After the recent AI boom, images have seen the biggest advancements and improvements in our digital lives. You can create some spectacular AI images using Midjourney or use Photoshop’s AI Generative Fill to manipulate photos in ways that were never possible before. In addition to that, you can now upscale existing images to 4K or 8K resolution with the magic of AI. You can restore details, make images unblurry, fix pixelated photos, and much more. So without any wait, let’s go through the list of best AI image upscaler tools.
1. Image Scaler by Stability AI
The popular creator behind Midjourney alternative Stable Diffusion, Stability AI, has an AI image upscaler tool too, and it works wonders. I have personally used the AI tool many times in the past, and I can say that it’s easier to use and does a fantastic job at upscaling images without sharpening the image too much.
The best part of Stability AI’s image upscaler is that it’s free to use for 2x image upscaling. If you want upscale images 4x to 16x, you need to subscribe to the paid plan.
The paid plan also brings access to a faster Stable Diffusion XL model for AI image generation, relighting, text remover from images, and much more. In case, you want to upscale images while also adding details to the image, you can do that with this tool.
However, it’s also available to paid users only. Nevertheless, the free tool is good enough for most users, and I think you should definitely check it out.
Platforms: Web
Price: Free, Paid plan starts at $10 for 1000 credits
2. SuperImage
Unlike online AI image upscaler tools, SuperImage is a fantastic app that allows you to upscale an image locally on your device, and that too without an internet connection. This is an amazing app for users who are paranoid about their privacy and don’t want to upload personal photos on online services.
It can seamlessly sharpen any low-res image up to 16x without any charge. The app is free to use. However, if you want to use custom upscaling models, you can install its paid SuperImage Pro app. The app uses a neural network with a deep learning framework along with a Real-ESRGAN algorithm to upscale your image. It uses your device’s GPU to restore the details of the image.
SuperImage is available on Android and Windows for now, but the developer says it’s also coming to macOS and Linux very soon. So, I would say, if you have a flagship Android phone or a powerful PC, go ahead and try this tool.
Platforms: Windows, and Android
Price: Free (with ads)
3. Upscayl
Upscayl is a free and open-source program that can supercharge your images and upscale them in no time. It’s available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the developer is planning to bring its AI image scaler tool to the cloud too. Currently, the cloud service is in beta. However, you can run it on your computer locally and upscale low-resolution images into high-resolution images. It offers five different modes to choose from and uses your GPU to sharpen blurry images.
The best part is that you can batch upscale images with this program which is not available on other free tools. The tool supports PNG, JPG, and WEBP image formats and supports models like Real-ESGRAN, REMACRI, and more. In my testing, I liked the no-nonsense UI, and Upscayl quickly restored the image details using AI.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Price: Free
4. Remini
Remini is another fantastic app for Android and iPhone users that can upscale images using AI. Not just that, it can restore old memories, recover all the lost details, fix pixelated and grainy images, and much more. However, it’s not entirely free to use. You need to watch a 30-second ad to upscale an image and another ad to save the restored photo. In addition, your image will be uploaded to the cloud for processing so there is that.
That said, Remini works much better for human faces and selfies. It also has other features such as the ability to create 90s yearbook photos, professional resume shots, AI image generation, face beautifier, and more.
So if you use an iPhone or Android phone and want to use a brilliant AI image upscaler, Remini is the way to go. In addition, you can also try Pixelup (iOS) and AI Enlarger (iOS) on your iPhone.
Platforms: Web, Android, and iOS
Price: Free, paid plan starts at $6.99 per week
5. Upscale.media
Upscale.media is another seamless AI image upscaler that you can use on the web. Simply open the website, upload your photo, and download the upscaled image. No need to sign up, add your credit card, or subscribe to any paid plan. It’s that effortless.
The best thing about this AI tool is that you can upscale up to 4x resolution for free. Generally, free websites have limited options up to 2x. Moreover, this upscaler is available as Android and iOS apps.
Upscale.media supports popular image formats, including PNG, JPEG, JPG, and WEBP. Having said that, your photos will be uploaded to the cloud for AI image processing so keep that in mind, Overall, it’s an effortless solution for turning low-quality images into highly-detailed photos.
Platform: Web, Android, and iOS
Price: Free, Paid plan costs $29 for 300 credits
6. Gigapixel AI
Gigapixel AI by Topaz Labs is a powerful AI image upscaler that comes at a price. If you are a photographer or a video creator, Gigapixel AI should be your first choice as it can also upscale your videos. It’s used by corporations like Netflix, Warner Bros, Disney, Apple, and more.
Gigapixel AI uses deep learning to restore video footages and enhances the detail in a customized way, which other services don’t provide.
The models are continuously trained on a large variety of images to understand the scenes and fill in the pixels to give a natural look. So be it portraits, wildlife photos, landscapes, or architecture, Gigapixel AI can be the best AI image enhancer for you.
With all that said, the program is not free, and you’ll need to pay $99.99 to use the AI tool. For free users, it lets you access the program under a free trial.
Platforms: Windows and macOS
Price: Free trial, after which it costs $99.99
7. Let’s Enhance
Let’s Enhance is another free AI upscaler that I liked for its simplicity and ease of use. All you need to do is sign up for an account, and you can start upscaling images using AI. It also supports batch upscaling, which is good to have in a free service.
Along with that, you will get support for image lighting, tone enhancement, color enhancement, and background removal — all powered by AI. In my testing, its upscaled images were on par with other service providers.
However, under the free tier, it only does 2x upscaling so you will have to make peace with that. Apart from that, free users only get 10 credits, and you will have to pay $9 per month for 100 more credits. It also unlocks larger resolutions and a plethora of new features.
If you’re looking for a tried-and-tested online service for AI photo enhancement, go ahead and try Let’s Enhance.
Platforms: Web
Price: Free up to 10 credits, Paid plans start at $9 for 100 credits
8. Img Upscaler
Img Upscaler is our final tool on this list that lets you upscale images up to 4x resolution for free. You can upload PNG and JPG photos and get them upscaled in no time. The online tool also offers batch upscaling and larger resolution, but it’s only available to paid users, starting at $19 per year. You will get 100 credits per month under this plan, which is decent.
According to the service, all your photos are uploaded to the cloud, but they are removed within 24 hours. For anime, cartoons, and even facial photos, Img Upscaler is a decent service and you should give it a try.
Platforms: Web, Android, and iOS
Price: Free up to 20 credits, Paid plans start at $19 per year
These are some well-known AI image upscalers that you can try on your computer or smartphone. Most of these services are free and some offer upscaling up to 4x and even 16x without any charge. In case you’re interested, you can create QR codes using AI just for fun. And if we have missed out on your favorite app or service, let us know in the comments section below.
Anshuman Jain
