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Best AI Image Upscalers in 2026: 8 Tools Compared on Detail, Faces and Price

7 min readPublished Updated

Topaz Gigapixel is the best AI image upscaler for most photos: faithful models, local rendering and unlimited upscales for a flat fee. LetsEnhance is the cheaper faithful option in the browser at about $0.09 an image, Upscayl is free on your own PC, Clarity AI goes largest, and Magnific is the creative pick for AI art.

Disclosure

None of these eight upscalers is made by the team behind GenGrades, and none paid to be listed. They are ranked on keeping detail and faces, price per image, free options, maximum output, batch and API, and what happens to your uploads; every fact links to its source.

At a glance

Every pick, what it is best for, the cheapest paid option and the free option.

  1. 1. Topaz Gigapixel

    Enlarging real photos for print on your own computer, with unlimited renders for a flat fee

    Cheapest paid option:
    $19 a month (Topaz for Web Image), or $199 a year
    Free option:
    Up to 10 images free in the browser tool, no watermark

  2. 2. LetsEnhance

    Faithful upscales of product shots and portraits to print size on a small monthly budget

    Cheapest paid option:
    $12 a month (Starter), or $9 a month billed yearly
    Free option:
    10 free credits on sign-up, with watermarked results

  3. 3. Upscayl

    Free, private upscaling on your own Windows, Mac or Linux computer with a capable graphics card

    Cheapest paid option:
    Free; Upscayl Cloud from $24.99 for 300 credits a month
    Free option:
    The whole desktop app: AGPL-3.0, no account, no watermark

  4. 4. Clarity AI

    Huge prints and API upscaling priced per megapixel, with a precision mode meant to leave faces alone

    Cheapest paid option:
    $19 a month (Starter), or $13 a month billed yearly
    Free option:
    $5 of free API credits, once per account

  5. 5. Krea Enhancer

    The lowest price per image and a free daily allowance, with neutral and creative engines in one place

    Cheapest paid option:
    $9 a month (Basic), or $5 a month billed yearly
    Free option:
    4 enhancements a day, up to 2K

  6. 6. Magnific

    Creative re-detailing of AI art, illustrations and 3D renders, when invented detail is welcome

    Cheapest paid option:
    $20 a month (Premium)
    Free option:
    No free plan or trial

  7. 7. Upscale.media

    A quick 2x to 8x upscale in the browser or on a phone, with one free image a day and no account

    Cheapest paid option:
    $7.99 for 60 credits, one-time
    Free option:
    1 image a day without an account; 3 credits a month with one

  8. 8. Bigjpg

    Enlarging anime art, manga and illustrations in bulk for the least money

    Cheapest paid option:
    $6 for 2 months (Basic), 500 images a month
    Free option:
    20 images a month, up to 4x and 3000 x 3000 px

The picks, in order

What each one does, what it costs and where it falls short.

  1. 1. Topaz Gigapixel

    Enlarging real photos for print on your own computer, with unlimited renders for a flat fee
    Topaz Gigapixel's product page, with Topaz's own before-and-after portrait and the line 'Upscale almost any image 6x'.
    Topaz Gigapixel's product page, with Topaz's own before-and-after portrait and the line 'Upscale almost any image 6x'.

    Source: topazlabs.comchecked

    Topaz Gigapixel is a Windows and macOS app that enlarges photos on your own computer or in Topaz's cloud, with faithful models for clean photos and text and generative ones for badly damaged images. Topaz for Web runs the same family of models in the browser. Both are flat-fee subscriptions with unlimited renders; Topaz has sold no perpetual licences since October 3, 2025.

    Cheapest paid option

    $19 a month (Topaz for Web Image), or $199 a year

    Unlimited image renders in the browser, up to 32 MP exports. Shown on October 25 with an offer of $12 a month or $109 a year. The Gigapixel desktop app is $29 a month or $149 a year. At 100 images a month that works out to about $0.12 to $0.19 an image.

    Source: topazlabs.comchecked

    Free option

    Up to 10 images free in the browser tool, no watermark

    Topaz's web FAQ says a subscription is required and the pricing page lists no free plan, so the free try may not be available to everyone.

    Source: topazlabs.comchecked

    Max output

    32 MP on Web Image, 256 MP on Web Pro

    The desktop app goes up to 32,000 pixels on the long edge or a 2 GB file, per Topaz's docs.

    Source: topazlabs.comchecked

    Faithful or creative

    Both; Topaz says its creative models can change identity

    Faithful models (Standard, High Fidelity, Low Res, Text & Shapes, Art & CG) sit beside generative ones (Recover, Redefine, Wonder, Bloom).

    Source: developer.topazlabs.comchecked

    Your uploads

    Local renders stay on your computer; training on cloud uploads is not addressed

    Neither the privacy policy nor the EULA says whether uploads train models. Web files are removed 90 days after a subscription ends.

    Source: topazlabs.comchecked

    Good

    • Faithful models for photos and text, generative ones for damaged images, and local rendering on your own Mac or PC.
    • A flat fee with unlimited renders, so 10 or 1,000 images a month cost the same.
    • Large outputs: 32,000 pixels on the long edge locally, 256 MP on Topaz for Web Pro.

    Watch out for

    • Subscription only since October 3, 2025: the $99 perpetual Gigapixel licence is no longer sold.
    • The cheaper plans allow commercial use only for organisations under $1 million a year in revenue; full rights need Pro.
    • Creative models can change faces: Topaz Community users found Redefine at high creativity gave the same woman's face whatever the prompt.

    Skip it if: you need a handful of upscales without a subscription, or full commercial rights on the cheapest plan.

    Gigapixel's plans on monthly billing: Personal at $29 a month, or Topaz Studio at $34.50 a month for the first three months, then $69.
    Gigapixel's plans on monthly billing: Personal at $29 a month, or Topaz Studio at $34.50 a month for the first three months, then $69.

    Source: topazlabs.comchecked

    Visit Topaz Gigapixel

  2. 2. LetsEnhance

    Faithful upscales of product shots and portraits to print size on a small monthly budget
    LetsEnhance's upscaler page, offering enlargement up to 512 MP, with its upload area.
    LetsEnhance's upscaler page, offering enlargement up to 512 MP, with its upload area.

    Source: letsenhance.iochecked

    LetsEnhance is a web upscaler with a choice of models: Prime, the default since January 2026, keeps real detail, Gentle keeps text and logos sharp, and Strong and Ultra rebuild more detail for blurry or tiny images. Plans start at $9 a month billed yearly for 100 images, with outputs up to 256 MP and batches of 20 in the browser.

    Cheapest paid option

    $12 a month (Starter), or $9 a month billed yearly

    100 credits a month; most upscales cost 1 credit, so $0.09 to $0.12 an image. Ultra and very large outputs cost up to 10 credits. Unused credits roll over, up to 600, while you subscribe.

    Source: letsenhance.iochecked

    Free option

    10 free credits on sign-up, with watermarked results

    No card needed. The free output cap is 8 MP on the pricing card but 64 MP in the pricing FAQ.

    Source: letsenhance.iochecked

    Max output

    256 MP on Starter, 512 MP on Max

    Up to 16x.

    Source: letsenhance.iochecked

    Faithful or creative

    Both: Prime and Gentle keep detail, Strong and Ultra reconstruct

    LetsEnhance's own comparison with Magnific found its Ultra mode distorted real faces even at the highest resemblance setting.

    Source: help.letsenhance.iochecked

    Your uploads

    Kept 3 to 6 months by plan; de-identified use to improve products is allowed

    There is no opt-out setting; you can object by email and delete uploads from your account at any time.

    Source: letsenhance.iochecked

    Good

    • Clear faithful models: Prime for real photos and portraits, Gentle for text, labels and logos.
    • Very large outputs on cheap plans: 256 MP from $9 a month billed yearly.
    • Batches of 20 in the browser, unused credits that roll over, and an API through its sister product Claid.ai.

    Watch out for

    • Free results carry a watermark, which makes it harder to judge quality before paying.
    • Ultra and large outputs cost several credits an image, up to 10.
    • The terms take a perpetual licence to uploads and allow de-identified use to improve products, with no opt-out setting.

    Skip it if: you want to judge full-quality results for free, or need an offline desktop app.

    LetsEnhance's pricing: 10 free credits on sign-up, Starter at $9 a month billed yearly for 100 credits and Pro at $24 for 300.
    LetsEnhance's pricing: 10 free credits on sign-up, Starter at $9 a month billed yearly for 100 credits and Pro at $24 for 300.

    Source: letsenhance.iochecked

    Visit LetsEnhance

  3. 3. Upscayl

    Free, private upscaling on your own Windows, Mac or Linux computer with a capable graphics card
    Upscayl's GitHub repository: the free, AGPL-3.0 desktop upscaler for Linux, macOS and Windows, with about 51,000 stars.
    Upscayl's GitHub repository: the free, AGPL-3.0 desktop upscaler for Linux, macOS and Windows, with about 51,000 stars.

    Source: github.comchecked

    Upscayl is a free, open-source desktop app that enlarges images on your own graphics card with Real-ESRGAN-type models, one at a time or a whole folder at once. On the desktop nothing is uploaded and there is no limit or watermark. A separate paid Upscayl Cloud adds more models, face enhancement and an API in the browser.

    Cheapest paid option

    Free; Upscayl Cloud from $24.99 for 300 credits a month

    The cloud pricing page does not say whether $24.99 is billed monthly or yearly, or how many credits one image uses.

    Source: upscayl.orgchecked

    Free option

    The whole desktop app: AGPL-3.0, no account, no watermark

    Limited only by your graphics card and its memory.

    Source: github.comchecked

    Max output

    No fixed cap on desktop; 256 MP on Upscayl Cloud Pro

    The desktop models are native 4x; other scales are resampled from the 4x result.

    Source: upscayl.orgchecked

    Faithful or creative

    Faithful super-resolution models, no prompt-driven creative mode

    Models include Upscayl Standard, Lite, High Fidelity and Digital Art, plus custom models.

    Source: github.comchecked

    Your uploads

    Desktop images stay on your computer; Upscayl Cloud says it does not train on images

    Cloud inputs are kept about a day and outputs 180 days or until you delete them.

    Source: upscayl.orgchecked

    Good

    • Free and open source, with about 51,000 GitHub stars, no limits and no watermark.
    • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with batch mode for whole folders and custom models.
    • On the desktop app nothing leaves your computer.

    Watch out for

    • Needs a Vulkan-capable graphics card; most integrated GPUs and CPUs will not work.
    • No desktop release since v2.15.0 on December 25, 2024.
    • No face model or creative mode on the desktop; face enhancement is only in the paid cloud.

    Skip it if: you work on a laptop without a capable graphics card, or want a phone app.

    Visit Upscayl

  4. 4. Clarity AI

    Huge prints and API upscaling priced per megapixel, with a precision mode meant to leave faces alone
    Clarity AI's pricing on yearly billing: a pay-as-you-go API with $5 of free credits, Starter at $13 a month, Pro at $33 and Business at $199.
    Clarity AI's pricing on yearly billing: a pay-as-you-go API with $5 of free credits, Starter at $13 a month, Pro at $33 and Business at $199.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Clarity AI is a web app and API with two kinds of upscaler: Crystal, a precision model that Clarity says keeps real detail and invents nothing, and Clarity and Clarity Pro, creative models that add detail under creativity and resemblance controls. Crystal goes up to about 1.5 gigapixels on every plan, and the API is priced per output megapixel with no subscription.

    Cheapest paid option

    $19 a month (Starter), or $13 a month billed yearly

    1,200 credits a month, about 240 Crystal upscales at 2K: $0.05 to $0.08 each. The pay-as-you-go API needs no subscription: Crystal costs $0.016 per output megapixel, with a $0.05 minimum up to 4 MP.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Free option

    $5 of free API credits, once per account

    About 100 Crystal upscales at 2K at list API prices. There is no free plan for the web app.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Max output

    About 1.5 gigapixels (38K) with Crystal

    Clarity Pro is listed at 100 MP on the pricing page, up to 8K on the home page and 64 MP in the API docs.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Faithful or creative

    Both: Crystal for precision, Clarity and Clarity Pro for creative detail

    Clarity says creative settings can add artifacts; Scenario's guide suggests starting Clarity Pro around -3 creativity for faces.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Your uploads

    Not used to train AI models, per the privacy policy

    You keep ownership of inputs and outputs. No retention period for uploaded images is published.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Good

    • The largest output here: Crystal up to about 1.5 gigapixels on every plan.
    • A transparent pay-as-you-go API priced per output megapixel, also sold through Replicate, fal and WaveSpeed.
    • Plain privacy terms: no training on uploads, and you own the outputs.

    Watch out for

    • No free plan for the web app; the only free option is a one-time $5 API credit.
    • Large precision outputs get expensive: a 38K Crystal upscale costs 2,400 credits, $24 through the API.
    • Clarity's own pages give three different maximums for Clarity Pro: 100 MP, 8K and 64 MP.

    Skip it if: you want a free web upscaler, or a desktop or phone app.

    Clarity AI's Crystal Upscaler page, which pitches the precision model for portraits, products and art.
    Clarity AI's Crystal Upscaler page, which pitches the precision model for portraits, products and art.

    Source: clarityai.cochecked

    Visit Clarity AI

  5. 5. Krea Enhancer

    The lowest price per image and a free daily allowance, with neutral and creative engines in one place
    Krea's Enhancer, which upscales images up to 22K and video up to 8K, with a 75 MB upload limit.
    Krea's Enhancer, which upscales images up to 22K and video up to 8K, with a 75 MB upload limit.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Krea Enhancer is the upscaling tool inside Krea's creative suite. It offers six engines, from neutral ones that keep detail (Upscale V1 and licensed Topaz models) to generative ones that invent texture, and upscales to 22K on paid plans. The free plan gives four enhancements a day up to 2K.

    Cheapest paid option

    $9 a month (Basic), or $5 a month billed yearly

    625 enhancements a month, about $0.014 each ($0.008 billed yearly). The allowance is shared with Krea's generators and does not roll over. Through the API, a Topaz upscale costs $0.10.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Free option

    4 enhancements a day, up to 2K

    No card needed. Krea's enhancer FAQ says free results are not licensed for commercial use.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Max output

    22K on paid plans with the Topaz engine; 2K free

    Krea's own engines stop at 8K, Bloom at 10K.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Faithful or creative

    Both; Krea says a rebuilt face may not look like the person

    The Topaz engines have face detection with creativity and strength controls; Krea's own engines have none.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Your uploads

    No retention period or training statement for individual plans

    The terms take a perpetual, sublicensable licence to what you submit; only the Business plan lists no-training clauses.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Good

    • The cheapest per image of the web tools here: 625 enhancements for $9 a month.
    • Six engines from neutral to creative, including licensed Topaz models up to 22K.
    • A free plan with a daily refill and no card.

    Watch out for

    • Generative engines can change faces, as Krea's own FAQ says.
    • The terms take a perpetual, sublicensable licence to uploads, and only the Business plan promises no training.
    • Free results are not licensed for commercial use, and the units each enhancement uses are not published.

    Skip it if: the face must stay the same person, or you need a written promise that uploads are not used for training.

    Krea's plans on yearly billing: Free at 100 units a day, Basic at $5 a month, Pro at $21 and Max at $63.
    Krea's plans on yearly billing: Free at 100 units a day, Basic at $5 a month, Pro at $21 and Max at $63.

    Source: krea.aichecked

    Visit Krea Enhancer

  6. 6. Magnific

    Creative re-detailing of AI art, illustrations and 3D renders, when invented detail is welcome
    Magnific's API documentation for its Creative upscaler: prompt-guided enhancement and 2x, 4x, 8x or 16x upscaling.
    Magnific's API documentation for its Creative upscaler: prompt-guided enhancement and 2x, 4x, 8x or 16x upscaling.

    Source: docs.magnific.comchecked

    Magnific is the upscaler that made creative upscaling known: its Creative mode redraws an image at higher resolution and invents new detail under creativity, HDR and resemblance sliders, while Precision mode enlarges without adding new elements. It is one tool inside Magnific's paid creative suite, the company formerly called Freepik, billed in shared credits.

    Cheapest paid option

    $20 a month (Premium)

    20,000 credits a month, shared with every Magnific tool. The pricing page gives no upscaler credit costs; Wireflow, a competitor, puts a 2K Precision upscale at 90 credits, about $0.09. Its regular yearly rate is $14.50 a month per Wireflow; a 50% yearly offer ends October 26, 2026.

    Source: magnific.comchecked

    Free option

    No free plan or trial

    Source: magnific.comchecked

    Max output

    Up to 16x; the Creative API caps output at 25.3 megapixels

    The web app's own size limits are not published on Magnific's readable pages.

    Source: docs.magnific.comchecked

    Faithful or creative

    Both: Creative invents detail, Precision does not

    In LetsEnhance's September 2025 comparison, Creative badly distorted the face in an old family photo while Precision stayed close to the original.

    Source: docs.magnific.comchecked

    Your uploads

    Deleted right after generation and never used for training

    Model providers keep images for up to 30 days after generation.

    Source: magnific.comchecked

    Good

    • The reference creative upscaler for AI art and renders, with presets for portraits, illustration, games and 3D.
    • A faithful Precision mode from 2x to 16x in the same account, plus Topaz upscalers on Premium+.
    • The strongest written privacy of the paid web tools here: uploads deleted after generation, no training on images.

    Watch out for

    • No free plan or trial, and the upscaler comes only inside a suite subscription.
    • Creative mode can change faces and text: in LetsEnhance's comparison it distorted a real face and the text on a product photo.
    • Upscaler credit costs are not on the pricing page, and prices shift with promotions and region.

    Skip it if: photos of real people or products that must stay exactly as they are, or you want to try before paying.

    Magnific's pricing on October 25, 2026, during a 50% yearly offer that ends October 26: Premium at $7.25 a month billed yearly beside a struck-out $20.
    Magnific's pricing on October 25, 2026, during a 50% yearly offer that ends October 26: Premium at $7.25 a month billed yearly beside a struck-out $20.

    Source: magnific.comchecked

    Visit Magnific

  7. 7. Upscale.media

    A quick 2x to 8x upscale in the browser or on a phone, with one free image a day and no account
    Upscale.media's home page: a free AI image upscaler with image and video tabs and an upload box.
    Upscale.media's home page: a free AI image upscaler with image and video tabs and an upload box.

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Upscale.media is a browser upscaler from PixelBin, run by a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, that enlarges photos 2x, 4x or 8x and cleans up JPEG artifacts without a watermark. It also has iOS and Android apps, separate face enhancement tools and an API through PixelBin.

    Cheapest paid option

    $7.99 for 60 credits, one-time

    One upscale is generally 1 credit: $0.13 an image on the smallest pack, $0.046 on the 1,200-credit pack. A yearly subscription is shown at $0.01 a credit for $69.99. Purchases are non-refundable.

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Free option

    1 image a day without an account; 3 credits a month with one

    No watermark.

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Max output

    8x, about 20,000 x 20,000 px when logged in

    Upscale.media publishes input caps rather than output sizes; this figure follows from them.

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Faithful or creative

    Faithful only, with separate face enhancement tools

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Your uploads

    No retention period and no statement on training

    The terms take a perpetual, sub-licensable licence to uploads.

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Good

    • Up to 8x with no watermark, and one free image a day with no account.
    • Large input limits: up to 20,000 pixels at 1x when logged in.
    • iOS and Android apps, plus an API through PixelBin.

    Watch out for

    • A small free allowance with an account, 3 credits a month, and purchases are non-refundable.
    • No retention period, no statement on training, and a perpetual licence to uploads.
    • Faded old photos improve only moderately and AI art can come out oversharpened, in a review by Vmake, a competing vendor.

    Skip it if: client or private images that need a clear deletion promise.

    Upscale.media's pricing: 3 free credits a month, a yearly subscription shown at $0.01 a credit, and one-time packs from $7.99 for 60 credits.
    Upscale.media's pricing: 3 free credits a month, a yearly subscription shown at $0.01 a credit, and one-time packs from $7.99 for 60 credits.

    Source: upscale.mediachecked

    Visit Upscale.media

  8. 8. Bigjpg

    Enlarging anime art, manga and illustrations in bulk for the least money
    Bigjpg's home page, with its uploader and its own before-and-after example of a pixelated anime figure enlarged.
    Bigjpg's home page, with its uploader and its own before-and-after example of a pixelated anime figure enlarged.

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Bigjpg is an AI image enlarger built for anime art and illustrations, with a Photo mode too: you pick the style, a noise-reduction level and 2x to 16x. Paid plans run for a fixed period, from $6 for two months at 500 images a month. Uploads are deleted within 24 hours on free accounts and 72 hours on paid ones.

    Cheapest paid option

    $6 for 2 months (Basic), 500 images a month

    About $0.006 an image if all are used. Premium is $22 for 12 months at 2,000 images a month, under $0.001 each. Payment by card, WeChat Pay or Alipay.

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Free option

    20 images a month, up to 4x and 3000 x 3000 px

    Uploads up to 5 MB on a slower shared server; without logging in, the browser has to stay open until the job finishes.

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Max output

    16x on paid plans, 4x free

    Bigjpg's own blog calls 16x mostly a marketing number.

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Faithful or creative

    Faithful: Artwork or Photo mode with noise reduction, no face model

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Your uploads

    Deleted within 24 hours (free) or 72 hours (paid), not used for training

    Files are stored on Alibaba Cloud and scanned by its content moderation.

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Good

    • Clean lines and flat colours on anime art and illustrations.
    • The cheapest paid plans here: $22 for a year at 2,000 images a month.
    • Short retention and no training on uploads, plus Windows, Mac, iOS and Android apps and an API.

    Watch out for

    • Not for portraits: Bigjpg's own blog says strong noise reduction makes skin look painted.
    • The free tier stops at 4x, 3000 x 3000 pixels and 20 images a month.
    • Uploads are scanned by Alibaba Cloud content moderation, and refunds cover only technical failures within 14 days.

    Skip it if: portraits or damaged photos.

    Bigjpg's API page, with endpoints to upload an image, create an enlargement task and check its result.
    Bigjpg's API page, with endpoints to upload an image, create an enlargement task and check its result.

    Source: bigjpg.comchecked

    Visit Bigjpg

Facts we checked

Stated plainly, with where each one comes from and when we last looked.

ClaimValueSource
Adobe agreed to buy Topaz Labs on June 25, 2026, with closing expected in the second half of 2026; completion has not been confirmed by a primary source.

Source: techcrunch.comchecked

Topaz Labs stopped selling perpetual licences for Gigapixel on October 3, 2025; the app is now sold only by subscription.

Source: digitalproduction.comchecked

Topaz closed its standalone Bloom app on October 13, 2026 and moved its creative upscaling into Topaz for Web.

Source: docs.topazlabs.comchecked

Freepik relaunched itself as Magnific on April 28, 2026, putting its stock library, generative tools and the Magnific upscaler under one brand.

Source: en.wikipedia.orgchecked

LetsEnhance made Prime, a detail-keeping model for real photos, its default upscaler on January 28, 2026.

Source: letsenhance.iochecked

Bigjpg's privacy policy, updated June 23, 2026, deletes uploads within 24 hours for free accounts and 72 hours for paid ones and rules out training on them.

Source: bigjpg.comchecked

How to do it

Each step is one thing to do.

  1. Start from the largest original

    Export or download the image at the highest resolution you have. Upscalers work from what is in the file, so a small, compressed or screenshot copy gives them less to work with.

  2. Use a faithful mode for real photos

    For a photo of a real person or product, pick a faithful model such as Topaz Standard or High Fidelity, LetsEnhance Prime, Clarity AI's Crystal or Magnific Precision. Save creative modes for AI art and renders.

  3. Keep creativity low when a face matters

    If you use a creative mode on a portrait, start at the lowest creativity or strength setting and raise it one step at a time. Higher settings add more detail and are more likely to change who the person is.

  4. Upscale in steps for big prints

    For a very large print, Krea's docs suggest going 2x and then 4x rather than one big jump. Check each step before the next.

  5. Compare at 100% before you use it

    Put the result next to the original at full size and check the eyes, teeth, hands, text and edges. An upscale that looks fine on screen can show invented detail in print.

  6. Check the licence and upload terms

    Topaz's cheaper plans allow commercial use only for organisations under $1 million in revenue, Krea's free results are not licensed for commercial use, and several tools take a perpetual licence to uploads. For client work, read the terms first.

How we ranked these AI image upscalers

Each upscaler was placed on what matters when you enlarge an image: whether it can keep the original detail and faces as they are, the price of one upscale, what you can do free, how large the result can be, batch and API options, and what happens to the files you upload. Every price and limit was read on the maker's own pages on October 25, 2026 and carries its link. Only upscalers with a large public user base made the list.

Topaz Gigapixel is first because it covers the most cases well: faithful models for real photos, generative ones for damaged images, rendering on your own computer and unlimited upscales for a flat fee. LetsEnhance follows as the cheaper faithful option in the browser, and Upscayl as the free one on your own PC.

Faithful or creative: when faces change

Upscalers work in one of two ways. A faithful upscaler enlarges what is there and sharpens it; a creative upscaler redraws the image and invents detail that was never captured, such as pores, fabric weave or hair strands. Creative upscaling can make an AI image or a render look far richer, but it is also how faces and text change.

  • Faithful modes: Topaz's Standard and High Fidelity models, LetsEnhance Prime and Gentle, Clarity AI's Crystal, Magnific Precision, Upscale.media, Bigjpg and Upscayl.
  • Creative modes: Topaz Redefine, Wonder and Bloom, LetsEnhance Strong and Ultra, Clarity and Clarity Pro, Krea Enhance and Bloom, and Magnific Creative.

The makers say so themselves. Topaz's developer docs say its creative models can change identity, and Krea's enhancer page says a rebuilt face may not look like the person. In LetsEnhance's comparison with Magnific, both Magnific Creative and LetsEnhance's own Ultra mode distorted real faces even at the highest resemblance setting. For a photo of a real person, use a faithful mode, or keep creativity at its lowest.

Which kind of upscaler you need

  • Real photos for print: Topaz Gigapixel or LetsEnhance, in a faithful mode. Clarity AI's Crystal goes largest, up to about 1.5 gigapixels.
  • AI art, concept art and 3D renders: Magnific's Creative mode, Krea or Clarity Pro, where invented detail is the point.
  • Anime, manga and illustrations: Bigjpg, or Upscayl's Digital Art model on your own PC.
  • Free and private: Upscayl runs on your own graphics card and uploads nothing; Topaz Gigapixel also renders locally, for a subscription.
  • An API in your own code: Clarity AI prices per output megapixel with no subscription, Topaz's API starts at $0.08 to $0.10 per faithful upscale, Krea sells Topaz upscales at $0.10, and LetsEnhance's runs through Claid.ai.

If your problem is that an AI image looks fake rather than too small, see our list of AI to real image converters.

What public comparisons show

No neutral test has put these upscalers side by side on the same images. The same-image comparisons that exist are run by vendors or by sites that earn affiliate commissions, and none publishes the settings used for every tool.

  • LetsEnhance's January 7, 2026 guide ran one butterfly photo through six upscalers at 4x and judged its own result sharpest, Topaz Gigapixel very good but slightly softer, and Upscayl strong for a free tool. LetsEnhance ranks itself first.
  • LetsEnhance's September 30, 2025 comparison with Magnific is the only same-image test with a real face: Magnific Creative produced badly distorted versions of the face in an old family photo, while Magnific Precision and LetsEnhance's Old Photo mode stayed close to the original.
  • LetsEnhance's January 9, 2026 AI-art test found Topaz sharper with a slight contrast lift, Magnific Precision a modest sharpening, and Magnific Creative able to alter faces or objects.
  • Bigjpg's October 24, 2026 comparison of twelve images found Bigjpg cleanest on anime line art at 4x and 8x, but strong noise reduction made a portrait's skin look painted. Two of the other tools tested are Bigjpg's own.
  • Clarity AI's October 22, 2026 benchmark measures speed only: its Crystal model took about 2 seconds per 4K upscale on Replicate against about 8 for Topaz Standard V2. Clarity notes on the page that a speed test tells you nothing about quality.
  • Kripesh Adwani's December 2025 roundup, which carries affiliate links, found Upscale.media clear on low-resolution and compressed images but weaker than PixelBin's own enhancer, and ImgUpscaler below the top tools and slower.
  • Fast.io's May 2026 guide timed one 12-megapixel photo at 4x on an RTX 4070: about 45 seconds in Topaz Gigapixel and about 20 in Upscayl.

Other tools we looked at

  • Remini is a phone app from Bending Spoons that restores faces rather than an upscaler: it publishes no scale factor or output size, and its US App Store plan costs $9.99 a week, according to OpenTheRank's price tracker.
  • ImgUpscaler (imgupscaler.com) enlarges only 2x or 4x and does not publish how many credits an upscale uses or its size limits; it has no API. It is easily confused with imgupscaler.ai, a different company's site.

For more image tools, see the most popular AI image editing apps by traffic.

Where these tools fall short

What they still get wrong, with the evidence, and what no public test has settled yet.

Weak

Weak

  • Any upscaler that invents detail can change a face.

    Evidence: Topaz and Krea say so on their own pages, and LetsEnhance's comparison found both Magnific Creative and LetsEnhance Ultra distorted real faces even at the highest resemblance setting.

  • Free options are small, watermarked or missing.

    Evidence: LetsEnhance's free results are watermarked, Krea's stop at 2K, Upscale.media gives 3 credits a month with an account, and Magnific and Clarity AI have no free plan beyond Clarity's one-time $5 API credit.

  • Large outputs cost far more than the headline price per image.

    Evidence: LetsEnhance charges up to 10 credits for Ultra and large outputs, a 38K Crystal upscale costs 2,400 Clarity credits, and Topaz's API gives creative Bloom upscales 2 MP per credit against 24 MP for faithful ones.

Uncertain

Uncertain

  • Which upscaler gives the best result on the same image.

    Why unsure: No neutral same-image test of these tools has been published; the comparisons that exist are run by vendors that rank themselves first or by sites with affiliate links, and Clarity AI, Krea and Upscale.media appear in almost none.

  • How large Clarity Pro's output can be.

    Why unsure: Clarity AI's own pages give three figures: 100 MP on the pricing page, up to 8K on the home page and 64 MP, roughly 8K, in the API docs.

Common questions

Answer first, then why, an example, the limits and what to do next.

What is the best AI image upscaler?

Topaz Gigapixel is the best AI image upscaler for most photos: it has faithful models that keep detail, renders on your own computer and gives unlimited upscales for a flat fee. LetsEnhance is the cheaper faithful option in the browser at about $0.09 an image, Upscayl is free on your own PC, and Magnific is the creative pick for AI art.

Is there a free AI image upscaler?

Upscayl is a free, open-source desktop upscaler with no limits or watermark, for any computer with a capable graphics card. In the browser, Krea gives four free enhancements a day up to 2K, Upscale.media one image a day without an account, Bigjpg 20 images a month up to 4x, and LetsEnhance 10 watermarked credits.

Which AI upscaler keeps faces the same?

A faithful mode keeps faces closest to the original: Topaz's Standard and High Fidelity models, LetsEnhance Prime, Clarity AI's Crystal and Magnific Precision. Creative modes can change faces, as Topaz and Krea say on their own pages, so use them at low settings or not at all on real people.

What is the difference between faithful and creative upscaling?

Faithful upscaling enlarges and sharpens the detail already in an image, while creative upscaling redraws the image and invents new detail such as skin texture or fabric. Creative upscaling can make AI art look richer, but it can also change faces, text and product shapes.

Which upscaler is best for anime and illustrations?

Bigjpg is built for anime and illustrations and is the cheapest, from $6 for two months at 500 images a month; its own comparison found it cleanest on anime line art at 4x and 8x. For AI art where added detail is welcome, Magnific's Creative mode is the reference.

Can I upscale images without uploading them?

Upscayl and Topaz Gigapixel upscale images on your own computer, so the files never leave it. Upscayl is free but needs a Vulkan-capable graphics card; Gigapixel is a subscription and can also send jobs to Topaz's cloud if you choose.

Sources

Sources

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  53. LetsEnhance help: why an image costs more than 1 credit (help.letsenhance.io), accessed
  54. Upscayl releases (github.com), accessed
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Changelog

Changelog

  1. List created from public sources: prices, free limits, maximum output, face warnings and upload policies read on each maker's pages, and the public comparisons named in the article.

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