5 Best AI Image Upscalers: Enhance Photo Quality (2023)
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Artificial Intelligence has changed the game when it comes to image enhancing software, upscaling images and making them sharper. Now, AI-powered upscaled image processing is providing results that look identical to those of a professional graphics designer – with no difference in quality. In the following article, we’ll dive into the best AI image upscalers on offer right now (that’s not Adobe $$$) – preparing you for taking your visuals to unprecedented heights of beauty.
StockPhotos Upscaler
StockPhotos Upscaler is an impressive AI tool, capable of taking any image and easily upgrading it.
Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI
Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI is a powerful piece of technology, allowing users to upscale images with clarity and detail.
Icons8 Smart Upscaler
Icons8 Smart Upscaler is an AI-enabled system that creates high-resolution versions of any image.
AI image upscalers are revolutionizing how individuals and businesses approach visuals.
Thanks to this technology, users can now create stunning images with enhanced clarity and detail effortlessly.
As a result, their products have never looked more realistic or higher quality than before.
What is the Best AI Image Upscaler?
When it comes to finding the best AI image upscalers, there are several options on the market today.
Each of these on this list give excellent results with a range of features tailored to various needs.
Ultimately, the best AI image upscaler will depend on your specific requirements and budget.
Here, we go over 5 of the best AI image upscalers available right now.
1. StockPhotos Upscaler
Overview
StockPhotos Upscaler provides an unrivaled solution to upscale images online, and if you’re not convinced, there’s a free trial period.
With three scaling options of 2x, 4x, or 8x available, you can customize your photo’s smoothing elements.
The AI capabilities cleverly detect any low-resolution noise and blurriness for optimal enhancement.
You have 4 choices when it comes to image enhancements to smooth or sharpen details: Balanced, Ironed, FacePro and DetailPro.
Balanced
Ironed
FacePro
DetailPro
Highlights
Sharpen and restore photos.
First-time users get three complimentary upscales of the software’s free version.
Features four enhancement modes: Balanced, Ironed, FacePro, and DetailPro – so you’ll find exactly what works best for each photo.
Free background remover is perfect for isolating image subjects.
A one-time payment model allows you to pay as needed, rather than a subscription service.
Free background remover is perfect for isolating image subjects.
Pricing
StockPhoto’s Upscaler is designed to suit any budget and workflow.
The free plan offers three complimentary upscales, while the Standard and Premium plans offer 20 or 100 respectively, along with additional bonus upscales for each package.
All of these paid options have a one-time purchase cost so that you can buy as many upgrades as your project demands.
My Personal Experience With StockPhotos Upscaler
Overall, I loved StockPhoto’s Image upscaler.
It is surprisingly easy to use, though I did have several instances of an “extended” wait time past the normal 30 seconds.
This was no problem for me though because it never took more than 2 minutes and I just kept myself busy with other business tasks while waiting.
One thing that did annoy me was this pay-as-you-go option, which can add up very quickly if you happen to have many photos you want to enhance.
Not to mention every time you make an adjustment, that counts as an upscale as well.
Want to try the ironed out enhancement?
That’s an upscale charge.
Hey, the FacePro feature looks really cool, I’m going to try that on 4x with higher resolution now.
Upscale charge.
Hm, maybe I’ll go with ai models of 8x, I really want it bigger..
Charge.
It adds up real quick.
But as far as the actual results, I have to say I’m perfectly satisfied.
The main photo I used was blurred and in low resolution.
The resulting upscale images were the most realistic of all the programs I have tried on this list.
It made her multi-colored, ever-changing, hazely green and gold eyes pop (like they do in real life).
And I am perfectly happy with the result.
Bottom Line
For overall ease of use, somewhat comparitively cheap pricing and quality image upscaling, I love StockPhotos upscaler.
Other tools on this list may be able to do more but for my purposes this tool gets the job done perfectly.
StockPhotos Upscaler is a good choice for hobbyist photo editors who can’t commit to a subscription plan.
I am not a professional photographer, influencer, graphic designer, filmmaker, etc.
I just do not need all the extras and I’m not really into all the filters, screens, and miscellaneous modifications that other image upscalers have (*cough* Adobe).
It gets to the point sometimes that the resulting image (though nice looking) is nothing like reality.
Besides, it leads to unnecessary bloat on a computer if you have too many unneeded heavy duty programs.
My results were pretty much perfect and were fine.
I could describe the outcomes as a fine specimen of fine.
Fly.
And for the average person I think this tool will do well without breaking the bank (or your computer).
Its payment model allows you to make use of its free trial, and then take advantage of it as needed without being tied down by monthly payments.
But buyer beware: those upscale charges add up really fast.
2. Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI
Overview
Highlights
Pricing
My Personal Experience with Topaz Labs
Bottom Line
3. AVCLabs Image Upscaler
Overview
AVCLabs Image Upscaler supports both Mac and Windows operating systems, so you can colorize black-and-white images, and banish blurriness or color issues in a flash.
Not to mention its excellent background remover: create amazing product shots with ease for any e-commerce platform.
This incredible tool effortlessly reduces noise and grain from images, while its AI face refinement feature makes portraits look near flawless.
It helps to eliminate blemishes, blend skin tones, and refine the subject’s eyes and lips for a clean finish.
Color calibration technology removes any difficulty in controlling an image’s lighting conditions so you can get your perfect shot.
Highlights
Its face refinement tool for perfecting skin tone, reducing blemishes on your portrait subjects instantly.
The built-in lightning calibration feature helps alter even the most complex lighting conditions in an image while also removing noise and grain proficiently.
With its background remover, you can clip out any subject from the backdrop quickly and without a hassle.
Mac and PC compatibility
Give new life to those forgotten black-and-white photos by adding color to them effortlessly.
Pricing
AVC Labs Photo Enhancer AI provides three plans to meet your needs.
A 1-Month Plan ($19.95/month), a 1-Year Plan ($79.95/year), and the Lifetime Plan, which is $159.90 for life.
Every plan includes one license per computer, free updates, 24-hour support, and a 5-day money-back guarantee.
If at any time you decide that the service isn’t right for you – no problem – just cancel or renew your subscription as desired.
My Personal Experience With AVCLabs
The one thing I noticed straight away when using AVCLabs is the easily understandable user interface.
Compared to Topaz Labs Gigapixel, it is much more simple but not as simple as StockPhotos.
The results were okay, the pictures I used looked improved after upscaling.
But as far as realism goes, I have to say that AVCLabs was not the best on this list.
It almost seemed like animation, albeit in a good way.
AVCLabs deserves a spot on the list for ease of use and value for the money
Bottom Line
AVC Labs Photo Enhancer AI is a good tool for hobbyists, content creators, or if you’re just looking to make your family/pet photos look nicer.
Their advanced background remover will help you create compositions effortlessly.
It does a fair job at upscaling and is well-rounded when it comes to features and price.
Take a look, they have a free trial that does not require a credit card.
But get ready for the AVCLabs logo watermarking to be splashed across all your creations.
4. Icons8’s Smart Upscaler
Overview
Utilizing AI technology, Icons8’s Smart Upscaler (aka icons8/upscaller,
www.icons8/upscaler) is a good tool for improving your portrait photos without losing quality.
Its precise algorithms are designed to sharpen an image while still maintaining its original crispness and composition.
Although it may not have all the sophisticated features of other programs out there, this upscaler shines when it comes to enhancing portraits–and that’s what counts.
Smart Upscaler upscales images up to 7680 x 7680 pixels, without sacrificing quality.
With its easy-to-use interface, simply upload any JPG, PNG, or WebP image and watch it be transformed into stunning visuals.
Plus – with the upgrade to a paid plan, you’ll never have to worry about annoying watermarks again.
Highlights
Can unblur portrait shots.
Supports JPGs, PNGs, WebP files, and more.
You can upscale on the go with its Mac app available right in the App Store.
Upgrade to as large as 7680 x 7680 pixels with Smart Upscaler.
Leverages 5+ million trained images.
Pricing
If you choose to subscribe monthly to Icons8’s Smart Upscaler, you can upgrade 100 images for only $9 or an unlimited amount of photos for $99 each month.
However, if you commit to a yearly plan, you save 20% and get access to 100 improved pictures every month of the year for $90.
If you want an unlimited yearly plan, it is $990.
You get 2 months free with the yearly plan instead of paying month-to-month.
You also have the option to just pay as you go, which is 20 cents per image.
Whichever subscription path fits best with your budget will grant rollover credits at renewal time so that any remaining unused upgrades don’t go wasted.
My Personal Experience With Icons8 Smart Upscaler
I liked the simplicity of Icons8 Smart Upscaler.
Just upload your photo and press a button and you’re done.
You have a nice upscaled version of your photo and you go on about your business.
With this simplicity though, comes a lack of options.
Depending on your goals, this straightforward service just might be exactly what you’re looking for.
The overall results turned out to be the middle of the road but for what you pay, I can’t complain.
The price is reasonable as well.
Bottom Line
This software was trained on an extensive dataset of five million images, making it an ideal option for hobbyists who need to upscale their portrait photos.
Not only is this upscaling image service priced reasonably, but they also offer other image services such as background remover and face swapping.
However, keep in mind that if you have many images to upscale at once, then this may not be the best option due to some customers noting less than satisfactory customer service experiences.
5. VanceAI
Overview
Vance AI is an exceptional image upscaler, allowing you to magnify images by 800%.
Vance also has anime-upscaling capabilities.
You can upscale small images and anime pictures with ease – amplify their size up to 16 times bigger.
It takes only a few clicks to convert tiny manga drawings to sleek wallpapers for your home screen.
Vance’s AI makes it easy to upscale your images – from landscapes and products to anime images and old photos.
With the ability to select scaling factors between 2x-16x (with anime upscaling available at 16x), you can rest assured that all of your images will receive quality improvements.
Additionally, with Vance you won’t have any more random noise or blur – simply upload an image onto their website then wait for the upscaled version.
Highlights
You can transform your images to up to 8x the original size or 16x when it comes to anime.
You can try out this software without signing in – just upload your photos and see what happens.
Batch processing is made simple and convenient.
Once uploaded online, all images are automatically deleted within 24 hours for maximum security.
With a range of applications from printables and e-commerce products, VanceAI fixes lost pixels during enlargement so that every photo retains its detail even at higher resolutions.
You can download the desktop version for free before upgrading to one of their paid subscription plans.
Pricing
VanceAI offers two methods for utilizing its service – on your desktop or through an online platform.
If you opt for desktop services, they have three plans available:
A month-to-month plan at $39.99 per month.
An annual plan is charged at $99.99 yearly.
A lifetime package set at just $129.99 that lets you enjoy the usage of the software with one convenient payment.
On the other hand, if you prefer to utilize it via our online services then purchase credits in batches of 100s up to 1000s – all with a 7-day money-back guarantee as long as 10% or less has been used.
My Personal Experience With VanceAI
I have to say I liked VanceAI.
Straightforward and easy to use.
Just upload the pic and you’re pretty much done.
There was a definite improvement, though not to the caliber of StockPhotos or Topaz Lab.
Overall though, I would recommend it to a casual user that is just looking for a quick and easy way to upscale some images.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re a pro or just starting, the user-friendly interface of this software makes it easy to use.
It’s great for fixing up old and damaged digital photos, as well as color correction and has security features like deleting your photographs after 24 hours.
With attractive pricing options such as monthly, yearly, lifetime subscriptions or pay-as-you-go credits; there is something for everyone.
Just keep in mind that this program does have a learning curve – make sure to read up on how it works before diving into image enhancement projects so you can maximize its potential.
Even though processing times may be lengthy at times, it was never a deal breaker for me.
Overall, the wide variety of applications is very useful and the image enhancement was exceptional.
Image Upscaling FAQS Answered
How Do You AI Upscale an Image?
AI Upscaling is a straightforward process: simply upload your image to an AI-powered software, and watch as its intelligent algorithms transform the picture into a higher-resolution version.
How Do AI Image Upscalers Work?
To elevate an image while still preserving its quality, AI image upscalers rely on sophisticated deep convolutional neural networks.
These are essentially like a computer brain; they’re trained with vast datasets of images which allows them to recognize general characteristics of all kinds of pictures.
For instance, if the system is presented with a low-resolution photo of a brick wall, it will understand what bricks appear like and fill in any details that may be missing from the initial picture.
By doing this, your image appears more lifelike.
Before AI and ML existed, many people had to duplicate pixels two or more times in order to enlarge their digital images – yet all that accomplished was a pixelated and blurry outcome.
How to Upscale Images with Details Enhanced?
Upscaling an image with details enhanced is simple thanks to AI technology.
You can achieve a sharper, more detailed result that looks just as good or even better than the original.
It depends on which program you are using but in most cases, you just upload your desired image and let AI-driven technology take care of the rest.
You can also customize options such as zoom, crop, or anti-aliasing for an even more realistic outcome – it’s like having a whole new version of your photo.
A popular example is Zyro.
What are the common uses for the AI Image Upscaler tool?
AI image upscaling is a powerful tool that can be used to transform any project.
Whether you’re creating posters, designing websites, playing video games, or producing films – this technology enables you to upscale an image’s resolution and retain its clarity for crystal-clear visuals.
Furthermore, it enables viewers to zoom in on small details without compromising the quality of your images; making it perfect for facial recognition software or object identification.
Plus if you already have high-quality pictures, with AI upscalers you’ll receive improved results almost every time.
Wrapping Up
AI Image Upscaling can be a crucial asset for anyone seeking to get the absolute most out of their images.
From print projects and web designs, to facial recognition applications, these five tools are sure to help you produce smoother and more detailed outcomes.
As they bring together an effortless user interface with customizable options as well as advanced technologies– whichever purpose you need AI Image Upscaling for will surely come alive.
If you are interested in learning more, check out some fun AI tools.