TOP 10 AI Image Upscalers to Improve Your Photos
Utilities • June 23, 2023
Photo editing skills are mandatory to enhance your old or poorly focused photos. However, you can ease upscaling the images through the AI Image Upscalers without needing skills.
For beginners, AI Image upscalers work on analyzing and interpolating the missing details in an image using advanced image-enhancing algorithms. As a result, the newly generated result processed by AI Image Upscalers features enhanced quality and sharpness.
Through this article, we provide you with the compilation of the best 10 AI Image Upscalers that are effective and efficient for all your photo enhancement needs.
What is upscaling?
The process of enhancing the resolution and quality of images and videos using advanced algorithms is called Upscaling. Irrespective of the type of media, upscalers work on adding the necessary pixels wherever needed to match or exceed the resolution of the display device.
Regarding advanced algorithms, nearest neighbor, bilinear, bicubic, or more advanced techniques like deep learning-based methods are usually used in AI image and video enhancement software.
As many AI Image upscalers require minimal or no photo editing skills, they can be considered the best approach to upscale old, out-of-focus, low-quality images.
What are the best image upscalers?
With the advancement in AI, many AI image upscalers are being developed consistently. However, all software might not be efficient, and they might not implement AI correctly.
As a result, it is hard to find the one that accurately enhances and upscales the image. To counter this issue, we have provided you with arguably the best AI Image upscalers, considering different types of users (beginner to advanced), and here are our suggestions.
#1 StockPhotos Upscaler
We have been looking for the simplest yet most efficient online AI image upscaler, and we haven’t found a better one than StockPhotos Upscaler. The main reason for suggesting this software to beginners is its simplicity and ease of use.
With the Stock Photos upscaler, you need no technical knowledge, and all you have to do is upload the image, set the upscale resolution, and select the AI model. The software is straightforward, capable of upscaling up to 8000 pixels, and has four dedicated AI modes offering different purposes.
Additionally, you can perform Batch Uploads, Social media crop & resize, and conversion to different media formats (JPG, PNG, WEBP, and BMP). Even though everything seems perfect, there’s a catch, which involves purchasing upscale tokens.
To access all features and 150 Upscales, you must purchase the premium plan ($15). For half the premium price, you can purchase the standard plan ($7), but you’re given 30 Upscales, and the batch uploads feature isn’t provided.
#2 Topaz GigaPixel AI
Usually, all AI Image upscalers developed for beginners lack features, and everything’s automated except for a few inputs from the user.
Even though this might sound convenient, it wouldn’t be useful to advanced users. For advanced users, we have tried and tested many, but nothing’s as good as Topaz Gigapixel AI.
While testing Topaz Gigapixel AI, we noticed that we have multiple tools required to enhance the picture to its best. The generated output fits Topaz’s promise as it wasn’t a bigger low-quality image but a high-quality natural one.
Out of all features, the “Face Recovery AI” made this software special as it enhanced and upscaled our old images extremely well, featuring impressive details and textures.
Keeping aside its tools and features, the reason for considering this software for this compilation is its flexibility. As a user, you can use it as a standalone application for batch processing on Mac or PC. You can also use it as a Photoshop plugin for tight workflow integration.
#3 Upscayl
In the era of paid software, finding open-source software is rare. For this purpose, we have tried multiple open-source software, and none impressed us as Upscayl did.
Starting with compatibility, you can try Upscayl on Linux, MacOS, and Windows. During our testing, we realized that the installation is just like other software and requires no additional steps.
Coming to the image enlargement and enhancement, Upscayl never let us done as the generated images are natural, and there was no loss of quality. With Upscayl, the entire process is automated, and as a user, you only need to select the image, upscaling type, and output folder.
Even with the intuitive interface, batch processing, and the impressive outputs generated using the Real-ESRGAN algorithm, we felt restricted as it had no customization options. Still, on the bright side, you would love it if you’re a beginner, as everything’s automated.
#4 Img.Upscaler
If you’re not a big fan of the credit system offered on StockPhotos Upscaler, you must consider checking Img.Upscaler, as it has support to unlimited access to the upscaler.
Like every online AI Image upscaler, the Img.Upscaler is capable of upscaling and enhancing images through AI. There isn’t any special feature to discuss, but the ability to upscale images up to 400% makes it special.
While testing the software, we tried upscaling the anime, face, and animal photos to test the potential, and the results felt decent. Through the Img.Upscaler software, you can perform batch processing, and the best part of this software is the images are cleared within 24 hours.
If you’re a new user, you can upscale the images using the five credits allotted every week. However, you can remove this by purchasing daily ($9), monthly ($19), or yearly ($69) plans, but we feel these are expensive. Hence, try the free version before purchasing a plan.
#5 Icons8 Smart Upscaler
Icons8 Smart Upscaler is arguably the simplest online AI Image upscaler you can use. Compared with StockPhotos Upscaler, you can see that there are no options available for you to interact with, and all you need to do is upload the image.
While testing Icons8 Smart Upscaler, we noticed that it performed well when provided images with sharp edges, contrasting colors, and clear textures. On the other hand, the output was mediocre if the images were blurred or over-pixelated.
Icons8 Smart Upscaler uses Super-resolution for upscaling, which can upscale up to 8x. Even though there are no premium features, you must purchase the subscriptions to remove the watermark on the images.
Regarding pricing, the prepaid package starts at $10 for 50 images. You can also opt for subscriptions, where the limited subscription costs $9/month for 100 pictures, and the unlimited subscription costs $99/month, where you can upscale unlimited images.
#6 Upscale.media
If you’re unhappy with the Icons8 Smart Upscaler, you must consider checking out PixelBin Upscale.media. There isn’t much difference between both, but the “Upscale.media” is at a disadvantage as it cannot upscale and enhance up to 4x.
However, during our testing, we noticed a peculiar thing where Icons8 Smart Upscaler underperformed while enhancing and upscaling the image at 4x. Without looking at them carefully, you wouldn’t see the difference between both outputs.
Like Icons8 Smart Upscaler, Upscale.Media is packed with AI algorithms, and you shouldn’t worry about managing anything, as everything is automated and the interface is intuitive.
You can purchase credits through subscriptions and access a ton of Upscale.media transformations and features through their different monthly and annual packs. Hence, consider both, compare using the trial versions, and pick one that matches your requirement.
#7 waifu2x
Considering the online AI image upscalers and their need for subscriptions, we sought an efficient and effective online AI image upscaler capable of free upscaling and enhancement. We have tried and tested many, but none impressed us, like waifu2x.
The reason for comparing waifu2x with Upscayl is that both are open source. Additionally, waifu2x eliminates the need for software installation, and as a user with an internet connection, you can perform upscaling and enhancements online.
During our testing, we realized that beginners might get confused with the interface and options. Hence, we suggest this for advanced users, as you must provide multiple inputs like Style, Noise reduction level, upscaling percentage, and image format.
There are many downsides with waifu2x, such as a lack of an intuitive interface and multiple image format support. However, on the brighter side, you can check out an experimental in-browser version of waifu2x to gain many features, which is ideal for professionals.
#8 Let’s Enhance.io
Unlike other online AI Image Upscalers, Let’s Enhance.io has advanced features. In addition, you’re provided with multiple options to interact with for the best image enhancement.
During our testing, we noticed that Let’s Enhance.io is organized with an intuitive interface, and each operation provides customization support. Through Let’s Enhance.io, you can manage upscale type, size, Light AI, Tone Enhancement, and Color enhancement.
After we had uploaded the image, the generated output was promising, but we felt room for improvement. We noticed immediate improvement when we performed the same process by combining the presets.
Along with the Image enhancement, you can also get your hands on the Image Generation Beta, which is funny to use, and we felt a potential. Regarding pricing, the plans are based on credits in monthly and annual schemes, which are affordable and wisely planned.
#9 Zyro AI Image Upscaler
Zyro AI Image Upscaler is yet another AI Image Upscaler that is straightforward and a great choice for beginners. The reason for considering Zyro AI Image Upscaler is because of its simplicity and its intuitive interface.
Like any other basic AI Image Upscaler, there isn’t much to discuss. We can say that the outputs are decent, with little noise, and can be used for quick projects. You only need to upload the image as a user, and the AI Image Upscaler automates everything.
After testing different images with varying quality levels, we noticed that Zyro AI Image Upscaler works on pictures with above-average image quality. Additionally, we felt room for improvement and wouldn’t suggest it if it wasn’t for basic upscaling purposes.
Considering Zyro AI Image Upscaler saves images in the format of .JPG or .PNG, and many save their pictures in the same format, the lack of compatibility with multiple image formats isn’t something to be worried about.
The most exciting part of the Zyro AI Image Upscaler is it is completely free of cost, and you can use it as many times as you would like.
#10 Deep-image.ai
Suppose you’re looking for a simpler and more reliable alternative to Let’s Enhance.io, check out Deep-image.ai. The interface felt decent for us, and you would never find it difficult to navigate around.
During our testing, we noticed that Deep-image.ai features almost every feature Let’s Enhance.io has in one way or another, but it lacks customization support.
The advantage of this limitation is it makes it easier for everyone to upscale their images efficiently and effectively. Like Let’s Enhance.io, this software also comes with presets, and we’re happy with the final upscaled image.
Regarding pricing, the monthly and annual subscriptions are based on the credits and provide additional benefits such as batch processing and up to 15x upscale support. After thorough testing, we suggest considering Deep-image.ai over Let’s Enhance.io if you find it difficult.
How does an AI image upscaler work?
An AI Image upscaler teaches the AI model patterns, textures, and details from a dataset of high-resolution photos used throughout the training process.
Once the model is taught, the AI more upscale analyses the low-resolution input image before upscaling and spotting features, edges, and textures. After analyzing everything and considering everything it has learned by utilizing neural networks and sophisticated algorithms, it uses them to add more pixels and increase the image’s size creatively.
Additionally, the AI model predicts and reconstructs the missing elements using its knowledge of high-resolution photos, creating a larger image with better visual quality.
Use cases for image upscalers
There are many use cases for image upscalers, and here are a few cases where Image Upscalers are most frequently used;
- Restoring and improving outdated or low-resolution images
- Increasing image size without sacrificing quality for printing or display
- Enhancing textures and features in digital art or computer-generated images
- Increasing the size of small images to improve analysis or recognition in areas like historical, forensics, or medical imaging.
- Image enlargement for precise and high-quality printing in products and fashion photography.
Conclusion
Arguably the most successful and efficient image enhancement method is with AI Image Upscalers. With so many programs developed using AI, Image Upscaling is widely available and simple for everyone to use.
We have given you a list of some of the top 10 AI Image Upscalers in this article. All the programs in this collection have been tested, and their pricing and user-friendliness have been considered.
If you want some recommendations, we suggest Upscayl and Let’s Enhance.io. However, we recommend Waifu2x and Topaz GigaPixel AI for advanced users as they are feature-packed and have great customization.
Keep learning
