Alternatives to Real-ESRGAN
Open source AI model for upscaling and restoring images and video. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Real-ESRGAN
Open source AI model for upscaling and restoring images and video.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Real-ESRGAN.
Upscayl
Enlarges low-resolution images with AI models running on your own GPU, in a plain drag-and-drop window.
Upscayl is an AGPL desktop app with a drag-and-drop window and batch processing for local upscaling, though it needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU.
chaiNNer
Build reusable image-processing workflows by connecting nodes.
chaiNNer is a GPL node-based app that combines AI upscaling with other image operations in a visual pipeline instead of a command-line library.
Topaz Photo
Desktop image enhancement software that uses AI models to sharpen, denoise, unblur and upscale photos.
Topaz Photo is paid, closed-source Windows and macOS software that adds denoise, sharpen and unblur, with models that run locally or in the cloud.
Magnific
An online AI creative platform for generating and upscaling images, video and audio, formerly Freepik.
Magnific is a paid web platform with image and video upscaling up to 4K, requiring an account and processing online rather than locally.
Clipdrop
A set of web-based AI image tools for background removal, cleanup, upscaling, relighting and generation.
Clipdrop offers free web-based upscaling among other single-purpose AI tools, but images are processed online rather than on your own machine.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Real-ESRGAN as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Let's Enhance
Online AI tool that upscales, sharpens and restores photos up to 512 megapixels.
Real-ESRGAN is a BSD-licensed open-source model for upscaling and restoring images locally, used from the command line rather than through a polished web interface.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
NMKD Stable Diffusion GUI
A Windows program for generating images with Stable Diffusion locally on your own GPU.
Cleanup.pictures
A web tool that removes unwanted objects, people, text and defects from photos using AI inpainting.
Pixelcut
An AI photo and video editor for product images, with background removal, upscaling and generated scenes.
GIMP
The long-running free image editor for photo retouching, compositing and general pixel work.
Krea
A browser-based suite for generating and upscaling images and video with AI, including real-time generation.
Kohya's GUI
A local graphical interface for training LoRA models and fine-tuning Stable Diffusion image models.
