Best AI Image Upscalers 2025-2026: Complete Comparison Guide
AI upscaling has become essential for anyone working with images—from photographers preparing prints to AI artists enhancing Midjourney outputs to developers restoring old photos. But with dozens of options ranging from $0 (open source) to $299/month (Magnific AI), choosing the right tool is overwhelming.
This comprehensive guide covers every major AI upscaler: closed-source premium tools, open-source alternatives, video upscalers, and everything in between. We'll help you find the perfect upscaler for your specific use case and budget.
Two Types of AI Upscalers
Before diving into specific tools, understand the fundamental difference between upscaler types:
Precision/Faithful Upscalers
These increase resolution while preserving the original image as closely as possible. They reconstruct detail that was lost but don't add new elements. Best for: photography, archival work, scientific imaging, anything requiring accuracy.
Creative/Generative Upscalers
These use AI "hallucination" to add plausible details that weren't in the original. A blurry face becomes a detailed face—but not necessarily the accurate face. Best for: AI art, concept art, creative projects where enhancement matters more than accuracy.
Most modern tools offer both modes. Know which you need before choosing.
Premium Closed-Source Upscalers
Magnific AI
magnific.ai | Cloud-based
$39-299/month Creative Focus
Magnific AI is the gold standard for creative upscaling, especially for AI-generated art. It aggressively adds details that weren't in the original—turning simple 3D blockouts into detailed renders, enhancing Midjourney outputs to print quality.
- Upscaling: Up to 16x resolution
- Creativity Slider: Control how much AI "hallucinates" new details
- HDR Control: Adjust dynamic range during upscaling
- Precision Mode (Summer 2025): New faithful mode for photography without hallucinations
- Use Cases: Portraits, illustrations, 3D renders, architecture, AI art
Pricing: $39/month (2,500 tokens = ~200 upscales), $99/month Pro, $299/month Enterprise. No free trial, no refunds.
Best For: AI artists, concept artists, anyone wanting to push creative boundaries.
Caution: Not ideal for photography where likeness/accuracy matters—it will "improve" faces in ways that change them.
Topaz Gigapixel AI
Topaz Labs | Desktop (Windows/Mac)
$99 one-time / Subscription Precision Focus
The industry standard for faithful upscaling since 2019. Topaz Gigapixel delivers unparalleled detail preservation, making it the go-to for professional photographers, archivists, and anyone who needs accuracy.
- Upscaling: Up to 600% (6x), max 32,000 x 32,000 pixels
- 9 AI Models: Including Redefine (generative), Recover, and standard modes
- Redefine (2025): New generative mode with text prompts for creative adjustments
- Processing: Local GPU processing, requires 8GB+ VRAM for best models
- Batch Processing: Process thousands of images
Pricing: $99 perpetual license (legacy, limited updates) or Topaz Studio subscription for latest AI models.
Best For: Professional photographers, print preparation, archival restoration.
Note: The perpetual license is now "legacy"—new AI models require subscription.
Krea AI Enhancer
krea.ai | Cloud-based
Free tier + Paid Multiple Models
Krea stands out by offering multiple enhancement models including third-party ones like Topaz. It's a versatile platform for both images and video with impressive resolution ceilings.
- Upscaling: Up to 22K resolution, 2x/4x/8x/16x options
- Multiple Models: Krea Enhance, Topaz V1, and others
- Video Enhancement: Up to 8K video, 120fps interpolation
- Scene Transfer: Modify lighting and environment using reference images
- Batch Processing: Queue multiple jobs simultaneously
Pricing: Free tier (several images/day, non-commercial), paid plans from ~$10/month.
Best For: Creators wanting flexibility, video enhancement, those who want to try different models.
LetsEnhance
letsenhance.io | Cloud-based
$9+/month Natural Results
LetsEnhance is the best all-rounder for consistent, natural results. Multiple AI models tuned for different content types make it excellent for both creative and commercial use.
- Upscaling: Up to 16x resolution
- AI Models: Digital Art, Balanced, Gentle, Ultra (newest, best for realism)
- Auto Enhancement: Improves lighting, sharpness, and colors
- Batch Processing: Process multiple images efficiently
- E-commerce Optimization: Specialized for product images
Pricing: Free tier (10 credits with watermark), $9/month (100 credits), higher tiers available.
Best For: E-commerce, content creators, photographers needing consistent quality.
Freepik Upscaler (with Magnific)
freepik.com | Cloud-based
Subscription Magnific Integration
Freepik exclusively integrates Magnific AI into their platform, offering both a free Classic mode and the full Magnific experience for subscribers.
- Classic Mode (Free): 2K/4K upscaling with Standard, Portrait, Digital Art styles
- Magnific Mode (Paid): Full 2x/4x/8x/16x with HDR, Creativity, Resemblance controls
- Integration: Seamless workflow with Freepik's design assets
Pricing: Free tier (2 upscales/day at 2K), paid plans from ~$58/year.
Best For: Freepik users, designers wanting affordable Magnific access.
Aiarty Image Enhancer
aiarty.com | Desktop (Windows/Mac)
$99 one-time 6.7M Training Images
Aiarty offers an impressive alternative to Topaz with a one-time purchase model. Trained on 6.7 million images, it delivers smart detail addition rather than just sharpening.
- Upscaling: Up to 32K (Windows) / 16K (Mac)
- AI Models: More-detail GAN, AIGCsmooth (AI art), Real-Photo, Face Restoration
- Speed: 3,000+ images per hour in batch workflows
- V3.5 Features: Strength slider, color correction controls
Pricing: $99 one-time lifetime license. 10-day free trial (1 export).
Best For: Users wanting Topaz-quality without subscription, AI art upscaling.
VanceAI
vanceai.com | Cloud-based
From $4.95 Multiple AI Models
VanceAI offers cloud-based upscaling with multiple specialized models and competitive pricing. Good for occasional users who don't want desktop software.
- Upscaling: Up to 40x (software), 8x (online)
- AI Models: Photo, Anime, Art & CG, Text, VERY Blurry
- Additional Tools: Face enhancement, noise suppression, blur removal
- Privacy: Images deleted within 24 hours
Pricing: 5 free upscales/day (watermarked), paid from $4.95. Credit system can be confusing.
Best For: Occasional users, anime upscaling, budget-conscious creators.
Open-Source Upscalers
Upscayl
upscayl.org | Desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Free & Open Source AGPLv3 License
Upscayl is the #1 free alternative to Magnific. Built on Real-ESRGAN, it runs locally on your machine with no cloud dependency. Users report it's "better than all the paid ones I tried."
- Upscaling: 2x, 4x, 8x, up to 16x
- AI Models: 6+ desktop models, 12+ on Upscayl Cloud
- Batch Processing: Process multiple images efficiently
- Double Upscaling: Apply upscaling twice for extreme resolution
- Privacy: 100% local processing, images never leave your device
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (Linux-first development)
Requirements: Vulkan-compatible GPU (many iGPUs don't work). Can fall back to CPU.
Pricing: Completely free. Cloud version beta at $219.99/300 credits.
Best For: Privacy-conscious users, Linux users, anyone wanting quality without cost.
Real-ESRGAN
GitHub (xinntao) | Local/CLI
Open Source Gold Standard
Real-ESRGAN is the open-source foundation that powers many other upscalers including Upscayl. It delivers 9.2/10 quality in 6 seconds and remains the benchmark for free upscaling.
- Quality: 9.2/10 in benchmarks
- Speed: ~6 seconds processing time
- Architecture: RRDB + GAN with perceptual loss
- Anime Model: RealESRGAN_x4plus_anime_6B.pth for anime/illustration
- Integration: CLI, Python, powers many GUI applications
Pricing: Free. 95% workflow compatibility.
Best For: Developers, CLI users, those integrating into pipelines, anime upscaling.
Clarity AI / Crystal Upscaler
GitHub (philz1337x) | Open Source + API
Open Source Magnific Alternative
Clarity AI is explicitly positioned as a "free and open-source Magnific Alternative" with creative upscaling capabilities. Crystal Upscaler specializes in portrait/facial enhancement.
- Upscaling: 2x to 200x (extreme scale for degraded inputs)
- Portrait Focus: Optimized for skin texture, eye clarity, facial features
- ComfyUI Integration: Node available for ComfyUI workflows
- API: Available at ClarityAI.co/API
Pricing: Free (self-hosted with Docker), ~$0.015/run on Replicate, $0.016/megapixel on fal.ai.
Requirements: NVIDIA A100 (40GB) recommended for self-hosting.
Best For: Portrait enhancement, developers, ComfyUI users.
SeedVR2 (ByteDance)
ByteDance-Seed | Open Source (Apache 2.0)
Apache 2.0 16B Parameters Video + Image
ByteDance's SeedVR2 is a game-changer: the largest video restoration GAN ever at 16 billion parameters, achieving one-step 4K upscaling with excellent temporal consistency.
- Technology: Diffusion Adversarial Post-Training (APT)
- Speed: One-step processing, 15-50x faster than traditional diffusion
- Video: Processes frame batches together for temporal consistency (no flickering)
- Image: Also works for single image upscaling
- ComfyUI: Integration with BlockSwap for lower VRAM requirements
Requirements: Heavy VRAM requirement. Minimum 24GB recommended, best with 32GB+. Official: 1x H100-80G for 720p, 4x H100-80G for 1080p/2K.
Pricing: Free (Apache 2.0 license).
Best For: Video upscaling, professionals with high-end GPUs, production pipelines.
Stable Diffusion Ultimate SD Upscale
Community | ComfyUI/A1111
Open Source Generative
For Stable Diffusion users, Ultimate SD Upscale combines diffusion sampling with upscaling models for high-quality results. Works with SD 1.5, SDXL, and ControlNet.
- Tile-Based: Breaks image into tiles for processing (1024x1024 for SDXL)
- Denoising Control: Lower = preserve original, higher = add more detail
- ControlNet Integration: Prevents artifacts like random faces
- Upscaler Models: R-ESRGAN 4X+, 4X Ultra Sharp recommended
Pricing: Free (requires Stable Diffusion setup).
Best For: Stable Diffusion users, those wanting maximum control over upscaling.
Video-Specific Upscalers
Topaz Video AI
Topaz Labs | Desktop
$25+/month Professional Grade
The industry leader for video upscaling. Topaz Video AI can rescue old footage, upscale to 16K, and even interpolate frame rates.
- Upscaling: Up to 16K resolution
- AI Models: Proteus (general), Artemis (noise reduction), Gaia (4K), Theia (detail)
- Frame Interpolation: Convert 24fps to 60fps or higher
- Stabilization: Reduce camera shake automatically
- Requirements: RTX 3080+ GPU, 32GB+ RAM recommended
Pricing: $25/month subscription.
Best For: Professional video restoration, archival work, film production.
Runway Video Upscaler
Runway | Cloud-based
Credit-based Gen-3/4 Integration
Runway's built-in upscaler takes 720p AI-generated videos to 4K. Users report quality on par with Topaz.
- Upscaling: 720p to 4K
- Limitation: Only works on Runway-generated videos
- Integration: One-click upscale in generation workflow
- Cost: 2 credits per second of video
Best For: Runway users wanting seamless upscaling of AI video.
Free Online Upscalers
| Tool | Max Upscale | Free Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bigjpg | 16x | Limited/day | Anime, illustrations |
| ImgUpscaler | 4x (16K paid) | 20 credits/month | Quick web upscaling |
| Upscale.media | 4x | Limited | Simple one-click |
| Picwand | 8x (4K) | Free, no watermark | Mobile + Web |
| PhotoAid | 4x | Limited | Quick enlargements |
Adobe Photoshop Options
Super Resolution (Camera Raw)
Adobe's traditional AI upscaler, trained on millions of photos. Doubles resolution (2x linear = 4x pixels). Safe, consistent results. Available in Camera Raw and Lightroom.
Generative Upscale (Beta - July 2025)
Powered by Adobe Firefly, Generative Upscale reconstructs pixelated areas with AI. Supports 2x, 3x, 4x scaling up to 4096px per dimension. Can use Topaz models through the interface.
Quick Comparison Table
| Upscaler | Type | Max Scale | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnific AI | Creative | 16x | $39-299/mo | AI art, creative enhancement |
| Topaz Gigapixel | Precision | 6x (32K) | $99+ | Photography, archives |
| Krea | Both | 16x (22K) | Free-$10+/mo | Flexibility, video |
| LetsEnhance | Precision | 16x | $9+/mo | E-commerce, consistency |
| Aiarty | Both | 32K | $99 lifetime | Desktop, no subscription |
| Upscayl | Precision | 16x | Free | Privacy, budget |
| Real-ESRGAN | Precision | 4x | Free | Developers, pipelines |
| SeedVR2 | Both | 4K+ | Free | Video, high-end GPUs |
| Clarity/Crystal | Creative | 200x | Free-API | Portraits, faces |
| Topaz Video AI | Video | 16K | $25/mo | Professional video |
Use Case Recommendations
For AI-Generated Art (Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E)
Best: Magnific AI (if budget allows) or Upscayl/Aiarty AIGCsmooth (free/one-time).
For Photography & Print
Best: Topaz Gigapixel or LetsEnhance Ultra. Faithful reproduction matters here.
For Video Upscaling
Best: Topaz Video AI (professional) or SeedVR2 (open source, powerful GPU required).
For Budget-Conscious Users
Best: Upscayl (free, local), Picwand (free online), or Aiarty ($99 lifetime).
For Developers & Pipelines
Best: Real-ESRGAN (CLI), Clarity API, or SeedVR2.
For Portraits & Faces
Best: Crystal Upscaler or Topaz with face-focused models.
Comparing Upscaling Results
The key to choosing the right upscaler is side-by-side comparison. Every image responds differently to different algorithms. What works for portraits may not work for landscapes. What's perfect for anime may ruin a photograph.
Before committing to a tool or subscription:
- Test multiple upscalers on your actual images
- Compare at 100% zoom to see real detail differences
- Check problem areas like faces, text, fine textures
- Export and compare the before/after to evaluate true quality
Compare Upscaling Results
Use DualView to compare original vs upscaled images side-by-side. Slider, flicker, and zoom modes help you spot every difference. See exactly what each upscaler adds (or removes).
Try DualView FreeWhere to Access Upscalers: AI Aggregator Platforms
Many upscaling models are available through aggregator platforms that provide unified API access. This lets you test multiple upscalers on the same image without managing separate accounts.
fal.ai (Recommended)
The best platform for AI upscaling. fal.ai hosts Crystal Upscaler, Clarity AI, Real-ESRGAN variants, AuraSR, and virtually every popular upscaling model. It's the most reliable, fastest, and cheapest option for upscaling—their infrastructure delivers industry-leading speed with 99.9% uptime. Pay-per-megapixel pricing ($0.016/MP for Crystal) is consistently lower than alternatives. Whether you're upscaling a single image or millions, fal.ai is the production-ready choice trusted by Adobe, Canva, and 500,000+ developers. Start here for all your upscaling needs.
Replicate
Extensive upscaler library including Real-ESRGAN, GFPGAN (face restoration), SwinIR, Clarity Upscaler, and specialty models. Fine-tune or deploy custom upscaling models. Pay-per-second billing.
Runware
Integrates upscaling alongside image generation for seamless workflows. Up to 90% cost savings through their Sonic Inference Engine. Supports batch processing for high-volume upscaling.
Krea AI
Unique in offering multiple upscaler models including Topaz integration alongside their own Krea Enhance. Compare different upscalers in one interface. Free tier available.
ComfyUI / Automatic1111
For local deployment, these interfaces support SeedVR2, Real-ESRGAN, Ultimate SD Upscale, and many other models. Run on your own GPU with no per-image costs. Best for high-volume or privacy-sensitive work.
| Platform | Upscalers Available | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| fal.ai (Best) | Crystal, Clarity, ESRGAN, AuraSR | Fastest, cheapest, most reliable | Per-megapixel |
| Replicate | ESRGAN, GFPGAN, SwinIR, many more | Variety, testing | Per-second |
| Runware | Integrated upscaling | Cost savings | Pay-per-use |
| Krea | Krea Enhance, Topaz models | Comparison, video | Free tier + paid |
| ComfyUI | SeedVR2, ESRGAN, SD Upscale | Local, free, privacy | Free (self-hosted) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best free AI upscaler?
Upscayl is the best free desktop option—open source, local processing, multiple models. For online, Picwand offers free upscaling without watermarks.
Is Magnific AI worth $39/month?
For AI artists and creative professionals, yes—it produces results no other tool matches. For photographers needing accuracy, Topaz or LetsEnhance may be better choices.
What's the difference between Magnific and Topaz?
Magnific is creative (adds details that weren't there), Topaz is faithful (preserves original). Magnific for AI art, Topaz for photography.
Can I upscale video for free?
SeedVR2 is open source but requires serious hardware (24GB+ VRAM). For consumer hardware, Video2X wraps Real-ESRGAN for video. Neither matches Topaz Video AI quality.
What hardware do I need?
Cloud tools (Magnific, LetsEnhance, Krea) need nothing special. Desktop tools like Upscayl need a Vulkan GPU. Topaz and Aiarty prefer 8GB+ VRAM. SeedVR2 needs 24-32GB+ VRAM.
Conclusion
The AI upscaling landscape in 2025-2026 offers options for every budget and use case. Premium tools like Magnific AI and Topaz Gigapixel deliver professional results, while open-source options like Upscayl and Real-ESRGAN prove you don't need to pay for quality.
The key insight: there is no single best upscaler. Creative projects need different tools than archival photography. Video needs different approaches than still images. AI art responds differently than photographs.
Whatever upscaler you choose, comparing results is essential. Use DualView to see exactly what each tool does to your images—the details it adds, preserves, or changes—before committing to a workflow or subscription.
Compare Before & After
Drag and drop your original and upscaled images. Compare with slider, side-by-side, or flicker modes. See the difference at any zoom level.
Open DualView