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Bigjpg vs Upscayl

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Entry price
Bigjpg from $6 once, Upscayl from $9.99/mo — different billing units, so no direct winner
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Bigjpg has one; not confirmed by us for Upscayl
Best fit
Bigjpg: Anime and illustration upscales where line integrity matters · Upscayl: Photographers and artists upscaling images privately on their own hardware
Platforms
Bigjpg: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android · Upscayl: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

BigjpgNeural upscaler for anime art and photos — up to 16x enlargement with noise cleanup, web to APIUpscaylFree open-source desktop app that upscales images locally with AI models, plus a paid cloud version for larger images.

Side by side

FactBigjpgUpscayl
CategoryImage Upscaling & RestorationImage Upscaling & Restoration
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$6 once$9.99/mo
Public APIYesNot confirmed
Trust score78 / 10080 / 100
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, APIWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux
Company—Upscayl
Launched—2022
Last verifiedOct 16, 2026Oct 29, 2026

What our research says

Bigjpg

For anime and illustration upscaling it remains a reference tool, and the prepaid bundles are cheap - $22 covers a year. It shows its age against diffusion-based upscalers on photographic detail, and the free plan's 5MB and 4x caps rule it out for print-size work.

Pros

  • Distinct anime-tuned models keep lines and flat colors clean
  • Very low cost: $22 buys twelve months of paid limits
  • Clients on every major platform plus an API
  • Free tier is enough to evaluate output quality

Cons

  • Interpolates rather than reinvents detail - soft results on complex photos
  • Free uploads auto-delete after 24 hours (72 hours on paid)
  • Anonymous operator; processing defaults to mainland-China servers

Upscayl

Upscayl is the obvious first stop for anyone with a decent GPU who wants free, private image upscaling on their own machine. People without a capable graphics card, or who need face restoration and very large outputs, will lean on the paid cloud version or a dedicated retouching tool.

Pros

  • Desktop app is free, open source and works offline
  • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
  • Batch and double upscaling, several models
  • Cloud credits roll over while subscribed

Cons

  • Desktop performance depends on your GPU
  • Generative detail and face tools are cloud-only and paid
  • No public API

Which one fits

Choose Bigjpg if you need

  • Anime and illustration upscales where line integrity matters
  • Budget users wanting a year of upscaling for the price of one month elsewhere
  • Developers calling a simple upscaling API

Choose Upscayl if you need

  • Photographers and artists upscaling images privately on their own hardware
  • Designers preparing small images for print
  • Users who want batch upscaling without a subscription

Bigjpg vs Upscayl: the questions people ask

Is Bigjpg cheaper than Upscayl?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: Bigjpg starts at $6 once, Upscayl at $9.99/mo. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does Bigjpg or Upscayl have a free tier?

Both: Bigjpg has a free tier, and Upscayl has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Bigjpg or Upscayl?

Bigjpg ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for Upscayl is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

More comparisons

All Bigjpg alternatives →Browse all Image Upscaling & Restoration →