Aiarty vs Upscayl (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Upscayl grades higher than Aiarty: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Upscayl grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Aiarty
Desktop AI image enhancer, video enhancer and background matting
Upscayl
Free desktop image upscaler with a paid credit-based cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Aiarty if
- Fits if you want to enhance or cut out images on your own computer
- Works for people who prefer a one-time licence to a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to generate images from a prompt, as none of the programs does
- Watch out: prices come from a Black Friday sale, and the end date was not readable
- Watch out: licences are per platform, so Windows covers 3 Windows PCs and Mac covers 3 Macs
- Tight if you want all three programs, which is $259 for the collection
- Not for you if you work on a phone or in a browser, as it is Windows and Mac only
Pick Upscayl if
- Fits if you want to enlarge photos for free, on your own machine
- Works for people who batch-process images and would rather not upload them
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need editing or image generation, as those are in the paid cloud only
- Tight if you try the cloud: the trial is 10 credits once, and it needs a trial application
- Pricey if you want cloud credits, at $24.99 a month for 300, and unused ones are lost when you cancel
- Not for you if you want it on a phone, since only desktop and web versions are listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAiartyGood | 3.0GPAUpscaylVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AImage Matting is $75 once, the Image Enhancer $109 and the Video Enhancer $149, all below a year of the category's $11.88 middle subscription. The crossed-out prices come from a sale with no end date read. | AThe desktop app is free and open source, with no stated limit on images or formats. The cloud service is $24.99 a month for 300 credits, but you don't need it. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial download of each program, with limits the pages do not state. | AFree outright for the desktop app, with no account, and it works offline. The cloud's only free offer is 10 credits once, after a trial application. |
| Features | CEnhancing, upscaling, matting, local processing and batch use. None generates images from a prompt, and each program covers one task. | CDoes one job completely: several models, batch upscaling and your own custom models, up to 16x. It's a smaller job, and editing and generation exist only in the paid cloud. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record. You install a program and start using it, with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record. You download it, drop in an image and pick a model, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and Mac programs and a Lightroom Classic hook. No web, phone app or API is listed. | CDesktop for Linux, macOS and Windows plus a cloud web app. No phone apps, no API on the listing and no integrations. |
| Best for | enhancing and cutting out images on your computer | a free image upscaler that runs on your own computer |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Aiarty and Upscayl. How we grade
Where they differ
- Aiarty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Upscayl is open source, according to its own site.
- Aiarty also covers video editing.
- Upscayl also covers image generation.
At a glance
| Aiarty | Upscayl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $75 one-time, for Image Matting | $24.99 per month for 300 credits, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | Upscayl Desktop is free and open source with no stated limits on images or formats. Upscayl Cloud gives a one-time 10-credit trial. |
| Free trial | Free trial download of each program; limits not stated on pages read | Upscayl Cloud: 10 free credits after signing up and filling in a trial application. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Digiarty Software, Inc. | Upscayl |
| Price read from | aiarty.com | upscayl.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Aiarty
- These tools enhance and cut out existing media; none generates images from a prompt.
- The store page shows a Black Friday sale; crossed-out list prices are higher and the sale's end was not readable.
- Licenses are per platform: a Windows license covers 3 Windows PCs, a Mac license 3 Macs.
- A 30-day money-back guarantee is stated on the store page.
Upscayl
- The cloud service is sold by monthly credits, and the pricing page shows only one price at a time as the slider moves.
- If a cloud subscription is cancelled, unused subscription credits are lost and history is deleted after 1 month.
- The cloud trial is only 10 credits and requires a trial application.
- The desktop app has no cloud editing or image generation features.
Key features
Aiarty
- Image Enhancer
- Upscales images up to 32K, reduces noise and blur, restores faces and can erase objects.
- Video Enhancer
- Upscales footage to 4K, denoises, deblurs, boosts frame rate up to 120 and refines color.
- Image Matting
- Removes backgrounds around hair and semi-transparent areas, with brushes for manual refinement.
- Local processing
- The vendor describes the software as running locally on the user's GPU or CPU.
- Lightroom Classic hook
- Image Enhancer can be used as an external editor for Lightroom Classic.
- Batch processing
- Image and video enhancers can process files in batches.
Upscayl
- Local desktop upscaling
- The desktop app does all processing on your machine and needs no internet connection.
- Several AI models
- Choose between different models for different kinds of images, add your own custom models, and run a double upscale for better quality.
- Batch processing
- Upscale several images in one go. The site advertises enlargement of up to 16x.
- Upscayl Cloud editing
- The cloud service lists face enhancement, detail recovery and smart editing, with batch processing.
- AI image generation
- Upscayl Cloud can generate images from a text description in several styles. It is included on the paid cloud plans.
- Large output sizes
- Cloud Pro upscales up to 256 megapixels and the Business tier up to 512 megapixels.
Plans
Aiarty
Image Matting$75
one-time lifetime license
Background removal and replacement. Shown at $75, down from $109, in a sale with no end date read.
Image Enhancer$109
one-time lifetime license
Upscaling to 32K, denoise, deblur and face restoration. Shown at $109, down from $155.
Video Enhancer$149
one-time lifetime license
Upscaling to 4K, denoise, slow motion and frame boost. Shown at $149, down from $235.
Image Tool Bundle$129
one-time lifetime license
Image Enhancer plus Image Matting; shown at $129, down from $264. Covers 3 Windows PCs or 3 Macs.
Media Enhancer Bundle$199
one-time lifetime license
Image Enhancer plus Video Enhancer; shown at $199, down from $390.
Ultimate Collection$259
one-time lifetime license
All three programs; shown at $259, down from $499.
Upscayl
Upscayl Desktop$0
Free, open-source app for Linux, macOS and Windows. Runs on your own computer, with several AI models and batch upscaling.
Free Trial (Cloud)$0
10 credits for Upscayl Cloud, one time. Needs a login and a trial application.
Pro (Cloud)$24.99
per month for 300 credits, billed monthly
Unused credits roll over, 6 months of storage, upscaling up to 256 MP, AI image generation and priority support. The price follows the credit amount chosen on a slider.
Business (Cloud)Custom
Offered for larger credit amounts on the slider, with upscaling up to 512 MP and 6 months of storage. No price was shown for it.
Ways to pay less
Aiarty
- Other savings
Black Friday sale, up to 51% off
The store page shows single apps and bundles at reduced lifetime-license prices, with a countdown whose end date could not be read.
Upscayl
- Annual discount
Up to 40% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows an Annual option labelled up to 40% off for Upscayl Cloud subscriptions. The annual prices were not displayed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Aiarty or Upscayl?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Aiarty starts at $75 one-time, for Image Matting, and Upscayl starts at $24.99 per month for 300 credits, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Aiarty or Upscayl?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Upscayl has a free plan. Aiarty does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Aiarty and Upscayl run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Upscayl lists a web app and a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.