Best AI Tools for Image Upscaling — Top Picks 2026

AI upscaling has moved from niche trickery to everyday utility. If you’ve ever tried to blow up a low-res photo and ended up with soft edges and weird artifacts, you know the pain. The Best AI Tools for Image Upscaling now use deep learning and super-resolution to reconstruct detail, not just stretch pixels. In my experience, the right tool saves time and can rescue family photos, game art, or legacy footage. Below I compare the top services and apps — practicality, quality, price — so you can pick what fits your workflow.

How AI image upscaling works (quick primer)

AI upscalers use neural networks trained on millions of images to predict missing detail when enlarging a photo. Instead of interpolating pixels like bicubic or Lanczos, they perform super resolution — inferring textures and edges that look plausible.

There are two common approaches:

• Single-image super-resolution (SISR): models like SRCNN, ESRGAN, Real-ESRGAN — great for general photos.
• Specialized models: tuned for anime, faces, or scanned prints — deliver cleaner results for specific tasks.

Want a deeper read? See background on image scaling and algorithm evolution.

Top AI tools for image upscaling (tested and recommended)

Below are tools I use and recommend. Each has strengths — some are desktop apps with GPU acceleration, others are cloud services that work in a browser.

1. Topaz Gigapixel AI

Best for: Photographers and professionals who need consistently high-quality results.

Topaz (Gigapixel AI) is the flagship consumer app for upscaling. It applies deep convolutional neural networks optimized for natural images and offers modes for standard photos, low resolution, and compressed images. From what I’ve seen, it often retains sharpness and texture better than generic cloud upscalers.

Platform: Windows, macOS. Paid license with free trial. Official site: Topaz Gigapixel AI.

• Pros: Excellent detail recovery, offline processing, batch support.
• Cons: GPU required for best speed; not the cheapest.

2. Let’s Enhance

Best for: Quick online upscales with good default results and convenience.

Let’s Enhance is a cloud service that offers multiple AI models (art, photo, compression artifacts). It’s browser-based and handy if you don’t want to install software. For occasional use, it’s fast and easy.

Platform: Web. Paid plans and pay-as-you-go. Official site: Let’s Enhance.

• Pros: No install, presets for different looks, handles batch jobs online.
• Cons: Subscription or credits; results vary with extreme enlargements.

3. Adobe Super Resolution (Camera Raw / Photoshop)

Best for: Adobe Creative Cloud users who want integrated upscaling inside their editing workflow.

Photoshop’s Super Resolution uses a trained model inside Camera Raw and is neatly integrated into editing. It’s quick, non-destructive, and combines well with Photoshop retouching tools.

• Pros: Integrated, reliable for general photos, no separate export/import needed.
• Cons: Requires Photoshop subscription; less control than dedicated apps.

4. Real-ESRGAN / ESRGAN (open-source)

Best for: Technical users who want free, high-quality upscaling with custom models.

Real-ESRGAN is a modern open-source project that improved on ESRGAN’s artifacts and stability. If you’re comfortable with the command line or have a local GUI build, it gives excellent results and flexibility.

• Pros: Free, customizable models, good for automation and batch jobs.
• Cons: Setup can be technical; GPU recommended.

5. Waifu2x and anime-specialized upscalers

Best for: Anime, illustrations, and cell-shaded art.

Waifu2x and derivatives are tuned specifically for cartoon/line-art; they denoise and upscale while preserving line clarity. Use these for game sprites, manga scans, and anime stills.

6. Runway ML & cloud platforms

Best for: Creators working with mixed media and video who want cloud-based AI tools.

Runway and similar platforms offer web-based super-resolution and extra features like video upscaling, masking, and AI-assisted editing. They’re collaborative and evolving quickly.

Comparison table — quick at-a-glance

How to choose the right tool

• Quality vs speed: Desktop GPU tools (Topaz, Real-ESRGAN) usually give the best quality; web services win on convenience.
• Subject matter: Use specialized models for faces, anime, or archival scans.
• Budget: Open-source like Real-ESRGAN and Waifu2x are free; commercial apps offer streamlined UX and support.
• Workflow: If you edit in Photoshop daily, Adobe Super Resolution is frictionless.

Practical tips and real-world examples

What I’ve noticed: small adjustments change results dramatically. Try different model presets, tweak denoise levels, and test 2x then 4x upscales instead of jumping straight to 8x.

Example workflow I use for old family photos:

• Scan at highest optical resolution available.
• Run initial denoise and color correction in Lightroom or Photoshop.
• Use Topaz Gigapixel AI for upscaling 2–4x, then retouch small areas manually.

For game art and sprites, I often use a Waifu2x variant, then touch-up in a pixel editor — keeps edges crisp without hallucinated textures.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Avoid blindly trusting auto-modes — inspect shadows and faces carefully.
• Watch for hallucinated artifacts on text, logos, or extremely compressed images.
• For video upscaling, test a short clip first — processing time and storage grow fast.

Further reading and resources

Want technical background? The Wikipedia page on image scaling gives a helpful history. For product info and trials, check Topaz Gigapixel AI and Let’s Enhance.

Final thought: There’s no single “best” tool for every job. If you need pro-grade results and offline processing, try Topaz or Real-ESRGAN. If convenience matters, use a cloud service. Test a few images first — you’ll quickly see which model matches your content and taste.