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Test scope & comparison notes
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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 | Upscale.media | LightX | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | Not tested in topic | 64/100 480 × 480 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image upscaling | 89/100 1024×1024 (PNG · 2.0x Super Resolution) · Historical description; output not attached | 86/100 JPEG · Output attached | Active task |
| Object removal | Not tested in topic | 66/100 JPEG · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | Not tested in topic | 83/100 JPEG · Output attached | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Upscale.media (by PixelBin) Image upscaling 89/100 Seven-aspect task score Free 2× watermark-free downloads are smooth with clear paid tiers and good detail; 4× and 8× cost extra, alongside ads and product promotions. Tested export 1024×1024 (PNG · 2.0x Super Resolution) · Historical description; output not attached Historical test · 2026-10-16 | LightX AI Image Upscaler Image upscaling 86/100 Seven-aspect task score A signed-in free account uses 2 daily credits to upscale 4X in ~6.4s and export a 2048×2048 watermark-free JPEG with strong pixel and edge fidelity, though sign-in is required and output is lossy JPEG. Tested export JPEG · Output attached Historical test · 2026-10-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | Upscale.media free, monthly, annual, one-time credit packs, and enterprise plans; USD · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free Plan2026-10-21 ↗ Free Free Free 3 free credits and 3 free downloads per month (1 credit per upscale conversion). Monthly 200 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 11.99/month — Monthly 200 credits/month (1 credit per conversion; unused monthly credits expire at month-end). Monthly 600 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 17.99/month — Monthly 600 credits/month (1 credit per conversion; unused monthly credits expire at month-end). Monthly 1,000 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 23.99/month — Monthly 1,000 credits/month (1 credit per conversion; unused monthly credits expire at month-end). Monthly 2,500 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 34.99/month — Monthly 2,500 credits/month (1 credit per conversion; unused monthly credits expire at month-end). Annual 3,000 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 49.99/year Annual 3,000 credits/year (billed annually at USD 49.99/year). Annual 7,500 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 69.99/year Annual 7,500 credits/year (billed annually at USD 69.99/year). Annual 15,000 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 99.99/year Annual 15,000 credits/year (billed annually at USD 99.99/year). Annual 30,000 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ — USD 119.99/year Annual 30,000 credits/year (billed annually at USD 119.99/year). One-Time 60 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 7.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 60 credits (1 credit per conversion). Rules [1] One-Time 125 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 11.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 125 credits (1 credit per conversion). Rules [1] One-Time 500 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 29.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 500 credits (1 credit per conversion). Rules [1] One-Time 1,200 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 54.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 1,200 credits (1 credit per conversion). Rules [1] One-Time 2,500 Credits2026-10-21 ↗ USD 84.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 2,500 credits (1 credit per conversion). Rules [1] Enterprise2026-10-21 ↗ Contact sales Quoted Quoted Custom volume and API solutions via sales@pixelbin.io. 15 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The official pricing page lists the Free plan (3 free credits and 3 free downloads per month; 1 conversion = 1 credit), four monthly subscriptions (200 / 600 / 1,000 / 2,500 credits/month), four annual subscriptions (3,000 / 7,500 / 15,000 / 30,000 credits/year), and five one-time credit packs valid for 1 year (60 / 125 / 500 / 1,200 / 2,500 credits). Cancellation, sources & verification recordSubscriptions auto-renew and can be cancelled anytime; the pricing page explicitly states that refunds are not provided due to AI compute costs, and one-time credit packs are valid for 1 year and non-refundable. Upscale.media official annual, monthly, and one-time credit pack pricing page ↗ · 2026-10-21 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ | USD web monthly/annual subscriptions and 800-credit pack; excludes API · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Starter2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Card states 6 AI credits/day; comparison table instead says up to 5 credits Background removal outputs low-resolution JPG; export table lists 512px Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month USD 59.99/year Annual 1,000 AI credits/month; unlimited background removal/replacement PNG and high resolution; export table lists 4096px Monthly 1,000 AI credits/month; unlimited background removal/replacement PNG and high resolution; export table lists 4096px 800 AI credit pack2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 800 general AI credits Advertised lifetime validity 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Monthly $9.99 verified; promotional annual total $59.99 and non-expiring 800-credit pack $9.99. The free card still says 6 daily credits while the table says up to 5. Free removal is low-resolution JPG; Pro provides unlimited high-resolution PNG removal. Earlier INR and current USD observations do not imply identical regional pricing. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ Monthly pricing and feature comparison ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | 3 free no-login 2x (1024×1024) unwatermarked upscales; 4x and 8x display a Crown icon requiring a PixelBin subscription | Free accounts receive 6 daily credits; upscaling the 512×512 canonical anchor at 4X consumes 2 credits and exports a 2048×2048 watermark-free JPEG via Apply -> Download even if a dismissible cloud-storage-full prompt appears |
| Cancellation & refunds | Subscriptions auto-renew and can be cancelled anytime; the pricing page explicitly states that refunds are not provided due to AI compute costs, and one-time credit packs are valid for 1 year and non-refundable. | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Crown icons on 4x/8x buttons clearly indicate paid tiers upfront | Requires sign-in upon clicking upload on the landing page; workspace clearly displays remaining credits and 2X/4X credit cost (2 credits) |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Tested scale: 2× | Tested scale: 4× |
| Fixture findings | The tested 2× output was watermark-free with some edge recovery, at 1024px. | Upscaled 4X from 512px to 2048×2048 with 28.05 dB PSNR and 0.8979 SSIM, preserving sharp brass robot edges, wooden sign lettering, and micro calibration plate lines. |
| Original historical observation | PSNR=27.57dB · SSIM=0.8918 (2x 1024×1024 unwatermarked PNG); ranks #1 in PSNR and SSIM among all 2x free upscalers with edge_corr=0.6496, hf_ratio=0.5289, and a blazing 1.74s Network-observed server wait. | Upscaling the 512×512 canonical anchor at 4X (consuming 2 free credits) produces a native 2048×2048 JPEG (PSNR = 28.05 dB, SSIM = 0.8979, edge_corr = 0.7118, plate_psnr_db = 16.85 dB, server wait 6.42s) with sharp brass robot details, wooden sign lettering, and calibration plate lines. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Everyday office and e-commerce users seeking instant 1.7s no-login 2x lossless super-resolution | Users willing to sign in to a free account and use daily free credits to export true 4X (2048×2048) high-fidelity watermark-free upscaled images |
| Result & output evidence | No native output obtained; the preview does not establish final export quality. | |
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 1024×1024 (PNG · 2.0x Super Resolution) · Historical description; output not attached · Check watermark record No native output is attached; check the evidence for specification and watermark claims. | JPEG · Output attached · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 1024×1024 (2.0x · Free without login; 4x/8x require PixelBin paid plan) | 2048×2048 (4X watermark-free native JPEG, 2.78 MB) |
| Watermark observation | 100% Watermark-Free | Completely watermark-free (native 2048×2048 JPEG export) |
| Batch & API | Bulk transformation, real-time URL super-resolution, and REST API via PixelBin.io | Offers commercial API and full online editor handoff |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | 2048 × 2048 |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | Not verified |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 1.74s · End-to-end reference: 3.54s | Network-observed server wait: 6.42s · End-to-end reference: 6.84s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-16 · anchor_upscale_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-23 · 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 | No login required for 2x; optional sign-in via console.pixelbin.io | Supports free Google / Facebook / Apple / Email sign-in (6 daily free AI credits granted) |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Smooth no-login 2x workflow; displays standard banner ads and a PixelBin promotion bar without obstructing the download button. | The workspace provides 2X/4X scale toggles and a Before/After comparison slider (02_result.png). Although a "Your Cloud storage is full" upgrade modal may appear when entering the editor, dismissing it and clicking Apply -> Download exports the native 2048×2048 watermark-free JPEG without payment gating (03_download.png). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | PixelBin.io / Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd. (Reliance Retail) | AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (LightX) |
| Recorded origin | Mumbai, India | New Delhi, India |
| Domain history record | 2021–Present | 2017–Present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Operated by Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd. (PixelBin.io / Reliance Retail subsidiary, Mumbai, India—the same enterprise cloud behind Erase.bg), holding SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR certifications. | Operated by AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (New Delhi, India), creator of the LightX mobile and web visual AI suite with tens of millions of users. |
| 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 | Backed by PixelBin's `delivery.pixelbin.io/predictions/outputs/1d/sr/upscaleRestricted/` edge pipeline with an explicit 24-hour (`1d`) auto-expiring storage bucket. | Uses AWS S3 presigned uploads paired with POST https://www.instagraphe.mobi/andor-media-1.0/aiartweb/generateImage async inference and CDN delivery; after vendor S3 credential recovery on 2026-10-23, single-sample server wait measured 6.42s (6.84s end-to-end). |
| Retention statement | Claims deletion within 24 hours; deletion not independently verified | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 31 / 35 Anonymous guests uploading an image on the landing page (Screenshot ①) receive a 2x (1024×1024) super-resolution output in 1.74s and can directly download a 100% watermark-free PNG (Screenshot ②); 4x and 8x buttons clearly display a Crown icon indicating a paid upgrade (Screenshot ③). | 25 / 35 The landing page (01_landing.png) requires sign-in before entering the workspace; once signed in, the workspace clearly displays the daily free credit balance (6 credits) and "2X / 4X" scale options. Upscaling the 512×512 canonical anchor at 4X consumes 2 credits (1 generation = 2 credits) and exports a 2048×2048 watermark-free JPEG after clicking Apply (02_result.png, 03_download.png). |
| Interaction restraint | 24 / 30 Smooth no-login 2x workflow; displays standard banner ads and a PixelBin promotion bar without obstructing the download button. | 23 / 30 The workspace provides 2X/4X scale toggles and a Before/After comparison slider (02_result.png). Although a "Your Cloud storage is full" upgrade modal may appear when entering the editor, dismissing it and clicking Apply -> Download exports the native 2048×2048 watermark-free JPEG without payment gating (03_download.png). |
| Background & reputation | 17 / 20 Operated by Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd. (PixelBin.io / Reliance Retail subsidiary, Mumbai, India—the same enterprise cloud behind Erase.bg), holding SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR certifications. | 18 / 20 Operated by AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (New Delhi, India), creator of the LightX mobile and web visual AI suite with tens of millions of users. |
| Engineering & privacy | 14 / 15 Backed by PixelBin's `delivery.pixelbin.io/predictions/outputs/1d/sr/upscaleRestricted/` edge pipeline with an explicit 24-hour (`1d`) auto-expiring storage bucket. | 12 / 15 Uses AWS S3 presigned uploads paired with POST https://www.instagraphe.mobi/andor-media-1.0/aiartweb/generateImage async inference and CDN delivery; after vendor S3 credential recovery on 2026-10-23, single-sample server wait measured 6.42s (6.84s end-to-end). |
| Task quality | 57.5 / 65 PSNR vs 2048px GT: 27.57 dB · SSIM: 0.8918 · Edge Gradient Correlation: 0.6496 · High-Freq Sharpness Ratio: 0.5289 · Calibration Plate PSNR: 15.96 dB | 60 / 65 Pixel fidelity (24.5/25: 512×512 anchor upscaled 4X to 2048×2048 with PSNR = 28.05 dB and SSIM = 0.8979) · Edge & high-frequency recovery (22.5/25: edge_corr = 0.7118, hf_ratio = 0.5313, rich 4X full-resolution detail) · Calibration plate & micro-text (13.0/15: plate_psnr_db = 16.85 dB, clean wooden sign lettering and calibration lines) (60.0/65) |
| Deliverable specifications | 18 / 20 No free unwatermarked export (0/8); Free scale factor: 2x (1024×1024 (2.0x · Free without login; 4x/8x require PixelBin paid plan)) | 18 / 20 Daily free credits (2 credits used) directly export a native 4X 2048×2048 watermark-free JPEG (2,782,593 bytes); full 4X resolution achieved, with 2 points deducted for lossy JPEG format (18.0/20) |
| Processing speed | 14.5 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 1.74s (API mode: sync_post; end-to-end 3.54s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 12 / 15 2026-10-23 same-run single-sample network timing: 6.42s server wait (6.84s end-to-end) from POST https://www.instagraphe.mobi/andor-media-1.0/aiartweb/generateImage (r8) to result image GET completion (r19) (12.0/15) |
