Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Upscale.media.
Want the closest match?
LumenFixMost similar to Upscale.media in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens LumenFix in a new tab)Need a free plan?
Face26Has a free plan, rated 3.9 out of 5.
Visit (opens Face26 in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
ImageColorizerFrom $3.9/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens ImageColorizer in a new tab)Want the best rated?
ImgUpscalerRated 3.8 out of 5 in our review, against 3.5 for Upscale.media.
Visit (opens ImgUpscaler in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Upscale.media, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Upscale.mediaBaseline | 3.5 | Free | Yes | AI upscales an image 2x, 4x or 8x by predicting and generating the missing pixels - not just stretching what's there. Free tier included, plus face restoration, deblur and colorize tools. | |
| LumenFix | 3.7+0.2 | $7.5/mo | Yes | AI photo enhancer that unblurs, restores and colorizes photos and upscales to 4K or higher, with free daily credits and no sign-up required. | vs Upscale.media |
| ImgUpscaler | 3.8+0.3 | Free | Yes | 2x and 4x super-resolution in the browser, with uploads deleted after a day. | vs Upscale.media |
 Pixalto | 3.3−0.2 | Not listed | No | Upscale a low-resolution photo and AI intelligently fills in missing detail rather than just stretching pixels - plus background removal and photo-to-sticker conversion. | vs Upscale.media |
| ImageColorizer | 3.8+0.3 | $3.9/mo | Yes | AI photo restoration tool that colorizes black-and-white images and repairs scratches, damage, and low detail in old photos. | vs Upscale.media |
| Face26 | 3.9+0.4 | $6/mo | Yes | AI photo restoration tool that unblurs, colorizes, and upscales old or damaged images. | vs Upscale.media |
 ImageEditor.AI | 3.4−0.1 | Free | Yes | Remove backgrounds, erase objects with AI inpainting, upscale 4x, and generate professional headshots - all in the browser, no install. | vs Upscale.media |
 Colorcinch | 3.6+0.1 | Free | Yes | AI Face Restoration, Inpainting, Background Removal, Image Upscale, and Photo-to-Anime - genuine generative editing tools, not just filters, in one photo editor. | vs Upscale.media |
 Bigjpg | 3.5Same | $6/mo | Yes | Free AI image upscaler using deep convolutional neural networks to enlarge artwork and photos up to 16 times, with paid plans from $6. | vs Upscale.media |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Upscale.media.
LumenFix
3.7$7.5/mo
vs Upscale.media+0.2
AI photo enhancer that unblurs, restores and colorizes photos and upscales to 4K or higher, with free daily credits and no sign-up required.
- Unblur, sharpen, restore and colorize photos
- Upscale to 4K and up to 8K print resolution
- Glare removal and text unblurring
Free daily credits without sign-up
Free tier is limited to daily credits and standard enhancement
ImgUpscaler
3.8Free
vs Upscale.media+0.3
2x and 4x super-resolution in the browser, with uploads deleted after a day.
- 2x and 4x AI super-resolution
- JPG, PNG, WebP and AVIF support
- Separate handling for photos, anime, products and portraits
Distinguishes content types instead of one model for everything
Super-resolution invents detail that was never captured
Pixalto
3.3Not listed
vs Upscale.media−0.2
Upscale a low-resolution photo and AI intelligently fills in missing detail rather than just stretching pixels - plus background removal and photo-to-sticker conversion.
- AI Image Upscale - intelligently fills missing detail, not just stretching
- AI Background Removal with transparent or custom backgrounds
- Photo to Sticker Conversion (WhatsApp and personal use)
AI upscaling reconstructs genuine detail rather than just stretching pixels
iOS-only - no Android or web version
ImageColorizer
3.8$3.9/mo
vs Upscale.media+0.3
AI photo restoration tool that colorizes black-and-white images and repairs scratches, damage, and low detail in old photos.
- AI colorization for black-and-white and sepia photographs
- Scratch and damage repair for torn or degraded prints
- Portrait retouching alongside restoration tools
Free tier's 50 monthly credits let users test restoration quality on real photos before paying
Credit-based pricing can run up costs fast for large restoration projects
Face26
3.9$6/mo
vs Upscale.media+0.4
AI photo restoration tool that unblurs, colorizes, and upscales old or damaged images.
- AI unblurring and detail enhancement tuned for faces and portraits
- Colorization of black-and-white or faded photographs
- Photo upscaling and resolution enhancement for low-quality originals
Restoration previews are free before committing to a download
Company disclosed little beyond the May 2023 launch announcement, with no public funding history
ImageEditor.AI
3.4Free
vs Upscale.media−0.1
Remove backgrounds, erase objects with AI inpainting, upscale 4x, and generate professional headshots - all in the browser, no install.
- AI inpainting for object, text, and watermark removal
- Instant AI background removal
- AI upscaling up to 4x resolution with detail recovery
Free tier includes all tools, not a crippled subset
Free tier capped at 5 daily edits and may include watermarks
Colorcinch
3.6Free
vs Upscale.media+0.1
AI Face Restoration, Inpainting, Background Removal, Image Upscale, and Photo-to-Anime - genuine generative editing tools, not just filters, in one photo editor.
- AI Face Restoration for damaged or low-quality photos
- AI Inpainting & Removal for intelligent element editing
- AI Background Removal
Five distinct AI tools cover meaningfully different editing tasks, not one relabeled feature
Specific pricing tiers weren't detailed on the page reviewed
Bigjpg
3.5$6/mo
vs Upscale.mediaSame
Free AI image upscaler using deep convolutional neural networks to enlarge artwork and photos up to 16 times, with paid plans from $6.
- AI super-resolution upscaling up to 16 times the original size
- Reconstructs lines, colour and detail rather than stretching pixels
- Tuned for illustration and anime-style artwork as well as photos
A free tier to test quality before paying
Free tier is capped at a 5 MB upload and a shared, slow server
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Upscale.media free?
Upscale.media has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Upscale.media?
Face26 is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (3.9 out of 5). Other free options: ImgUpscaler, ImageColorizer, LumenFix.
What is the cheapest alternative to Upscale.media?
Among paid plans, ImageColorizer has the lowest starting price (from $3.9/mo). If you need it free, start with Face26.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.