Upscayl — The Complete Guide: AI Image Upscaling, Locally on Your Computer
Upscayl is a desktop app that enlarges small images and restores detail using AI models. Unlike many upscaling websites, processing happens on your own computer: no upload to a server, no watermarks and no daily quota.
Upscayl
Upscayl
AI upscaling of low-resolution images, locally on your computer, with no watermarks and no cloud upload.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- AI upscaling — a sharper result than ordinary resizing in an editor.
- Several models — choose by image type: photo, illustration or drawing.
- Batch processing — upscale a whole folder in one action.
- Privacy — images never leave your computer.
- Three operating systems — Windows, macOS and Linux.
An important warning for engineering use
The model invents detail to make the image look sharp — it does not recover real information. So never rely on an upscaled image for measurements, for reading dimensions on a scanned drawing or for identifying cracks. A Vulkan-capable graphics card is required, and most integrated GPUs do not work. A separate paid Upscayl Cloud service also exists; the app itself is completely free.
Related tools
For editing and touch-up after upscaling — GIMP. For batch conversion and resizing from the command line — ImageMagick. For editing in the browser — Photopea.
GIMP
GIMP team
Advanced image editing — site photos, perspective correction, marking defects and preparing images for reports.
Get it from the vendor
ImageMagick
ImageMagick Studio LLC
A command-line suite for processing and converting images in more than 200 formats — automate resizing, cropping and conversion.
Get it from the vendor
Photopea
Ivan Kutskir (Photopea)
A Photoshop-style image editor in the browser with layers and PSD support, processing files on your own computer without uploading them.
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XnView MP
XnSoft
A cross-platform image browser and batch converter supporting more than 500 formats, including RAW and HEIC.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
The best free way to improve a small image for a presentation or report — as long as you remember that the new detail is the model’s guess.