Real-ESRGAN
The score measures project health and popularity. It is not a hands-on review. How it works
The restoration model behind many upscaling apps, for photos, artwork, and old video frames.
- For tinkerers
- Works on Windows, Mac, Linux
The openness label
- Code
- Open source, BSD-3-Clause
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
What you need to run it
About 8 GB of memory. Graphics card optional (2 GB of video memory speeds it up).
These are our estimates for comfortable use. Enter your computer's specs to see a verdict on every tool.
- 37,460 stars on GitHub
- Last updated 2024-08-06
- Latest release v0.3.0
Quick answers
Is Real-ESRGAN free?
Yes. Real-ESRGAN is free and open source, released under the BSD-3-Clause license. There is nothing to buy and no subscription.
Does Real-ESRGAN run on my own computer?
Yes. Real-ESRGAN runs entirely on your own computer, so your files and prompts stay with you.
What do I need to run Real-ESRGAN?
About 8 GB of memory. Graphics card optional (2 GB of video memory speeds it up). It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Is Real-ESRGAN still maintained?
Real-ESRGAN was last updated on 2024-08-06, so development has slowed, but the tool still works.
Checked by Forkopolis on November 11, 2026.
