Photo BlowUp vs Photoshop Super Resolution: AI Upscaling Compared

A lot of people assume that if you already have Photoshop, you do not need a separate photo enlargement tool. I used to think that too. Then I actually tested Super Resolution against Photo BlowUp on the same images and found the answer is more nuanced than "just use Photoshop."

This comparison is for photographers who are paying for Photoshop and wondering whether a dedicated upscaler is worth anything, and for people who are trying to decide between the two without already having a subscription.

Quick Comparison at a Glance

What Is Photoshop Super Resolution?

Super Resolution is a feature inside Adobe Camera Raw, which itself is part of Photoshop. You access it by right-clicking a photo in Camera Raw and selecting "Enhance." The AI doubles the image dimensions (up to 2x), and the result shows up as a new DNG file alongside your original.

It is a good feature. The quality is solid for most photos. But there are a few things worth knowing that Adobe does not advertise prominently (Adobe: Enhance Details documentation).

First, Super Resolution only doubles the image size. There is no 3x or 4x option. If you need to go from a 6MP photo to something suitable for a large print, 2x might not be enough. You would need to run Super Resolution twice or use additional upscaling, which can degrade quality.

Second, you need a Photoshop subscription to access it. There is no standalone purchase. If you are already paying for Photoshop for other reasons, this is a free bonus feature. If you are paying for Photoshop just for upscaling, you are paying a lot for a limited feature.

Quality Comparison: Same Photo, Two Tools

I ran the same tests I always do: five photos, different types, all processed at the maximum enlargement each tool offers. But this time I also included print tests — I printed select results at 16x20 and 24x36 to see how the digital quality translated to physical output. Because at the end of the day, a lot of people enlarge photos to print them, and what looks good on screen does not always look good on paper.

The print tests confirmed what I saw on screen, but they also revealed some nuances that are easy to miss at 100% zoom.

The 2x Limitation

The first thing I noticed is that Super Resolution is capped at 2x. When I loaded a 4MP photo from my phone and wanted a large print, Photo BlowUp's 4x option gave me a 64MP result. Super Resolution at 2x gave me 16MP. That is a significant difference when you are printing at 16x20 or larger.

You can work around this by running Super Resolution twice, but each pass introduces some softness. After two passes (4x total), the result was noticeably softer than Photo BlowUp's single-pass 4x output.

Detail and Sharpness at 2x

At 2x, where both tools overlap, the quality difference is small. I tested with a 12MP portrait and a 15MP landscape. Both tools produced clean, sharp results. If I am being picky, Photo BlowUp's output had slightly better micro-contrast in fine textures like fabric weave and leaf detail. The Photoshop version was a touch softer at 100% crop. But honestly, in a print, you would struggle to tell them apart.

Noise Handling

This is where I noticed a real difference. I took a high-ISO photo (ISO 6400) from a low-light indoor shoot. Photo BlowUp handled the noise much better. It reduced grain while keeping edges sharp. The Super Resolution version kept more noise in the enlarged output, and the noise reduction controls in Camera Raw, while good, do not integrate as seamlessly with the upscaling process.

If you regularly shoot in low light or at high ISOs, Photo BlowUp's noise handling during enlargement is a genuine advantage.

Color Accuracy

Both tools maintained color fidelity well. No noticeable color shifts in either output. If color accuracy is your primary concern, both are fine.

The Subscription Cost Reality

Let me break down the math because this is important.

Adobe Photography Plan: $9.99/month. Includes Lightroom, 20GB cloud storage, and Photoshop (with Super Resolution). Annual commitment: $119.88/year.

Photoshop Only: $22.99/month. Annual commitment: $275.88/year.

Photo BlowUp: $39.95 one-time. No subscription. Lifetime access.

If you are on the Photography Plan, the upscaling feature is essentially a free add-on to tools you might already use. But if you do not need Lightroom or Photoshop for other tasks, paying $119.88/year just for an upscaler does not make sense when Photo BlowUp costs $39.95 total.

After just 4 months of the Photography Plan, you have spent more than Photo BlowUp's full price. After one year, you have spent 3x as much.

Real-World Test: Wedding Photo Enlargement

I tested both tools on a practical project: a client wanted a 24x36 print from a 6MP photo taken at their wedding reception. The original was shot at ISO 3200 in dim lighting, so noise was a factor.

In Photoshop, I opened Camera Raw, ran Super Resolution to get a 24MP file, then opened it in Photoshop for final adjustments. The 2x enlargement was clean, but 24MP at 24x36 meant I was printing at about 100 DPI, which is below the ideal 300 DPI threshold. The print was acceptable but not razor-sharp up close.

In Photo BlowUp, I took the same 6MP original and ran it at 4x. The result was 96MP, which at 24x36 inches gave me about 200 DPI — much closer to the ideal. The print was noticeably sharper, especially in the faces and the lace detail on the bride's dress.

This is the practical difference: when you need to go big, 4x matters. Super Resolution's 2x limit meant I could not get the resolution I needed without stacking operations, which introduced softness.

What About Lightroom's Super Resolution?

If you use Lightroom, you have access to Super Resolution through Lightroom's Detail panel. The quality is the same as the Photoshop version — same AI engine, same 2x limit. Lightroom's advantage is that it handles RAW files natively and integrates well with a Lightroom-based workflow. The interface is also a bit more streamlined than Photoshop's Camera Raw approach.

The subscription math still applies: Lightroom alone costs $9.99/month. Photo BlowUp costs $39.95 once. If upscaling is the main reason you are considering Lightroom, the standalone tool saves you money. And if you already have Lightroom, Super Resolution is a nice bonus — but you still cannot go beyond 2x, and you still need to manage the DNG output files that Super Resolution creates.

One thing I noticed when using Lightroom's Super Resolution is that it generates a new DNG file for every enhanced image. If you are working with large RAW files, this can eat up storage fast. A 25MP RAW file becomes a 100MP DNG after 2x enhancement, and those DNGs are not small. Photo BlowUp's output files are more compact because it exports directly to your chosen format without creating intermediate DNGs.

Third-Party Plugin Option

One thing worth mentioning: Photo BlowUp's output can be opened in Photoshop for further editing. So you are not locked into one or the other. Some photographers use Photo BlowUp for the enlargement step and then bring the result into Photoshop for color grading, retouching, or compositing. This gives you the best of both worlds — fast, high-quality enlargement plus Photoshop's editing power.

The workflow is simple: enlarge in Photo BlowUp, save as TIFF or PNG, open in Photoshop. The whole process adds maybe 30 seconds compared to staying entirely within Photoshop.

Workflow Comparison

I timed both workflows for the same task: enlarge a 6MP JPEG to the largest size possible.

Photo BlowUp: Open app → drag photo → select 4x → click process → save. Total time: about 45 seconds of interaction. Processing time on my machine: about 15 seconds.

Photoshop Super Resolution: Open Photoshop → open Camera Raw → right-click image → select Enhance → check Super Resolution → click Enhance → wait for DNG to generate → open in Photoshop → save as JPEG. Total time: about 3 minutes of interaction. Processing time: about 20 seconds.

The processing speeds are similar. The workflow time is where Photo BlowUp wins. When you are doing this for one photo, the difference is trivial. When you are processing 30 photos for a client, the time savings add up.

Photoshop does have batch actions that can automate the Camera Raw workflow, but setting up the action takes time, and you still need Photoshop open and active. Photo BlowUp's batch mode is simpler to configure and run.

There is another practical difference I noticed. Photo BlowUp keeps a queue visible so you can see progress on all files in the batch. Photoshop's batch action runs through files sequentially with a small progress bar that does not tell you how much is left or how long it will take. For a batch of 50 photos, knowing you are on photo 12 of 50 matters for planning your time.

The other thing worth noting is that Photo BlowUp does not require an internet connection to run. Photoshop needs to verify your license periodically, which means it phones home every now and then. If you are working somewhere without internet (a client's studio, a remote location, an airplane), Photo BlowUp works without any issues. Photoshop might not.

When Photoshop Super Resolution Makes More Sense

I want to be fair here. There are situations where Super Resolution is the better option:

• You already pay for Photoshop and use it for other editing tasks — Super Resolution is a free bonus
• You need RAW file support — Super Resolution processes RAW files natively in Camera Raw
• You only need 2x enlargement — Super Resolution handles this well at no extra cost
• You want to do additional editing (retouching, color grading, compositing) in the same app
• You need PSD output for layered workflows

When Photo BlowUp Makes More Sense

Photo BlowUp wins when:

• You need more than 2x enlargement (3x or 4x)
• You do not already have a Photoshop subscription
• You want a faster, simpler workflow for batch jobs
• You regularly shoot at high ISO and need good noise handling during enlargement
• You prefer a one-time purchase over a subscription
• You want a 60-day money-back guarantee to test risk-free

Pros and Cons

Photo BlowUp

Pros:

• $39.95 one-time — far cheaper than any Photoshop plan
• Up to 4x enlargement in a single pass
• Better noise handling on high-ISO photos
• Faster workflow for batch processing
• No subscription, no ongoing costs
• 60-day money-back guarantee

Cons:

• No RAW file support
• Enlargement only — no editing features
• No PSD output
• Cannot replace Photoshop for general photo editing

Photoshop Super Resolution

Pros:

• Included with Photoshop subscription (free add-on if you already use it)
• Native RAW file support
• Integrates with full Photoshop editing workflow
• Good quality at 2x enlargement
• Can output as DNG for non-destructive editing

Cons:

• Only 2x enlargement (no 3x or 4x)
• Requires active Photoshop subscription ($22.99/mo or $9.99/mo Photography Plan)
• More complex workflow for simple enlargement tasks
• Batch processing requires setting up Actions
• Needs internet for activation/verification
• No money-back guarantee on subscription (only 7-day trial)

Photo BlowUp Team

Image Processing & Photography Software Reviewers

We've spent hundreds of hours testing AI photo enlargement tools — comparing output quality, processing speed, and real-world results. Our team includes photographers, graphic designers, and print shop professionals who rely on these tools daily. When we recommend something, it's because we've actually used it.