waifu2x vs Image Utils
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
waifu2x
Enhance image and video quality using on-device AI algorithms for scaling and denoising. This app prioritizes privacy by processing files locally and offers various advanced models and custom options for detailed control over your media.
- AI-powered scaling and denoising
- Supports multiple AI models (SRCNN, CUnet, Real-ESRGAN, Real-CUGAN, Anime4K)
- Customizable AI models and scale modes
- Unlimited image imports
- Multiple import and output formats
- On-device processing for privacy
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This app can scale and/or denoise images using various advanced on-device AI algorithms. Note that this app is not affiliated with the original waifu2x project. Privacy is one of the top priorities of this app. Your files will never leave your device to be processed. Additionally, we don't collect any personal information because there are no ADs even if you only use free models. Therefore, if you encounter any problems, please send us a feedback email or create a GitHub issue so that we can work together to fix them. Try additional models and custom models on your own images for free before you purchase! Highlight features: 1. Unlimited number of imported images. 2. Supports both SRCNN and CUnet models from the original waifu2x project. 3. Supports Real-ESRGAN models for both illustrations and photos. 4. Supports Real-CUGAN models for anime illustrations. Also supports customizable intensity. 5. Supports Anime4K models for anime videos. 6. Supports custom Core ML models. Import any model to process images for your specific needs. 7. Custom scale modes. You have options to scale images up to 128x, 1.5x, fixed size and more. 8. Supports multiple ways of importing images: the album, files, folders, drag and drop, other apps, Shortcuts. 9. Supports images with alpha channel. 10. Multiple output formats: PNG, JPEG, HEIF, WebP. 11. Multiple processing backends. You can choose between highest quality or highest speed. 12. Write output images directly to an external path (including network drives like SMB). 13. End-to-end support for 16-bit color and color spaces. Color accuracy will not be compromised after processing. 14. Highly optimized RAM usage. You can easily produce images that don't even fit inside your device RAM. 15. Supports deleting or replacing original images if they come from the album. 16. Supports downscaling images before processing, which is useful while processing some photos. Source code of core function is available on GitHub: https://github.com/imxieyi/waifu2x-ios Usage of images in screenshots is granted by the original author Kurumi: https://twitter.com/0115_kurumi The primary app icon is illustrated by Kapuru: https://twitter.com/KaPuRu_0410
Image Utils
Enhance and stylize your photos with a variety of pro filters and editing tools. Resize, rotate, and flip images, then export them in popular formats like JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and PDF. Explore over 30 filters across five collections to perfect your pictures.
- Image resizing and rotation
- Multiple pro filter collections
- Over 30 unique filters
- Export to JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, PDF
- Stylize and enhance images
- Rotate and flip functionality
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Edit, stylize and enhance your photos and images with ease! Image Utils is a collection of tools and pro filters that allows you to unleash your creativity and create the perfect version of any picture! Resize your images properly, rotate, flip and apply pro filters to tweak your images and make they look awesome without effort. Export your images to popular formats such as JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP and PDF! There are 5 collections of filters: - Photo Filters - Halftone Effects - Stylize Filters - Blur Filters - Sharpen Filters Totalizing an amount of more than 30 filters to create the perfect image! Image Utils is now available for all iOS Devices! ------ Terms of Use: https://imageutils-cb5ef.firebaseapp.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://imageutils-cb5ef.firebaseapp.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: waifu2x at 4.8 against Image Utils's 4.2. waifu2x also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 50%) and ratings volume (934 vs 10). Image Utils's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. waifu2x sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Image Utils sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
waifu2x holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: waifu2x has 934 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of waifu2x's written reviews are positive against 50% of Image Utils's.
waifu2x ships an update every 3 weeks, Image Utils weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | waifu2x | Image Utils |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (934 ratings) — better | 4.2 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 934 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 222 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 宜 谢 | Arthur Eduardo Skaetta Alvarez Desenvolvimento de Software LTDA. |
Customer experience
waifu2x
Image Utils
Bugs and requests
waifu2x
Reported bugs
2 issues- Difficulty downloading or accessing paid models
- Inconsistent performance on certain devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add more upscaling models
- Improve processing speed and efficiency
- Provide more customization options
- Add support for video upscaling
Image Utils
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
waifu2x
- Tip$0.99
- Two tips$1.99
- Three tips$2.99
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- Additional Models$6.99
- Additional Models for Mac$6.99
- Custom Models$8.99
Image Utils
- Image Utils Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- ImgUtils Premium$2.99
Questions
Is waifu2x free?
Is Image Utils free?
Which has better reviews, waifu2x or Image Utils?
Do waifu2x or Image Utils have ads?
Which is updated more often, waifu2x or Image Utils?
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