How to use this tool
- Drop in a photo, or click to browse for one.
- Click "Upscale 2×" — the model loads (first time only) and then processes the image.
- Download the result as a PNG.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Very large source images take noticeably longer to process — a smaller photo upscales faster.
Why upscale in the browser?
This uses Swin2SR, an open-source super-resolution model, running via Transformers.js — entirely on your device, in a background thread so the page stays responsive. Your photo never leaves your browser.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my photo uploaded to a server?
- No — the AI model (Swin2SR) runs entirely on your device, inside a Web Worker so it doesn't freeze the page while it works. Your photo never leaves your browser.
- What's the difference between this and just resizing?
- Resizing a photo larger with the Image Resizer stretches existing pixels, which looks soft or blocky past a certain point. This uses a super-resolution model trained to predict plausible detail that isn't in the original pixels, producing a sharper result — though it can't truly invent detail that was never captured.
- Why is it fixed at 2×?
- The model used here is trained specifically for 2× upscaling. A different scale would need a different model — 2× covers the most common use case (e.g. preparing a smaller photo for print or a larger display).
- Does this use my graphics card?
- When your browser supports WebGPU, yes — otherwise it automatically falls back to a WebAssembly CPU path with no difference in output, just processing speed.
How GetByteRush compares
Most free tools for this online work the same way: you upload your file to their server, wait, then download the result — which means your file (and often your email, for a "free" account) sits on someone else's infrastructure. Here's the actual difference:
| Feature | GetByteRush | Typical online image upscalers |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ever leaves your device | No — 100% client-side | Yes — uploaded to a server to process |
| Daily usage limits | None | Common on free tiers |
| Account required | Never | Often, past a certain usage level |
("Typical online tools" reflects publicly documented behavior of common free file-processing sites as of 2026 — always check a specific competitor's own privacy policy and pricing page, since these details change.)