Honest comparison
UpRes vs Upscayl
Upscayl is free and local. UpRes is cloud-based with video support and API access. Different tools for different needs.
Pricing
UpRes
- Free — $0/mo · 5 upscales, watermarked
- Creator — $9/mo (launch deal, was $19) · 50 stills, 20 videos up to 8K
- Studio — $39/mo · 250 stills, 90 videos up to 8K
- Pay-as-you-go — credit packs from $5 for 50 upscales
Upscayl
- Free forever — open source, AGPL-3.0
- No paid plans or tiers
- Requires compatible GPU for best performance
- No cloud processing — runs on your machine
Feature Matrix
| Feature | UpRes | Upscayl | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Upscayl is 100% free OSS. UpRes has a free tier (5 images/mo, watermarked). | ||
| Open source | Upscayl is AGPL-3.0. UpRes is a commercial SaaS product. | ||
| Video upscaling | UpRes supports video up to 2GB. Upscayl is image-only. | ||
| API access | UpRes Business plan REST API. Upscayl has no API. | ||
| Web-based (no install) | UpRes runs in browser. Upscayl requires macOS/Windows/Linux desktop install. | ||
| Offline / local processing | Upscayl is fully offline. UpRes is cloud-only. | ||
| Batch processing | Both support batch. Upscayl runs on local GPU; UpRes queues in the cloud. | ||
| Faithful photo upscale | Upscayl runs open-source checkpoints locally. UpRes runs Flare in the cloud, plus the rest of the catalogue. | ||
| Custom model support | Upscayl lets you load custom ONNX models. UpRes serves 14 public aliases. | ||
| Max output resolution | UpRes goes up to 8K on every paid plan. Upscayl is bounded by local VRAM. | ||
| No VRAM/GPU required | UpRes runs on our GPUs — works on any device including phones/tablets. | ||
| Commercial license | UpRes commercial license on Pro/Business/PAYG. Upscayl AGPL-3.0 has copyleft implications for commercial use. | ||
| 14 public aliases | UpRes ships 14 public aliases. Upscayl ships a handful of local checkpoints plus a custom loader. | ||
| Face enhancement | Visage restores a face. Upscayl has a basic face option. |
When to choose each
Choose UpRes if…
- You need video upscaling (Upscayl does not support video)
- You need a REST API for automated pipelines
- You're on a machine without a dedicated GPU
- You want video, speech, and studio presets in the same catalogue
Choose Upscayl if…
- You want fully free, unlimited local processing
- Data privacy is critical — nothing leaves your machine
- You want to load custom ONNX models
- You prefer open-source software on principle
Frequently asked questions
Is Upscayl free?
Yes, Upscayl is fully free and open-source under the AGPL-3.0 license. It runs locally on your machine. UpRes also offers a free tier (5 upscales/month with watermark), with paid plans for higher volume and API access.
Does Upscayl support video upscaling?
Upscayl does not support video upscaling — it is an image-only tool. UpRes upscales video with Motion and Motion X, denoises it with Still, interpolates frames with Cadence, and can run Still then Motion X as Atelier X.
Can I use Upscayl via API?
Upscayl has no cloud API — it runs as a local desktop app. UpRes Business plan provides a REST API for programmatic upscaling at scale.