5 Best Free AI Image Upscaler Apps and Tools: Test Results Included

We all love generating whacky new images with Dall-E or Midjourney – but how about using AI to improve the grainy, low-resolution images we already have? Enhancing old and poor-quality images is one of the more practical use cases of diffusion models. Here are some of the best free AI upscaler apps you must try.

All of these apps are free to use on your web browser. Moreover, they do not have any watermark on the results. All you need to do is upload the image, select the resolution you want to upscale, and download the enhanced image. But what does AI upscaling even mean? Let’s find out!

Also Read: Best free AI tools online for your business or personal use

What Does Image Upscaling Mean

When looking at an image with poor quality, it is most likely due to its low resolution. This means that the image packs fewer pixels; therefore, there’s little information to represent it. Upscaling is the process of increasing the resolution of an image – thereby improving its quality.

Traditional upscaling methods take the average of the four nearest pixels to determine the color of a new pixel in the upscaled image. Some methods also use a specific formula to calculate the weighted average of the 16 neighboring pixels to generate the color of new pixels. However, AI can upscale images using ‘Super Resolution Techniques’.

AI tools contain models that are trained on large datasets. This helps it evaluate the existing pixels, understand the pattern, and predict additional pixels to improve the quality. AI models have significantly improved how images are upscaled, and we want to show you five tools you can use for free.

5 Best Online AI-Powered Image Upscalers

Here are some of the top five AI image upscaler tools you can use for free on your web browser. To help you evaluate these tools, we’ve performed a small test.

• The first test includes a poor-quality image (120 x 120 px) where the AI needs to reproduce details instead of enhancing them. Therefore, you can expect results that look artificial. This helps you evaluate how well the tool can add details that seamlessly integrate into the image.
• The second test includes enhancing a low-quality, grainy image. While the resolution is better (300 x 300 px) than the input image in the first test, it helps you evaluate how the tool enhances the details of an image.
• Not all of you may want to drastically improve an image – a slight enhancement can do. That is why we’ve included the second test.
• Both of these test images are the same headshots of mine – this pushes the tool to add details that can specifically fit into my face without making me look unrecognizable.

(L – Image for Test 1; R- Image for Test 2)

We’ve included a side-by-side comparison of each tool’s test results. Let’s begin.

1. AnyRec: Best Free Online AI-Powered Image Upscaler

Most image upscaling tools we found online only offered up to 4x increase in resolution in the free versions. However, with AnyRec – you can upscale images up to 8x their resolution for free. Look at the test results when we enlarged two low-quality images to 8x resolution.

The first test includes a poor-quality image of mine, upscaled 8 times its resolution. Due to the lack of details in the input image, the tool will use AI to compensate and add additional details. Hence, the results may look artificial. However, this is by far the most realistic result for the first test compared to other tools in the list.

The tool fares well in the second test, too. There’s a noticeable difference in the image quality. Other tools in this list gave us an extra sharp image, but Any Rec does a great job of maintaining a balanced profile.

Overall, this is the best free AI image enlarger tool we found online. The tool is entirely free to use as well.

Price: Free

Try AnyRec Image Upscaler

2. iloveimg: Runner Up for the Best AI Image Upscaler

iloveimg is a simple tool that lets you upscale images by 2x or 4x. All you need to do is upload your images and select the factor by which you want to improve the resolution. You can upload three images at once on the app and individually adjust the upscale settings. Here’s how the tool fares in our tests, where we upscale images to 4x resolution.

iloveimg does a decent job in the first test. The work of AI is evident in the result as expected, but it is far from being unusable. Especially if you are viewing the image from a distance, the distortions will not be visible.

iloveimg does a great job on the second test as well. It gave better results than any other tool we used for a 4x resolution upscale. As you can see, there is a noticeable improvement in the details and the quality of the image.

iloveimg is free, but you must sign in with your details. However, there is a limitation to the number of images you can upscale. For unlimited image upscaling services and to remove advertisements, you can purchase the paid version. The paid version will also increase the maximum resolution by which you can upscale the image.

Price: Free; Paid Version: $4/month onwards

Try iloveimg

3. Img.Upscaler: Upscale 20 Images Per Month for Free

Img.Upscale is another AI image upscaler tool that lets you increase the resolution by 4 times. The interface is simple, and you can upload JPG or PNG images. Here’s how the tool performed in both of our tests when we upscaled the images to 4x resolution.

The results of the first test were satisfactory. The details of the image are recreated with a lot of distortions, but it still works. Of course, when you see the image from a distance, or if you are using it as a thumbnail or an icon, it should be fine.

The image was sharp in the second test, and we were happy with the overall result. However, if you observe closely and zoom into the eyes or my glasses – you will notice a few artificial details. This was not the case with the previously reviewed tools. That said, Img.Upscaler massively improves the quality of the input image.

Once you sign up to Img.Upscaler, you get 20 credits per month. This means that you can upscale 20 images for free per month. You can purchase a premium plan to increase the number of monthly credits and the resolution by which you can upscale the image.

Price: Free; Paid Plan: $19/year onwards

Try Img.Upscaler

4. Upscale.Media: Upscale Images to 4x Resolution for Free

Upscale.Media lets you upscale images to up to four times their resolution. It is a good alternative tool if you can’t use the top three tools mentioned in this list. We upscaled the two test images to 4x their resolution. Additionally, we used the available Enhance Quality toggle. Does it make any difference? Let’s find out.

The short answer is – no. In the first test, the results were mediocre. Most of the details in the image are poorly reproduced, and the image looks far from being natural. That said, we wouldn’t want to fully judge the tool with a single reference image – it might perform well on an image that isn’t as detailed or when the details are easy to reproduce with AI.

With the second test, Upscale.Media does a fairly good job. But once you zoom in, you can notice that a few elements look like they are painted. We aren’t complaining, though – it is more than usable as an image.

You can upscale three images for free on Upscale.media. Beyond that, you must purchase additional credits that let you upscale and download images and increase the upscaling resolution.

Price: Free; Additional Credits: $9 for 10 credits

Try Upscale.media

5. Pixelcut.ai: AI Image Upscaler up to 2x Resolution

Pixelcut.ai only upscales images two times their resolution for free. It is still a good option if you can’t access other tools. Here’s how the tool performed in both tests when we upscaled images to 2x resolution.

The tool performs surprisingly well in the first test – while the image looks artificial, it does a better job than the previous tool and is on par with other top tools in the list. The output doesn’t contain a majority of the artificial details, and my face is still recognizable. Therefore, it can do a better job with images with details that are easy to reproduce.

As expected, the tool does a good job in the second test. There is a good amount of enhancement, and the textures do not look artificial when you zoom into it.

Pixelcut.ai lets you upscale a limited number of images for free. You can purchase the paid version to limit unlimited images to 4 times their resolution.

Price: Free; Paid Version: $9.99.month onwards

Try Pixelcut.ai

Bring Back Memories Using Smart Upscaler

Access to high-quality cameras was difficult back in the day – so we’re sure we all have several low-resolution images that we wish we could enhance. Use these AI image upscale tools to enhance old photos for free, and we’re sure they’ll bring your childhood memories back.