Best Open-Source Video Upscaler: 5 Free Tools to Choose

Videos are all around on social media today. Its use is no longer limited to capturing a moment, but it is now used to impart information, entertain, and more. Apart from its function and use, when watching videos, the quality of the video matters, as the higher the resolution, the better the overall watching experience. But what will you do if you encounter a low-resolution video? Fret not, as this article will help you improve its quality by using a free video upscaler tool. In addition, not only will you have your way in discovering these underrated yet powerful open-source video upscaler tools, but you will learn what an open-source video upscaler tool is all about. So what are you waiting for? Read this guide and find the best open-source video upscaler tool that perfectly suits your ideal upscaler tool to use for a seamless video upscaling process.
Contents:
Part 1. What is An Open Source Video Upscaler?
Open source, also known as free to use, refers to video uspacler software or tools that genuinely allow different developers to access and alter the source code of the video uspacler tool to meet their needs. One main advantage of using an Open-source video upscaler is that developers have the freedom to experiment with the tool model rather than being limited to only using pre-trained models. Thus, the downside of using it can also be rooted in the tool being inferior to what a software-based video upscaler offers.
Part 2. 5 Best Open-Source Video Upscaler in 2025
Video2x
It is an open-source video upscaler designed for upscaling video using a single frame. Video2x is perfect for upsampling videos that have low-resolution animation, particularly anime videos or pixel art. Moreover, it is capable of enhancing the overall clarity of a video without losing its elements by reducing noise and blur while at the same time refining the video details.

Pros
- Ideal video upscaler tool for anime, pixel art, and retro games.
- Free to use with no hidden charges.
- It has a very straightforward user interface.
- Allows multiple video upscaling at once.
Cons
- Currently not available on macOS devices.
- It has a complicated installation process.
- Its frame-by-frame upscaling process is time-consuming.
Waifu2x
Waifu2x is a type of video upscaler tool that can be used both online and offline. As an open-source upscaler tool, Waifu2x specializes in upscaling video quality by a factor of two. At the same time, it is ideally designed for upscaling images through its development, and video upscaling is now possible.

Pros
- Excellent at eliminating video quality flaws.
- It has impressive noise reduction capabilities.
- Perfect to use in anime and similar styles.
- Simple user interface.
- Easy to use.
Cons
- There are pop-up ads on their website.
- Limited function and use.
- It performs more slowly when dealing with complex low-resolution files.
QualityScaler
QualityScaler is another open-source video and image upscaling tool that conveniently enhances video and images, acting as a tool for video denoising to improve the video quality, as well as integrating the use of AI for a more intelligent and faster video and image upscaling.

Pros
- It serves as both an image and a video upscaling tool.
- It has multiple GPU support.
- It prioritizes and promotes user privacy when using the tool.
Cons
- It requires 8GB of RAM.
- It has a steep learning curve for non-technical users.
Real-ESRGAN
It is a popular and widely used open-source video AI upscaler tool. This tool specializes in upscaling videos using a pre-trained AI model to achieve a high-resolution video and image result. Perfect for us acling video footage with human faces, landscape scenery, and mobile phone videos.

Pros
- It upscale video by a frame-by-frame processing system.
- It has multiple pre-trained models available to use for video and image upscaling.
- It has an active developer team.
Cons
- Processing a video might take time.
- It doesn’t have built-in GUI support.
- It has a complicated usage process.
Anime4K
It is a lightweight open-source video scaler that doesn’t use AI for upscaling a video. Perfect for dealing with low-resolution anime and similar art style videos, Anime4K uses shaders and filters to improve the video quality.

Pros
- Runs and supports most devices, even with low-end GPUs.
- Easy to work around tool.
- It can be integrated into your media player.
Cons
- It doesn't use AI for video upscaling.
- It has limited and inferior capabilities in video upscaling.
- It turns out to be ineffective for non-anime videos.
Part 3. Bonus: Best Video Upscaler on Desktop
Truly, using an open-source AI video upscaler tool can save you time in video upscaling, as it gives users the freedom to customize and use other models to upscale their video. However, if you are the type of user who is on the non-technical side, then an open-source video upscaling tool might give you a headache, as using it is pretty tricky. For that matter, what we have here in this section is a perfect video user tool to use for both non-technical and professional users of such tools. VidHex Video Upscaler is a software-based, lightweight, and easy-to-install tool that can fix your low-resolution video in no time. What sets this tool apart from an open-source AI video upscaler is that it has a genuine number of features to improve video quality. These features are listed below.

Key Features
• It integrates AI technology and uses various AI models for video upscaling.
• It can process multiple videos at once.
• It has a very straightforward user interface, yet it is highly functional.
• Easily removes video noise and blur without losing original video elements.
• It is safe to use the video upscaler tool for desktop devices.
• Supports all video file formats.
Steps in Using VidHex
Step 1. Download and install the VidHex Video Upscaler on your desktop device.
Free Download
Free Download
Windows 11, 10 Supported
Free Download
Free Download
Mac OS X 10.7 or higher
Step 2. Once you manage to install the software, open the software and upload your low-resolution video through the Click or Drag & Drop section located at the top of the tool.

Step 3. Next is to choose an AI model located on the right side of the software’s interface. These AI models are various video enhancement features specifically made to address specific video problems.And if you have a specific clarity option to fix blurry, you can specify it in the Output Resolution.
Step 4. Once you have decided which AI model best fits your video, proceed to click on the Export button.

By using Vidhex, you can easily upscale your video to a higher resolution and obtain a better viewer experience.
Part 4. FAQs about Open Source Video Upscaler
What are the benefits of using an open-source upscaler?
Using an open-source upsacler video tool may bring user benefits, such as freely accessing and using the tool, receiving frequent updates from its developer, having access to a community dealing with the same queries, and being able to take part in improving the code of the tool.
Do I need a powerful computer to upscale videos?
Yes, most of the open-source video upscaler tools require high-end GPU devices as they can be highly demanding, especially for upscaling videos with higher resolution.
Conclusion
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of what an AI open-source video upscaler tool is all about. A list of various tools and adds a software-based tool as an extra option when looking for the best video upscaler tool. However, the choice is ultimately up to the user whether they want to try using an open-source-based or an easy-to-use software-based tool. Feel free to explore them in more depth by using them and experiencing their functions and features, and identifying your pros and cons.