--- title: "Is there an ai that can enhance image quality?" url: https://isthereathing.com/an-ai-that-can-enhance-image-quality/ answer: "yes" summary: "Yes: Topaz Gigapixel, Upscayl and Let's Enhance all upscale and sharpen images with AI, and Upscayl is free. Topaz itself separates 'precision' models, which try not to change the source, from 'generative' ones." category: "Photos & images" published: 2026-10-02 updated: 2026-10-02 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there an ai that can enhance image quality? **Answer: yes.** Yes: Topaz Gigapixel, Upscayl and Let's Enhance all upscale and sharpen images with AI, and Upscayl is free. Topaz itself separates 'precision' models, which try not to change the source, from 'generative' ones. (Source: [Topaz Gigapixel](https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-gigapixel)) Yes. Topaz Gigapixel, Upscayl and Let's Enhance all upscale and sharpen images with AI, and Upscayl's desktop app is free. Mostly they enlarge and sharpen, and Topaz itself separates "precision" models, which try not to change the source, from "generative" ones, which is worth knowing before you pick one. ## The shortlist ### Topaz Gigapixel A desktop AI upscaler that enlarges images up to 16x, with plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. - Link: https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-gigapixel - Free tier: not verified. Trial not stated on the pages we read. - Paid from: $19 per month (annual plan, billed monthly) (Personal plan: $149 billed annually, or $29 a month with no commitment (checked 2026-10-02)) - Best at: Enlarging photos with a choice of models, local or cloud rendering. - The catch: Its Wonder models are labelled generative upscaling, so they synthesise pixels; Topaz's developer docs file Gigapixel under precision, Wonder under generative and Bloom under creative upscaling. - Platforms: windows, mac - Source: [Topaz Gigapixel](https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-gigapixel) ### Upscayl Free, open-source desktop AI upscaler built on Real-ESRGAN, with a newer cloud version. - Link: https://www.upscayl.org/ - Free tier: yes. The desktop app is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). - Paid from: not checked (desktop free; cloud pricing not verified) - Best at: Free upscaling on your own computer, up to 16x per its site. - The catch: Needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU (many integrated GPUs do not work), and the project says it cannot de-blur or adjust focus. - Platforms: windows, mac, linux, web - Source: [Upscayl](https://www.upscayl.org/) ### Magnific An AI image and video upscaler and creative suite. - Link: https://www.magnific.com/ - Free tier: not verified. The pricing page shows paid plans only; no free tier was listed. - Paid from: €12 per month (billed annually) (Premium plan, €16 billed monthly, excluding VAT (checked 2026-10-02)) - Best at: Paid upscaling and creative enhancement inside a wider set of AI image tools. - The catch: Priced in euros, excluding VAT, and runs on a credit system where different tools use different amounts. - Platforms: web - Source: [Magnific pricing](https://www.magnific.com/pricing) ### Let's Enhance A web enhancer and upscaler that sharpens, recovers detail and enlarges images, with an API. - Link: https://letsenhance.io/ - Free tier: yes. 10 free credits on sign-up, upscaling up to 8 megapixels, watermarked output. - Paid from: $9 per month (billed annually) (Starter plan, 100 credits a month (checked 2026-10-02)) - Best at: Batch enhancing in the browser, up to 20 images at once, with modes such as Old Photo. - The catch: The free plan adds a watermark and upscales to 8 megapixels; a credit is used per image. - Platforms: web, api - Source: [Let's Enhance pricing](https://letsenhance.io/pricing/) ### Pixlr A browser-based editor with an AI upscaler among its tools. - Link: https://pixlr.com/ - Free tier: yes. Free version available without an account (Pixlr homepage). - Paid from: $1.99 per month (Pixlr homepage says plans start at $1.99/month; plan pages not seen (checked 2026-10-02)) - Best at: Upscaling up to 25 megapixels inside a general-purpose editor. - The catch: Expanded AI credits and access to all models are premium features, per its homepage. - Platforms: web, ios, android - Source: [Pixlr homepage](https://pixlr.com/) ## How they compare Which one suits you depends on how you work, so here are the situations one at a time. ### If you want it free on your own computer Upscayl's desktop app is free and open source (AGPL-3.0), and its site says it upscales up to 16x. That's a lot of enlarging for no money, and it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, with a newer cloud version too. The cost is hardware. It needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU, and many integrated GPUs don't work. The project itself says it can't de-blur or do focus adjustment; it enlarges low-resolution images. ### If you want no account in your browser Pixlr has a free version you can use without an account, and its AI upscaler goes up to 25 megapixels inside a general-purpose editor. You open a tab and get on with it. What you give up is depth. Expanded AI credits and access to all models are premium features, per its homepage, so the free version is the entry point and not the full set. Paid plans start at $1.99 a month according to that same page, but we didn't see the plan pages themselves. ### If you have a batch of images Let's Enhance works in the browser, handles up to 20 images at once, and has modes such as Old Photo. The free plan is the catch. You get 10 credits on sign-up, output is watermarked, upscaling stops at 8 megapixels, and a credit goes on every image. So a big batch means paying, from $9 a month billed annually (the Starter plan, 100 credits a month). ### If you work in Photoshop or Lightroom Topaz Gigapixel is a desktop upscaler that enlarges up to 16x, with plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic and a choice of local or cloud rendering. If your workflow already lives in those apps, this is the one that slots in. Topaz also spells out how its models behave. Topaz groups them into precision, generative and creative upscaling, and describes precision models as attempting to improve quality without changing the source characteristics. That matters if you need the result to stay faithful to the original. ### When paying is worth it The free options come with limits: a GPU requirement for Upscayl, a watermark and an 8 megapixel cap on Let's Enhance, and premium-only models on Pixlr. Paid plans on Let's Enhance and Pixlr lift some of those limits. Topaz Gigapixel's Personal plan is $149 billed annually, or $29 a month with no commitment, and the annual plan works out at $19 per month billed monthly. Trial terms weren't stated on the pages we read, so don't count on testing Topaz before you commit. Trying a free option first costs nothing. ## What to watch for A few catches are easy to miss. Topaz's Wonder models are labelled generative upscaling, so they synthesise pixels rather than only enlarging what's there. Upscayl needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU, and many integrated GPUs do not work. Check your graphics hardware before you download anything. Magnific, an AI image and video upscaler and creative suite, is priced in euros, excluding VAT, from €12 per month billed annually, and it runs on a credit system where different tools use different amounts. That makes the real monthly cost harder to predict, and the pricing page showed paid plans only, with no free tier listed. On Pixlr, expanded AI credits and access to all models are premium features, per its homepage. ## How we checked On 2026-10-02 we read Topaz's Gigapixel page and developer documentation, the Upscayl site and its GitHub readme, Magnific's pricing page, Let's Enhance's homepage and pricing page and the Pixlr homepage. Adobe's Super Resolution page returned an error, so it isn't included. Nothing was tested hands-on. ## If none of these fit If upscaling isn't what you need, a blurry photo is a different problem: see our unblur page. For a quick free fix, Upscayl (desktop) or Pixlr (browser) cost nothing to try. ## Related questions - [Is there an ai that can edit photos?](https://isthereathing.com/an-ai-that-can-edit-photos/) - [Is there a website that can unblur photos?](https://isthereathing.com/a-website-that-can-unblur-photos/) - [Is there a website that can detect ai images?](https://isthereathing.com/a-website-that-can-detect-ai-images/) ## Sources - [Upscayl](https://www.upscayl.org/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Topaz Gigapixel](https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-gigapixel) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Topaz developer docs: image models](https://developer.topazlabs.com/image-models) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Upscayl on GitHub](https://github.com/upscayl/upscayl) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Magnific pricing](https://www.magnific.com/pricing) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Let's Enhance pricing](https://letsenhance.io/pricing/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Let's Enhance homepage](https://letsenhance.io/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Pixlr homepage](https://pixlr.com/) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Is there a free AI image enhancer? Upscayl's desktop app is free and open source. Let's Enhance gives 10 free credits on sign-up with a watermark, and Pixlr has a free version. ### Do AI upscalers recover the detail that was lost? Not always. Topaz's developer docs group its models into precision, generative and creative upscaling, and describe precision models as attempting to improve quality without changing the source characteristics. Its generative models are labelled as such on the Gigapixel page. ### Can Upscayl fix a blurry photo? Its own project page says it cannot de-blur or do focus adjustment; it enlarges low-resolution images. ### Does Topaz Gigapixel run on my computer? Yes on Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 12 to 15, locally on a GPU, with cloud rendering also offered.