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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 | Unlimited:Waifu2x | Adobe | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 77/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image upscaling | 89/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 88/100 2048×2048 (4.0x Unwatermarked JPG) · Historical description; output not attached | Active task |
| Object removal | Not tested in topic | 89/100 2048×2048 (Full-Res Unwatermarked PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | Not tested in topic | 90/100 1024 × 1024 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Unlimited:Waifu2x (WebGPU In-Browser SR) Image upscaling 89/100 Seven-aspect task score Free open-source, login-free on-device processing gives good 4× detail; a dismissible rewarded-ad prompt may appear on first use. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-17 | Adobe Firefly Upscaler (4x Super-Resolution) Image upscaling 88/100 Seven-aspect task score Adobe’s upscaler delivers watermark-free 4× output within its free allowance, with clear scale and size controls; login and daily limits apply. Tested export 2048×2048 (4.0x Unwatermarked JPG) · Historical description; output not attached Historical test · 2026-10-16 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | unlimited:waifu2x in-browser AI image upscaler · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits unlimited:waifu2x Free Web2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free Free without login and no image-count limits (runs on local WebGPU/WASM hardware); supports up to 4x unwatermarked PNG export. 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. In-browser WebGPU/WebAssembly upscaler powered by nunif/waifu2x. Completely free with no account system or paid tiers; offers swin_unet and cunet models, 1x/2x/4x upscaling, and denoise levels running on local device hardware. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCompletely free open-source-powered tool with no accounts or subscription charges. unlimited:waifu2x official page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ | US individual Firefly web free feature and four monthly subscriptions; excludes student/business, full Creative Cloud and other regions; includes four generative credit add-on subscriptions · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Firefly web background remover2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Official feature page describes free removal; single JPG/PNG/WebP input up to 50MB Count and free export specification are not stated; subsequent generative editing may require separate credits Firefly Standard2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month — Monthly 2,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts Rules [1] Firefly Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 19.99/month — Monthly 4,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts Rules [1] Firefly Pro Plus2026-10-20 ↗ USD 34.97/month — Monthly 10,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts First-year promotion advertised through October 21; regular price USD 49.99/month. Renewal and eligibility follow the offer terms. Rules [1]Firefly Premium2026-10-20 ↗ USD 139.91/month — Monthly 50,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts First-year promotion advertised through October 21; regular price USD 199.99/month. Renewal and eligibility follow the offer terms. Rules [1]2,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month — Monthly 2,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 7,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 29.99/month — Monthly 7,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 10,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 49.99/month — Monthly 10,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 50,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 199.99/month — Monthly 50,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 9 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Four US individual Firefly monthly plans and four credit add-on subscriptions are listed. Pro Plus/Premium first-year promotions end October 21, with regular prices separately shown. Official pages do not quantify daily free removal counts or regional tax amounts. Generative credits concern other AI features and do not establish a payment requirement for free removal. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordSelf-serve cancellation in Adobe Account (monthly plans cancel anytime; annual billed-monthly plans subject to Adobe terms) Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ US individual Firefly subscriptions ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official generative credit add-on subscriptions ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Unlimited local WebGPU runs with zero daily caps or credit deductions | Free Adobe accounts receive daily complimentary upscales ('2 generations left today' shown live) with full 4x (2048×2048) access |
| Cancellation & refunds | Completely free open-source-powered tool with no accounts or subscription charges. | Self-serve cancellation in Adobe Account (monthly plans cancel anytime; annual billed-monthly plans subject to Adobe terms) |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Explicitly discloses WebGPU browser requirements and model options at the top of the page | Remaining daily free generations and exact output dimensions (2048×2048) are displayed upfront in the bottom toolbar |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Tested scale: 4× | Tested scale: 4× |
| Fixture findings | Ran 4× upscaling locally with noise reduction and text retention; speed depends on the device. | The tested 4× upscale retained sign text and detail; findings cover the fixed fixture only. |
| Original historical observation | Waifu2x Unlimited (Swin-UNet Photo 4x) suppresses JPEG compression artifacts cleanly while preserving natural camera gradients (PSNR 28.34 dB, SSIM 0.895) in 2.63s via WebGPU, without introducing fake generative hallucinations. | Adobe Firefly Upscaler ('Powered by Photoshop') excels at faithful super-resolution: it unlocks 4x (2048×2048) on the free tier, achieves 26.91dB PSNR and 0.8839 SSIM, sharpens the brass robot's finger joints and carved sign text, and preserves the fine calibration plate text and frequency gratings without hallucination. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Privacy-conscious users, anime/illustration and natural photo creators who want 100% free, unlimited 4x local GPU super-resolution without uploading files to any cloud server | Design and photography workflows requiring true 4x (2048×2048) faithful super-resolution without AI hallucination distorting text or facial features |
| 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 (4.0x Unwatermarked JPG) · 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 (true 4x lossless PNG export, supporting arbitrary large-image tiled inference) | 2048×2048 (4.0x Unwatermarked JPG) |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | None (100% watermark-free) |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-model switching (Swin-UNet Art / Art Scan / Photo), 4-level denoise, and configurable tile size | Seamlessly chains upscaled results into Generative Remove or Remove Background within the same canvas |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | Not verified |
| Attached file dimensions | 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Recorded local processing time: 2.63s · End-to-end reference: 2.63s | Network-observed server wait: 7.4s · End-to-end reference: 8.2s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-17 · 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 | Account required in this test |
| Sign-in methods | 100% usable without login (runs entirely in the local browser via WebGPU) | Free Adobe account sign-in via Google, Apple, Facebook, or email |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Pure single-page engineering workbench: select model (Swin-UNet Art / Photo), Denoise level, and 1x/2x/4x scale, then immediately preview or download the 2048×2048 PNG. | Clean workspace ('Powered by Photoshop') displaying live target dimensions ('W x H 2048×2048') next to the 2x/4x selector, with zero upsell popups or countdown timers. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | nagadomi (waifu2x / nunif Open-Source Author) | Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) |
| Recorded origin | Independent open-source AI vision researcher (Japan) | San Jose, California, USA |
| Domain history record | 2015–Present (waifu2x.net) | Founded 1982 (Creator of Photoshop and Adobe Firefly) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Authored and maintained by nagadomi, the creator of the iconic Waifu2x open-source repository and the nunif deep-learning framework. | Official Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) Firefly Upscaler built on Photoshop Camera Raw Super Resolution and Firefly vision research. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | On-device processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | 100% local in-browser WebGPU / ONNX Runtime inference — user images never leave the local device, offering maximum privacy protection. | Supports 2x and 4x cloud super-resolution (expandable up to 8192×8192) while preserving exact typography and geometry without hallucination. |
| Retention statement | This flow runs locally; post-close deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 34 / 35 100% free and open-source in-browser WebGPU tool with zero paywalls, zero ad clutter, and no usage limits (01_landing.png, 02_workspace.png, 03_download.png). | 28 / 35 Landing page accepts direct uploads (01_landing.png) and opens the unified Firefly Image Editor upon free Adobe login; bottom toolbar unlocks both 2x and 4x upscaling for free users while displaying '2 generations left today' (02_workspace.png), and exports a 2048×2048 unwatermarked image (Firefly.jpg, 03_download.png). |
| Interaction restraint | 25 / 30 Pure single-page engineering workbench: select model (Swin-UNet Art / Photo), Denoise level, and 1x/2x/4x scale, then immediately preview or download the 2048×2048 PNG. | 26 / 30 Clean workspace ('Powered by Photoshop') displaying live target dimensions ('W x H 2048×2048') next to the 2x/4x selector, with zero upsell popups or countdown timers. |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Authored and maintained by nagadomi, the creator of the iconic Waifu2x open-source repository and the nunif deep-learning framework. | 20 / 20 Official Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) Firefly Upscaler built on Photoshop Camera Raw Super Resolution and Firefly vision research. |
| Engineering & privacy | 14.5 / 15 100% local in-browser WebGPU / ONNX Runtime inference — user images never leave the local device, offering maximum privacy protection. | 14 / 15 Supports 2x and 4x cloud super-resolution (expandable up to 8192×8192) while preserving exact typography and geometry without hallucination. |
| Task quality | 57.2 / 65 PSNR vs 2048px GT: 28.34 dB · SSIM: 0.895 · Edge Gradient Correlation: 0.7165 · High-Freq Sharpness Ratio: 0.5256 · Calibration Plate PSNR: 17 dB | 56.5 / 65 Full-image PSNR=26.91 dB · SSIM=0.8839 · Edge Correlation edge_corr=0.5729 · High-Frequency Ratio hf_ratio=0.3894 · Calibration Plate PSNR=15.43 dB: at 4x (2048×2048), both the large wooden sign 'REALTEST 2026' and the fine calibration text 'REALTEST 2048px GT / 4X UPSCALE BENCHMARK / 0123456789' remain legible with zero hallucinated characters |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 Exports a full 2048×2048 4x upscaled PNG (or WebP/JPEG) locally in the browser with zero watermarks and no file-count limits (20.0/20) | 20 / 20 Unlocks full 4.0x (2048×2048) unwatermarked export on the free tier (20/20) |
| Processing speed | 10.5 / 15 Local WebGPU hardware acceleration completes 512→2048 (4x) tiled inference in just 2.63s with zero network upload overhead (14.5/15) | 12 / 15 Firefly Upscaler cloud 4x (512px -> 2048px) super-resolution completes in ~7.4s |
