kitio.aiAdded Oct 28, 2026
Real-ESRGAN
FreeOpen-source AI model for upscaling and restoring real-world images
What is Real-ESRGAN?
Real-ESRGAN is an open-source super-resolution model that upscales and cleans up real-world photos and anime images. It powers many free upscalers, including Upscayl, and developers use it to add upscaling to their own apps and pipelines.
The repository includes pretrained models for general photos and anime, Python inference scripts and portable executables for Windows, Linux and macOS that run on most GPUs through Vulkan. It handles noise, blur and JPEG artifacts while enlarging. It is free under a BSD license and can be combined with face restoration models such as GFPGAN.
Features
- Photo upscaling models
- Anime upscaling models
- Portable executables
- Python API
- Artifact removal
Tags
Releases
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Organization
Xintao Wang
Listed by kitio.ai · unverified owner
Pricing
- Pricing model
- Free
- Paid options from
- 100% free
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Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and widely used
- Runs on most GPUs
- Good on compressed images
Cons
- Command-line for most uses
- Can look over-smooth
- Not actively developed
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Q&A
What is Real-ESRGAN?
Real-ESRGAN is an open-source super-resolution model that upscales and cleans up real-world photos and anime images. It powers many free upscalers, including Upscayl, and developers use it to add upscaling to their own apps and pipelines.
How much does Real-ESRGAN cost?
Real-ESRGAN is 100% free.
Is there a free version of Real-ESRGAN?
Yes. Real-ESRGAN is completely free to use.
What are the main features of Real-ESRGAN?
Photo upscaling models, Anime upscaling models, Portable executables, Python API, Artifact removal.
Who makes Real-ESRGAN?
Real-ESRGAN is made by Xintao Wang.
What are the best alternatives to Real-ESRGAN?
Popular alternatives include rembg, Upscayl, GFPGAN.