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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 | Recraft | ImgUpscaler | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | 75/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Image upscaling | 92/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 85/100 2048×2048 (PNG · 400% / 4.0x AI Upscale) · Historical description; output not attached | Active task |
| Object removal | 89/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | 94/100 1024×1024 (1.62MB unwatermarked PNG, 100% pixel retention) · Historical description; output not attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Recraft AI (Recraft Crisp Image Upscaler) Image upscaling 92/100 Seven-aspect task score One free-allowance credit delivers 4× watermark-free output with flexible canvas comparison and export; login is required and tiny text still has merged strokes. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-16 | 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 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | All web Basic/Pro/Teams volumes; Teams per seat; API excluded · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Basic2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12/month USD 120/year Monthly 1,000 general credits/month; Teams billed per seat Rules [1] Annual 1,000 general credits/month; Teams billed per seat Rules [1] Pro 2k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 20/month USD 192/year Monthly 2,000 general credits/month; Teams billed per seat Rules [1] Annual 2,000 general credits/month; Teams billed per seat Rules [1] Teams 2k / seat2026-10-20 ↗ USD 22/month USD 211/year Monthly 2,000 general credits/month; Teams billed per seat Rules [1] Annual 2,000 general credits/month; Teams billed per seat Rules [1] Pro 4k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 40/month USD 384/year Monthly 4,000 general credits/month Rules [2] [3] Annual 4,000 general credits/month Rules [2] [3] Teams 4k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 44/month USD 422/year Monthly 4,000 general credits/month per seat Rules [3] [4] Annual 4,000 general credits/month per seat Rules [3] [4] Pro 8k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 80/month USD 768/year Monthly 8,000 general credits/month Rules [2] [3] Annual 8,000 general credits/month Rules [2] [3] Teams 8k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 88/month USD 844/year Monthly 8,000 general credits/month per seat Rules [3] [4] Annual 8,000 general credits/month per seat Rules [3] [4] Pro 16k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 160/month USD 1,536/year Monthly 16,000 general credits/month Rules [2] [3] Annual 16,000 general credits/month Rules [2] [3] Teams 16k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 176/month USD 1,688/year Monthly 16,000 general credits/month per seat Rules [3] [4] Annual 16,000 general credits/month per seat Rules [3] [4] 18 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. All 2k/4k/8k/16k Pro/Teams monthly and annual tiers are listed. Top-ups require Basic/Pro/Teams, but the public page does not quote pack prices or quantify free removal counts/per-removal cost. Subscription credits do not roll over; purchased top-ups never expire. Free-plan generated images are public and not licensed for commercial use; this statement is not generalized to rights in uploaded material. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel anytime, effective at period end. Discretionary refunds may be requested within 30 days with no use since payment or under 30 lifetime credits used. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ All credit volumes and usage rules ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ · Capture 3 ↗ · Capture 4 ↗ · Capture 5 ↗ · Capture 6 ↗ · Capture 7 ↗ · Capture 8 ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free accounts receive 50 Credits daily; Recraft Crisp 4x upscale costs 1 Credit per run (50 free 2048px upscales/day) | Free single-image 200% (2x) and 400% (4x) unwatermarked upscaling without login; batch upload requires a paid plan |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancel anytime, effective at period end. Discretionary refunds may be requested within 30 days with no use since payment or under 30 lifetime credits used. | 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. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Displays "×1 Credit" and output dimensions before upscaling | No paywall traps; supported by standard and vignette Google AdSense ads |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Tested scale: 4× | Tested scale: 4× |
| Fixture findings | Text and materials looked natural in the tested upscale; findings cover this fixed image only. | This guest run produced a watermark-free 4× image with structure retained; findings cover this fixture only. |
| Original historical observation | Achieves 27.49 dB full-image PSNR, 0.8913 SSIM, and 16.04 dB calibration plate PSNR; carved wood on "REALTEST 2026" and brass knuckles are crisp and natural (edge_corr=0.6673, hf_ratio=0.5159). | 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. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Designers needing fast 3.8s 4x crisp super-resolution with high structural and color fidelity | Users who want true 4x (2048×2048) watermark-free faithful super-resolution without creating an account |
| Result & output evidence | No native output obtained; the preview does not establish final export quality. | |
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test | 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. |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048×2048 (4.0x free 300DPI unwatermarked PNG export; supports secondary upscale to 4096×4096) | 2048×2048 (4.0x / 400% · Free without login) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | 100% Watermark-Free |
| Batch & API | Place multiple assets on the infinite canvas | Batch web upload on paid plans; offline batch processing via desktop app Upscal.app |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 3.8s · End-to-end reference: 4.4s | Network-observed server wait: 20.68s · End-to-end reference: 22.22s |
| 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 | Account required in this test | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Free login via Google, Discord, Apple, or email | No login required; optional email/Google login for paid plans |
| Manual adjustment | Manual erase / adjustment recorded in the historical flow | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Places the 2048×2048 upscaled layer directly beside the 512×512 original on the infinite canvas (02_result.png) so the 4x scale jump is visually obvious; visible AI label toggle is off by default (03_download.png). | 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. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Recraft Inc. | ImgUpscaler / Upscal.app Team |
| Recorded origin | London, UK | Independent Cross-Platform Utility Team (Web + macOS/Windows App Store) |
| Domain history record | 2022–2026 | 2020–Present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Proprietary Recraft Crisp super-resolution engine built by Recraft Inc. (London). | Operated by the independent team behind Upscal.app (available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store). |
| External reputation record | Recraft Crisp is widely used by designers to prepare print-ready 300 DPI assets directly on the canvas. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Sentry · First-party Telemetry (t.recraft.ai) | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Cloud GPU completes 512px -> 2048px (4.0x) super-resolution in ~3.8s with PNG/JPG and custom DPI export. | 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. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 32 / 35 Free Recraft login provides 50 daily credits; clicking "Crisp Upscale" clearly shows a 1 Credit cost (01_landing.png), generating a 2048×2048 (4x) layer and exporting a 300DPI unwatermarked PNG for free. | 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). |
| Interaction restraint | 28 / 30 Places the 2048×2048 upscaled layer directly beside the 512×512 original on the infinite canvas (02_result.png) so the 4x scale jump is visually obvious; visible AI label toggle is off by default (03_download.png). | 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. |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Proprietary Recraft Crisp super-resolution engine built by Recraft Inc. (London). | 15 / 20 Operated by the independent team behind Upscal.app (available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store). |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Cloud GPU completes 512px -> 2048px (4.0x) super-resolution in ~3.8s with PNG/JPG and custom DPI export. | 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. |
| Task quality | 57.6 / 65 PSNR vs 2048px GT: 27.49 dB · SSIM: 0.8913 · Edge Gradient Correlation: 0.6673 · High-Freq Sharpness Ratio: 0.5159 · Calibration Plate PSNR: 16.04 dB | 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 |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Clean unwatermarked export (8/8); Free scale factor: 4x (2048×2048 (4.0x free 300DPI unwatermarked PNG export; supports secondary upscale to 4096×4096)) | 20 / 20 No free unwatermarked export (0/8); Free scale factor: 4x (2048×2048 (4.0x / 400% · Free without login)) |
| Processing speed | 13.5 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 3.8s (API mode: cloud_gpu_recraft_crisp; end-to-end 4.4s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 8 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 20.68s (API mode: async_poll; end-to-end 22.22s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
