Compare
Image upscalers for Mac, compared
Compare image upscalers for Mac by method, price and workflow: MacnifyIt next to Topaz Gigapixel, Upscayl, Pixelmator Pro, Photoshop and Lightroom, macOS Preview and the online services. MacnifyIt uses non-generative Lanczos-3 resampling, so the picture stays as it is, only bigger. AI upscalers estimate detail, and their results vary by model and settings.
Vendor information checked on 11 September 2026. Prices are in USD. Features, compatibility and terms change; check the vendor’s site before buying.
Tool
Method
Where it runs
Scale options
Batch
Mac
Price (checked 11 September 2026)
MacnifyIt
A larger version of an approved image: product photos, artwork, AI images for print, recurring batch work
Non-generative Lanczos-3 resampling in linear light. No AI
On your Mac. Photos are never uploaded
2×, 4×, 8× or a target long edge (about 400 MP cap)
Yes: files, folders and the Finder menu
macOS 12 or later (planned; tested on 26.6)
$49 one-time (USD, introductory price), one Mac, 12 months of updates. Free trial: 10 full-resolution exports
Preview (built into macOS)
Quick one-off resizes
Resampling; Apple does not document the filter
On your Mac
Custom dimensions; practical limits apply
Several open images at once
Yes
Free with every Mac
Upscayl
Free local AI upscaling
Open-source AI models
On your Mac (a paid Upscayl Cloud also exists)
Up to 16× (advertised); depends on settings
Yes
macOS, Windows, Linux
Free and open source (upscayl.org)
Pixelmator Pro
An image editor that also upscales
ML Super Resolution (machine learning)
On your Mac
Custom dimensions
Not verified here
macOS 26 for the current version; iPad
$49.99 one-time, or Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 a month
Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
People already paying for Creative Cloud
Super Resolution in Camera Raw and Lightroom (machine learning: 2× width and height, once per image, DNG output); Photoshop also offers conventional resampling
On your Mac
2× with Super Resolution; custom dimensions with conventional resampling
Several photos at once in Lightroom
Yes
Photoshop US$22.99 a month; Photography plan US$19.99 a month (annual plans, billed monthly)
Topaz Gigapixel
AI enhancement of low-resolution images: faces, old photos
Machine-learning and generative models
Local and cloud; the generative models need cloud rendering on Intel Macs
Up to 16× (advertised); model and output limits apply
Yes
macOS and Windows (see Topaz’s system requirements)
US$149 a year or US$29 a month (Personal: commercial use limited to organisations under $1M revenue); Pro US$499 a year
ON1 Resize AI 2026
Photographers printing large
AI models plus Genuine Fractals resampling
On your Mac
Up to 10× (advertised)
Yes
macOS, Windows
One-time licence; ON1 shows the current price at checkout
Online AI upscalers (Let’s Enhance, Magnific, Pixelcut and others)
Quick web jobs when uploading is acceptable
Generative or machine-learning models
In the vendor’s cloud: your image is uploaded
Varies
Varies
Any browser
Credits or subscriptions; varies by service
MacnifyIt against each one
MacnifyIt vs Topaz Gigapixel
Gigapixel’s models add detail the source did not have; that is the point of the product, and the reason its results can change faces, textures and text. MacnifyIt never invents detail: the upscaled image is the same picture, resampled. Gigapixel is a subscription, US$149 a year on the Personal plan and US$499 on Pro (checked 11 September 2026); MacnifyIt is US$49 one-time with 12 months of updates.
MacnifyIt vs Upscayl
Upscayl is free, open source, local and batch-capable, and its AI models can look sharper than resampling when the source lacks detail. Choose MacnifyIt when the image must stay as approved, when exports need to keep colour profiles and metadata, and when a right-click in Finder is the workflow you want. Try both on your own files.
MacnifyIt vs Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro is a full image editor with an ML Super Resolution feature, sold one-time on the Mac App Store or through Apple Creator Studio. MacnifyIt does one job: exact resampling at 2×, 4×, 8× or a target long edge, for one file or a whole folder, from the app or from Finder.
MacnifyIt vs Photoshop and Lightroom
Adobe’s Super Resolution doubles width and height with machine learning and writes a DNG; Photoshop’s Image Size dialog also offers classic resampling. If you already pay for Creative Cloud, try it. MacnifyIt is $49 one-time, needs no other software, resamples in linear light, and batches folders straight from Finder.
MacnifyIt vs Preview
Preview can resize an image (Tools ▸ Adjust Size with resampling on) and it is free with every Mac. MacnifyIt adds Lanczos-3 in linear light, a 100% check before export, folder batches, a Finder menu, and exports that keep colour profiles, metadata and 16-bit depth where the format supports it.
MacnifyIt vs online AI upscalers
Cloud services need nothing installed, but they require uploads, and processing varies by service. MacnifyIt processes images locally, never uploads a photo, and resamples rather than generates.
Test each tool on your own files at 100%. Apparent sharpness and fine-detail changes depend on the source, the model and the settings. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.