Which AI tools can restore and colorize old photos?
Last verified 2026-10-10Paid placement never changes our picks.
Short answer
As of October 2026, start with Palette if you only need black-and-white photos colorized, VanceAI if you want restoration and colorizing as web tools, and Adobe Photoshop if heavy damage needs manual retouching. The main catch: every AI tool can invent faces, textures and colors, so compare results against the original scan.
Top picks
Colorizing black-and-white photos with free previews first
- Free tier
- Unlimited watermarked previews up to 500x500 px; 1 full-resolution trial credit
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Web
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Colorization only, no scratch repair; full resolution needs paid credits; no monthly plan shown.
Repairing and colorizing old photos online, billed per image
- Free tier
- 10 free credits for new web users
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Web, Windows, API
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Credit-based; annual web prices shown, monthly-billed prices not readable. Verify the total at checkout.
Heavy damage that needs filters plus manual retouching
- Free tier
- No free tier
- Starting price
- From $22.99
- Platforms
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
No permanent free plan; Colorize is labeled beta on Adobe's help page; manual skill helps.
Desktop dust, scratch and face recovery for scanned prints
- Free tier
- No free tier
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
No colorization listed; entry price differs between its product and pricing pages.
Sharpening small, blurry faces in historical group photos
- Free tier
- See pricing page
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Web
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Face-focused; scratch repair not described; free limits and prices not stated on its pages.
Prompt-based restoration and colorizing inside a general assistant
- Free tier
- Free with a Google Account; limited Nano Banana Pro; compute-based limits reset…
- Starting price
- From $4.99
- Platforms
- Web
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Less controllable than an editor; Google documents the use for its image model, app availability implied.
Quick one-tap face enhancement on a phone
- Free tier
- See pricing page
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Web, iOS
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Vendor site shows no prices or free limits; results on badly damaged photos vary.
Prices come from each tool's fact block. "See pricing page" means we have not confirmed the number on the official pricing page in the last 30 days, so we do not show one.
How to choose
- If you want to judge colors before paying → Palette (unlimited watermarked previews at 500x500 px plus one full-resolution trial credit; colorization only, no scratch repair).
- If you have a batch of family photos to repair and colorize → VanceAI (separate restorer and colorizer billed per image in credits; 10 free credits for new web users; Windows desktop app too).
- If tears or heavy damage need manual control → Adobe Photoshop (Photo Restoration filter and Colorize plus retouching; $22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day trial) or Topaz Photo for desktop dust and scratch removal without colorization.
- If small, blurry faces in group photos are the problem → MyHeritage Photo Enhancer (face-focused enhancement from a genealogy company; limits and prices are not stated on its pages).
- If you already use Gemini and accept less control → Google Gemini (describe the fix in a prompt; Google documents restoring and colorizing old photos with its image model; free use is rate-limited).
How we checked
- 7 of 7 picks have a Toolsfine fact block.
- 5 of 7 picks had their pricing checked on the official site in the last 30 days.
- 1 of 1 models also suggested Palette.Panel: Claude (2026-10-10).
- Verified on 2026-10-10.
Listed in other directories
| Tool | theresanaiforthat.com | futurepedia.io | toolify.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palette | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| VanceAI | Listed | Not checked | Not checked |
| Adobe Photoshop | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Topaz Photo | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| MyHeritage Photo Enhancer | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Google Gemini | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Remini | Listed | Not checked | Listed |
"Not checked" means we could not open that directory's page; it does not mean the tool is missing there.
Where sources disagree
- Topaz Photo price: Topaz's product page and pricing page show different entry prices, apparently because of a promotion, so we do not publish a starting price.
- Missing prices for consumer apps: MyHeritage and Remini show no prices or free limits on their own sites; Remini's prices appear only in app-store listings, which we did not treat as official.
- Gemini for old photos: Google's blog describes restoring and colorizing old photos with the image model behind the Gemini app, but the post does not explicitly confirm the workflow inside the app.
- Accuracy and privacy: Generative tools can make up facial detail and colors; no benchmark was run. Upload and retention policies for family photos were not checked for any tool.
Also mentioned elsewhere
Other sources name these tools for this job. They are not in our picks because we have not checked them yet.
- Hotpot AI · Official siteWeb restorer and separate colorizer sold in credit packs; warns it may invent detail.
- DeOldify · Official siteFree open-source colorization models; repository archived in 2024 and needs technical setup.
- Fotor · Official siteOnline editor with restoration and colorize tools; prices and which plans include them not confirmed.
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Related answers
Changelog
- 2026-10-10 · Picks, prices and sources re-checked
- 2026-10-10 · Page updated
- 2026-10-10 · First published
Last verified 2026-10-10 · next re-check 2027-01-08. Report an error
Paid placement never changes our picks. Data: JSON