Let me show you the best AI photo editors on the market right now.
I’ve tested all the tools to save your time and money.
Let’s go!
Top Picks
👉 1. Palette.fm Photo Colorizer
👉 4. Upscaler by StockPhotos AI
But now, let me show you these in action. I will show you how to use them and what kinds of results you can expect. Most importantly, I’ll talk about the ideal use case for each editor.
Disclaimer: This article has affiliate links at no cost to you.
1. Palette.fm
Palette is a tool that adds color to black-and-white photos.
It brings your old pictures to life with color. You can pick from many different palettes.
I’ll show you how it works, the results I got, and how you can use it to edit your own photos.
Use Cases
- Adding color to old family photos
- Bringing historical images back to life
- Improving documentaries or films
- Making educational visuals more engaging
- Trying out artistic color ideas
- Restoring vintage photos
- Creating mood boards or design references
My Results
This is the black-and-white photo I’ll start with.
To add color to this photo, just drag and drop it here:
Wait about 5 seconds, and your photo will come back with color.
Here’s how mine turned out:
If you don’t like this color version, you can try a different palette.
Here’s another one the AI made for me:
You can pick from many palettes.
These are different styles the AI uses on black-and-white photos to create the best results.
Here’s another color version of the original photo:
This one barely has any color!
So be careful with the palettes. Some give amazing results, while others hardly change the image.
Pros
- Easy to use — Just drag and drop your image and wait a few seconds.
- Realistic — This AI editor is impressive. It understands what’s happening in the photo and adds accurate colors.
- Free — You can use it for free to see if it works for you. For larger batches, you need a paid plan.
- Many palettes — You can pick from lots of palettes to get the best color results.
Cons
- Hit or miss — Some results are great, but some fail completely. In those cases, the original photo might actually look better.
Pricing
2. Fiverr Image Editor
Next on the list is Fiverr photo editors.
The best way to use AI for editing is to mix AI tools with real skills.
That’s exactly what Fiverr offers.
Use Cases
You can hire freelancers on Fiverr to edit photos for almost anything. Here are some common things people use it for:
- Cleaning up product photos (like for online stores)
- Removing or changing backgrounds
- Retouching photos (portraits, real estate, etc.)
- Making social media graphics or thumbnails
- Fixing lighting, color, or exposure
- Combining AI edits with manual improvements
My Results
I used Fiverr to edit one of my photos. Before I show the results, here’s how simple the process is.
First, you need to choose an editor.
You can do that by visiting this page. I picked Endokhan because he seemed the most promising
What I like about Fiverr is that everything happens on one platform.
Once you find an editor you like, you can reach out to them directly.
You can easily explain what you want, and send them your photos.
For example, I asked my photo editor to work on this image:
I took this photo at our cottage, but it’s not sharp and doesn’t look very impressive.
So, I asked the editor to make it sharper.
He said he could create a few versions, like sharpening it, using AI on it, or even recreating the whole image.
I agreed, and then he sent me this custom offer on Fiverr:
The cost was $65. I accepted the offer, paid, and waited for the delivery. A few days later, he sent me the edited photo.
Here’s how it turned out:
Pretty cool, right? This time, the photo is sharp, vibrant, and looks impressive. It still feels realistic and close to what I imagined when I took it.
He also made a few versions for me, so I could choose the best one.
You don’t have to approve the delivery right away. There’s a button to let the platform know if you’re not happy with the results. You can then chat with your editor and ask for changes. I did a few revisions before we finalized the last version.
Pros
- Many editing styles and expertise available
- Combines AI speed with human creativity
- Fast turnaround times
- Everything happens on one platform
- Fiverr is trusted, and you won’t have to accept edits until you’re happy
Cons
- Can be pricey. AI editors usually cost $10–$20 per month, but a Fiverr gig can be $50–$300
- Not instant. You have to wait, unlike AI tools that work in seconds
I’d definitely recommend Fiverr. Regular AI tools can be too rigid and sometimes don’t let you fully edit what you want. Human editors can create from scratch, use AI, or mix both. That flexibility makes it the best option, in my opinion.
3. Aiarty AI Image Enhancer
Aiarty Image Upscaler turns low-resolution photos into high-resolution images using AI. The process only takes a few minutes.
I’ll show you the use cases and the results I got.
Use Cases
- Increase image resolution up to 32K
- Remove noise from photos
- Make blurry images clearer
- Add fine details to your images
- Use it offline — it’s a downloadable tool
- Works well for all kinds of photos, including AI-generated ones
My Results
Aiarty is a downloadable app for both Mac and Windows, which is not very common in this area.
After installing, you need to activate your license.
Next, open the tool. It has a simple, easy-to-use interface. Just drag and drop your images to improve their resolution with AI.
When I first tested it, I noticed that even small images could take up to 5 minutes to upscale.
Let’s see how the tool works.
Aiarty offers these enhancer models:
- More Detail GAN v2
- Smooth Diff v2
- Real Photo v3
Each model works differently depending on the image. Try them all to see which gives the best results. For example, one might work better on real photos, and another on AI-generated images.
1. Example: More Detail GAN v2 Upscaler
To pick an upscaling model, just click “More Detail GAN v2” on the right side.
Then, wait a bit. The time depends on your image size.
Here’s the result for mine:
As you can see, the image on the left is blurry and pixelated. The one on the right is clear and sharp. It doesn’t look like it was processed by AI at all.
It looks realistic, which is exactly what I like!
Here’s another example:
If the results look too artificial, lower the upscale from 8x or 4x to 2x. This keeps the AI from changing your image too much.
2. Smooth Diff v2
Next, I tried the Smooth Diff v2 model.
Here’s the original vs. upscaled one:
Looks good, but a little blurrier than the last model.
Here’s how the model handled my holiday image:
It’s not as sharp this time, but still a bit better than the original photo.
3. Real Photo v3
Now, let’s see the Real Photo v3 version.
Here’s a look at the before and after:
I like it because it feels modest.
It doesn’t make the image too crisp or detailed. The change isn’t very obvious either. It just cleaned up some pixelated spots and smoothed the image a little, though not as much as I hoped.
For comparison, here’s a before-and-after using Real Photo v3 on that holiday image from earlier:
Upscaling people
One thing I’ve noticed is that Aiarty doesn’t handle upscaling people very well.
For example, here’s me trying to upscale a photo of myself from 2012:
The Real Photo v3 model doesn’t change the images that much. Other models might fix this, but they can make people look a bit off, so I don’t recommend it.
You can also use Aiarty to enhance AI-generated images:
Here, it takes the sharpness to the next level.
Pros
- Good results – Works well with real photos of buildings or general scenery.
- Fast – Without a tool like this, making these improvements could take hours, if it’s even possible.
- Easy to use – Just drag and drop an image, pick a model, and you’re done.
Cons
- People – Using models other than Real Photo v3 can make people look a bit off.
- Slow – It still takes a few minutes per image, so not as fast as other online upscalers.
- Downloadable only – Unlike most tools on this list, you need to download it.
Pricing
- Standard: $85.00 (one-time)
- Lifetime: $115.00
4. Upscaler by StockPhotos AI
Try free with here
StockPhotos Upscaler is an AI image editor that lets you enhance and upscale images online. It’s similar to Aiarty, but this one is at least partly free and works directly in your browser.
Here are my results with it.
This tool is useful to avoid changing images that don’t need corrections, like those without artifacts.
Use Cases
- Enhance – Upscale images up to 800% and improve their quality.
- Remove noise – Get rid of noise and small imperfections in your images.
- Remove artifacts – Clear away image blur or other unwanted artifacts.
My Results
Here’s what I got using this tool. To use it, you just drag and drop an image into the viewer:
Here’s an example before-and-after image that I got back from this AI image editor:
Nothing too dramatic, but still not bad!
You can see the difference: the top image is blurry and soft, while the bottom one is sharper.
Let’s try another example with a lower-resolution image:
Pros
- Free trial – Just drag and drop your images.
- Accurate – You can scale images up to 800%.
- Simple pricing – Pay for a batch of upscales.
- High resolution – Improves quality and sharpness.
Cons
- Blurry images – If the original is blurry, the tool can’t fix it well.
- Funky results – Faces or even normal images can sometimes look a bit off or artificial.
Pricing
- Free: 3 images for $0
- Standard: 20 images for $7
- Premium: 100 images for $15
5. Canva
Canva is a popular online design tool. It has a great free version, and the pro version adds even more features.
I mostly use Canva to edit my images. It has lots of AI-based tools, plus easy non-AI options.
Here are some use cases and results I’ve seen:
Use Cases
- Remove backgrounds
- Enhance images and make them sharper
- Auto-fill missing parts of an image
- Colorize black-and-white photos
- Auto-match brand colors
- Clean up or enhance blurry images
- Add AI-generated elements (like clouds, flowers, anything)
- Turn sketches into polished visuals
- Generate graphics that match a theme
My Results
Here are some AI edits I made using Canva.
For example, here I’m using the expand feature:
This means the AI guesses what’s just outside the edges of the image and adds it in. It works well for close-up shots.
Here’s the result I got:
That’s pretty cool! But you can see the AI gets confused the further it expands the image. For example, I’m not sure what’s happening in the top-left corner. It looks like some kind of house or wooden sticks, which doesn’t make much sense.
Another useful AI editing tool is Magic Grab. You just click on an object in an image to select it, then drag and drop it wherever you want.
You can also colorize old photos using Canva’s Colorize app. For example, here’s me trying it on an old photo:
The result isn’t amazing, but it’s more colorful than the original. The colors also don’t look completely wrong.
Canva has lots of photo features, but the last one I’ll show is the background remover. To use it, just drag and drop an image, click on it, and then click “BG Remover.”
In just a second or two, the AI removes the background from your image.
Pretty neat, right?
Remember the image upscaler and colorizer tools?
Canva can do both of those too.
For example, here I’m colorizing a black-and-white image in the Canva editor:
Here’s the result:
Doesn’t it look great?
Canva also lets you “expand” your images. This means you can add the background that was left out in the original photo.
For example, here’s an AI-generated image of me that I made earlier with The Multiverse AI. I like it, but it’s pretty narrow. I’d like to turn it into a cover photo.
To do this, I just clicked “Magic Expand.” Here’s what I got:
Isn’t that cool? The AI added more background to the image without knowing what it should be or what I look like.
Maybe the left shoulder looks a bit too wide… but other than that, it’s a handy feature for fixing images.
That said, dedicated image upscaling and enhancing tools still work better than Canva’s apps.
Pros
- Easy to use – Especially if you’re already familiar with Canva.
- Lots of tools – There are plenty of AI apps and tools for editing photos right in Canva.
Cons
- Not the best results – Canva has many features, but the less popular ones aren’t as strong as dedicated tools. For example, the AI colorizer wasn’t as good as others I’ve tested.
Pricing
6. Aiarty Matting
When it comes to removing backgrounds with AI, there’s an even better tool for power users called Aiarty Matting.
This one is made for removing backgrounds in large batches.
Aiarty Matting is a downloadable program, but it gives results that are very different from the online tools.
Use Cases
- Remove backgrounds accurately, even on detailed parts like hair.
- Sharpen edges for a clean, smooth look.
- Adjust edges and transparency using brushes and erasers.
- Change backgrounds with colors, blur, or other images.
- Upscale images up to 10K without losing quality.
My Results
To use Matting, go to this page and download a trial.
Install the software and get your plan activated.
This is the default view of the app.
You can drag and drop an image or click the arrow button to choose one.
For example, here’s my old profile picture:
Next, I clicked “Start” to run the AI matting using the default model and settings.
(You can change these anytime using the options in the top-right if you want a different result.)
It took a little while for the AI to finish. It’s slower than the free, quick tools I’ve used before, which usually finish in a few seconds.
Here’s a before-and-after of my image using Aiarty Matting:
This is impressive!
The matting detail is much better than the free tools, which do the job but leave a lot to be desired.
And remember, it’s not just for removing backgrounds—you can also replace the background with a color or your own custom image.
You can also make a mask that keeps the AI-matted object as a silhouette and fill the rest with something else.
The Blur option is a handy extra feature too.
For example, my original image had a lot going on:
That’s where I used the Blur feature to make the original background less distracting.
There are different blur modes too.
For example, motion blur can be used when you want to give an image a sense of fast movement.
You can also quickly turn your background to black and white.
Oh, and I almost forgot—here’s a close-up of the AI matting result. Take a look:
What’s amazing is how precise the matting is. The AI even picked out individual hairs and separated them from the background.
For example, let’s compare this with the free version of the tool I mentioned earlier, Remove.BG:
Yeah, it’s not even close!
Here’s another image for comparison:
Even with dark hair blending into the background, the AI matting did an amazing job—super clean. Free tools get close, but not this good.
I love it.
To change the background, just drag in your image and click “Start” to run the matting. When it’s finished, you’ll see the before-and-after, just like before.
Next, click the “Background” option on the right and select the image icon from the menu that appears:
Click the image icon and pick a background:
Pros
- Super accurate – The AI matting is very precise, almost flawless.
- Easy to use – Download the app, drag in your image, and click start. That’s all.
- Built-in editing – Adjust backgrounds and objects directly in the app.
- Free trial – You can try it before paying anything.
Cons
- Pricey – At $99, it’s expensive if you’re just changing backgrounds for casual use.
- Free options exist – If you don’t need perfect quality, free tools can work for simple tasks like thumbnails.
Pricing
- Standard: $49/year
- Lifetime: $75 one-time
- Commercial: $1,999
7. Remove.BG
Remove.BG is an AI photo editor that removes backgrounds from images. It uses edge-detection to figure out the main object and separate it from the background.
Here are the results.
Use Cases
- Remove backgrounds from your images using AI
My Results
The tool is very easy to use. Just go to the homepage and drag an image into the view:
For example, here’s an image of me that I’ll use with it:
Here’s the same image without a background.
With the free version, you can preview and download a lower-quality version of your images. To get the best quality, you need to upgrade and use credits to download them.
Keep in mind it’s not perfect. Easy backgrounds are simple to remove, but unclear edges can be tricky for the AI. Sometimes it leaves bits of background behind.
Pros
- Easy – Just drop your images in and wait a few seconds.
- Free – You can see results and download a lower-quality version without paying or signing up.
Cons
- Limited – You can’t download the full-quality image without a paid plan.
- Inaccuracies – The tool is fairly accurate, but tricky edges can cause mistakes.
Pricing
- Pay-as-you-go: €1.99 per credit, one-time purchase
- Lite: €8.10/month, 40 credits, AI editor + API
- Pro (Most Popular): €35.10/month, 200 credits, Lite + bulk editing
- Volume: €80.10/month, 500 credits, Pro + custom API, for heavy users
8. ChatGPT
ChatGPT is mostly known for creating text with AI. It also has had a decent image generator for a while.
But after the March 2025 updates, it can now edit—or “inpaint”—images in many useful ways.
There’s still a small catch. The AI doesn’t truly edit images; it generates new ones. This can sometimes change parts of the image you didn’t want to touch. I’ll show my results so you can see what I mean.
Use Cases
- Remove or add objects in images
- Change backgrounds
- Make artistic versions of your images
- Add text
- Change clothes
- Create AI photoshoots
- Basically, anything you can imagine
My Results
Here’s an example where I asked the AI to remove a flying pigeon from the photo:
Here’s the original image:
Here’s the AI-edited one:
Isn’t that cool? But you can see the pigeons and even the building changed. It’s close, but not exactly like the original.
As another example, I asked the AI to make me look older. Here, it created an image of what I might look like as I age based on my current photo:
Here’s the result.
Next, I asked ChatGPT to make it look like I’m at sunset on the ocean, wearing a summer-style shirt:
Isn’t that cool? You can tell ChatGPT to do almost anything with your images.
But like I said, the AI doesn’t actually edit the photo—it creates a new, somewhat random image. So whether you call it a photo editor or a generator is up to you. It’s not something you’ll use heavily yet, but it shows the direction things are heading.
Pros
- Easy to use – Just tell the AI what to change
- Free – Limited edits and generations are available every day with the free plan
- Anything is possible – You can ask the AI to do almost anything with your photos
Cons
- Generates images – It doesn’t truly edit photos. The new image can look different from the original.
- Limited and slow – Each image takes 2–3 minutes to process, and limits are reached quickly, even with paid plans
Pricing
- Free: $0/month — Basic access to GPT-4o mini, web search, and limited tools.
- Plus: $20/month — Expanded access to GPT-4.5 preview, voice modes, and deeper tools.
- Pro: $200/month — Full access to all models, advanced features, and research tools.
Thanks for reading!