⚡ Fastest
Real-ESRGAN
- Scale: 2×, 4×, 8×
- Speed: ~15–30 seconds
- Yes (GFPGAN)
- Very low Hallucination risk
✨ Best Quality
Clarity Upscaler
- Scale: 2×, 4×
- Speed: ~45–90 seconds
- Highly detailed, AI-enhanced
- Adjustable creativity/resemblance
| Feature | Real-ESRGAN | Clarity Upscaler |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RRDB GAN | Stable Diffusion XL |
| Max scale | 8× | 4× |
| Processing speed | ~15–30 s | ~45–90 s |
| Output style | Pattern-matched | AI-generated (real texture) |
| Face enhancement | Yes (GFPGAN) | No (built-in) |
| Best for: portraits | Good (with face enhance) | Excellent |
| Best for: screenshots | Excellent | Poor (hallucination) |
| Best for: old photos | Good | Excellent |
| Best for: anime/art | Excellent | Not recommended |
| Risk of artifacts | Very low | Low-moderate (at high creativity) |
When to use Real-ESRGAN
- You need 8× upscaling
- You're upscaling screenshots, UI, logos, or text
- Speed matters — 15–30 seconds vs 45–90
- You want face enhancement on portraits
- You're upscaling anime or digital illustrations
- You need predictable, artifact-free results every time
When to use Clarity Upscaler
- Maximum output quality is the priority
- You're upscaling portrait, landscape, or nature photography
- The source image is old, damaged, or very low resolution
- You want to control the creative/fidelity balance
- You're preparing prints and want genuinely rich texture
Verdict
Neither model is universally better. Real-ESRGAN is the right default for most users — faster, more broadly applicable, and essentially zero risk of unwanted changes. Clarity Upscaler is the right choice when you're willing to wait 90 seconds for an output that looks genuinely more detailed and photographic. For print-quality portrait photography, Clarity wins clearly. For everything else, start with Real-ESRGAN.