best-upscaler

The best upscaler depends on your specific use case (e.g., AI-generated images, real-world photos, videos, etc.), the desired quality, and the computational resources available. Here are some of the top upscalers used in AI workflows, including those compatible with ComfyUI and Stable Diffusion:

1. AI-Powered Upscalers (Best for AI-Generated Images)

(a) ESRGAN (Enhanced Super-Resolution GAN)

• Best for: General-purpose upscaling (2x–8x).

• Models:

  • RealESRGAN – Good for real-world and synthetic images.

  • BSRGAN – Better for noisy/blurry images.

  • 4x-UltraSharp – Optimized for sharpness.

• Pros: Free, open-source, widely supported.

• Cons: Can introduce artifacts if overused.

(b) SwinIR

• Best for: High-detail restoration (especially textures).

• Pros: Better at preserving fine details than ESRGAN.

• Cons: Slower than ESRGAN.

(c) NMKD Superscale

• Best for: Ultra-high-quality upscaling (4x–8x).

• Pros: Works well with Stable Diffusion outputs.

• Cons: Requires more VRAM.

(d) Stable Diffusion Latent Upscalers

• Best for: AI-generated images (seamless with SD workflows).

• Models:

  • Swin2SR (Latent Diffusion).

  • Tiled Diffusion (for large images without VRAM issues).

• Pros: Integrates natively with SD/ComfyUI.

• Cons: Slower than ESRGAN.

2. Commercial Upscalers (Best for Photos/Videos)

(a) Topaz Gigapixel AI

• Best for: Real-world photos (6x upscale).

• Pros: Best-in-class for faces and textures.

• Cons: Paid ($99), not free/open-source.

(b) Adobe Super Resolution (in Photoshop)

• Best for: Quick 2x upscaling.

• Pros: Simple, integrated into Photoshop.

• Cons: Limited to 2x.

(c) Waifu2x (Anime-Specialized)

• Best for: Anime/art styles.

• Pros: Free, great for line art.

• Cons: Struggles with photorealistic images.

3. Best Upscaler for ComfyUI Workflows

If you're using ComfyUI, the best options are:

1. Ultimate SD Upscale (Tiled Diffusion + ControlNet Tile)

   • Uses ESRGAN/RealESRGAN under the hood.

   • Avoids VRAM issues by processing in tiles.

   • Works well with SD 1.5/SDXL.

2. 4x_NMKD-Superscale (for ultra-sharp results).

3. SwinIR-Large (for fine details).

How to Use in ComfyUI

1. Install the Required Nodes:

   • Use the ComfyUI-Manager to install:

     • Ultimate SD Upscale

     • ControlNet Tile (for better coherence).

   • Or load pre-trained ESRGAN models.

2. Workflow Setup:

   • Add an Upscale Model Loader (e.g., 4x-UltraSharp.pth).

   • Pipe it into an Image Upscale node.

   • For large images, use Tiled Diffusion.

Final Recommendation

• For AI art: 4x_NMKD-Superscale (sharp) or SwinIR (detailed).

• For real-world photos: Topaz Gigapixel AI (paid) or RealESRGAN (free).

• For ComfyUI: Ultimate SD Upscale + ControlNet Tile (best balance of quality/speed).

  create collection of last updates of best upscale models here

  https://civitai.com/models/1467390/upscalers

• the fastest best upscaler

• https://civitai.com/models/1467497/15upscaler-workflow