# Upscayl

Free open-source desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) using Real-ESRGAN on a Vulkan GPU. Upscayl is free, with no paid plan attached, at upscayl.org.

## Facts

- **Pricing tier:** Free
- **Works on:** macOS, Windows, Linux, Self-hosted
- **Works in browser:** No

## Capabilities

- Free open-source desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) using Real-ESRGAN on a Vulkan GPU
- Upscales up to 16x with multiple models for photos, digital art and compressed images
- Fully offline; batch mode

## FAQ

### What is Upscayl?

Upscayl is listed under AI Image Editing & Enhancement, in the Content & Media Generation category on Flocci AI Tools. Free open-source desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) using Real-ESRGAN on a Vulkan GPU. It is free, with no paid plan attached, and it lives at upscayl.org.

### Is Upscayl free?

Upscayl is listed as fully free — there is no paid tier attached to it in the catalog. That makes it one of the 397 entries on Flocci AI Tools with no upgrade path built in.

### Can I use Upscayl in a browser, or is there an app?

Upscayl needs to be installed or self-hosted — it doesn't run in a browser tab. It is available on Mac, Windows, Linux and self-hosting.

### What can Upscayl do?

Upscayl does 3 things the catalog singles out: Free open-source desktop app (windows, macos, linux) using real-esrgan on a vulkan gpu; upscales up to 16x with multiple models for photos, digital art and compressed images; fully offline; batch mode.

### What is the best free alternative to Upscayl?

OpenPixels is the closest free alternative: it sits in the same AI Image Editing & Enhancement sub-category and is free. Segment Anything Playground, Affinity by Canva and BAGEL (ByteDance) also start free. The full list is on the alternatives page.

## Related

- [Upscayl alternatives](https://aitools.flocci.in/alternatives/upscayl)
- [AI Image Editing & Enhancement](https://aitools.flocci.in/category/content-media-generation/ai-image-editing-enhancement)
- [Best free AI image editors and enhancers](https://aitools.flocci.in/best/best-ai-image-editing-enhancement)
---

Source: Flocci AI Tools — https://aitools.flocci.in/tool/upscayl

Facts last verified: October 2026