerce studio that needs GPT Image, Nano Banana and Seedream at full returned resolution in a live document | Astria for professional retouching |
| Overall | Native and zero-install, strongest for Firefly work | Wider current roster, full-resolution Smart Objects, pay-as-you-go or BYOK, zero-day models | Astria |
Reviewed 13 September 2026. Adobe's partner-model usage terms may change.
What Photoshop Generative Fill is
Generative Fill is Photoshop's native selection-to-fill feature. Make a selection, open Generative Fill from the Contextual Task Bar, pick an Adobe or partner model, prompt or leave it blank, and generate. Firefly fills return as a set of variations to choose from in the Properties panel. Reference images guide Firefly Fill & Expand with an object or whole-image scope; for partner models, a reference panel accepts up to 8 images for Gemini and up to 3 for Flux.
Partner models use the account terms attached to Creative Cloud. Adobe's generative credits FAQ explains current usage, reset, and refund behavior. Each user must accept a partner-model confirmation before first use, availability "may vary by country or region," and enterprise administrators can define which generative models each user may use.
Adobe draws a line between its own model and its partners'. Firefly is the model it calls commercially safe; for partner models, its FAQ says you decide which to use and are responsible for judging whether one is appropriate. Its Firefly product description (27 August 2026) excludes capabilities "denoted in the user interface as being powered or provided by non-Adobe trained models" from the Firefly IP indemnity, and its partner-models security fact sheet (March 2026) notes that "Partner models may store generated content before returning it to Adobe." That is the boundary Adobe itself sets around Nano Banana and Flux inside Photoshop.
What the Astria Nano Banana plugin for Photoshop is
The Astria plugin is a CCX/UXP panel for Photoshop 2025 (version 26 and later) on macOS and Windows. Six hosted models sit in one dropdown: GPT Image 2 (OpenAI, mask-aware, 1K/2K/4K), Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1), Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro), Seedream 5 Pro, Seedream 5 and Flux 2 Pro. Flux Kontext was retired in favor of these.
The workflow is three steps. Select with the marquee, lasso, brush or color range. Prompt in short, specific language, dropping reference images into the panel as visual instructions. Generate, and the result lands as a new layer. Mask-aware models read the selection directly. The model is chosen per task, and keys are switched inside the panel.
Two things separate it from a browser round trip. Each generation is placed as a Smart Object that holds the model's full returned resolution, so a 4K result placed into a small selection still carries the 4K pixels and can be re-transformed, masked and re-edited later without resampling. And the panel's model list is served by the Astria platform, so a model added to Astria appears in the panel the day it launches, with no plugin update or re-download. The platform already carries GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst and Flare and Muse Image as of 13 September 2026.
Billing runs two ways. An Astria key covers every model on pay-as-you-go, with no subscription and no minimum, and Astria abstracts the Google, OpenAI, fal and ByteDance APIs so quota, auth and retries stay invisible. Or paste a Google AI Studio key and the Gemini models run against your own Google quota, billed by Google. A consumer Gemini subscription cannot be used by any plugin; Google only authorizes external apps through API keys. No GPU is needed. Per-image rates are on the pricing page.
Public proof, with provenance
Adobe's proof is the release train. Its blog post of 20 November 2025 announced Nano Banana Pro powering Generative Fill on the day Google announced the model, and Photoshop 27.6 added Nano Banana 2 on 28 April 2026 (CG Channel, secondary). Adobe's forum holds the counter-evidence: a quality thread reports softer Photoshop results than Gemini web; a bug thread reports intermittent failures; and a content-flag thread collects reports of ordinary prompts returning a guidelines violation. These are user reports, not benchmarks.
Astria's proof is first-party: 16,000 sales and 187 ratings on the landing page, and seven production reels covering fashion edits with references, bridal retouching, sketch and CAD to photo, product design, real estate, hair and clothing swaps, and packaging. Treat all of it as vendor-published.
A realistic workflow: one campaign hero, then forty SKUs
The job: a campaign hero of a model on a stone step. The client wants the shoes swapped to the new-season style from a product reference, the background extended for a 4:5 crop, and a phone removed from the model's hand. Final delivery is a 4,000-pixel print file and a web crop.
In Photoshop Generative Fill
Select the shoes, open Generative Fill, choose Gemini 3 (with Nano Banana Pro), attach the product shot in the reference panel, prompt, and generate. Extend the canvas for the delivery crop with Firefly Fill & Expand or Nano Banana 2. Select the phone and hand, then run the partner model again with a reference of the empty hand. Check current Adobe usage terms before estimating the job, including retries.
Adobe publishes no partner-model output size, and the forum thread above is the only public data point. If the shoe fill is soft against a large delivery file, Adobe's route to more pixels is Generative Upscale with Topaz Gigapixel.
In the Astria plugin
Lasso the shoes, drop the product reference into the panel, choose Nano Banana Pro at 4K, short prompt, generate. The result lands as a Smart Object carrying the full 4K return, so scaling it to the selection loses nothing and the layer mask does the blend. Extend the canvas, marquee the new area, and switch the dropdown to GPT Image 2 for a mask-aware fill, or Seedream 5 if the extension needs a longer structural prompt. Select the hand, reference the empty-hand frame, generate. Three Smart Objects, each re-editable when the client wants the step a shade warmer. Cost is per image against the Astria balance, or your Google key for the two Gemini calls.
And the other 40 SKUs
Here the two products stop being comparable. Photoshop's answer for volume is the Firefly web app and Boards on the same credit pool, still one document and one selection at a time. The Astria plugin is one door into the Astria platform. The same key and balance drive Astria workspaces, templates and the API, so the approved hero treatment becomes a template that runs the remaining 40 SKUs while the retoucher stays in Photoshop for the hero and the fix. The AI fashion photoshoot guide covers that side.
The differences that matter most
Returned resolution, winner: Astria
Adobe's Photoshop generative AI FAQ, last updated 23 February 2026, states that the Firefly model returns 1024×1024 pixels to Photoshop. It states no size for partner models. The community quality thread reports Nano Banana Pro output in Photoshop as far below the same prompt on Gemini web, with no fix timeline published. The Astria plugin returns each generation as a Smart Object holding the model's full output, up to 4K on GPT Image 2 and the Gemini models. That is the difference between a fill that survives a print crop and one that needs an upscale pass.
Billing flexibility, compare current terms
Adobe and Astria use different billing systems, and model terms change. Price the same representative job—including retries—using Adobe's current generative credits information and Astria's current pricing page. Astria also supports a Google AI Studio key for Gemini calls. This article does not claim a universal cost winner.
GPT Image and Seedream inside the document, winner: Astria
Adobe lists GPT Image 2 and both GPT Image 2.5 variants for Firefly, Boards and Illustrator, not Photoshop. Seedream is absent from Adobe's stack. Inside the Astria panel, GPT Image 2 reads the selection as a mask and Seedream 5 Pro handles long, structured edit prompts, alongside the two Gemini models and Flux 2 Pro. A retoucher who knows which model handles surgical replacement and which handles long structural prompts gets that choice in one dropdown.
Bring your own key, and no organizational gate, winner: Astria
Photoshop offers one billing path: Adobe generative credits. On enterprise plans, the Admin Console decides which models a seat can see, and Adobe notes availability may vary by region. The Astria plugin accepts an Astria key or a Google AI Studio key, switched inside the panel, and one Astria key authenticates every model. Install the CCX, paste a key, and the roster is available to that key.
Zero-day models, winner: Astria
Nano Banana Pro reached Photoshop on launch day, the best case for Adobe's partnership model; Nano Banana 2 waited for a point release, and GPT Image 2.5 reached Firefly web but not Photoshop. The Astria panel reads its model list from the platform, so a model added to Astria is in the dropdown the same day with no plugin update.
Zero install and Firefly's commercial-safety framing, winner: Photoshop Generative Fill
This is the genuine advantage, stated once and plainly. Generative Fill is already in the Contextual Task Bar of every current Photoshop. There is nothing to install, no key to create, and Firefly fills return a set of variations to choose from. For Firefly output, Adobe offers a commercial-safety framing and, where a customer's agreement includes it, an IP indemnity. Partner outputs are excluded from that indemnity, so this advantage applies to Firefly work rather than to Nano Banana work. Astria offers no equivalent framing; treat both products' partner-model outputs on the same footing.
Choose Photoshop Generative Fill if...
- Most of your generative work is Firefly fill and expand, and you want Adobe's commercial-safety framing for it.
- Your current Creative Cloud terms comfortably cover the occasional Nano Banana or Flux fill.
- Your organization requires that every model in use be enabled through the Adobe Admin Console.
- Installing a third-party panel is not an option on your machine.
Choose the Astria plugin if...
- Fills must hold up at delivery resolution, with the full returned pixels kept inside a Smart Object.
- You need GPT Image 2 with a mask, or Seedream, without leaving the document.
- Your current Adobe plan is not a practical fit for sustained partner-model work.
- You want to bill per image through one key, or run Gemini calls on your own Google key.
- You want new models on launch day without waiting for a Photoshop release or a plugin update, and a production route behind the panel for the rest of the collection.
The bottom line
Photoshop Generative Fill with partner models is the right default for Firefly work and for the subscriber who wants an occasional Nano Banana fill with nothing to install. Its advantages are real and narrow: zero install, Adobe's commercial-safety framing for its own model, and Nano Banana Pro on launch day.
The Astria Nano Banana plugin for Photoshop is our recommendation for professional retouching. It extends Photoshop with the models Adobe does not put in the picker, keeps every result at full returned resolution inside a Smart Object, bills per image or on your own key, and picks up new models the day they land on the platform. Photoshop for the hero and the fix; the Astria platform for the other forty SKUs.
What to test before choosing
Run one fixed PSD through both routes with the same selection, reference and short prompt. Measure the returned pixel dimensions of the Nano Banana Pro fill in each, then check whether the layer can be re-transformed later without resampling. Count the credits or balance consumed by the full job, retries included. On a Photoshop single-app plan, check your allowance and reset date in the Generative Credits Usage panel first; on enterprise Creative Cloud, confirm which partner models your Admin Console exposes. Then decide which fills are Firefly work that benefits from Adobe's framing and which are partner-model work, because the indemnity line falls between them.
Frequently asked questions
Photoshop Generative Fill vs Nano Banana plugin: which should a retoucher choose?
For a Photoshop professional who needs current partner models at full returned resolution, the Astria Nano Banana plugin for Photoshop is our recommendation. Photoshop Generative Fill is the right default when the work is primarily Firefly fill and expand and the native Adobe workflow matters most.
Why does Nano Banana Pro look softer in Photoshop than on Gemini?
Adobe publishes no output size for partner models in Generative Fill; its Photoshop FAQ states the Firefly model returns 1024x1024 pixels. An Adobe Community thread from February to April 2026 compares a Nano Banana Pro fill in Photoshop with a 2752x1536 result from Gemini web and reports a lack of sharpness, with no fix timeline given. The Astria plugin places each result as a Smart Object holding the model's full returned resolution, up to 4K.
Where can I check current Photoshop partner-model usage terms?
Adobe changes partner-model usage terms by model, output size, plan, region, and promotion. Check Adobe's generative credits page and your account's usage panel before committing a production job.
Is Astria better than Photoshop Generative Fill?
For the retoucher, photographer, agency or ecommerce studio that needs GPT Image, Nano Banana and Seedream inside a live document at full returned resolution, yes. Photoshop Generative Fill needs no install, is the natural home for Firefly work with its commercial-safety framing, and received Nano Banana Pro the day Google announced it. The Astria plugin extends Photoshop with a wider hosted roster, Smart Objects at original resolution, pay-as-you-go or BYOK billing, and models that arrive without a plugin update.
For a plugin-to-plugin decision, see Astria vs Pablo. The panel workflow is walked through in the Nano Banana Photoshop guide.
Sources and methodology
Reviewed 13 September 2026. Adobe facts were read from Adobe's own pages: the Generative Fill help page, the partner models page, the generative credits FAQ, the reference images page, the Photoshop generative AI FAQ, the Firefly product description, the partner-models security fact sheet, and the Nano Banana Pro announcement. Photoshop release details come from CG Channel, a secondary source. Current commercial terms belong on Adobe's and Astria's pricing pages rather than in this article.
Astria facts come from the plugin landing page and the live model catalog, both read 13 September 2026. Sales, ratings and reel claims are first-party.
No competitor product was purchased or run for this article; returned-resolution and layer-type behaviour of Photoshop Generative Fill is reported from its public material only. Commercial terms and model rosters change often; confirm current terms before committing a job.