The shortlist
5 things that do it.
A desktop AI upscaler that enlarges images up to 16x, with plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic.
- Free
- Trial not stated on the pages we read.
- Paid
- from $19 per month (annual plan, billed monthly)
- 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.
- windows
- mac
Free, open-source desktop AI upscaler built on Real-ESRGAN, with a newer cloud version.
- Free
- The desktop app is free and open source (AGPL-3.0).
- Paid
- price not checked
- 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.
- windows
- mac
- linux
- web
An AI image and video upscaler and creative suite.
- Free
- The pricing page shows paid plans only; no free tier was listed.
- Paid
- from €12 per month (billed annually)
- 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.
- web
A web enhancer and upscaler that sharpens, recovers detail and enlarges images, with an API.
- Free
- 10 free credits on sign-up, upscaling up to 8 megapixels, watermarked output.
- Paid
- from $9 per month (billed annually)
- 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.
- web
- api
A browser-based editor with an AI upscaler among its tools.
- Free
- Free version available without an account (Pixlr homepage).
- Paid
- from $1.99 per month
- 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.
- web
- ios
- android
The same shortlist, as a table
| Thing | Free tier | Paid from | Platforms | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topaz Gigapixelrel="nofollow noopener" | Trial not stated on the pages we read. | $19 per month (annual plan, billed monthly) | windows, mac | 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. |
| Upscaylrel="nofollow noopener" | The desktop app is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). | not checked | windows, mac, linux, web | Needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU (many integrated GPUs do not work), and the project says it cannot de-blur or adjust focus. |
| Magnificrel="nofollow noopener" | The pricing page shows paid plans only; no free tier was listed. | €12 per month (billed annually) | web | Priced in euros, excluding VAT, and runs on a credit system where different tools use different amounts. |
| Let's Enhancerel="nofollow noopener" | 10 free credits on sign-up, upscaling up to 8 megapixels, watermarked output. | $9 per month (billed annually) | web, api | The free plan adds a watermark and upscales to 8 megapixels; a credit is used per image. |
| Pixlrrel="nofollow noopener" | Free version available without an account (Pixlr homepage). | $1.99 per month | web, ios, android | Expanded AI credits and access to all models are premium features, per its homepage. |
How we checked
What we read, and what we haven't tested yet.
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: we read the pages, we didn't run the tools.
If none of these fit
The manual way.
If upscaling isn't what you need, a blurry photo is a different problem, so see our unblur page. For a quick free fix, Upscayl (desktop) or Pixlr (browser) cost nothing to try. Start there and see how your own photo comes out before you pay for anything.