Freemium★
Upscale.media
Browser upscaler: enlarge an image 2x to 8x with AI, with no watermark and one free image a day without an account.
BeginnerWebiOS
Icons8 Smart Upscaler
AI upscaler from the Icons8 design library, enlarging up to 8x and taking up to 500 images in one batch, with watermarked demo runs on the free tier.
PaidBeginnerWebMac
Overview
Icons8 Smart Upscaler enlarges an image and invents the detail needed to fill the new pixels, rather than stretching the pixels you already have and going soft. It enlarges up to 8x, and the finished file goes up to 7680x7680 pixels. It takes JPG, PNG and WebP up to 5 MB each, and up to 500 images in one batch.
It runs in a browser, and Icons8 also sells GoProd, a Mac app that pairs this upscaler with its background remover. Free gives a small number of watermarked demo images in total, not a refreshing allowance. Paid removes the watermark. Pricing comes three ways: prepaid packs with no clock on them, a subscription whose images roll over, and an unlimited subscription.
Key features
✓Enlarges up to 8x
✓Rebuilds detail rather than stretching pixels
✓Takes JPG, PNG & WebP up to 5 MB
✓Up to 500 images in one batch
✓Results up to 7680x7680 pixels
✓Prepaid packs with no clock on them
✓Subscription images roll over
✓Unlimited subscription tier
✓API available on separate plans
✓GoProd Mac app pairs it with background removal
When to use
Use Icons8 Smart Upscaler if:
- You need up to 8x, which covers most web, print and listing work.
- You have a whole set to enlarge. The dropzone takes up to 500 images at once.
- You upscale occasionally and do not want a subscription. The prepaid pack has no clock on it.
- You already use Icons8 for icons or illustrations, since this sits in the same place under the same account.
- You do not want an unused allowance to lapse. Subscription images roll over rather than expiring each month.
- Your files are JPG, PNG or WebP and under 5 MB each.
When NOT to use
Skip Icons8 Smart Upscaler if any of these describe you:
- You want to upscale for free. Free gives you a few watermarked demo images in total, then stops. Upscale.media and waifu2x enlarge images free with no watermark.
- You need more than 8x, or a result larger than 7680x7680 pixels. That is the limit here, so compare other image upscalers.
- Your files are over 5 MB each. That is the upload cap, so you would have to shrink them before enlarging them.
- The detail has to be real. Everything an upscaler adds is predicted, which rules it out for evidence or documentation.
Frequently asked questions
The free tier gives you a small number of images in total, not an allowance that comes back each day or month. They come out with a watermark on them. Once they are gone, the free tier is finished.
Up to 8x, with the finished file capped at 7680x7680 pixels. Icons8 says images smaller than 3000x3000 pixels work best. 8x is the maximum setting, not a promise about your photo. A soft or heavily compressed source loses detail well before it.
No. You can buy a prepaid pack of images and use them whenever you like, with nothing recurring and no clock running down. If you do subscribe, the monthly images roll over rather than expiring. There is also an unlimited tier for heavy use.
Yes. Each image can be up to 5 MB, and you can upload up to 500 of them at once. Photos straight off a camera are often over 5 MB, so check your files before paying. Anything over the limit has to be shrunk before you upload it.
No. The upscaler predicts what the missing detail most likely was, based on the images its model was trained on, and draws that in. The result has more detail than a stretch would, and that detail is a well-informed guess rather than something recovered from your photo. It is fine for a web page, a print or a listing. It is the wrong tool if someone might rely on a detail being accurate.
Icons8 states every plan includes 30-day storage, so a finished image stays available to download again for that period.
Alternatives to Icons8 Smart Upscaler
Paid
Let's Enhance
Enlarges up to 16x while fixing light, color and noise in the same pass.
BeginnerWeb
Paid
Freemium
