Real-ESRGAN vs Upscayl

REReal-ESRGAN9.4Visit Upscayl9.1Visit

Higher score RE Real-ESRGAN #1 in Image Upscaling Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Real-ESRGAN

vs

Upscayl #3 in Image Upscaling Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Upscayl

• Real-ESRGAN fits best

  Free open-source super-resolution

• Upscayl fits best

  Open-source desktop and cloud users

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Side by side

Feature	REReal-ESRGAN 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Upscayl 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.1
Ranking	#1 in Image Upscaling Software	#3 in Image Upscaling Software
Best for	Free open-source super-resolution	Open-source desktop and cloud users
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	$24.99/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Cloud, Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Email, Community	Email, Live chat, Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Real-ESRGAN 2/3 · Upscayl 3/3
Batch processing	✓	✓
API access	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Desktop app	✓	✓
Specs
Upscaling method	Ai	Ai
Maximum scale	Custom	Custom
Input formats	JPG, PNG, WEBP	png, jpg, jpeg, jfif, webp
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	Free, open-source desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux Batch processing, custom models, face enhancement, and double upscaling Web, desktop, and API access with cloud storage and AI generation
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	Cloud subscriptions start at $24.99 per month Desktop and Cloud are separate offerings with different workflows Cloud usage is credit-based, including a 10-credit free trial
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 →	Upscayl is an AI image upscaling product for creators, designers, artists, developers, businesses, and other image-focused users. Its free, open-source desktop application processes images locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while… Read the review →

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

• Upscayl — where it wins

  • Free, open-source desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Batch processing, custom models, face enhancement, and double upscaling
  • Web, desktop, and API access with cloud storage and AI generation

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud subscriptions start at $24.99 per month
  • Desktop and Cloud are separate offerings with different workflows
  • Cloud usage is credit-based, including a 10-credit free trial

• REReal-ESRGAN9.4/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Real-ESRGANFull verdict →
• Upscayl9.1/10 · Free plan

  A flexible upscaler with free local processing and credit-based cloud plans.

  Visit UpscaylFull verdict →