kitio.aiCodeFormer vs GFPGAN
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. GFPGAN is completely free, while CodeFormer is paid.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Face restoration for old photos
- Fixes faces in AI-generated images
- Browser playground
- Replicate API
- Local Docker setup
- Face restoration
- Background upscaling
- Python scripts
- Pretrained models
- Batch processing
| Feature | CodeFormer | GFPGAN |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source face restoration model for old and AI-generated photos | Open-source model for restoring blurry and old faces in photos |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free |
| Starting price | See pricing page | Free |
| Free plan | No | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Shangchen Zhou (sczhou) | Tencent ARC Lab |
| Based in | – | China |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
GFPGAN is completely free, while CodeFormer is paid.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
1 plan
Pay per run
About $0.0056 / run
- Billed by Replicate per prediction
- Runs on Nvidia L40S GPUs
- Cost varies with input
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
CodeFormer
- Runs in a few seconds per image
- Costs about half a cent per run
- Code can be run locally for free
- Non-commercial license only
- Focused on faces, not whole-image repair
- Hosted version bills per run
GFPGAN
- Strong face repair
- Free and open source
- Widely integrated
- Faces can look too smooth
- May change identity slightly
- Needs Python setup
Which one should you choose?
Choose CodeFormer if you want:
- Runs in a few seconds per image
- Costs about half a cent per run
- Code can be run locally for free
Watch out: non-commercial license only.
Choose GFPGAN if you want:
- Strong face repair
- Free and open source
- Widely integrated
Watch out: faces can look too smooth.
CodeFormer vs GFPGAN FAQ
What is the difference between CodeFormer and GFPGAN?
CodeFormer: Open-source face restoration model for old and AI-generated photos. GFPGAN: Open-source model for restoring blurry and old faces in photos. Both are image tools.
Is CodeFormer or GFPGAN cheaper?
GFPGAN is completely free, while CodeFormer is paid.
Do CodeFormer and GFPGAN have free plans?
CodeFormer: No. GFPGAN: Yes, fully free.
Who makes CodeFormer?
CodeFormer is made by Shangchen Zhou (sczhou).
Who makes GFPGAN?
GFPGAN is made by Tencent ARC Lab, based in China.
Which should I choose, CodeFormer or GFPGAN?
Choose CodeFormer if you value runs in a few seconds per image and costs about half a cent per run. Choose GFPGAN if you value strong face repair and free and open source.