AI image upscaling does more than just add more pixels. It reinterprets the original image to include details that didn’t exist before, based on models learned from a vast dataset. This ability to “imagine” details makes AI upscalers powerful tools for image restoration, digital art, and photography.

AI image upscaling has a wide range of applications, from restoring old family photos to producing content for digital media. In cinema, for example, this technology makes it possible to remaster old films in 4K or even 8K quality. In surveillance, it can help clarify poor-quality images or video.

Image upscaling tools rely mainly on two types of AI approach:convolutional neural networks (CNNs)and generative adversarial networks (GANs). CNNs are excellent at recognizing structures and patterns in images, making them ideal for predicting and adding missing pixels. GANs, on the other hand, involve a network that generates new images and another that assesses their quality, making it possible to produce highly realistic images.

To better understand how image generation with AI works, read our article: AI Image Generators: Exploring Key Principles

This seems obvious, but first let’s remember that the higher the quality of the original image, the better the upscaling results. Blurred, or noisy images may not improve as much as hoped.

Although upscaling can improve image resolution, starting with an image of at least medium resolution can help achieve better results.

Different upscaling tools are optimized for specific image types (such as portraits, landscapes or digital illustrations). Choosing the right tool for your image can make a big difference.

Some tools offer customizable options for upscaling, such as adjusting the level of sharpness or degree of magnification. Experimenting with these settings can improve results.

Some tools allow you to choose between different upscaling algorithms. Experiment with these options to see which produces the best result for your specific image.

Upscaling too aggressively can introduce artifacts or an unnatural appearance. It’s often better to aim for a balance between enhancement and authenticity.

For photography, using images in RAW format instead of JPEG can provide the upscaling tool with more information to work with, resulting in better final quality.

Although AI upscaling can produce impressive results, it has its limits, particularly with extremely degraded or very low-resolution images. Knowing these limitations can help manage expectations.

Aiarty Image Enhancer is a 4-in-1 automatic denoising, deblurring, enhancement and AI upscaling tool, offering upscaling support up to 800%.

It lets you restore lost detail, eliminate noise and upscale photos to impressive resolutions. Ideal for creators looking to optimize the clarity of their images, even those generated by AI.

Our verdict: Aiarty Image Enhancer is an excellent choice for enhancing your AI-generated photos or images. It guarantees impressive results with professional-level quality.

AVCLabs Photo Enhancer AI uses deep learning to increase image resolution by up to 400%.

Our opinion: Excellent for professionals and amateurs looking to significantly improve images.

Icons8 Smart Upscaler enlarges images by up to 4x using AI algorithms.

Our opinion: Ideal for quick and effective improvements with ease of use.

Deep Image enhances and scales images for high-end rendering.

Our opinion: Very useful for digital content creators and e-commerce platforms.

Vance AI is a complete image enhancement tool with various AI features.

Our opinion: Excellent option for publishers looking for a complete suite of AI tools.

Let’s Enhance improves image quality for a variety of applications.

Our opinion: Perfect for professionals in specific sectors requiring high-quality images.

Fotor uses AI technology to enable instant image scaling, delivering high-resolution results with minimal effort.

Our opinion: An excellent choice for quick and easy enhancements, with a user-friendly interface.

Media.io enlarges, enhances, and scales photos up to 4K resolution, supporting multiple formats with an easy-to-use interface.

Our opinion: Very effective for general use, offering flexibility in image processing.

Clipdrop Upscaler uses AI to denoise and scale an image in less than five seconds.

Our opinion: Excellent for quick, uncomplicated enhancements, particularly useful for everyday image editing tasks.

Img2go offers a simple and effective solution for upgrading images online for free.

Our opinion: Ideal for those looking for a fast, easy-to-use solution for basic image upscaling tasks.