Hiring a professional to, let’s say, restore the quality of an old picture that is full of sentiments can be expensive. Evidently, not everyone has the possibility to purchase such a service. Therefore, people have started to look for the best AI photo enhancer.
The price of such an application mainly depends on how many images you need fixed. On the other hand, it’s worth mentioning that the majority of best AI photo enhancers have the ability to process pictures in batches. As a result, saving a great amount of money and time.
People are also utilizing various other AI applications to achieve different goals. For instance, some generate images through Writesonic or Jasper AI and use the best AI photo enhancers to upscale the pictures. By doing this, they can place the design on t-shirts or posters and sell them afterward. However, this is not the only way that people have been making income using AI. You can find some other methods here.
Lastly, below you will find a list that contains some of the best AI photo enhancers that will be present in this article:
That said, before diving into some of the best AI image enhancer applications, for us to be on the same page, let me explain the criteria I used to evaluate the platforms.
Best AI Photo Enhancer: The Criteria
First, speed is most likely not the biggest factor when selecting what software to use, but for some, it’s very crucial. Therefore, I tested each platform to see how they compare and if they’re worth being called one of the best AI photo enhancers.
Furthermore, output quality is undoubtedly a very important criterion. Certain standards must be met to be called one of the best AI image upscalers or enhancers. While testing the various platforms, I often encountered software that went overboard with color or contrast adjustments. Simply put, in some cases, using your phone's editing tools would provide better results than some of the applications.
In addition to quality, user interface is another aspect that needs to be considered. I believe that the majority of you reading this article are looking for the best photo AI enhancer, so you wouldn’t have to hire a professional or learn how to use applications like Photoshop. Therefore, having a beginner-friendly user interface that is easy to navigate is also included in the criteria.
That said, one aspect that I am evaluating the platforms on, often affects how easy it is to use the application. To be more specific, for the software to be one of the best AI photo enhancers, it needs to have a decent number of features. However, if the platform is crowded with tools and has a bad layout, it will most likely greatly decrease the application’s friendliness.
Lastly, since some readers are probably looking for the best free AI photo enhancer, the pricing of each platform is also included after each chapter.
1. Topaz Labs - An Industry Leading Photo Enhancer
Ranks #1 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + An all-in-one fully automated editor
- + Wide selection of tools
- + Interface fitting for both beginners and experienced
- + One-time payment
- - Abandonware production
The product that makes Topaz Labs one of the best AI image upscalers is called Gigapixel. This tool utilizes sophisticated machine-learning algorithms to upscale low-resolution photos. In addition, Gigapixel compresses images up to 600% and provides a high-quality enhancement of details and textures, which is perfect for preparing artwork you'd like to print and merchandise.
The tool can also execute the following actions:
- Boost sharpness and clarity with crisp edges;
- Reduce artifacting;
- Enhance details in fur and feathers;
- Improve textures;
- Add fine, realistic, and natural details;
- Provide cleaner lines to improve illustrations;
- Improve graphic art with more detail.
Moreover, another reason why Gigapixel is considered to be one of the best AI image upscalers, is because it has a feature called Face Recovery AI. This tool recovers the smallest, clearest details in low-resolution faces. If you’re worried about group photos, Gigapixel will help you in this field as well.
This product is also one of the best options for restoring irreplaceable memories by giving that old, scratched, black-and-white picture a beautiful, colored finish. The great thing about Gigapixel is that you can upscale and enhance quickly, right on your desktop. This feature also allows users to process the images in batches, saving a lot of time.
Topaz Photo AI is another product this company has developed. This feature has received another name, “Autopilot”. As the name suggests, it does everything for you. Photo AI is special because it contains several different tools combined into one, including denoiser, sharpener, upscaler, face recovery, and object remover, among others.
That said, as you can imagine, this product is capable of executing quite a number of tasks with just pretty much one click. Hence, it’s considered to be amongst the best AI photo enhancers. Users can even integrate Topaz Photo AI with Photoshop to enhance workflow for professionals.
Additionally, in case the provided results are not what you’re looking for, the developers have taken care of that by incorporating manual controls. This feature lets users dial in specific settings to make the output as close as possible to their needs. However, the manual control is limited and does not provide as many settings as, for example, Gigapixel, which is one of the tools included in Photo AI.
It’s worth noting that both products execute actions quickly and don’t take more than a couple of seconds to finish. Moreover, same as Gigapixel, Photo AI is also capable of editing pictures in batches, which greatly simplifies the whole process.
Lastly, “Autopilot” provides a beginner-friendly interface that is particularly easy to navigate, especially since you are not required to do anything manually, and the software does everything for you. Gigapixel, on the other hand, is a little bit more difficult to control, seeing that you need to play around with the settings yourself. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t raise too much of an issue, even if you are a non-tech-savvy person.
What is the Pricing of Topaz Labs?
Before discussing Topaz Labs' pricing, one disclaimer needs to be mentioned. When customers purchase a product, they only receive 1-year of updates. Simply put, this means that if a major update comes out for any of the tools and a year has passed since you bought it, you will need to make an additional payment to upgrade it for another year.
That said, here is the pricing for Topaz Labs products:
- Photo AI 3 - $179/one-time payment;
- Gigapixel 7 - $99/one-time payment.
Upgrades:
- Photo AI 3 - $79;
- Gigapixel 7 - $79.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Topaz Labs has more products than Photo AI and Gigapixel, but since we are searching for the best AI photo enhancer, I did not mention them in this article. Nonetheless, if you are interested, you can click on the “...or read our Topaz AI review” below this chapter and dive deeper into this platform.
2. Vance AI - Great for Restoring Old Photos
Ranks #2 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + Wide selection of tools
- + Easy to use
- + Great processing speed
- + Top-notch quality
- - No free version
Vance AI is an application that has the goal of boosting photo processing with effective AI solutions. All of the platform’s tools are based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) that are trained on millions of images and inspired by the visual cortex of animals[1]. Vance AI differs from other traditional, math operation-based applications by handling real details with deep learning.
With only a few clicks, this platform can help you with various tasks, including upscaling, sharpening, and noise reduction. In addition, Vance AI is thought to be amongst the best AI image upscale applications since it provides batch processing. Therefore, you can count on this software to enhance your workflow and increase productivity.
Moreover, Vance AI also offers an AI image generator and is developing a series of AI products for eCommerce. Some examples are a background generator, a fashion model, and more to help boost productivity and creativity. Vance AI could prove useful for professional photographers, marketers, or business owners who need high-quality photos for websites, blogs, banners, or products.
If you happen to try out this image generator and don’t like it, Writesonic and Jasper AI can also provide you with tools to make top-notch artwork. These platforms also work as writing assistants, so you could use them to create high-quality prompts to receive even better outputs.
That said, one of Vance AI’s features I personally tested is the upscaler. This tool helps you enlarge pictures from 2x, 4x, 8x, to 40x without quality and detail loss. Users can utilize this feature to improve the clarity of blurry scans and documents since the upscaler specializes in refining text in PDFs, contracts, and other images.
Furthermore, Vance AI is one of the best AI photo editors you can use as well. Here is a list of some of the various tools and settings this feature offers:
- Sharpen;
- Cutout;
- Erase;
- Crop;
- Finetune;
- Filter;
- Annotate.
If you need a platform to restore your old pictures that have either sustained damage or simply begun to disintegrate, Vance AI offers 3 separate tools you can utilize. The first is called “AI Photo Restorer”. This feature provides tools that can restore pictures by removing scratches, tears, spots, and sepia. It can also enhance blurry faces and backgrounds to bring back the vividness of the photos.
Another tool for restoring pictures is the “AI Photo Colorizer”. If you only need help turning a black-and-white photo into a colored one, this feature will do wonders. The AI Photo Colorizer even enhances faces and corrects yellow tints automatically. The last feature is the “AI Portrait Retoucher”, which helps users remove unwanted acne and blemishes to get a flawless picture.
Additionally, Vance AI’s tools are easy to use and provide great, intuitive navigation. The whole process is straightforward: Choose the feature you require from the list, upload the picture, and, if needed, you can play around with some settings.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that users can use Vance AI with online services and on the desktop version. The difference is that with the former, you don’t need to download and install the program, and it can be used directly from the browser. However, you will need a stable network connection.
When it comes to the desktop version, it does the enhancement locally, providing a more stable environment. The software is supported by both macOS and Windows operating systems.
What is the Pricing of Vance AI?
Vance AI uses a credit system that allows you to access all AI-powered features on their website or desktop application. Here is the pricing for online services:
- 200 credits - $15.90/month or $95.40/annual;
- Pay-as-you-go 200 credits - $33.99;
- Lifetime Plan - $129.90.
For the desktop version:
- 1 month - $39.90;
- 1 year - $99.90;
- Lifetime - $129.90.
It’s important to note that both the online services and desktop version lifetime plans provide a certain number of credits each month. Therefore, you are not receiving unlimited usage for the price you pay. Additionally, tools cost 1 credit per image, although some advanced features require 2 credits.
3. Nero AI - A High-Quality Image Enhancement Application
Ranks #3 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + High-quality services
- + Great speed
- + User-friendly interface
- + Ability to restore old pictures
- - Relatively low number of tools
One of the best AI photo enhancer applications you can use is Nero AI. Their most popular tool, “Image Upscaler”, is trained on a massive dataset of pictures. To be more specific, the photos were picked for upscaling and learning typical features of physical objects. A few examples are brick walls, hair, and skin.
Moreover, the dataset also contained high- and low-resolution picture pairs. With the Image Upscaler tool, Nero AI can make your small and blurry photos sharper, clearer, and bigger. The system works best with raw images that haven’t been enlarged or pixelated by any other software.
Furthermore, this application offers another great feature called “Photo Restoration”. If you need to remove scratches, improve color, or sharpen fuzzy parts of old photos, this tool will be perfect for you. Whether it’s a treasured moment captured in time, an old family portrait, or a historical image, the software completely restores it and enhances the picture’s visual appeal.
If you’re interested in how the Photo Restoration feature works, it’s pretty simple, actually. The software correlates the information around the damage to reason about the disfigured area and regenerates it. However, for instance, if the photo contains serious damage, such as the loss of all facial details, the application may lead to distortion of the reasoning.
If the restored picture still feels blurry, you can further enhance the image by accessing the aforementioned Upscaler tool to fix any leftover issues.
Additionally, there is also an "Image Compressor" feature that highlights why Nero AI is one of the best AI photo enhancers. The tool is an online service that compresses the size of files without changing the resolution of the picture. It can prove especially useful for optimizing the loading speed of photos in eCommerce, gaming, architecture, tourism, and other industries.
That said, the number of tools Nero AI offers highlights why it’s considered to be one of the best AI image enhancers.
Overall, after having tested the application myself, I can confidently say that the platform provides a beginner-friendly interface and high-quality results. The speed also didn’t disappoint me, as it completed every action within a few seconds, and you can even have it process everything in batches.
What is the Pricing of Nero AI?
When it comes to Nero AI’s pricing structure, there aren’t many options. The platform uses a credit system, where users need to pay a certain amount of currency to execute any action. Here are the prices:
- Free - 10 credits;
- Pro Pass 300 credits - $19.95/month or $71.96/annual;
- Business - contact the sales team.
If you’d like to have unlimited usage, you can purchase the desktop version for the following price:
- Image Upscaler - $42.95/annual;
- Platinum Suite - $49.95/annual.
That said, it’s worth mentioning that users must have Windows 10 or 11 to use it on a desktop device.
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4. PiktID - Tools for Hiding Your Identity
Ranks #4 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + Beginner-friendly interface
- + Wide array of features
- + Privacy-sensitive
- - Slow processing speed
If you need one of the best AI photo editors that specializes in face anonymization and enhancement, PiktID might be a great choice. The application could especially prove beneficial for graphic designers, photographers, marketing agencies, and anyone who prioritizes privacy.
SuperID is one of the tools that PiktID offers. This feature is designed to ensure every face in pictures appears crystal clear by sharpening every detail to perfection. If you’re interested in how SuperID works, the software uses advanced AI algorithms to upscale and enhance the photo resolution up to 16x. Users can also utilize the feature with various image formats, ensuring versatility for different needs.
Furthermore, EraseID is another tool that the platform offers. With this feature, you can change your face, ensuring authenticity and privacy. EraseID lets users fine-tune expressions, ethnicity, or age to align with their needs. The tool is great for various use cases. Below are a few examples:
- Marketing - removes the need to hire different models for photo shoots and adapts pictures for targeted campaigns worldwide;
- Enterprises - broadens the selection of stock images;
- Educational institutions - ensure students' privacy by not just blurring out the face but changing it as a whole.
Let’s examine the last provided example. EraseID can be great at ensuring the original identity is protected, allowing schools to share photos without compromising student privacy. The best part is that the tool is designed with a user-friendly interface, which means that the staff, even without technical expertise, can easily use it.
Additionally, another feature that makes PiktID one of the best AI photo editors is called TagID. As the name suggests, this tool generates image tags. As a result, businesses have an affordable way to instantly annotate their pictures. You can also modify keyword sets and captions, ensuring that your visual content aligns perfectly with your brand and audience’s preferences.
ProductID is the last feature that PiktID offers. The tool is designed to make your products stand out by swapping backgrounds and making eye-catching visuals. ProductID boosts the brand budget by taking a single product image and creating multiple versions, saving you money on separate photoshoot costs. Moreover, the feature supports a wide range of formats, including TIFF, PNG, JPEG, and more.
However, when I tested the application myself, I encountered a few issues. The first is that, compared to other similar platforms, the processing speed is quite slow. PiktID takes a few minutes to finish executing any of the tasks, whereas other applications do it in seconds. This might not be a major drawback, but over time, the waiting adds up.
Another issue concerns the overall quality of the features. Before starting to write this article, I experimented with all of the platforms and used the same images to form a strong opinion. PiktID's performance definitely wasn’t the best in quality terms. Therefore, if your needs are very high, this application might not be the best choice for you.
That said, as mentioned earlier, the user interface is definitely beginner-friendly for all of the tools, and non-tech-savvy people shouldn’t experience any issues using them. PiktID also provides the option of integrating its API, which can boost productivity. The software also lets users process images in batches, speeding up the overall process.
What is the Pricing of PiktID?
The pricing structure of PiktID is quite simple. The platform uses credits as a currency, which are used to process images with the application’s tools and services. That said, you can see the pricing below:
- Free - 10 credits;
- Subscription 200 credits - $99/month;
- Pay as you go 200 credits - $249.
It’s important to highlight that you can change the fixed number of credits you’d like to purchase when making the initial payment, which will also change the price accordingly. If you’re wondering what happens if you do not use all of the currency each month, there is nothing to worry about. Any unused credits can be rolled over up to four times.
5. Let's Enhance - A Beginner-Friendly Image Enhancement Platform
Ranks #5 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + Top-notch services
- + Quick processing speed
- + Easy to use
- + Has a free trial
- - Low number of tools
Let’s Enhance is considered one of the best AI image upscaler and fixer applications. The software uses super-resolution imaging (SR), which amplifies the clarity of low-resolution images[2] and is based on other machine learning algorithms. Let’s Enhance is also trained on a massive dataset of pictures, so it could add extra details and pixels to photos.
However, the application doesn’t offer a wide selection of tools and only has a few that users can utilize. Nonetheless, it’s worth highlighting that all of the features are of very high quality and provide top-notch results. The first tool to review is “Upscaler”. It helps users make low-resolution pictures bigger and add detail.
In addition, the Upscaler tool increases the DPI, short for dots per inch, which adds clarity to your photos. This feature can even take art made by, for example, Writesonic or Jasper AI and enhance the image quality and details to make it look more stunning.
Furthermore, if you have compressed and downsized pictures, you can utilize the Let’s Enhance feature, Enhancer. It will restore the image’s quality by using a neural net to clean up JPEG artifacts and make it look vivid. That said, the Enhancer feature performs color correction, resizing, sharpening, and more to increase the overall look of your pictures.
One of the last tools this application has is “Sharpener”. This feature makes your blurry photos look professional by sharpening the details and improving clarity. Moreover, if you need a tool for removing background, the Let’s Enhance application has that as well.
Lastly, the user interface is great for beginners. The platform is easy to use and navigate, and the whole process is straightforward: upload a picture, select what mode you’d like to use, play around with the settings if needed, and that’s it. Speed is also decent. It might not be the fastest software I have tried, but it still performs well. Additionally, users can enhance their images in batches, which speeds up the whole process, even if just by a little bit.
What is the Pricing of Let’s Enhance?
If you’re wondering if Let’s Enhance is a free platform to use, unfortunately, it’s not. Although the application does have a trial where people can try out their services. That said, the platform uses in-app currency - credits. Without them, you will not be able to use Let’s Enhance tools. For reference, here are the prices:
Subscription:
- 100 credits - $12/month;
- 300 credits - $29/month;
- 500 credits - $39/month.
For business:
- 1000 credits - $89/month;
- 2500 credits - $199/month;
- 5000 credits - $349/month.
Pay as you go:
- 20 credits - $12;
- 50 credits - $24;
- 120 credits - $49.
Lastly, let me highlight the fact that since everything is paid through credits, what payment you make does not affect the feature's accessibility. In addition, 1 image is equal to 1 credit.
6. DeepImage - Proficient in Noise Reduction
Ranks #6 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + Intuitive navigation
- + Great quality
- + Fast processing speed
- - Not a lot of features
DeepImage is one of the best AI photo enhancers, utilizing artificial intelligence to improve visual appeal, quality, and clarity. The software employs sophisticated algorithms and neural networks to automatically analyze and improve various aspects of the picture, including brightness, contrast, sharpness, color balance, and noise reduction.
One of the first DeepImage tools I will examine is “Upscale”, which leverages deep learning techniques to analyze an image's content and generate additional pixel information. However, before using this feature, consider the quality and resolution of the input picture. While the Upscale tool can enhance details and improve the overall look of the image, it may not be able to create information that doesn’t exist in the original photo.
Noise reduction is the second feature that DeepImage offers. It’s designed to reduce random noise and compression artifacts present in images. It does this by analyzing the picture’s data and identifying patterns. The software then applies sophisticated algorithms to suppress and remove the noise while keeping important image details intact.
For anyone wondering, here are the types of noises DeepImage can detect and remove:
- Digital;
- Sensor;
- Chromatic;
- High ISO.
Furthermore, if you could use a tool to enhance the clarity and sharpness of images, DeepImage has a feature called “Sharpen”. It makes edges and details more noticeable, resulting in a crisper and more defined photo.
The working principle of this tool is quite simple. First, the software identifies areas with transitions and edges. Then, DeepImage enhances the contrast and sharpness of these spaces. As a result, making those areas stand out more prominently.
Another reason why DeepImage is one of the best AI photo enhancers is because it provides a tool designed to improve the appearance of human faces in pictures. The software utilizes various algorithms and recognition techniques to improve the quality of facial features, make the skin smoother, and reduce imperfections.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that the platform is easy to use, providing a beginner-friendly interface with a layout that is easy to navigate. The services are also of high quality, and the tasks are executed within a couple of seconds.
What is the Pricing of DeepImage?
DeepImage has a currency-based pricing structure. When a person purchases a subscription, they receive a monthly credit budget, which allows them to enhance images. Here are the prices:
- 450 credits - $24/month or $249/annual;
- Pay as you go 500 credits - $85.73;
- Custom - contact the sales team.
That said, 1 image requires 1 credit regardless of the number of enhancements used. Moreover, the currency can also accumulate up to 3 months' worth. Simply put, it means that you can use all the credits in a given month or move them to the next, as long as you remain a subscriber.
7. MyEdit - A Free to use Image Enhancer
Ranks #7 out of 7 AI Platforms
- + User-friendly interface
- + Great task execution speed
- + Provides a free plan
- - Quality could be improved
- - Not a lot of enhancement tools
If you are looking for one of the best free AI photo enhancers, MyEdit could be a good choice. The application does have quite strict limitations since you will only receive 3 credits per day.
Moreover, when it comes to being one of the best AI photo editors, the MyEdit platform does not have a wide variety of tools specifically for image enhancement, but it does have various other features. A few examples are an AI extender, an art generator, and a vocal remover or isolator. Nonetheless, since we are looking for the best AI photo enhancer, let’s look at the tools MyEdit offers for improving image quality.
The first feature is Deblur. This tool increases the resolution of users’ pictures to reveal unclear details. Deblur effortlessly enhances clarity and improves the quality of your photos, giving every image a professional finish by making details sharp and vibrant. If you have a portrait that you really like but it’s blurry, MyEdit can definitely help you fix that.
The feature is also perfect for enhancing profile pictures, social media posts, and any image where you need high-quality details.
Furthermore, MyEdit provides one more useful tool, especially for beginners who perhaps just started taking pictures and are not sure how to set the camera’s settings. As a result, they may receive grainy photos, more so if they were taken at night. Therefore, using MyEdit’s Denoise feature can resolve this issue within seconds.
In addition, users can utilize this tool to restore and clean up old pictures taken on outdated equipment.
Another feature that makes this platform one of the best AI photo enhancers is Image Upscaler. With this tool, you can upscale pictures with 2x and 4x options. For example, if you used Writesonic or Jasper AI to generate artwork, you can utilize this feature to create a stunning 4K wallpaper.
Image Enhancer is the last tool for increasing photo quality that the MyEdit platform offers. As the name suggests, this feature improves overall picture quality by focusing on 3 areas. First, it examines what parts of the image require deblurring. Then, it enhances the photo’s resolution so it’s sharp and crisp. Finally, any blurry faces or finer details in the image will be retouched with face restoration.
That said, the Image Enhancer is basically 3 separate tools combined into one. Hence, if you have, for instance, an old picture that you would like to restore and increase the quality of, this feature will do it with just a single click.
Lastly, navigating the platform is also easy and it’s perfect for non-tech-savvy users. On the other hand, the quality could be better. While testing all of the applications, MyEdit was lacking in this area. Nonetheless, it’s still considered to be one of the best free AI photo enhancers.
What is the Price of MyEdit?
As promised, let’s explore the pricing structure of MyEdit more thoroughly. First, let’s take a look at the subscription-based plans:
- Free;
- Image - $10/month or $48/annual;
- Image Pro - $18/month or $84/annual.
In addition, the platform offers separate credits for users who’d rather use virtual tokens instead of purchasing a subscription. Below, you can see the pricing:
- Free User Pack 200 credits - $32;
- Premium User Pack 200 credits - $16.
That said, as you can see, users who have purchased a premium subscription can buy separate credits for a lower cost. Naturally, with the more expensive plan, users also receive more benefits. However, the main difference is that the “Image Pro” plan receives 500 bonus credits per month, whereas the regular one gets 300.
Conclusions
Artificial intelligence is starting to be utilized in various fields to help with all sorts of tasks. For instance, Writesonic and Jasper AI are widely utilized applications that help users with writing or even generating images.
That said, purchasing a subscription for an AI-powered platform is becoming cheaper than hiring a professional. Therefore, people have even recently started looking for the best AI photo enhancer. With these platforms, users can perform various tasks, whether it is restoring old, damaged pictures, upscaling images for wallpapers, or even hiding faces for anonymity.
The content published on this website is not aimed to give any kind of financial, investment, trading, or any other form of advice. BitDegree.org does not endorse or suggest you to buy or use any kind of AI tool. Before making financial investment decisions, do consult your financial advisor.
Scientific References
1. N. Aloysius., M. Geetha.: 'A review on deep convolutional neural networks';
2. A. Deshpande., N., Razmjooy., V. V. Estrela.: 'Introduction to Computational Intelligence and Super-Resolution'.