Upscayl review

Upscayl is a free, open source desktop app that enlarges and enhances low resolution images with AI. It runs on Linux, macOS and Windows, processes images on your own machine, and publishes its code on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 license, where the project has more than 52,000 stars. Linux users can install it as an AppImage, Flatpak or Snap. The catch is hardware: the project says you need a Vulkan compatible graphics card, and many integrated graphics chips will not work. Upscayl focuses on upscaling, so it lacks the face recovery, dust removal and lighting tools that Topaz Photo bundles. The team also runs Upscayl Cloud, a separate online service for people without a suitable GPU. For anyone with a gaming PC or a recent Mac who only needs bigger, cleaner images, it is hard to beat on price. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

budget users with a capable graphics card

Price

Free and open source desktop app; a separate Upscayl Cloud service is also offered.

Free and Open Source AI Image Upscaler for Linux, MacOS and Windows.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Enlarges and enhances low resolution images with AI models
• Runs locally on Linux, macOS and Windows
• Open source under the AGPL-3.0 license
• Bundles Real-ESRGAN based upscaling models
• Available as AppImage, Flatpak and Snap on Linux

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: No cost and no account needed for the desktop app
• Strength: Files are processed on your own computer
• Strength: Public code with more than 52,000 GitHub stars
• Weakness: Needs a Vulkan compatible GPU, and many integrated graphics chips do not work
• Weakness: Upscaling only, without face recovery or scratch removal tools
• Weakness: No vendor support contract for the free app

Key facts

• Price: Free
• License: AGPL-3.0
• Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows
• Hardware: Vulkan compatible GPU required

Where it ranks

Upscayl is No. 4 in our Best AI Photo Enhancers verdict.