# Upscayl online — options compared

> Upscayl is a free, open-source desktop app (AGPL-3.0) for Windows, macOS and Linux that needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU. To use it online you have two options: Upscayl Cloud, its official paid service (a monthly Pro plan with 300 credits), or a browser upscaler such as Kenerate AI, whose default engine is also Real-ESRGAN — 25 free credits, no install, no subscription.

URL: https://kenerateai.com/upscayl-online
Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com)
Last updated: 26 September 2026

## Key facts
- Upscayl desktop: Free, needs a Vulkan GPU
- Upscayl Cloud Pro: 300 credits a month, up to 256 MP
- Kenerate: Browser, 7 engines, no install
- Same model family: Real-ESRGAN

## Steps
1. Open the Kenerate upscaler — Go to kenerateai.com/app/tool/image-upscale in any browser — nothing to download, no GPU needed.
2. Pick Real-ESRGAN — It is the default engine and the same model family Upscayl uses by default.
3. Try the other engines on hard images — Image Upscaler for 4K/8K, Clarity Pro for extra detail, Phota Enhance for old or blurry photos.
4. Batch the rest — For a folder of photos, use Batch edit in Edit Studio — up to 20 at a time.

## In depth

### Upscayl is a front end for Real-ESRGAN
Upscayl's README says it uses Real-ESRGAN and Vulkan to upscale on your GPU [1]; its guide notes the default models upscale 4× natively and other scales are made by resizing that output [2].

### What Real-ESRGAN is good at
Real-ESRGAN (Wang et al., 2021) was trained on synthetic real-world damage — blur, noise, resizing and JPEG, applied twice — so it handles phone photos, screenshots and reposts well [3]. It is open source under BSD-3-Clause, with a separate lighter model for anime [4]. Kenerate's default engine is Real-ESRGAN, so on the same image the two give similar results; the difference is where it runs and what else is available.

### When a different engine is better
Real-ESRGAN is a GAN model tuned for sharpness. For faces in old photos a restoration model is better; for art where you want new texture, a creative diffusion-style upscaler is. The perception–distortion trade-off means no single model is best at both [5].

References:
[1] Upscayl — GitHub README: https://github.com/upscayl/upscayl
[2] Upscayl — Guide (models and scales): https://github.com/upscayl/upscayl/wiki/Guide
[3] Wang et al. — Real-ESRGAN (ICCV Workshops 2021): https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.10833
[4] Real-ESRGAN — GitHub (BSD-3-Clause, anime model): https://github.com/xinntao/Real-ESRGAN
[5] Blau & Michaeli — The Perception-Distortion Tradeoff (CVPR 2018): https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.06077

## FAQ
Q: Is there an Upscayl online version?
A: Yes — Upscayl Cloud is Upscayl's official paid online service (a monthly Pro plan with 300 credits, and a 10-credit free trial after an application). The free Upscayl app itself is desktop-only. If you want a browser upscaler without a subscription, Kenerate runs Real-ESRGAN online, with 25 free credits on sign-up.

Q: Can I use Upscayl without a GPU?
A: The desktop app needs a Vulkan-compatible GPU and many integrated GPUs won't work. Without one, use Upscayl Cloud or an online upscaler such as Kenerate, which runs on our servers.

Q: Is Kenerate the same as Upscayl?
A: No. Kenerate is a separate product. Its default engine is Real-ESRGAN — the same model family Upscayl uses by default — and it adds six other engines, from 2K/4K/8K output to photo restoration.

Q: Is Upscayl free?
A: The desktop app is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). Upscayl Cloud is paid.

Q: Does Upscayl work on Mac?
A: Yes, Upscayl lists macOS 12 and later, as well as Windows 10+ and Linux. Kenerate works in any browser on any system.

Q: How is Kenerate different from Upscayl Cloud?
A: Kenerate has no subscription: one-time credit packs that never expire and 25 free credits on sign-up, with seven engines including 4K/8K output and photo restoration. Upscayl Cloud is a monthly plan; Pro includes 300 credits and images up to 256 MP.

Q: Which gives better quality?
A: With the same Real-ESRGAN model the results are similar. Kenerate's extra engines matter for faces, old photos and print sizes; Upscayl's custom models matter if you have a favourite community model.

## Related pages
- AI image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-upscaler
- Upscale image: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-image
- AI image enhancer: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-enhancer
- Upscale image to 4K: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-image-to-4k
- Increase image resolution: https://kenerateai.com/increase-image-resolution
- HD photo converter: https://kenerateai.com/hd-photo-converter
- Unblur image: https://kenerateai.com/unblur-image
- Sharpen image: https://kenerateai.com/sharpen-image
- Unpixelate image: https://kenerateai.com/unpixelate-image
- Photo restoration: https://kenerateai.com/photo-restoration
- Uncensored image enhancer: https://kenerateai.com/enhance-ai
- Enhance AI art: https://kenerateai.com/enhance-ai-art
- Anime upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/anime-upscaler
- Bulk image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/bulk-image-upscaler
- Remove glare from photo: https://kenerateai.com/remove-glare-from-photo
- Restore old photos: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-restore-old-photos
- Best photo restoration software: https://kenerateai.com/best-photo-restoration-software
- Denoise photos: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-denoise-photos
- Increase image resolution: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-increase-resolution-of-an-image
- Sharpen an image in Photoshop: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-sharpen-an-image-in-photoshop
- All upscaler alternatives: https://kenerateai.com/image-upscaler-alternatives
- Remini alternative: https://kenerateai.com/remini-alternative
- Let's Enhance alternative: https://kenerateai.com/lets-enhance-alternative
- upscale.media alternative: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-media-alternative
- Bigjpg alternative: https://kenerateai.com/bigjpg-alternative
- VanceAI alternative: https://kenerateai.com/vanceai-alternative
- waifu2x alternative: https://kenerateai.com/waifu2x-alternative
- Magnific AI alternative: https://kenerateai.com/magnific-ai-alternative
- Topaz Labs alternative: https://kenerateai.com/alternatives/topazlabs-alternative

## Sources
- Upscayl — GitHub README: https://github.com/upscayl/upscayl
- Upscayl — Guide (scales and models): https://github.com/upscayl/upscayl/wiki/Guide
- Upscayl Cloud — Pricing: https://upscayl.org/pricing