Image sharpening is a process where we increase or adjust the photo sharpener by enhancing the edges and details in the image. Image Sharpening tools are used to improve the quality of the image and make it look more attractive and stunning by maintaining the required level of photo sharpener. During image exposure, the images are not as professional as they are supposed to be.

We require photo sharpener software to apply the photo sharpener effect on images. But there are several Photo sharpeners online or offline tools, so what should we do? This article will clear your confusion and help you to decide which image sharpener software will be best for you among the top 9 sharpener software.

In this article

Part I. 9 Best Photo Sharpeners on The Desktop

Regarding photo sharpener, you need an image sharpener software that provides you with a wide range of tools and features to use. Thus, we brought the top 9 photo sharpener software to help you gain desired results and appearance on your image. Check out the following image sharpener desktop software along with their key features, pros, and cons to help you decide which one will be better to use.

1.GIMP

Pricing: Free

Ease of use: ☆☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac/ GNU/ Linux

GIMP Sharpen the images to make them unblur and enhance their quality so the image will look more attractive and appealing while preserving its natural appearance. This photo sharpening software is based on using a reference image that guides the processing of a targeted image. Gimp creates a guide map that helps you regarding the use of every feature and tool for photo sharpener.

gimp photo sharpening software to clear image quality

Are you looking for free Software to sharpen your images? GIMP is best for you because it is image sharpener-free Software that you can quickly run on your desktop and enjoy turning your photo into a professional one.

Key-Features:

  • GIMP gives us numerous acuminate filters, including unsharp masks, high pass, and photo sharpener
  • Enjoyers can also modify the strength of the sharpening effect and customize the radius of sharpening filters.
  • GIMP permits users to perform tasks efficiently and maintain the quality of the image sharpening tools before putting it into the entire image.

Pros:

  • GIMP is an image sharpener-free Software with splendid features to maintain an image sharpening level.
  • Easy to use with very accessible interference and settings.
  • Provides AI technology that permits users to avail the image sharpening tool and make aesthetic changes in the image.
  • GIMPS gives diverse image sharpener-free tools that can be merged for more headway sharpening techniques.

Cons:

  • The image sharpening filters and tools might not be influential or productive as such setups are more up-to-date in many other editing software.
  • Users might need to inquire about the several image sharpening tool and their settings to test for errors before applying them to the image.

2.Affinity Photo 2

Pricing: $57.08 / Per Month.

Ease of use: ☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac/ iPad/iPhone

Affinity photos sharpen is a professional photo editing software with many tools and features to sharpen the image and easily manipulate pictures. It has a very innovative AI tool that can easily detect the information and preserve the details required to remove blur and noise. This Software lets you preview the project and work on the photo sharpener effect.

affinity photo 2 use as a photo sharpener

Key-Features:

  • Affinity Photo 2 offers an Unsharp mask filter that helps users to enhances image sharpness by increasing the contrast of edges available in the image.
  • The Clarity adjustment feature in this photo sharpening software adjusts the mid-tone contrast of the image. It will give a sharper and more defined look to pictures.
  • The particular Sharpness feature allows users to apply the sharpening effect to a specific area according to the requirements.
  • Remove grains and noise from your image using the Noise Reduction feature in Affinity Photo 2.

Pros:

  • Affinity Photo 2 is highly powered and full-featured Software that gives up-to-date image sharpening tools for executive-level image editing.
  • It permits users to see the quality of the sharpening filter in real-time and make it more helpful to find tune and sharpen setting according to image requirements.
  • It is very assessable and easy to use, providing users control over the results.

Cons:

  • Affinity photo sharpener is a commercial software that may only be reachable to some.
  • The interference and modern features in this photo sharpener tool might be difficult for beginners and occasional users unfamiliar with professional-level photo sharpening

3.Vance AI

Pricing: $39.9/ Per Month

Ease of use: ☆☆☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac/ Online

Vase AI tool is a software specially designed for jpg and png sharpener effects. On this photo editing website, you will experience Sophisticated algorithms and neural network tools to sharpen the photo and enhance the clarity of the image. Vase AI is the choice of many professional photographers, graphic designers, and photo editors.

vance ai software to clarify the image

Key-Features:

  • Vance AI, a photo sharpening software, comes up with AI Technology that possesses advanced AI algorithms that help the user enhance an image's sharpness according to needs and requirements.
  • With the help of the customization feature, you can manually adjust the photo sharpener tool accurately concerning the image.
  • The batch processing feature in this photo sharpener online software avails the opportunity of editing multiple pictures at the same time.

Pros:

  • It supports formats such as PNG and JPG but in image form.
  • Very Accessible and easy to use because of its smooth interference.
  • Vance AI has a very effective and fast processing setup that helps users to get their editing done in a few minutes.

Cons:

  • An Internet connection is required to run Vance AI photo sharpening software.
  • Vane AI comes up with a whole setup to edit an image, so if you want to purchase Software for only an image sharpening tool, you may not want to buy the entire software suite.

4.Batch AI Photo Sharpener

Pricing: $39.99/ One time Purchase

Ease of use: ☆☆☆

Available: Window/ Online

Batch AI, a photo sharpener software, is also available on desktop and online. This Software also comes up with AI-powered tools that automatically detect the information about images and generate a sharpening effect to make the blurry images into a perfect and esthetic images. Purchase this Software once at the time of installation and use it until you can access your desktop. You can easily enjoy the Batch AI photo sharpener's splendid features in a reasonable amount.

batch ai photo sharpener to enhance image quality

Key-Features:

  • You're able to work on different projects and images at the same time in Batch AI software.
  • Quality control tool helps you manually control the editing process according to your desire.
  • Enjoy features such as sharpening, radius adjustments, and sharpening modes to edit the image and enhance its quality.

Pros:

  • Experience the advanced AI technology with Batch AI image sharpening software.
  • It supports many formats to work on, such as JPG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF.
  • Batch AI software has a breakneck processing speed.

Cons:

  • There is no free trial to understand how Batch AI works before having a subscription plan.
  • An internet connection must require using its photo sharpening tool.

5.Pixelmator Pro 3.3 Mosaic

Pricing: $49.99/ One time Purchase

Ease of use: ☆☆☆☆

Available: iPhone/ Mac/ iPad

The following Software on our list is Pixelmator Pro 3.3 Mosaic. It is not designed primarily for image sharpening, but it possesses a wide range of necessary features and AI tools to help you sharpen the image. Thus, you can edit your photo using other tools and enjoy editing. Let's check out its features to know how it can help you as a tremendous image-sharpening tool.

Key-Features:

  • Mosaic has access to edge-aware technology that helps you to avoid over-sharpening and only allows you to sharpen the image to a significant level.
  • With Batch processing, use multiple images to sharpen them simultaneously to save time.

Pros:

  • Enjoy customizable sharpening with Mosaic according to your needs and your desires.
  • Live preview the editing in real-time and compare the project with the original one to understand your changes.
  • Pixelmator offers you other photo editing tools, such as retouching, layer effect, color adjustment, and many more.

Cons:

  • The effectiveness of the image sharpening tool provided by Mosaic depends on the quality of the original image that you are using.
  • As it is not specially designed for image sharpening, so there are limited improvements due to image sharpening tool usage.
  • Although it has a friendly interference, it is time-consuming and might take a lot of time while working on a mini project.

6.Nik Collection

Pricing: $149/one-time purchase

Ease of use: ☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac/ iPhone/iPad

Nick collection is not famous for any feature or tool, but it comes up with a whole photo editing software kit and setup that includes a photo sharpener effect. The best point about Nick Collection is that it can be easily used as a Standalone program. Also, users can plugin with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Element. Editing with Nick collection and Adobe software provides a perfect charming look to your image.

nik collection software for image sharpening

Key-Features:

  • Experience advanced algorithms tools to analyze the requirements of an image and enhance the clarity perfectly.
  • The selective sharpening feature allows you to select a particular area from an image and apply its sharpening effect to experience the best results.
  • Nick's collection contains a sharpener pro plugin, a complete featured set specially organized for photo sharpening.

Pros:

  • Use manual control to adjust the photo sharpener.
  • Enjoy and work on your image with a friendly and smooth interference in Nick Collection.
  • Plugin with Adobe software to enhance the image quality, clarity, sharpness, and contrast.

Cons:

  • It might be expensive and not accessible to all users.
  • Although it is a very powered feature in the case of some tools, it has limited access compared to other high picture editing tools.

7.Batch AI Photo Sharpener 1.0

Pricing: $19.9/ Per Month

Ease of use: ☆☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac/ iPhone/iPad/online

Another fantastic photo sharpening software; is Batch AI Photo sharpener 1.0, specially designed to sharpen images by gaining the information and details from the original photo. You can deal with a bulk project with this splendid Software and enjoy editing multiple photos simultaneously. Thus, it can be an ideal platform for those professional graphic designers, photo editors, and photographers who always have a bulk of work and images to sharpen.

use batch ai photo sharpener to improve image quality

Key-Features:

  • The noise reduction feature will allow you to remove the grains and adjust the noise on the image to provide clarity.
  • AI-based photo sharpener tools adjust the original image data to enhance its quality.
  • The Automatic Analyzer feature helps bring the results according to the information in the original image.

Pros:

  • It provides friendly interference that is very accessible to new users.
  • Enjoy precise control over editing settings and tooltips to seek guidance.
  • Supports a wide range of input and output formats.

Cons:

  • High system requirements might need to be more appropriate for many users.
  • Overall, it is easy to use, but it might cause a learning curve for those new to photo editing.

8.Topaz labs

Pricing: $79.99/ One Time Purchase

Ease of use: ☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac

Topazlabs is an image sharpening software specializing in digital image editing for all photographers. Not only the images but users can also edit videos with this Software to clarify the quality of photos. It brings the optimal sharpening parameters based on specific features and effects to enhance the blurriness of an image and adjust the contrast.

Key-Features:

  • Advanced algorithms analyze and understand the image requirements.
  • Edit multiple photos at the same time with the batch processing feature.
  • Apply the Photo sharpener effect on the particular area of pictures with the help of the masking element.

Pros:

  • It provides different modes of image sharpening tools according to the requirement of the image.
  • Masking and voice reduction tools in Topazlabs facilitate users to gain a perfect appearance on their images.

Cons:

  • There is no free trial.
  • It might be complex to use for beginners.

9.Zoner Photo Studio

Pricing: $5.99/ Per Month

Ease of use: ☆☆☆☆☆

Available: Windows/ Mac

Last but not least, Zoner Photo Studio is a comprehensive software with tools to provide you access to manage, edit, and share your professionally edited photos with a natural appearance. It includes a preview window to compare your original and edited images.

zoner photo studio photo sharpener

Key-Features:

  • The real-time preview feature lets you realize the sharpening effect on the original image.
  • Experience innovative features such as Unsharp Mask, High Pass, Contrast Analyzer, and Magic Focus.

Pros:

  • Easy to use for beginner photo editors.
  • Quick processing and effective results.
  • Does not distort the natural look of the image.

Cons:

  • It provides limited technical support as a photo sharpening software.
  • There is no free trial.

Part II. Comparison of the Top 10 Apps

For your ease, we have optimized all the top 9 photo sharpening software into a comparison table where you can quickly check out the difference. Every Software has exceptional quality, but this comparison table will help you select the best one.

Software Sharpening Quality Ease of use Speed Supported file formats Cost Compatibility
GIMP 4.7/5 4/5 3.8/5 Images/Videos Free GNU/Linux/Mac/Win
Affinity Photo 2 4.3/5 3/5 4/5 Images/Videos $57.08/Monthly Mac/Win/iPad
Vance AI 4/5 4.7/5 4.3/5 Images $39.9/Monthly Online/Mac/Win
Batch AI Photo Sharpener 3.5/5 3/5 4/5 Images $39.9/Once Windows/ Online
Pixelmator Pro 3.3 Mosaic 4.3/5 4/5 4.7/5 Images $49.99/Once Mac/iPad/iPhone
Nick Collection 3.7/5 3/5 3.7/5 Images/Videos $149/ Once Win/Mac/iPad/iPhone
Batch AI Photo Sharpener 1.0 3/5 4/5 4/5 Images $19.99/ Once Win/Mac/iPad/iPhone
Topaz Labs 4.7/5 3.5/5 4.7/5 Images/Videos $79.99/Once Win/Mac
Zoner Photo Studio 4/5 4.7/5 4/5 Images $5.99/Monthly Win/Mac

Explanation

After going through all the fantastic software dimensions, we give you the best recommendation. Every editor wants Software with effective results, occupy professional tools and features, and easy to use at an affordable and lower price. It is suggested to experience GIMP sharpener software because it provides very effective results and ease of use and supports images and video format with zero cost. As a beginner, using GIMP will be the best choice.

Bonus Tips - How to sharpen images online?

In case of smooth and slight sharpening, use an online tool that provides AI features to get your image into a professional authentic by working on a few steps. Media.io Image Sharpener is famous for its advanced and innovative AI tools that perfectly analyze the original image and use an image sharpener-free feature. Enjoy as many images sharpening as you want with Media.io without paying a single penny.

media.io photo sharpener

Key Features:

  • It offers essential file conversion tools such as resizing an image.
  • It provides an Advanced AI sharpening feature that automatically detects the necessary information from the image.
  • Support both formats: Image and video format.
Conclusion

In this article, we have explained every photo sharpener software with every necessary and detailed information; we hope, after going through the comparison table, it becomes easy for you to decide which image Sharpening Software can be perfect for you. According to our suggestion, GIMP is the best photo sharpener because it provides a wide range of features with AI technology that greatly enhance image quality.

On the other hand, some photo editors deal with an unblurring problem in their images that can be easily removed by any photo sharpener online software. Thus there is no need to get any subscription at all. Hence, we included Media.io to adjust the image's sharpening while preserving the picture's natural look.

Manuel Gonzalez
Manuel Gonzalez Oct 31, 23
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