Run Real-ESRGAN
Ready in about 90 seconds. No install, no setup. From $0.45 per hour.
What it does
Real-ESRGAN enlarges an image or a video frame and invents the missing detail as it goes, so the result looks sharp rather than stretched.
It is the standard tool for rescuing footage and photos that are too small to use: old client assets, phone video, scanned prints, screenshots, and stills pulled from compressed video.
It works on batches. Point it at four hundred files and it processes all of them without you touching anything.
What you can make
These are prompts, not fixed presets. The workspace opens with one of them already loaded so your first result is one click away.
Your setup
We run this on an RTX 4090. It processes one 4K frame in about 3 seconds, which is roughly 3 minutes of GPU time per minute of finished video. $0.45 per hour, billed by the minute.
Why this card?
Upscaling is a memory bandwidth problem more than a compute problem. Each frame has to be read, expanded four times in each direction, and written back. The RTX 4090 has the bandwidth to keep the pipeline full at 4K without tiling the frame into pieces, and tiling is what makes cheaper cards slow and occasionally leaves visible seams.
- Memory
- 24GB
- Speed
- about 3 minutes per minute of footage
- Rate
- $0.45/hr
What will it cost you?
Billed by the minute on a RTX 4090 at $0.45 per hour. A batch job shuts the GPU off when the last minute of footage is done, so this is the whole cost.
Two ways to run it
Click and use it
Drag one file in, see the before and after side by side, adjust the strength.
Get early access Best for exploring.Hand us the whole pile
Upload a folder or connect a drive. We upscale everything and return a zip. This is the right mode for anything over about twenty files.
Join the list Best for volume. The GPU shuts off automatically when it is done.Model facts
| Parameters | 17M |
|---|---|
| License | BSD 3-Clause |
| Memory required | 6GB minimum |
| Base model | ESRGAN, retrained on synthetic degradations |
| Publisher | Tencent ARC |
| Recommended hardware | RTX 4090, 24GB |
| Hugging Face | ai-forever/Real-ESRGAN |
Want Real-ESRGAN the day it opens?
We are testing the rental flow with a small group first. Leave an email and we will tell you when Real-ESRGAN is ready to run. One message, no newsletter.
Real-ESRGAN questions
Will upscaling make my footage look fake?
It can if you push it. Real-ESRGAN invents detail, and on faces that sometimes reads as plastic. The workspace defaults to a moderate setting that holds up on most footage, and there is a separate face-restoration model, CodeFormer, that handles faces better. For anything with people close to camera, run both and compare before committing a whole batch.
How much does it cost to upscale an hour of video?
About $1.35. An hour of footage takes roughly three hours of GPU time on an RTX 4090 at $0.45 per hour. Use the calculator above to check your own footage length. Batch jobs shut the GPU off the moment the last frame is written, so you pay for processing time and nothing else.
Do I need to install anything to use Real-ESRGAN?
No. We start a machine with Real-ESRGAN already loaded and hand you a link. Everything runs in your browser, there is nothing to download, and nothing is left on your computer afterwards. It works the same on a Mac, a Windows laptop, or a Chromebook. A workspace is usually ready in about 90 seconds.
How much does it cost to run 60 minutes of footage?
About $1.35. Real-ESRGAN takes about 3 minutes per minute of footage on the RTX 4090 we recommend, so 60 minutes of footage is roughly 3 hours of GPU time at $0.45 per hour. Billing is by the minute, and a batch job shuts the GPU off the moment the last item finishes. The calculator above works this out for your own numbers.
Can I run Real-ESRGAN on a cheaper card?
Sometimes, and the calculator will not always make it look worth it. Upscaling is a memory bandwidth problem more than a compute problem. Each frame has to be read, expanded four times in each direction, and written back. The RTX 4090 has the bandwidth to keep the pipeline full at 4K without tiling the frame into pieces, and tiling is what makes cheaper cards slow and occasionally leaves visible seams. If you want to try a different card anyway, the advanced catalog lets you pick one and shows the estimated time before you commit.
Can I use Real-ESRGAN commercially?
Yes. Real-ESRGAN is released under the BSD 3-Clause license, which permits commercial use with no conditions worth worrying about. You can use the output in paid client work and in products you sell.
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