Best Gigapixel AI Alternatives - Personally Tested Free Image Upscaler AI for 2024

You know how Gigapixel AI is a game-changer, especially for photographers and digital artists. It turns a grainy and pixelated photo into a stunningly sharp image, be it old family photos, professional shots, or Midjourney's 1024x1024 results.

However, there is no solution that fits all. While Gigapixel AI has set a high bar, there are plenty of reasons you might be searching for a Gigapixel AI alternative. Maybe it's about the price tag, a special feature it doesn't offer, or something that plays nice with your device.

So, here in this article, I list some of the best AI image upscalers to serve as an alternative to Gigapixel AI. Stay around and turn your meh low-res images into wow high-res masterpieces.

Disclaimer

There are many ways to upscale an image, and covering all of them is not the goal of this blog. So I chose some of the most popular AI image enhancers, both free and paid.

Trial subjects: The test pool includes 5 images of various kinds, including low-res portraits, wildlife photography, old photographs, anime images, and AI-generated images.

Benchmarks: Key metrics such as image clarity and noise reduction were the primary focus. Besides, I also considered ease of use and processing speed.

Hardware configuration: I ran all tests on a Windows 10 PC with the following configuration.

Intel Core i7-13700K (24 CPUs), ~3.4GHz

32 GB 5200 MHz

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

1. VideoProc Converter AI

VideoProc Converter AI is a complete toolkit that goes beyond traditional image upscaling. When you launch the program, it puts almost all its features in front of you, including Super Resolution - the video and image upscaling tool with real AI algorithms trained with millions of reality and anime data.

You'll see a hardware detection when entering the Super Resolution module. But worry not since you don't need a beefy computer to run the AI model. VideoProc Converter AI has the minimum system requirements among all the tested AI processing software.

VideoProc Converter AI offers a minimalist and clean interface. Every control is in its place, and the overall experience is straightforward and intuitive. You drag and drop all the images or a folder with all. Yes, batch processing is supported! Then, you can change every setting according to your needs. That includes the file type, denoise level, upscaling models, format, and quality level. VideoProc Converter AI allows you to export images in JPG or PNG format. Finally, click the RUN button. Voilà, done!

In this comparison, I put all the VideoProc Converter AI upscales against the original images resized to have the same resolution. To be consistent with the original file, I chose JPG as the output format in each text. Now, you can see the result below.

VideoProc Converter AI offers a clean version of the upscaled image. The bokeh effect in the background is smooth and does not have noticeable processing artifacts. The subject is in sharp focus with a shallow depth of field. The colors are vibrant and the detail in the squirrel's fur is clear. The upscaling process preserved a good amount of details without introducing too much noise or distortion. Overall, VideoProc Converter AI effectively maintains a natural look and balances the sharpness of the subject with the softness of the background.

Speed: ~5 seconds

JPG file size: at ~335 KB per image. VideoProc Converter AI provides the smallest difference from the original file size among all tests.

Pros:

• Low system configuration requirements for more CPU and GPU models
• High-quality outputs up to 400% and 8K/10K resolution for image
• Intuitive interface, easy to use, real-time dynamically adjusts and preview
• Lightweight, standalone with no additional model downloads
• Regular ever-improving AI model updates with software upgrade
• The broad feature set isn't limited to upscaling images and videos. It also includes AI video stabilization and frame interpolation.

Cons:

• Lack of support for Linux systems
• The processing speed is not the fastest in my test. However, it delivers the most stable output results.

2. Upscayl

For Linux users, Upscayl is well acclaimed for its simplicity and effectiveness in the community. This open-source project makes a Gigapixel AI free alternative.

Upscayl runs on Windows 8 and later, between VideoProc Converter AI and Topaz. The former can run on Windows 7 and above, while the latter requires at least Windows 10. After launching the program, Upscayl requires no additional downloads. It includes five upscaling presets but offers little explanation of what these modes are for. So I checked their wiki pages on GitHub - can't say that's very friendly for novice users.

The interface is not the aesthetically best, but pretty straightforward. In the Settings tab, Upscayl allows you to set output format, folder, scale, compression options, etc. It is worth mentioning that it has an Add Custom Models button on the interface. As the name suggests, you can even download and use your own AI models in Upscayl.

Some bugs occurred during my use of the program. For example, the program returned a PNG image even if I set the output format to JPG, and the preview window did not load successfully. However, it does offer a straightforward user experience while producing decent results. For those who are looking for a free AI upscaler, Upscayl could be one of the best options, especially on Linux.

Speed: ~6 seconds

PNG file size: at ~4.43 MB per image. The file size output by Upscayl is at the top of this list. Even before it insisted on exporting PNG files, the size of a single JPG file was around 3 MB.

Pros:

• Open source, Topaz Gigapixel AI free alternative
• Straightforward interface and workflow
• Decent output quality for photo-realistic and anime images
• Up to 16x upscaling (with two runs of Upscayl though)
• Upcoming Upscayl Cloud

Cons:

• Primarily focused on Linux
• Not very stable performance on Windows
• A little bit of a learning curve

3. AVCLabs Photo Enhancer

AVCLabs Photo Enhancer is a powerful tool. It integrates several AI models such as image upscaler, denoiser, and sharpener into the software. After loading the image, you can select the feature you need on the right side of the interface. AVCLabs offers many customizable parameters, including image brightness, contrast, saturation, face recovery, DPI, etc.

But before loading the images, you need to wait to download necessary components like AI models, runtime, etc. But the upscaling process is extremely fast. It only took about 2 seconds to upscale an image. Batch processing is also supported. In my test, AVCLabs did a neat upscaling for anime images. However, the results were far from satisfactory when it came to another set of tests.

The processing artifacts - especially noticeable in the bokeh areas - suggest that the upscaling wasn't successful. It introduced a degree of distortion and loss of detail. My guess is the upscaling algorithm interpreted the out-of-focus areas inaccurately. And that huge trial version watermark.

Speed: ~2 seconds

JPG file size: at ~1.23 MB per image.

Pros:

• Streamlined interface with customizable new workflow
• Efficient processing speed, ideal for quick enhancements
• Lots of features, including face refinement, color correction, change image DPI, etc.
• Batch processing is supported.

Cons:

• Not very satisfactory image quality for image upscaling
• Huge trial version watermark
• It doesn't allow using different settings for each image when processing in bulk.

4. Icons8 Upscaler

Icons8 Upscaler is a good Gigapixel AI alternative for those who prefer an online upscaler. Although Icons8 doesn't offer as many features as Gigapixel AI, it provides a quick solution to enhance image quality with artificial intelligence.

The whole process of upscaling is extremely easy. You drag and drop the images, wait a minute, and see a before-after preview on the right side. Icons8 works well when upscaling to 2x and preserves the bokeh quality. There are some digital artifacts with close inspection, particularly around the edges of the squirrel and where the background meets the subject. But anyway, it's still a decent upscaling job.

However, please note that while Icons8 works well, it's not free. Free users have a limit of 3 images and can only upscale images for 2x with a watermark. To enlarge more images or get the 4x upscaling option, you'll need to upgrade to a paid license.

Speed: ~3 seconds (upscale 2x)

JPG file size: ~283 KB per image.

Pros:

• Web-based with no software installation
• Ideal for users who need immediate results
• Optional background removal (with paid plan)

Cons:

• Very limited free trial with a watermark
• Only enlarge to 2x with the free trial
• Best suited for basic upscaling needs, might not meet the requirements of professional-grade image enhancement.

5. Let's Enhance

Let's Enhance is a popular Gigapixel AI alternative on Reddit, so I also put it into this test to see the results. It's an online AI resolution upscaler with no software download or installation required.

Let's Enhance allows importing from your device and Google Drive. Compared to Icons8, it offers more adjustable settings when upscaling. You can choose four Upscale types with different maximum upscaling times. There are also options for background removal, color correction, and output format. I chose Photo as the type and 4x upscaling for the same picture in the previous test. After about 20 seconds of processing, I got the upscaled image below. Here's what I can tell.

The picture is reasonably well-rendered with a natural and non-distracting backdrop. However, even though I selected the default, most basic mode without additional processing, the image still seemed to have some color reproduction, including sharpness and clarity. Despite this, the overall quality of the image is good.

Speed: ~19 seconds

JPG file size: ~1.36 MB per image, ranks average throughout the test.

Pros:

• Alternative to Gigapixel AI online with no software installation
• Up to 4x upscaling with a free plan
• More adjustable image upscaling settings

Cons:

• The processing speed is much slower than other alternatives.
• When batch processing, different types of images can only share the same model.
• Watermarks on outputs with the free plan

Verdict

In this test, I picked some of the best Gigapixel AI alternatives nowadays. I hope it helps, whether you settle with a simpler free image upscaler or are serious about AI upscaling your images.

VideoProc Converter AI shows the most excellent results in the vast majority of tests, whether in terms of processing speed, stability, or image quality. The outputs turned out perfectly detailed without artifacts or pixelation. It's almost pretty much the most budget-friendly one with an intuitive interface. Feel free to download and have a trial on VideoProc Converter AI.