- Enlarge your pictures up to 2×, 4×,6×, and 8× without losing quality.
- Support most image formats, including JPG, PNG, WEBP, etc.
- Intelligently upscale your image to 4K resolution.
4K Image Upscaling Tools You Should Know [Online and Offline]
You might encounter situations when taking a photo but find it blurry or unclear because of out-of-motion or other reasons. In such cases, if you are not able to take the same photo in higher resolution again, you can try some 4K image upscalers to solve your problem. So, how do you choose the 4K image upscaler that suits you best? Don't worry! I have manually picked and tested the top 6 upscalers with both free and paid versions just below. Read on and learn more.
Contents:
Part 1. What is 4K Upscaling for Images
In simple terms, upscaling an image will enlarge the image without losing quality. From other perspectives, you can also deem the process as image resolution enhancement. So, what is 4K upscaling? Before understanding this definition, we should learn the concept of 4K. The 4K resolution standard refers to a resolution of 3840×2160 and 4096 x 2160. Therefore, 4K upscaling for Images means that upscales an image from the original input resolution to 3840×2160 or 4096 x 2160. For example, if your pictures are of a resolution of 1920×1080 and you want a clearer and sharper image, you can try some tools to upscale the image to 4K. So, what tool can you use to achieve 4K image upscaling? The following passage will give you an answer.
Part 2. 6 Best 4K Image Upscalers in 2024
Picwand AI Image Upscaler
The 4K AI image upscaler topping in our list is Picwand AI Image Upscaler. This tool adopts AI image upscaling technology, which emphasizes the harmony of the whole picture and shows a more realistic and detailed image than general image upscaling technology.
So, how to use the Picwand AI Image Upscaler to upscale your images? You can refer to the following steps.
Step 1. Open this 4K image upscaler with your browser and click Upload a Photo to add an image.
Step 2. Then, the software will process your images automatically to 2× resolution. You can also choose to upscale it to a higher level.
Step 3. After upscaling, you can click the Save button to get the result.
Among all the 4K AI image upscalers, it shows more stability and has the best performance. It possesses all the important qualities that are necessary for a powerful 4K image upscaler such as the support of AI technology, fast upscaling speed, great upscaling effect, etc.
Bigjpg
Bigjpg is another tool that allows you to upscale your images to 4K resolution. It has a clear interface that will enable you to navigate easily. Its paid version supports a maximum upload size of 50MB.
Pros
- It supports up to 16× upscaling.
- It supports image noise reduction technology to give you a sharper image.
- It supports the input of GIF image format.
Cons
- Lacks AI-based image upscaling technology.
- You can't preview the upscaled image.
With the support of 16× upscaling, it must be the best choice for users who want to upscale images with bigger size. But its upscaling speed is slow, processing a image of 500KB in more than one minute.
GIMP
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is an open-source and free 4K image upscaler. It is a program that has powerful features except for 4K upscaling. You can also use it to create or retouch your images.
Pros
- You can specify the width, height, and resolution of the upscaled image.
- You can specify the width, height, and resolution of the upscaled image.
- It has lots of image editing features, including image upscaling, editing, painting, etc.
Cons
- The quality of the upscaled image is not good enough.
- It is not friendly for beginners.
- Overall, it is a fully functional image processing program. But it focuses more on editing features, and its upscaling function is not easy to find.
VanceAI
Among all 4K AI image upscalers, Vance AI stands out for its clear interface and detailed scaling settings. It enables you to adjust the level of image noise reduction and blur removal. In addition to the same-source output format, you can also save the upscaled image as PNG and JPG.
Pros
- It has 5 AI models to help you upscale images to 4K.
- You can customize the DPI (Dots per Inch) parameter.
Cons
- You can only upscale images to 1× unless you buy credits.
- It is expensive to enjoy its pro version.
- To be honest, It is a professional 4K image upscaler, but its price is not that friendly.
iLoveIMG
iLoveIMG is an online 4K image upscaler tool to help you process your images. Compared with other paid programs, it has a more affordable price. However, it also has fewer functions and is suitable for non-professional users.
Pros
- It is easy to use.
- You can download the upscaled image without the watermark.
Cons
- It doesn’t support the GIF image input format.
- You can only upscale the image to 2× and 4×.
- You can only save the upscaled image in JPEG format.
- iLoveIMG is an online tool that is easy to use, but its functions are also limited.
Image Upscaler
Image Upscaler is another online tool to help you upscale 4K images. It is easy to use, and you can get the upscaled image with just 3 steps. Compared with iLoveIMG, it allows you to edit the upscaled images additionally, but their prices don't vary much.
Pros
- It allows you to edit the upscaled image, such as cropping, adding filters, etc.
- Secure your information safety by deleting the photos automatically after 24 hours.
Cons
- It can't upscale GIF image format.
- The upscaling level is only 2× and 4×.
- In addition to 4K upscaling, Image Upscaler also supports basic editing features. But this online tool has many ads unless you pay to upgrade.
| Supported platforms | Upscale images in bulk | Supported input formats | Preview | Supported maximum input size | Ads-free | AI-based technology | Price | |
| Picwand AI Image Upscaler | iOS, Android, browser | √ | JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG, WEBP, BMP, ICO, AVIF | √ | 4096px * 4096px, 10MB for free | √ | √ | $48/Lifetime |
| Bigjpg | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | √ | Most image formats, including JPG, PNG, etc. | × | 3000px * 3000px, 5MB for free | √ | × | $12/6 months |
| GIMP | Windows, Mac, Linux | × | Most image formats, including JPG, PNG, etc. | × | 3794px * 3794px | √ | × | Free |
| VanceAI | Windows, Mac | √ | JPG, JPEG, PNG | √ | 4000px * 4000px, 5MB for free | √ | √ | $39.9/month |
| iLoveIMG | Browser | √ | Most image formats, including JPG, PNG, etc. | √ | 6MB for free | × | √ | $5/month |
| Image Upscaler | Browser | √ | Most image formats, including JPG, PNG, etc. | √ | 2000px * 2000px, 5MB for free | × | √ | $6.9/month |
Part 3. FAQs about 4K Image Upscaler
What does an image upscaler do?
An image upscaler enlarges your image but does not reduce its quality by filling in the pixels' contents. It increases the amount of the image's pixels and brings a clearer effect.
What are the benefits of upscaling?
Upscaling the image adds new pixels to the image according to the context. It can make your image look sharper and clearer. It increases the width and height dimensions of the image but doesn’t compromise its quality.
Does upscaling reduce quality?
No, it doesn’t. On the contrary, it enlarges your image without losing quality, which means it improves the image quality.
Summary
After reading this article, you must have a basic knowledge of the 4K upscaling and the tools to achieve that. If you want to upscale the image to 4K on your Android devices, you can use online tools or programs that support Android, like Picwand AI Image Upscaler. If you prefer free software with powerful editing features, then GIMP is your top choice. Just choose them according to your needs.
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