1. What this project is
Upscayl is a cross-platform desktop image upscaler built around Real-ESRGAN and an NCNN Vulkan backend, with single-image and batch workflows.
2. What you can make
It can enlarge low-resolution artwork or photos locally, compare included models, and save new files without sending the source image to a cloud service.
3. Recommended first use
Download the official release for your operating system, duplicate one non-sensitive image, try a modest scale, and compare the result at 100 percent zoom with the original.
4. Requirements and cost
The desktop app requires a Vulkan-compatible GPU. Many integrated GPUs and CPU-only systems are unsupported, although compatibility varies by device.
5. Who it suits
Useful for enlarging personal artwork, old web images, game assets, or presentation graphics when local processing matters.
6. Limits and safety
Upscaling predicts plausible detail and cannot recover information that was never captured. Faces, text, and fine patterns can acquire artifacts. Keep the original file, download releases and models from trusted project links, and confirm you have rights to modify or publish the image.
7. Project and license
Repository content is provided under AGPL-3.0; check the current LICENSE before reuse. Repository: https://github.com/Upscayl/upscayl