Tool · Pictures

Upscayl

A free, open-source desktop app that makes small or blurry pictures bigger and sharper using AI. Runs on your own Windows, Mac or Linux computer; needs a graphics card that supports Vulkan.

Go to Upscayl’s website

At a glance

Open or closed: Fully open
Weights and code downloadable under a standard open licence
App and its upscayl-ncnn backend are AGPL-3.0.
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked on the maker's own page
Licence: GNU AGPL-3.0 (Copyleft (e.g. GPL): share changes under the same licence)
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked on the maker's own page
Can I sell what I make?: The terms don't say clearly
The AGPL covers the software, not your upscaled pictures; the repo says nothing about outputs. Bundled models carry their own licences. upscayl.org could not be read (robots.txt).
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · inferred or from a secondary source; needs review
Cost: Free option: The desktop app is free.
Plans below.
How you use it: Desktop app, On your own computer
Windows 10+, macOS 12+, Linux (AppImage, DEB, RPM, Flatpak/ZIP).
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked on the maker's own page
Skill needed: No setup
Inferred: normal installer, but needs a Vulkan-capable GPU; many integrated GPUs don't work.
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · inferred or from a secondary source; needs review
Made by: Upscayl (open-source project)
Maintained by the upscayl GitHub organisation; no company or country stated. upscayl.org blocks automated fetching (robots.txt).
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked, but the page was unclear or partial
Status: Available
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked, but the page was unclear or partial

What you can make with it

A picture, make a photo sharper or bigger (main use)

image to image

source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked on the maker's own page

Plans and prices

No paid plans listed.

Described as free and open source. Any paid cloud service on upscayl.org could not be checked (site blocks fetching).

source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked, but the page was unclear or partial

Rights and safety

Limits: note: Requires a Vulkan-compatible GPU; many integrated graphics chips do not work.
source · checked 12 Oct 2026 · checked on the maker's own page

Models it uses

Real-ESRGAN

Models it uses (not yet listed on Plainly)

Remacri, UltraSharp, Ultramix Balanced, High Fidelity (HFA2k)

Other options for “A picture, make a photo sharper or bigger”

Adobe Firefly, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Bria, Claid, Clipdrop, DiffusionBee, DomoAI, Dreamina, Flair, FlexClip, Fooocus, getimg.ai, Higgsfield, Ideogram, ImagineArt, Kittl, Krea, Lensa, Leonardo.Ai, Let's Enhance, LTX Studio, Luminar Neo, Mage Space

About this entry

Facts last checked 12 Oct 2026 against the maker’s own pages (each fact links to its source). Entry status: draft. Plain-English summary written by Plainly.