Upscayl
#181 in Image editing
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Upscayl: local AI image upscaling, free of charge and free of watermarks
Updated on September 18, 2026
Upscayl is a free, open-source AI image upscaler for Windows, macOS and Linux that enlarges low-resolution pictures directly on your own computer. No account, no watermark, no upload. Two independent developers maintain the project, which has passed 46,000 stars on GitHub. An optional paid Cloud beta exists for machines without a dedicated graphics card.
Pros
- Completely free, no watermark, no processing caps
- Runs offline, photos never leave your computer
- Six AI models plus custom model support
- Batch mode handles entire folders
- Up to 16x enlargement with chained passes
Cons
- Requires a Vulkan-compatible graphics card
- Cannot rescue out-of-focus or motion-blurred shots
- Fewer fine-tuning controls than paid specialist software
Upscayl rebuilds detail instead of stretching pixels
Upscayl runs Real-ESRGAN super-resolution models on your graphics card through Vulkan, enlarging pictures by 2x, 3x or 4x per pass and reaching 16x when two passes are chained. Every calculation stays on your hard drive, no internet required after install.
You drop a crushed old JPEG into the window, pick a model and an output format, and the software fills in the missing detail on its own. Batch mode chews through whole folders while you do something else. Behind this little marvel sit two independent developers, Nayam Amarshe and TGS963, who keep the code open under an AGPL-3.0 license.
Step-by-step Upscayl walkthrough on a real photo
Six AI models, from landscapes to anime frames
Six models come preinstalled, each tuned to a picture type, and custom NCNN models can be loaded for specialist workflows. Which one you pick genuinely changes the render (comparing two outputs of the same photo quickly becomes a habit, consider yourself warned).
Once the enlargement is done, a stop by some AI image editing tools for color and contrast finishes the job, since upscaling fixes neither exposure nor saturation on a washed-out shot.
| Model | Best suited for |
|---|---|
| Standard (general photo) | Landscapes and everyday pictures |
| UltraSharp | Maximum detail and strong textures |
| Remacri | Balanced output without over-sharpening |
| Ultramix Balanced | Mixed photo and graphic content |
| High Fidelity | Faces and illustrations, natural finish |
| Digital Art | Anime, drawings and screenshots |
Upscayl for free on desktop, on credits in the cloud
The desktop app costs nothing and runs on Windows 10+, macOS 12+ and Linux, provided you have a Vulkan-compatible graphics card. Many integrated chips fail the test, so it is worth checking before downloading.
For machines without that GPU, Upscayl Cloud, still in beta, charges £9.99 per month for 100 credits, with a free trial and up to 40% off on annual billing. Beta pricing shifts over time, so treat the official pricing page as the only reliable reference.
Frequently asked questions
Is Upscayl really free?
Yes, the desktop application is entirely free, with no watermark, no account and no image limit, and its code is open source under AGPL-3.0. Only Upscayl Cloud, built for computers without a dedicated graphics card, works on paid monthly credits.
Does Upscayl work without a GPU?
Officially no, a Vulkan-compatible graphics card is required to launch an upscale, and many integrated graphics chips fail. If your machine lacks a dedicated GPU, the Cloud version takes over in the browser, on paid credits.
Can Upscayl fix blurry photos?
Fixing focus blur or motion blur is outside its scope, and the team says so itself. Pixelated and low-resolution pictures are where it shines, so a sharp but tiny image gains far more than an out-of-focus one.
Upscayl or Topaz Gigapixel AI, which one to pick?
Topaz Gigapixel AI, sold as a $99 lifetime license, keeps an edge on fine face restoration and badly damaged photos, as does Magnific on the cloud side. Upscayl performs the same enlargement work locally and for nothing, which covers the vast majority of everyday jobs.
Verdict: Rescuing old family photos, preparing prints, enlarging game textures or batch-processing a whole archive, this is the app hobbyist photographers, budget-minded designers and Linux regulars keep in their taskbar, with a dedicated restoration tool as backup for heavily damaged faces.
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