01In plain English
Ordinary resizing makes a small image bigger and blurrier. AI upscaling predicts the missing detail, so a low-resolution picture can be printed or shown on a large screen with sharp edges.
02Why it matters when you are choosing
It rescues old photos, low-resolution AI images and small product shots. Quality varies a lot, and some upscalers invent details that were never there.
03What to check
Ask the vendor
Check the maximum output size, how faces and text come out, and how many credits each upscale uses.
04The tools
15of 19 checked
15 of the 19 tools we checked offer AI upscaling. Each one is checked against the vendor's own pages. A tool missing from this list may not have been checked yet, which is not the same as a no.
Recraft
6.9
Rank #5 of 7 AI image generators
Best:Pricing8.8
Weakest:What it makes5.3
Weights published under a named licence: no
From $12Free plan
84% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Leonardo.Ai
8.0
Rank #2 of 7 AI image generators
Best:What it makes9.2
Weakest:Openness and support5
Weights published under a named licence: no
From $12Free plan
86% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Stability AI
6.7
Rank #6 of 7 AI image generators
Best:What it makes7.8
Weakest:Pricing5
Weights published under a named licence: yes
From $0.03No free plan
82% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Adobe Firefly
8.1
Rank #1 of 7 AI image generators
Best:Rights and privacy9.2
Weakest:Openness and support3
Weights published under a named licence: noDoes not train on what you make: yes
From $9.99Free plan
78% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Ideogram
7.6
Rank #3 of 7 AI image generators
Best:Control and automation9
Weakest:Openness and support6.5
Does not train on what you make: no
From $20Free plan
96% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
exactly.ai
7.1
Rank #2 of 8 brand and product image tools
Best:Rights and privacy9
Weakest:Getting volume out5.8
Trains a private model on your own pictures: yes
Price not publishedFree plan
73% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
neural.love
Free plan: yesFree trial: noAPI: yesUpscaling: yesCustom training: yesInpainting: yes
From $11 (€10)Free plan
→
Midjourney
6.0
Rank #7 of 7 AI image generators
Best:What it makes7
Weakest:Openness and support4.5
Weights published under a named licence: noDoes not train on what you make: no
From $10No free plan
98% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Artsmart
5.1
Rank #7 of 8 brand and product image tools
Best:Getting volume out6.5
Weakest:Pricing4
Trains a private model on your own pictures: yes
From $19No free plan
85% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
PromeAI
6.1
Rank #5 of 8 brand and product image tools
Best:The imagery it is built for8
Weakest:Rights and privacy4
Trains a private model on your own pictures: yes
From $19Free plan
80% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Stockimg AI
7.8
Rank #1 of 8 brand and product image tools
Best:The imagery it is built for10
Weakest:Rights and privacy5
Trains a private model on your own pictures: yes
From $12Free plan
85% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
NightCafe Creator
8.6
Rank #1 of 4 AI art platforms
Best:What you can make with it10
Weakest:The community around it6.8
A public gallery of other people's work: yes
From $12.49Free plan
86% from published facts · checked 8 Oct
→
Playform
7.3
Rank #2 of 4 AI art platforms
Best:Rights and privacy9.5
Weakest:The community around it0
Does not train on what you make: yesA public gallery of other people's work: no
From $10Free plan
100% from published facts · checked 22 Sep
→
starryai
Free plan: yesFree trial: noAPI: noUpscaling: yesCustom training: yesInpainting: yes
Price not publishedFree plan
→
Stablecog
Free plan: yesFree trial: noAPI: yesUpscaling: yesBatch generation: yesPrivate generations: yes
From $11 (€10)Free plan
→