Low-resolution photos can be frustrating, especially when you want to use them for professional purposes like social media, print, or presentations. Fortunately, there are many free tools that allow you to not only increase the resolution of an image but also improve its overall quality.

How does resolution affect photo quality?

Photo resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch (PPI), or the number of pixels horizontally and vertically that make up an image. The more pixels, the more detailed and sharp the photo is. When we enlarge a low-resolution photo, we see grain, pixels, and a lack of detail, which negatively affects its aesthetic.

If you have a low-resolution photo, there are tools that can help improve it. While it can’t always miraculously add missing detail, advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can effectively improve sharpness, contrast, and other image characteristics.

The best free tools to change resolution and improve photo quality

GIMP – the all-in-one photo editor

GIMP is one of the most popular free photo editing tools. Its interface can be a bit complicated for beginners, but it offers advanced features that allow you to change the resolution and improve the image quality.

  • How to change resolution? – open the image in GIMP, select “Image” > “Scale Image,” then enter new resolution values. You can also change the aspect ratio of the image to adjust its format to your needs.

  • Improving quality – GIMP offers tools for sharpness, contrast, and noise reduction. Use the “Filters” > “Enhancements” > “Sharpness” or “Filters” > “Noise Reduction” options.

Photopea – an online editor with Photoshop-like features

Photopea is a free online tool that is a great alternative to Photoshop. It does not require installation and supports many popular file formats, including PSD.

  • How to change resolution? – just upload a photo, click “Image” > “Image Size” and set new values.

  • Improving quality – Photopea lets you improve sharpness, contrast, and other photo parameters with just a few clicks. You can find these options in the “Filters” tab.

Pixlr – Another Simple Online Editor

Pixlr is another online tool that offers simple and quick solutions for those who don’t want to install software. Its interface is intuitive, making it perfect for beginners.

  • How to change resolution – open the photo, then select “Image Size” from the menu to enter new resolution values.

  • Improving quality – Pixlr offers basic photo enhancement tools such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, and noise reduction. Select the “Filters” tab to adjust these parameters.

IrfanView – Quick Editor for Windows

IrfanView is a lightweight program that supports a wide range of file formats and lets you quickly process multiple photos at once. While it doesn’t offer as many advanced features as GIMP, it’s great for basic editing.

  • How to change resolution? – After opening the photo, select “Image” > “Resize / Sample Image” and enter new values.

  • Improving quality – the program offers basic tools for adjusting sharpness and contrast. From the menu, select “Image” > “Sharpness” or “Image” > “Auto contrast adjustment”.

Let’s Enhance – AI in the Service of Quality

Let’s Enhance is an AI-based tool that automatically improves the quality of photos. Its main advantage is simplicity – just upload a photo and the algorithm will do all the work. We get 10 credits for test image quality improvement for free.

  • How does it work? – upload your photo to the platform and Let’s Enhance will automatically increase its resolution and improve its quality. This tool is especially recommended for low-resolution photos that are to be printed.

Fotor – an easy-to-use online editor

Fotor is a popular online tool that lets you edit photos without installing software. It offers many filters that can improve the quality of your photos, and it also lets you change the resolution.

  • How to change resolution? – after opening the photo, select the “Resize” option and enter new values.

  • Improving quality – Fotor offers tools such as contrast, brightness, sharpness adjustments and special filters that can improve the appearance of a photo.

ResizePixel – an easy way to change resolution

ResizePixel is a free online tool that lets you easily change the resolution of your photos without installing any additional software. Its interface is incredibly simple, making it an ideal solution for those looking for a quick and easy way to edit photos.

  • How to change resolution – after loading the photo, select the option to change the resolution and enter the new values. ResizePixel will automatically adjust the image to the selected proportions.

  • Improving quality – Although ResizePixel does not offer advanced quality enhancement features, it can be a great tool for quick photo editing in terms of resizing.

ImgUpscaler – AI Resolution Upscaler

ImgUpscaler is another online tool that uses AI technology to increase the resolution of your photos. With its advanced AI algorithms, ImgUpscaler can effectively enlarge images without any significant loss in quality, making it a great choice for those looking to get better results quickly.

  • How does it work? – just upload a photo to the platform and the algorithm will automatically increase its resolution. ImgUpscaler is especially recommended for low-resolution photos that are to be used in larger formats, such as posters or large prints.

  • Improving quality – AI algorithm works in the background, improving the quality of the photo during the zooming process. It is worth adding that ImgUpscaler works quickly and does not require advanced knowledge of photo editing.

Improving the resolution and quality of photos does not have to involve expensive programs. There are free tools available on the market that offer a variety of functions and algorithms that improve image quality. From simple online programs to advanced tools based on artificial intelligence – we hope that you have found a solution above that meets your expectations.