Free AI image upscaler for Windows — local Real-ESRGAN, no upload
FrameShift upscales images locally on Windows using Real-ESRGAN and Swin2SR ONNX models. Pick ×2, ×3, ×4 or a custom target resolution, choose the right model for your content, and get a sharp upscaled PNG next to the source — with no upload, no account, no subscription.
Three models for every use case
Real-ESRGAN x4plus
Best for photos, screenshots, AI-generated images and general content. The most versatile model — a good default for most images. License: BSD-3-Clause.
Real-ESRGAN Anime 6B
Optimized for anime, manga, illustrations and line art. Preserves sharp lines and flat color regions better than the general model. License: BSD-3-Clause.
Swin2SR
Transformer-based model focused on restoration quality. Best for degraded, compressed or low-quality images where detail recovery matters more than speed. License: Apache-2.0.
Scale factors
Double the resolution
Triple the resolution
Quadruple the resolution
Target width × height, aspect-locked
All models run at native ×4 and the output is resampled with Lanczos when a smaller factor is chosen.
Why upscale images locally?
No upload, complete privacy
Cloud upscalers send your images to remote servers. FrameShift processes everything on your machine — your files never leave your disk.
Free, no limits
No subscription, no per-image charge, no trial cap. FrameShift is open source and completely free to use.
GPU accelerated
ONNX Runtime with DirectML runs models on the GPU when available, with automatic CPU fallback for any Windows 10/11 machine.
Handles large images
Automatic invisible tiling processes images of any size without running out of memory. Tile reduction kicks in automatically on OOM.
Right-click from Explorer
Right-click any image in Windows Explorer, pick a model and scale, and get the upscaled PNG next to the source.
Non-destructive output
The upscaled image is saved as a new PNG with a unique name. The original is never overwritten or modified.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Real-ESRGAN GUI for Windows?
Yes. FrameShift includes a free local image upscaling workflow powered by Real-ESRGAN and Swin2SR ONNX models, running on Windows with DirectML GPU acceleration. No upload, no cloud, no subscription.
What upscaling models does FrameShift include?
FrameShift includes Real-ESRGAN x4plus (general photos and AI images), Real-ESRGAN Anime 6B (anime, illustrations and line art), and Swin2SR (restoration quality for degraded images). Models are downloaded on first use and integrity-checked with SHA-256.
What scale factors are supported?
FrameShift supports ×2, ×3 and ×4 upscaling, plus a custom target resolution (width × height) with aspect ratio locked. All models run natively at ×4 and the output is resampled with Lanczos for smaller factors.
Does AI image upscaling require a GPU?
No. FrameShift uses DirectML for GPU acceleration when available and falls back to CPU automatically. A GPU speeds up processing considerably, but the tool works on any Windows 10/11 machine.
How does FrameShift handle very large images?
FrameShift tiles large images automatically — the image is split into 512-pixel tiles with overlap, each tile processed by the AI model, then reassembled into a seamless result. Out-of-memory conditions automatically reduce the tile size.
How does FrameShift compare to Topaz Gigapixel AI?
Topaz Gigapixel AI is a paid commercial product. FrameShift uses open-source Real-ESRGAN and Swin2SR models and is completely free. For general photos, screenshots and AI-generated images, Real-ESRGAN x4plus produces excellent results at zero cost.
Try AI upscaling locally — free, no upload
Download FrameShift and upscale images on Windows with one right-click.