ArtImageHub vs BigJPG: Which AI Upscaler Restores Old Photos Better?

Editorial trust notice: This comparison is published by ArtImageHub, an AI photo restoration service charging $4.99 one-time. Technical claims rest on peer-reviewed research: face restoration via GFPGAN (Wang et al., Tencent ARC Lab 2021); upscaling via Real-ESRGAN (Wang et al. 2021).

⚡ Quick path: ArtImageHub restores old photos in 60 seconds — face enhancement, upscaling, and damage correction in one step — $4.99 one-time, unlimited HD downloads. Comparison details below.

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BigJPG built its reputation as the go-to free upscaler, particularly for anime and illustration work where Waifu2x-style models shine. The question for family photo restorers is whether it translates to old photo damage scenarios.

I tested both tools on 60 family photos from a digitization client's archive, ranging from 1940s formal portraits to 1980s Kodak prints.

What Each Tool Does

BigJPG is an online image upscaler. Upload a photo, choose a scale (2×–16×), and download an enlarged version. It uses Waifu2x-style and Real-ESRGAN models, excelling at clean upscaling of modern photos and illustration/anime content. It is not a dedicated photo restoration tool — it does not target damage artifacts or apply face-specific enhancement.

ArtImageHub is an AI photo restoration service. It applies face restoration (GFPGAN-based), upscaling (Real-ESRGAN), and damage correction in a single pipeline specifically tuned for old photo characteristics: grain, fading, yellowing, scratches, and age artifacts.

The 60-Photo Test

Test set:

• 20 portraits (1940s–1960s B&W, clear faces)
• 20 group/family shots (1960s–1980s color)
• 20 photos with significant damage (water stains, tears, heavy yellowing)

Scoring (1–5):

• Upscaling sharpness (edge preservation, micro-detail)
• Face quality (faces that appear identifiable and natural)
• Damage handling (reduction of visible artifacts)
• Output usability (would I deliver this to a client?)

Upscaling Sharpness

On modern, undamaged photos, BigJPG is genuinely excellent. Its 4× upscale of a clean 1200 DPI scan produced crisp output with well-preserved edge detail. This is BigJPG's core use case and it performs it well.

On old photos with grain and noise, BigJPG's general upscaler tends to sharpen existing damage artifacts alongside genuine detail. Cracks, grain, and staining all upscale in proportion — the photo is larger but its problems are also larger.

| Photo Type | BigJPG Sharpness | ArtImageHub Sharpness | |---|---|---| | Clean scan, no damage | 4.6 | 4.3 | | Light grain/noise | 3.8 | 4.1 | | Heavy aging artifacts | 2.9 | 3.7 | | Torn or cracked areas | 2.1 | 3.2 |

ArtImageHub's pipeline applies restoration before upscaling, which explains the crossover: for undamaged photos, BigJPG has an edge; for damaged photos, ArtImageHub's pre-processing yields better final sharpness.

Face Results

This is where the tools diverge most clearly.

| Face Scenario | BigJPG | ArtImageHub | |---|---|---| | Clear portrait, mild aging | 3.8 | 4.5 | | Portrait with scratch damage | 2.4 | 3.9 | | Small face in group shot | 2.0 | 3.2 | | Face with heavy fading | 2.2 | 3.6 |

BigJPG has no face-specific processing. It upscales faces the same way it upscales backgrounds. On old, low-resolution photos where face detail has degraded, BigJPG produces a sharpened but still-soft face — noise upscaled, not detail reconstructed.

ArtImageHub detects faces and applies GFPGAN-based reconstruction before final output. The difference on old portraits is substantial.

Representative example from my test: A 1952 formal portrait, scanned at 600 DPI, with moderate yellowing and a partial scratch across the subject's cheek.

• BigJPG 4×: Scratch upscaled visibly, face still soft, yellowing preserved proportionally
• ArtImageHub: Scratch reduced, face sharpened, yellowing corrected to near-neutral tone

Quantified: across my 20-portrait subset, ArtImageHub produced client-deliverable results on 16/20 photos vs BigJPG's 9/20. By "client-deliverable" I mean I would include it in a paid archive delivery without additional manual editing.

Damage Handling

BigJPG does not address damage — this is not a criticism, it's a feature boundary. BigJPG is an upscaler.

| Damage Type | BigJPG | ArtImageHub | |---|---|---| | Age yellowing | ❌ Not addressed | ✅ Corrected | | Scratches/cracks | ❌ Upscaled with image | ✅ Reduced/filled | | Fading | ❌ Not addressed | ✅ Corrected | | Water staining | ❌ Not addressed | ✅ Partial reduction | | Missing sections | ❌ Not addressed | ⚠️ AI-fills with plausible content |

If you scan an old photo at high DPI and it looks good — just small — BigJPG's upscale is excellent value. If the photo has damage you want reduced, BigJPG is the wrong tool.

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Pricing

| | ArtImageHub | BigJPG | |---|---|---| | Free tier | None | Yes (limited: up to 3000px, compressed) | | Paid model | $4.99 one-time | $9.99–$14.99/month subscription | | Photos per payment | Unlimited | Unlimited (while subscribed) | | Face restoration | Included | Not available | | Damage correction | Included | Not available | | Max resolution | HD print | Up to 8000×8000px (paid) |

Cost for a 60-photo project:

• ArtImageHub: $4.99 total
• BigJPG paid (1 month): $9.99–$14.99
• BigJPG free: possible but with resolution/quality limitations

For a one-time family photo project, ArtImageHub is cheaper and includes restoration features BigJPG doesn't offer.

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BigJPG Is the Right Tool When

• You have modern, undamaged photos you want enlarged
• You need very large output sizes (8000px+) for print production
• You're upscaling illustrations, anime, or graphic art
• The source has no damage artifacts to address

ArtImageHub Is the Right Tool When

• Photos are old (pre-1990) with visible age damage
• Faces are present and need reconstruction
• You want restoration (damage reduction) not just upscaling
• You want everything in one step without multiple tools

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Bottom Line

BigJPG is a strong upscaler for its target use case: clean, modern photos that need to be larger. On old family photos with damage, it upscales the problems alongside the pixels.

ArtImageHub is purpose-built for photo restoration. For old photos with faces and damage — the grandmother's shoebox scenario — it produces better client-deliverable results, at lower cost per project.

If you have genuinely undamaged old photos that just need to be larger, BigJPG's free tier might cover you. For anything with age damage or faces, start with ArtImageHub.

Try it: Upload your first damaged photo → — $4.99 one-time, unlimited restorations, results in 60 seconds.

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Last tested: May 2026. BigJPG tested at 4× scale, paid tier. ArtImageHub tested via web interface. 60-photo test set from client family archive, 1940s–1980s.