Topaz Gigapixel vs Real-ESRGAN

Topaz Gigapixel and Real-ESRGAN are both AI Art & Drawing tools (Image Upscaling). Below: what each costs, what it does well, its biggest catches, and who should pick which, all from public sources rather than our own testing.

Side by side

Topaz GigapixelReal-ESRGAN
CategoryAI Art & Drawing · Image UpscalingAI Art & Drawing · Image Upscaling
PricingFree tier: no. Standard $29/mo or $149/yr. Pro $499/yr. (checked Oct 10, 2026)Free (open source). (checked Oct 11, 2026)
Pros
  • Top-tier AI image upscaling
  • Standard and Pro tiers
  • Old perpetual licenses still run their legacy versions
  • Free, open-source image and video upscaler that runs locally
  • BSD 3-Clause license allows commercial use
  • Fast enough for batch work, with an anime model
Catches
  • Subscription-only now. Perpetual licenses ended
  • New models need an active subscription
  • Complaints about auto-renewal and the perpetual-license change
  • Can produce texture artifacts, over-sharpening and invented detail
  • Can't recover detail missing from the source
  • Tiled processing can leave visible seams
Best forPhotographers upscaling and restoring images.Batch upscaling on your own GPU.
Skip it ifYou hate subscriptions.You need faithful restoration for archival or legal use.

Which should you pick?

Pick Topaz Gigapixel if…

you fit this: photographers upscaling and restoring images.

But not if: you hate subscriptions.

Watch out for: Subscription-only now. Perpetual licenses ended.

Pick Real-ESRGAN if…

you fit this: batch upscaling on your own GPU.

But not if: you need faithful restoration for archival or legal use.

Watch out for: Can produce texture artifacts, over-sharpening and invented detail.

More options

Sources

Topaz Gigapixel

Real-ESRGAN

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.