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Head-to-head · Image Upscaling Software

Real-ESRGAN vs AIarty Image Enhancer

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Real-ESRGAN #1 in Image Upscaling Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Real-ESRGAN
AIarty Image Enhancer #19 in Image Upscaling Software 7.5/10 10-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit AIarty

Real-ESRGAN leads on 1 check, AIarty Image Enhancer on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreReal-ESRGAN · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Real-ESRGAN
  • Free trialonly AIarty Image Enhancer

Real-ESRGAN scores higher on our rubric for image upscaling software: 9.4 against 7.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #19.

Real-ESRGAN offers free plan; AIarty Image Enhancer doesn't.

Real-ESRGAN is the better fit for free open-source super-resolution. AIarty Image Enhancer is the better fit for offline desktop upscaling with restoration tools.

  • Real-ESRGAN fits best

    Free open-source super-resolution

  • AIarty Image Enhancer fits best

    Offline desktop upscaling with restoration tools

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Side by side

Feature Real-ESRGAN 9.4/10 Visit ↗ AIarty Image Enhancer 7.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.5
Ranking #1 in Image Upscaling Software #19 in Image Upscaling Software
Best for Free open-source super-resolution Offline desktop upscaling with restoration tools
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan $85/device/yr
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 10 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS
Support Email, Community Email, Docs · 24/7
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Real-ESRGAN 2/3 · AIarty Image Enhancer 2/3
Batch processing ✓ ✓
API access Not checked yet Not checked yet
Desktop app ✓ ✓
Specs
Upscaling method Ai Ai
Maximum scale Custom Custom
Input formats JPG, PNG, WEBP AVIF, JPEG, JPEG2000, PNG, WebM, TIFF, Bitmap, RAW, HEIC, WebP, BMP
Our review
Pros
  • Arbitrary scaling, batch processing, and tiled inference
  • Supports Windows, Linux, macOS, and web workflows
  • Handles alpha-channel, grayscale, and 16-bit images
  • 2x, 4x, and 8x AI upscaling with target-resolution output
  • Local batch processing for images and folders
  • Denoising, deblurring, face restoration, and metadata preservation
Cons
  • Local workflows require installation and execution setup
  • Advanced face enhancement depends on GFPGAN integration
  • Its model focus is restoration and super-resolution rather than broad editing
  • No permanent free plan
  • The annual license covers one PC or Mac
  • Maximum target resolution differs between Windows and Mac
Our verdict

Real-ESRGAN is an open-source project for AI-based image and video super-resolution. It is aimed at users who want local workflows for enlarging and restoring general images, anime images, or video, with portable executables for Windows,…

Read the review →

AIarty Image Enhancer is desktop software for Windows and macOS that uses AI to enlarge and restore images. It is aimed at photographers, designers, content creators, e-commerce sellers, and people working with old or low-quality images.…

Read the review →
  1. Real-ESRGANImage Upscaling Software 9.4Free plan
  2. AIarty Image EnhancerImage Upscaling Software 7.510-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Real-ESRGAN — where it wins

    • Arbitrary scaling, batch processing, and tiled inference
    • Supports Windows, Linux, macOS, and web workflows
    • Handles alpha-channel, grayscale, and 16-bit images

    Where it doesn't

    • Local workflows require installation and execution setup
    • Advanced face enhancement depends on GFPGAN integration
    • Its model focus is restoration and super-resolution rather than broad editing

  • AIarty Image Enhancer — where it wins

    • 2x, 4x, and 8x AI upscaling with target-resolution output
    • Local batch processing for images and folders
    • Denoising, deblurring, face restoration, and metadata preservation

    Where it doesn't

    • No permanent free plan
    • The annual license covers one PC or Mac
    • Maximum target resolution differs between Windows and Mac
  • Real-ESRGAN9.4/10 · Free plan

    A flexible open-source upscaler for local image, anime, and video workflows.

    Visit Real-ESRGANFull verdict →
  • AIarty Image Enhancer7.5/10 · 10-day trial

    A capable offline upscaler with restoration tools, batch processing, and flexible licensing.

    Visit AIartyFull verdict →

More comparisons

All image upscaling software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update