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DATASHEET // REAL-ESRGAN

Real-ESRGAN

The default OSS upscaler, still.

OPEN SOURCE2–6 GB VRAMRuns locally
Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-FreeHobbyist-OK
Visit Real-ESRGANUPDATED 2024-04-30 · DIRECT LINK
github.com/xinntao/Real-ESRGAN
Real-ESRGAN — preview image

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS //

Runs locally · Entry GPU (6–8 GB)

2–6 GB VRAM
Min VRAM
2 GB
Rec. VRAM
6 GB
Min RAM
4 GB
Rec. RAM
8 GB
Disk
2 GB
GPU class
Entry GPU
10.2+Apple Silicon ✓CPU-CapableQuant: FP16

Trivially small; runs on integrated GPUs and Apple Silicon.

[ EDITORIAL PICK ]

Why we recommend Real-ESRGAN

DERIVED FROM METADATA — NOT SPONSORED
  • Open source

    Source is public — you can audit it, fork it, and you'll never lose access to your workflows if Real-ESRGAN the company changes direction.

  • Runs on 2 GB

    Fits on entry-level cards (GTX 1660, RTX 3050, RTX 4060). Rare for this category.

  • Apple Silicon

    Native Metal / MPS support — runs on M-series Macs without CUDA gymnastics.

  • Beginner-friendly

    You don't need to read a paper before getting your first result — sensible defaults and a quick install.

[ EVIDENCE NOTE ]

Documentation-led datasheet

This page summarizes upstream documentation, release information, and editorially reviewed catalogue fields. It is not presented as a hands-on benchmark. Verify changing requirements at the official project; report stale data through our corrections channel.

VRAM guide →

AT-A-GLANCE SIGNALS //

DERIVED FROM THIS PAGE'S DATA
  • Install difficulty
    Easy

    Runs CPU-only — no CUDA / driver gymnastics required.

  • Hardware comfort
    Entry-level

    Fits on 2 GB cards — GTX 1660 / RTX 3050 territory.

  • Ecosystem
    Open source

    Source is public — auditable and forkable, no vendor lock.

  • Verification
    Stale

    807 days since the last refresh — treat hardware numbers as a floor, not a ceiling.

[ COMMUNITY GUIDES & WORKFLOWS ]

Tutorials & deep-dives for Real-ESRGAN

Hand-picked from YouTube, Reddit, GitHub, and the wider web. Each link goes straight to the source — we don't intercept or rewrite anything.

[ MORE IN THIS NICHE ]

Other ai video editing tools we rate

Three picks across different tradeoffs — so you don't end up with three near-clones of Real-ESRGAN.

LIGHTEST HARDWARE //

FaceFusion

The most active open face-swap toolkit.

OPEN SOURCE2–8 GB VRAM
BEST FREE OPTION //

SUPIR

Diffusion-based photorealistic upscaler.

OPEN SOURCE12–24 GB VRAM
TOP QUALITY //

Topaz Video AI

GPU-accelerated upscaling, frame-interp, denoise.

PAID · $2994–12 GB VRAM

What is Real-ESRGAN?

Real-ESRGAN from Tencent ARC Lab is the upscaler bundled into every diffusion UI for a reason: fast, lightweight, and decent on photos, anime, and game assets alike. Not state-of-the-art anymore (4x-UltraSharp, SUPIR, ESRGAN-NMKD variants beat it on specific content), but the universal baseline.

Pros & cons

✓ PROS

  • Bundled in A1111 / ComfyUI / Forge / InvokeAI by default
  • Acceptable on photos AND illustration/anime via different weights
  • Tiny model — runs CPU-only at acceptable speed
  • Solid baseline you can always fall back to

– CONS

  • SUPIR / 4x-UltraSharp beat it on photographic detail
  • Less specialized than newer purpose-trained upscalers

What's actually free?

BSD-3 from Tencent ARC Lab.

✓ Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-Free

Alternatives

SUPIR

Diffusion-based photorealistic upscaler.

OPEN SOURCE12–24 GB VRAM
VRAM fit12–24 GB

Topaz Video AI

GPU-accelerated upscaling, frame-interp, denoise.

PAID · $2994–12 GB VRAM
VRAM fit4–12 GB