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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 | Photoroom | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 86/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image upscaling | 89/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 87/100 JPEG · Output attached | Active task |
| Object removal | Not tested in topic | 88/100 2048×2048 (No Watermark PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | Not tested in topic | 86/100 JPEG · Output attached | 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 | PhotoRoom (Image Enhancer & Upscaler) Image upscaling 87/100 Seven-aspect task score Inside the web app tool catalog, guests can run 4x upscaling and download a watermark-free image without signing in; single-sample response is fast with sharp text edges, though the marketing page lacks an upload box and exports JPEG. Tested export JPEG · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-19 |
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| 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 ↗ | USD web subscriptions: Pro, Max and all four Ultra volumes, monthly and annual; excludes API/MCP · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Limited AI credits and exports; exact quantities are not stated in official help Personal, non-commercial use only; no API access Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12.99/month USD 89.99/year Monthly 8,000 AI credits/month, 1,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 8,000 AI credits/month, 1,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $7.50/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 89.99/year (one free trial per person) Max2026-10-20 ↗ USD 34.99/month USD 249.99/year Monthly 25,000 AI credits/month, 3,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 25,000 AI credits/month, 3,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $20.99/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 249.99/year ($20.83/month equivalent, one free trial per person) Ultra 75k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99/month USD 990/year Monthly 75,000 AI credits/month, 10,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 75,000 AI credits/month, 10,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $82.50/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 990.00/year Ultra 150k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 198/month USD 1,980/year Monthly 150,000 AI credits/month, 20,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 150,000 AI credits/month, 20,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $165/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 1,980.00/year Ultra 375k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 495/month USD 4,950/year Monthly 375,000 AI credits/month, 50,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 375,000 AI credits/month, 50,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $413/month equivalent ($412.50/month in modal); in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 4,950.00/year Ultra 750k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 990/month USD 9,900/year Monthly 750,000 AI credits/month, 100,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 750,000 AI credits/month, 100,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $825/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 9,900.00/year 13 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free use is personal and non-commercial, with no exact allowance stated. Core removal uses no AI credits but export caps and fair-use limits apply. The public pricing page only shows monthly equivalents for annual plans; after sign-in, the in-app upgrade modal confirms all six annual invoice totals: Pro USD 89.99/year (not $7.5×12=$90), Max USD 249.99/year ($20.83/month equivalent, not $20.99×12), and Ultra tiers at USD 990 / 1,980 / 4,950 / 9,900/year. The pricing page states VAT/GST is included. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel in app. Pro/Max annual plans have a seven-day trial. Pro/Max/Ultra refunds may be requested within seven days of the last payment, but are not guaranteed and may be refused for misuse or terms violations. API is excluded. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ · Capture 3 ↗ · Capture 4 ↗ · Capture 5 ↗ · Capture 6 ↗ · Capture 7 ↗ · Capture 8 ↗ · Capture 9 ↗ · Capture 10 ↗ · Capture 11 ↗ Purchase entry requires sign-in ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official plans and free-use scope ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official refund eligibility ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ In-app upgrade modal annual billing totals (verified after sign-in) ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Unlimited local WebGPU runs with zero daily caps or credit deductions | Guest Image Enhancer flow upscales the 512px anchor to a 2048×2048 native JPEG (4x) without sign-in or payment. |
| Cancellation & refunds | Completely free open-source-powered tool with no accounts or subscription charges. | Cancel in app. Pro/Max annual plans have a seven-day trial. Pro/Max/Ultra refunds may be requested within seven days of the last payment, but are not guaranteed and may be refused for misuse or terms violations. API is excluded. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Explicitly discloses WebGPU browser requirements and model options at the top of the page | Not verified |
| 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. | This 500x500 sample was upscaled 4x to 2000x2000 with sharp text edges; output was exported as JPEG. |
| 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. | Guest Image Enhancer flow upscales the 512px anchor to a 2048×2048 native JPEG (4x) with sharp text on the wooden sign and calibration plate. |
| 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 | Not verified |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test | JPEG · Output attached · Check watermark record |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048 × 2048 (true 4x lossless PNG export, supporting arbitrary large-image tiled inference) | Not verified |
| Watermark observation | Watermark-free | Not verified |
| Batch & API | Supports multi-model switching (Swin-UNet Art / Art Scan / Photo), 4-level denoise, and configurable tile size | Not verified |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | 2048 × 2048 |
| 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: 2.72s · End-to-end reference: 3.86s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-17 · anchor_upscale_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-19 · 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 | Not verified |
| Sign-in methods | 100% usable without login (runs entirely in the local browser via WebGPU) | No login required in app.photoroom.com/ai-tools Image Enhancer; Google / Apple / Facebook / email supported |
| 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. | Requires navigating from the SEO landing page into the web app tool catalog to upload, but the Image Enhancer workflow itself completes without popups or forced registration. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | nagadomi (waifu2x / nunif Open-Source Author) | AI Visual Unicorn (Paris, France) |
| Recorded origin | Independent open-source AI vision researcher (Japan) | Not verified |
| Domain history record | 2015–Present (waifu2x.net) | Not verified |
| Background & reputation assessment | Authored and maintained by nagadomi, the creator of the iconic Waifu2x open-source repository and the nunif deep-learning framework. | Operated by PhotoRoom SAS (Paris, France), a widely recognized AI visual editing platform across mobile and web. |
| 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. | Processes 4x upscaling via synchronous HTTPS endpoint ai-gateway.photoroom.com/v3/upscale returning a binary JPEG. |
| 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). | 26 / 35 The /tools/photo-enhancer marketing page has no inline file input and public pricing cards show monthly equivalents for annual plans; however, inside app.photoroom.com/ai-tools Image Enhancer, guests can upscale the 512px anchor 4x and download a 2048×2048 JPEG for free (in-app modal verified 2026-10-21: Pro $89.99/yr, Max $249.99/yr). |
| 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. | 22 / 30 Requires navigating from the SEO landing page into the web app tool catalog to upload, but the Image Enhancer workflow itself completes without popups or forced registration. |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Authored and maintained by nagadomi, the creator of the iconic Waifu2x open-source repository and the nunif deep-learning framework. | 19 / 20 Operated by PhotoRoom SAS (Paris, France), a widely recognized AI visual editing platform across mobile and web. |
| Engineering & privacy | 14.5 / 15 100% local in-browser WebGPU / ONNX Runtime inference — user images never leave the local device, offering maximum privacy protection. | 12 / 15 Processes 4x upscaling via synchronous HTTPS endpoint ai-gateway.photoroom.com/v3/upscale returning a binary JPEG. |
| 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 | 58 / 65 4x upscale to 2048×2048 native JPEG: full-image PSNR=27.60 dB, SSIM=0.8605, edge gradient correlation edge_corr=0.6917, high-frequency ratio hf_ratio=0.7804, calibration plate PSNR=16.86 dB with crisp text and line-pair edges. |
| 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) | 18 / 20 Guest flow directly exports a 2048×2048 (4x) watermark-free image; delivered as lossy JPEG rather than lossless PNG (-2). |
| 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) | 14 / 15 2026-10-21 single-sample network timing: synchronous POST /v3/upscale pure server wait 2.72s (download 0.87s, end-to-end 3.86s). |
