Best AI Image Upscaler Online — Enhance Resolution Without Quality Loss

Low-resolution images are everywhere — old photos, screenshots, web downloads, compressed social media images. AI upscaling can breathe new life into them by increasing resolution while adding realistic detail.

What Is AI Image Upscaling?

Traditional upscaling (like in Photoshop) simply stretches pixels, creating blurry results. AI upscaling is fundamentally different:

• . AI analyzes the image content and understands what's in it
• . It predicts what the missing high-resolution detail would look like
• . It generates new pixels that look natural and sharp
• . The result is a larger image that looks like it was captured at higher resolution

Best AI Image Upscalers in 2026

1. ImgCraft Image Upscaler **Free:** 1 image/day | **Basic:** $9.9/month (100 images) - Powered by Gemini 2.5 Flash - 2× and 4× upscaling - Combined with photo enhancement - Part of a full editing suite ([try it](/editor/image-upscaler))

2. Topaz Gigapixel AI **Price:** $99.99 (one-time) - Desktop application (requires download) - Excellent quality for photos - Batch processing - Requires decent hardware

3. Let's Enhance **Free:** 5 images | **Paid:** From $9/month - Web-based - Good for product photos - Multiple enhancement types

4. Upscayl **Price:** Free, open source - Desktop app, offline processing - Uses Real-ESRGAN models - Good for anime/illustration upscaling

5. Waifu2x **Price:** Free - Specialized for anime/illustration - Web-based and open source - Limited for photographs

How to Upscale Images with ImgCraft

Step 1: Upload Your Image Go to [Image Upscaler](/editor/image-upscaler) and upload any image — JPG, PNG, or WebP.

Step 2: Choose Upscale Factor - **2×** — doubles width and height (4× total pixels) - **4×** — quadruples dimensions (16× total pixels)

Step 3: Enhance (Optional) Combine upscaling with AI enhancement for even better results. The AI can: - Sharpen blurry details - Reduce noise and compression artifacts - Improve color balance - Restore facial details

Step 4: Download Get your upscaled image in full resolution. PNG for maximum quality, JPG for smaller file size.

When to Use AI Upscaling

Old Family Photos Digitized photos from the 90s and earlier are typically low-resolution. AI upscaling can turn a 640×480 scan into a 2560×1920 image with added detail.

Social Media Screenshots Screenshots of Instagram or Twitter images are often compressed. Upscale them for print or presentation use.

Product Photos Small product images from old catalogs or websites can be upscaled for new listings.

Artwork and Illustrations Digital art created at low resolution can be upscaled for print (posters, canvas prints, merchandise).

Surveillance and Security Enhance low-resolution security camera footage for better identification.

Tips for Best Upscaling Results

• . Start with the best available version — don't upscale a thumbnail if a medium-size version exists
• . Remove noise first — AI handles noise, but clean input produces cleaner output
• . Don't over-upscale — 2× is more reliable than 4×; upscale in stages if needed
• . Check faces — AI occasionally adds artifacts to faces; review closely
• . Combine with enhancement — upscale + enhance together gives the best results

Upscaling Limits

AI upscaling is impressive but not magic: - It can't recover information that was never captured - Extremely low-resolution images (under 100px) won't produce great results - Text in images may not upscale cleanly - Very noisy or heavily compressed images may have artifacts

Pricing Comparison

Upscale your first image free →