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Test scope & comparison notes
These are recorded facts, not a unified ranking. Tested tiers and scope are not consistently recorded. Read pricing with its date and timing with its conditions. Privacy observations reflect visible flows and statements, not a security audit.
Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | ImgUpscaler | Depositphotos | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 69/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image upscaling | 85/100 2048×2048 (PNG · 400% / 4.0x AI Upscale) · Historical description; output not attached | 81/100 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked) · Historical description; output not attached | Active task |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | ImgUpscaler (AI Image Upscaler) Image upscaling 85/100 Seven-aspect task score Free login-free 4× output retains detail well; a fullscreen ad can interrupt initial use, and this run took about 22 seconds. Tested export 2048×2048 (PNG · 400% / 4.0x AI Upscale) · Historical description; output not attached Historical test · 2026-10-16 | Depositphotos (Free Image Upscaler) Image upscaling 81/100 Seven-aspect task score 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. Tested export 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked) · Historical description; output not attached Historical test · 2026-10-16 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | ImgUpscaler personal and business plans (Free / Premium / Business); USD · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free 50 credits/month; single-image AI upscaling, enhancement, and Reimagine (includes ads; guest single-image 4x upscaling available). Premium Monthly2026-10-21 ↗ USD 9.9/month — Monthly 500 credits/month; includes batch processing, Reimagine AI access, ad-free workspace, and email support. Premium Yearly2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 49/year Annual Billed yearly at USD 49/year (USD 4.08/month equivalent); 500 credits/month, batch processing, ad-free workspace, and email support. Business Monthly2026-10-21 ↗ USD 19.9/month — Monthly No credits limit; single and batch processing, Reimagine AI access, ad-free workspace, and commercial production workflows. Business Yearly2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 69/year Annual Billed yearly at USD 69/year (USD 5.75/month equivalent); no credits limit, batch processing, and ad-free workspace. 5 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The official pricing page lists Free (USD 0, 50 credits/month, single-image processing, includes ads), Premium (USD 9.90/month or USD 49/year, equivalent to USD 4.08/month, with 500 credits/month, batch processing, and no ads), and Business (USD 19.90/month or USD 69/year, equivalent to USD 5.75/month, with no credit limit, batch processing, and no ads). Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel or change plans anytime from the account billing page; both free and paid results may be used for personal or commercial projects subject to source-image rights. ImgUpscaler official monthly/yearly pricing and FAQ ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ | This web background remover; excludes desktop software and stock subscriptions · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free web tool2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Officially free background removal with transparent PNG output 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 recordCredit packs remain valid for 1 year; subscriptions can be cancelled anytime in account settings Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free single-image 200% (2x) and 400% (4x) unwatermarked upscaling without login; batch upload requires a paid plan | Completely free with no login (fixed 2x scale, 15MB max file size, JPEG/JPG input only) |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancel or change plans anytime from the account billing page; both free and paid results may be used for personal or commercial projects subject to source-image rights. | Credit packs remain valid for 1 year; subscriptions can be cancelled anytime in account settings |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | No paywall traps; supported by standard and vignette Google AdSense ads | Upload box clearly states 'JPEG or JPG • 15MB max', though visiting the page immediately triggers a browser notification permission prompt |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Tested scale: 4× | Tested scale: 2× |
| Fixture findings | This guest run produced a watermark-free 4× image with structure retained; findings cover this fixture only. | No obvious artifacts appeared in this 2× test; recovery of fine blurred edges remained limited. |
| Original historical observation | PSNR=27.50dB · SSIM=0.8900 (4x 2048×2048 unwatermarked PNG); edge_corr=0.6685, hf_ratio=0.4995, plate_psnr=16.22dB—one of the very few tools offering genuine 400% watermark-free exports to anonymous guests. | 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. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users who want true 4x (2048×2048) watermark-free faithful super-resolution without creating an account | Users needing instant (0.6s), completely free no-login 2x JPG enlargement without deep high-frequency texture reconstruction |
| Result & output evidence | No native output obtained; the preview does not establish final export quality. | No native output obtained; the preview does not establish final export quality. |
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 2048×2048 (PNG · 400% / 4.0x AI Upscale) · Historical description; output not attached · Check watermark record No native output is attached; check the evidence for specification and watermark claims. | 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked) · Historical description; output not attached · Check watermark record No native output is attached; check the evidence for specification and watermark claims. |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048×2048 (4.0x / 400% · Free without login) | 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked) |
| Watermark observation | 100% Watermark-Free | No watermark |
| Batch & API | Batch web upload on paid plans; offline batch processing via desktop app Upscal.app | Single JPEG upload only; no batch or 4x options |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 20.68s · End-to-end reference: 22.22s | Network-observed server wait: 0.6s · End-to-end reference: 3.32s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-16 · anchor_upscale_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-16 · anchor_upscale_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No login required; optional email/Google login for paid plans | 100% free no-login 2x (1024×1024) JPG export, but strictly accepts JPEG/JPG uploads only (rejects PNG) |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Zero login walls or bait-and-switch paywalls, though the free web page runs Google AdSense including a full-screen interstitial vignette (`#google_vignette`, Screenshot ④) that may require dismissing. | Triggers a browser notification permission prompt on page load and restricts uploads strictly to JPEG/JPG files (no PNG support). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | ImgUpscaler / Upscal.app Team | Depositphotos Inc. (Vista / Cimpress Group) |
| Recorded origin | Independent Cross-Platform Utility Team (Web + macOS/Windows App Store) | New York, NY, USA |
| Domain history record | 2020–Present | 2009–Present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated by the independent team behind Upscal.app (available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store). | Operated by New York stock photography giant Depositphotos Inc. (part of Vista / Cimpress). |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Uses `/api/legacy/upload` and `/api/legacy/status` async polling; FAQ #10 explicitly states all uploaded and processed images are permanently deleted within 24 hours. | Fastest Network-observed server wait at 0.60s, backed by an explicit 24-hour automatic file deletion policy. |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 32 / 35 Anonymous guests can select `400%` (4x) or `200%` (2x) directly on the home page, click 'Upload & Start', and download a 100% watermark-free 2048×2048 (4x) PNG without signing up or entering a card (Screenshots ②③). | 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. |
| Interaction restraint | 21 / 30 Zero login walls or bait-and-switch paywalls, though the free web page runs Google AdSense including a full-screen interstitial vignette (`#google_vignette`, Screenshot ④) that may require dismissing. | 23 / 30 Triggers a browser notification permission prompt on page load and restricts uploads strictly to JPEG/JPG files (no PNG support). |
| Background & reputation | 15 / 20 Operated by the independent team behind Upscal.app (available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store). | 19 / 20 Operated by New York stock photography giant Depositphotos Inc. (part of Vista / Cimpress). |
| Engineering & privacy | 12 / 15 Uses `/api/legacy/upload` and `/api/legacy/status` async polling; FAQ #10 explicitly states all uploaded and processed images are permanently deleted within 24 hours. | 14 / 15 Fastest Network-observed server wait at 0.60s, backed by an explicit 24-hour automatic file deletion policy. |
| Task quality | 58.5 / 65 PSNR vs 2048px GT: 27.5 dB · SSIM: 0.89 · Edge Gradient Correlation: 0.6685 · High-Freq Sharpness Ratio: 0.4995 · Calibration Plate PSNR: 16.22 dB | 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 |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 No free unwatermarked export (0/8); Free scale factor: 4x (2048×2048 (4.0x / 400% · Free without login)) | 16 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Free scale factor: 2x (1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked)) |
| Processing speed | 8 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 20.68s (API mode: async_poll; end-to-end 22.22s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 15 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 0.6s (API mode: sync_post; end-to-end 3.32s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
