With a picture speaking a thousand words, we all know how important it is to have an attractive set of images for both – commercial and personal use. And thanks to smartphones and numerous styles of cameras, taking photos and uploading them on your favorite platform is easier than ever.
However, the trouble starts brewing when the picture is smaller than the required size. Or it is low quality, and you want to make it appear in high-resolution. In this case, a simple ‘click and drag’ would probably blur the picture more instead of improving the quality.
Fortunately, there are many – freemium and premium tools available to help you resize images without losing the quality. What are they? And which one is the best? Let’s find out in our guide below!
Upscaler by StockPhotos.com
Key Features:
· Upscale images up to 8X
· Supports photos up to 5MB
· Completely free with no mandatory sign-up
The Upscaler by StockPhotos allows you to upscale your images up to 8 times. Backed by Artificial intelligence, the upscaler can analyze the lost details and add effects to improve the quality. It is free to use, right from your browser, with no sign-up required.
When it comes to images, the StockPhotos tool supports images up to 5MB. At the same time, the image width-and-height limit setting is 2000 pixels – with a minimum range of 1200 X 1200.
One of the most notable features of this upscaler is the ability to set images automatically according to the social media networks. Yes, once you find the required upscale size for your image, you can modify the settings and download a picture ready to use for social media.
Moreover, an extension for Chrome and Mac is available for Upscaler by StockPhotos.
Smart Upscaler by Icons8
Key Features:
· AI handles all enhancements
· Support API
· Secure process
Icons8 Smart Upscaler is a tool to enhance and enlarge images that handle all enhancements through AI. It uses machine learning trained by a 5 million images dataset to do pattern recognition and decide how edges and shapes in the image should look while increasing the overall size 4X.
Its image upload interface is a simple drag and drop. It allows JPG and PNG images of up to 5Mb in size. In addition, it can upscale an image up to 4x or 3000x3000px.
You can use it for free for three images. To enhance more images, you need to pay per image or choose a recurring plan.
Deep Image
Key Features:
· Supports API
· Batch upscale
· Free trial
The Deep Image is another upscale tool that relies on AI to process images. It is compatible with Windows and Mac OS. A mobile version is also available that allows upscaling on the go for both – Android and iOS users.
The Deep image processes images up to 4X the actual size. You can also choose to remove artifacts to improve the overall picture quality. A batch upload is also available, allowing users to upload multiple images for upscaling.
The only downside of this upscaler is that it is not free. It has a free trial for five images only, while payment plans can also be chosen according to the use.
Vance AI Image Enhancer
Key Features:
· Easy to use
· Recovers details
· Upscale images up to 4X
Vance AI Image Enhancer is backed by deep convolutional neural networks that allow it to identify blur or noise that comes between images. All you need to do is click on the image size you wish to process, and the software automatically produces a high definition image up to 4K.
It has a limit of 5MB, while the resolution should be less than 2000 x 2000 pixels. If you have pictures more extensive than the limited size, you can download the desktop app that upscale images of any size.
When it comes to pricing, Vance allows five free images for one month. You can upgrade to a premium version that unlocks more features, including batch processing and even enlargement of up to 40X.
Upscale Pics
Key Features:
· Upscale image online up to 2X
· Improves the overall image
· Removes present artifacts
Upscale Pics is a web-based image tool that upscale images up to 2X. Supported by AI upscaling, the tool removes JPEG artifacts and improves the tone of pictures as needed. You can also remove the background and enhance the colors with this tool.
In fact, it may have limited upscale capacity, but the editing tools of this website are at par with premium versions. They can make your photographs appear professional in no time.
However, it is not free to use. While basic features are free, there are pricing plans you can purchase according to the use.
Photo Refiner
Key Features:
· Upscale images up to 16X
· Fast processing speed
· High-quality results
Photo Refiner is marketed as the upscale tool that allows upscaling of up to 16X. And that too in just 10 seconds. It is fast and improves the quality of images while it processes the size. Unlike traditional choices, the Photo Refiner uses an in-depth learning methodology to upscale photos without compromising the quality.
The only drawback is that it is not free. Unfortunately, you even need to register and become a member before you try out the upscale tool. Pricing plans vary but generally are more expensive than other options listed in this review guide.
GIMP
Key features:
· Free software
· Supports all image formats
· Available on all operating system
Gimp is a photo editing program that is entirely free to use. It is also open source and allows users to optimize the program as well if they have the technical knowledge.
It comes with various image editing tools that add effect, layers, and covers to your existing images. You can use the same tools to rescale your photos, too, according to the image required for various social media websites.
It supports all file formats and sizes of the image. All you have to do is download the software on your desktop, and you can use it as much and as many times as you want.
Photoshop
Key Features:
· Professional photo editing software
· Upscale in multiple ways
· Customizes images
Photoshop doesn’t need any introduction. It is one of the most popular photo editing software that can be used as an image upscaler.
However, unlike others mentioned in this review guide, Photoshop doesn’t use AI technology to edit photos. Instead, it analyzes each pixel and upscale the images based on its analysis.
Overall, Photoshop is complicated for amateur users. It’s great for professional users, but if you are just a casual image upscaler, we recommend going for free options on the list.
Final Verdict
If budget is not an issue, we especially liked Vance image enhancer for maximizing the images up to 40 times. That’s the best you can get when it comes to image upscaler. However, Upscaler by StockPhotos is ideal for a freebie and comes with some great options that are not found on the premium tools as well.
Outro
This is a guest post by Amos Struck, Stock Photo Entrepreneur, Industry Expert, founder of Stock Photo Press, and co-founder of Microstock Expo
