4 other AI Art & Drawing tools we have sourced reviews for, all in the same niche as Real-ESRGAN (Image Upscaling). Within that, they're ordered by aitrove popularity, not by a quality score: we haven't tested them hands-on, so we don't rank them as "best".
Best for: Batch upscaling on your own GPU.
Biggest catch: Can produce texture artifacts, over-sharpening and invented detail.
Skip it if: You need faithful restoration for archival or legal use.
Price: Free (open source). (checked Oct 11, 2026)
| Tool | Best for | Biggest catch | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topaz Gigapixel | Photographers upscaling and restoring images. | Subscription-only now. Perpetual licenses ended | Free tier: no. Standard $29/mo or $149/yr. Pro $499/yr. (checked Oct 10, 2026) |
| Waifu2x | Upscaling clean anime stills and illustrations. | Weak on photos | Free. (checked Oct 11, 2026) |
| Let's Enhance | Occasional print-quality upscales. | Batch work gets expensive, per reviews | Free trial credits. Personal $9/$24/$34 per mo (annual) or $12/$32/$45 monthly for 100/300/500 credits. (checked Oct 11, 2026) |
| Upscayl | Free local upscaling on a gaming-class GPU. | Needs a Vulkan-compatible dedicated GPU. Most iGPUs and CPU-only machines are unsupported | Free (open source). (checked Oct 11, 2026) |
Best for: Photographers upscaling and restoring images.
Subscription-only now. Perpetual licenses ended
Skip it if: You hate subscriptions.
Starting price: Free tier: no. Standard $29/mo or $149/yr. Pro $499/yr. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Full Topaz Gigapixel review · Topaz Gigapixel vs Real-ESRGAN · Topaz Gigapixel alternatives
Best for: Upscaling clean anime stills and illustrations.
Weak on photos
Skip it if: You're upscaling photos or video. Use Real-ESRGAN or Upscayl.
Starting price: Free. (checked Oct 11, 2026)
Full Waifu2x review · Waifu2x vs Real-ESRGAN · Waifu2x alternatives
Best for: Occasional print-quality upscales.
Batch work gets expensive, per reviews
Skip it if: You upscale thousands of images. Self-host Real-ESRGAN instead.
Starting price: Free trial credits. Personal $9/$24/$34 per mo (annual) or $12/$32/$45 monthly for 100/300/500 credits. (checked Oct 11, 2026)
Best for: Free local upscaling on a gaming-class GPU.
Needs a Vulkan-compatible dedicated GPU. Most iGPUs and CPU-only machines are unsupported
Skip it if: You only have integrated graphics.
Starting price: Free (open source). (checked Oct 11, 2026)
Pros, catches and prices are compiled from public sources (official pricing and docs pages, published reviews, user reports), not hands-on testing. Prices change often, so check the vendor page before you buy.