Upscayl
Free, open-source desktop AI image upscaler for Windows, macOS and Linux, now paired with a paid Upscayl Cloud service.
Evaluation
What to know
Editorial notes based on the vendor's own documentation and public pricing, plus hands-on testing where a score or review is shown above. They describe fit for a job, not absolute quality.
Best for
- Photographers enlarging older or cropped images for print
- Digital artists preparing assets at higher resolutions
- Privacy-conscious users who cannot upload images to cloud services
Not ideal for
- Users without a capable GPU who need speed
- Professionals needing generative detail synthesis rather than faithful upscaling
- Mobile-only workflows
Key features
- Local AI upscaling on Windows, macOS and Linux via Vulkan GPUs
- Multiple models for photos, digital art and sharpening
- Batch folder processing and custom model loading
- Optional Upscayl Cloud with up to 16x upscaling and face enhancement
- No account, watermark or upload limits for the desktop app
Pros
- Desktop version is completely free and private
- Works on AMD, Intel and Nvidia GPUs without CUDA
- Simple interface suitable for non-technical users
Cons
- Local processing is slow on weak or integrated GPUs
- Upscaled faces and text can look artificial on heavy enlargements
- Cloud features require a separate credit-based subscription
ToolifyNav verdict
Upscayl is the easiest recommendation in its category for anyone who wants AI upscaling without paying or uploading: the desktop app is open source, cross-platform and runs on almost any GPU. Results are faithful rather than heavily generative, which suits photo restoration and print preparation. Slow hardware will feel slow, and extreme enlargements of faces or text still show artifacts. The newer Cloud service adds speed and editing tools for those who need them, but most users can start, and often stay, with the free local version.
About
About Upscayl
Upscayl began as a free, open-source desktop app that enlarges low-resolution images with AI models while running entirely on your own computer. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux, is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and uses Real-ESRGAN-family models through Vulkan, so it works on most modern GPUs without requiring CUDA. Users drag in an image or a whole folder, pick a model suited to photos, digital art or sharpening, choose a scale factor, and export the result. Batch processing, custom model loading and output format options make it practical for larger jobs.
Because everything happens locally, there are no upload limits, no watermark and no account needed for the desktop version. That made it a popular open-source alternative to paid upscalers among photographers, digital artists and archivists restoring old scans.
The team has since launched Upscayl Cloud, a paid web service that upscales up to 16x with faster processing, color-accuracy options for print, AI face enhancement, detail recovery, batch editing, cloud storage and image generation. Cloud uses credits sold by subscription or one-time purchase, with a trial on request. The desktop app remains free.
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