Depositphotos (Free Image Upscaler) · Image upscaling
Free login-free downloads are fast, but input is JPG-only and a notification prompt appears; fine-edge improvement at 2× was limited in this run.
US-West (California, AS2914)
No native export attached; page screenshot evidence only
Subsequent pricing and service checks are shown separately without altering historical scores.
One run does not establish all complex scenes, untested paid maxima or long-term uptime.
Plans & historical pricing
This web background remover; excludes desktop software and stock subscriptions · 2026-10-20
Inputs up to 30MB; free export size and count not specified
1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded.
Inputs up to 30MB; free export size and count not specified
Cancellation, sources & verification record
Credit packs remain valid for 1 year; subscriptions can be cancelled anytime in account settings
Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗
Pricing recorded on the test date · 2026-10-16
Image Upscaler is 100% free (Stock photo plans start at $9.99/mo)
Free lead-generation utility + Stock library subscriptions
Historical context only; not current purchase guidance.
Delivery & access
- Free delivery record
- 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked)
- Watermark
- No watermark
- Free allowance
- Completely free with no login (fixed 2x scale, 15MB max file size, JPEG/JPG input only)
- Account requirements
- 100% free no-login 2x (1024×1024) JPG export, but strictly accepts JPEG/JPG uploads only (rejects PNG)
- Maximum specification record
- 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked)
May include advertised capabilities; this does not establish a tested paid tier.
- Batch & API
- Single JPEG upload only; no batch or 4x options
- Manual refinement
- Not recorded or not verified
Tested result & sample
PSNR=27.34dB · SSIM=0.8924 (2x 1024×1024 JPG); Mode A GT exposes the underlying algorithm: edge_corr=0.5740 and hf_ratio=0.4018 sit barely above standard non-AI Bicubic interpolation (0.5656 / 0.3651), proving its 0.60s speed comes from a lightweight CNN/unsharp filter rather than deep super-resolution; Calibration plate PSNR=15.60dB: artifact-free, but recovers significantly less high-frequency edge detail than iLoveIMG or Upscale.media.
- Fixture
- anchor_upscale_v1
- Recorded environment
- US-West (California, AS2914)
- Network-observed server wait
- 0.6 s
- End-to-end reference
- 3.32 s
Network wait includes round trips, queuing and polling error, not pure inference time. Local timings depend on the device; repetition counts are not standardized in legacy records.
No native export is attached. Screenshots show the visible page, but do not independently establish export properties or file validity.
Experience, rules & trust
- Disclosure
- Upload box clearly states 'JPEG or JPG • 15MB max', though visiting the page immediately triggers a browser notification permission prompt
- Interaction
- Triggers a browser notification permission prompt on page load and restricts uploads strictly to JPEG/JPG files (no PNG support).
- Entity record
- Depositphotos Inc. (Vista / Cimpress Group)
- Origin
- New York, NY, USA
- Domain history record
- 2009–Present
- Third-party tracking record
- Not recorded or not verified
- External information
- Not recorded or not verified
- Processing
- uploader.depositphotos.com (2.72s) + api/upscaler.processImage (0.60s pure server time)
- Retention statement
- Footer explicitly states: 'Processed files will be removed automatically after 24 hours.'
A recorded statement does not verify deletion or all data-processing behavior.
Verifiable audit trail & evidence
Four SHA-256-verified stages link the benchmark fixture, same-run interface screenshots, native exported artifact and archived pricing sources.
anchor_upscale_v1 · Inspect fixture & file inspector →
Captures entry rules, result view and export disclosure.
Page screenshot evidence only
Screenshots, native output and official claims support different conclusions. Evidence grades are not product safety certifications.
Evaluation basis & full scores · Overall 81.4/100
Overall = honesty & reputation × 30% + capability × 70%. Component maxima follow this report’s rubric. List scores are rounded for display; original precision is retained here.
Scoring version 2.3.1 · Test fixture anchor_upscale_v1
Honesty & reputation · 87/100 · 30%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 31 / 35 | Zero paywalls or credit traps: unlike its paywalled Text-to-Image tool, Depositphotos' Upscaler is a 100% free utility exporting unwatermarked 1024×1024 JPGs with no login. | Evidence A → |
| Interaction restraint | 23 / 30 | Triggers a browser notification permission prompt on page load and restricts uploads strictly to JPEG/JPG files (no PNG support). | Evidence A → |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 | Operated by New York stock photography giant Depositphotos Inc. (part of Vista / Cimpress). | Evidence C → |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 | Fastest Network-observed server wait at 0.60s, backed by an explicit 24-hour automatic file deletion policy. | Evidence A → |
Capability · 79/100 · 70%
| Criterion | Score | Rationale | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task quality | 48 / 65 | PSNR vs 2048px GT: 27.34 dB · SSIM: 0.8924 · Edge Gradient Correlation: 0.574 · High-Freq Sharpness Ratio: 0.4018 · Calibration Plate PSNR: 15.6 dB | Evidence B → |
| Deliverable specifications | 16 / 20 | Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Free scale factor: 2x (1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked)) | Evidence B → |
| Processing speed | 15 / 15 | Network-observed server wait: 0.6s (API mode: sync_post; end-to-end 3.32s shown for reference only, never penalized) | Evidence B → |
Legacy scores may include advertised maximum capabilities. Read tested output separately from paid capabilities. Records without matching tiers and scope are not ranked together.
Revisions & corrections
- 2026-10-16
Initial real-browser evaluation using Mode A synthetic degradation ground-truth anchor (anchor_upscale_v1: 512px -> 2048px GT).