Free old photo restoration tools compared (2026)
· 7 min read · The Memory Palace Team
The photo of your grandparents on their wedding day has a crack across the corner and has faded to the colour of milky tea. You would like it back as it was, without paying for software and without handing it to a service you know nothing about. There are many tools for this. They look alike on their front pages, and differ in the small print: what is free, what carries a watermark, how long your photo is kept, and whether anyone tells you the result was made with AI.
Last checked: 3 October 2026, on each tool's own website and help pages. We make The Memory Palace, a small app made by one person, Bram, in Leuven, Belgium, and one of the tools below is ours. Where a site does not state something, the table says "not stated".
The short answer
To restore one photo free, without an account and without a watermark, ezremove and The Memory Palace are the most direct. If you already keep your photos on MyHeritage or Google Photos, try their own tools first. For many photos, credit-based tools such as Fotor or HitPaw make more sense, and for full control by hand, Photoshop or a free editor. Whatever you choose, keep the original scan.
Nine tools at a glance
| Tool | Free tier | Watermark | Account | Your upload is kept | Colourise | AI label on the result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Memory Palace (restore page) | Free, two photos an hour, a daily limit on busy days | No watermark in the image | No | Seven days, then deleted automatically | Yes, or keep it black and white | Visible note under the result, plus IPTC AI marker in the file |
| ezremove | 10 free credits a day | No | Restoration page says no sign-up; daily credits tied to logging in | Deleted after 24 hours | Yes | Not stated |
| Fotor | Free credits for new users, number not stated | No | Not stated | Deleted within 24 hours | Yes, optional | Not stated |
| Picsart | Restoration described as free, limit not stated | Not stated | Most image tools need no account | Retention of uploads not stated | A hue colour effect; AI colourising not stated | Not stated |
| HitPaw Online | Landing page says free; pricing lists the free plan as preview only | Not stated | Not stated | Deleted within seven days | Yes | Not stated |
| MyHeritage (Photo Repair, In Color) | Several photos free | MyHeritage logo for non-subscribers | Yes, free sign-up | In your account until you delete it | Yes | Small symbol in the lower left corner |
| Remini | Limited free use, resets periodically | Yes in some cases, even for paying users | Yes for a subscription; not stated for free use | A short, limited period, length not stated | Not stated (colour correction only) | Visible watermark as transparency; metadata not kept |
| Google Photos | AI editing free for all users; "restore this old photo" by prompt in some countries, 18 and over | None stated | Yes, Google account | In your library | Not stated in Google Photos | "Edited with AI tools", Content Credentials and IPTC metadata |
| Adobe Photoshop | No free tier, seven-day trial, then from US$22.99 a month | Not applicable | Yes | Most Neural Filters run on your computer | Yes, Colorize filter | Content Credentials for qualifying generative AI tools; no visible label |
Prices, credits and limits change often, and some prices differ by country. Check them on the maker's site before you rely on them.
Free, without an account: ezremove, Picsart and our own
ezremove says its restoration works free for visitors, without a watermark and without signing up, and that uploads are deleted after 24 hours. Its pricing page describes 10 free credits a day after logging in, so expect a few restorations a day. It can colourise as well.
Picsart describes its old photo restoration as free, and says most of its image tools need no account. Its colourise page is a colour effect with a hue slider rather than a model that guesses the original colours. Picsart does not state how long uploaded photos are kept.
Our own restorer
The restorer of The Memory Palace repairs one photo at a time, a JPG, PNG, WEBP or HEIC file of up to 8 MB, usually within half a minute. It is free and needs no account; because each restoration has a real cost, you can do two an hour, and on a very busy day it may ask you to come back tomorrow. It colours black and white photos in restrained tones unless you tick keep it black and white. The result says plainly that it was restored with AI and that the colours are an estimate, and the file carries a machine-readable AI marker. Your photo is kept for seven days, so it can come along if you build a palace, and is then deleted. Where it is not the best choice: one photo at a time, so for a whole album a paid tool with credits is quicker.
If your photos already live there: MyHeritage and Google Photos
MyHeritage has Photo Repair for scratches and tears, In Color for colourising and a Photo Enhancer. Anyone can try several photos free after a free sign-up; non-subscribers get a MyHeritage logo on colourised results. MyHeritage places a small palette or wand symbol in the corner of colourised and enhanced photos, so you can always tell them apart. Photos stay in your account until you delete them.
Google Photos offers its AI editing tools to all users without a subscription. In some countries, adults can ask it in words to restore an old photo. When a generative AI edit is saved, Google Photos shows Edited with AI tools and adds Content Credentials. It does not state a colourise feature in Google Photos itself.
Credits and subscriptions: Fotor, HitPaw and Remini
Fotor gives new users free credits to restore and download without a watermark, can colourise in the same step, and deletes uploads within 24 hours. It does not say how many free credits you get. HitPaw Online calls its restorer free on the landing page, while its pricing page lists the free plan as preview only; it deletes data within seven days. Remini offers limited free use that resets periodically. It may add a watermark, in some cases also for paying users, and presents that watermark as a transparency measure. It keeps data only for a short period and does not keep metadata on downloaded results.
Full control by hand: Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop has a Colorize Neural Filter and a Photo Restoration filter in beta, and most Neural Filters run on your own computer. There is no free tier, only a seven-day trial, then from US$22.99 a month. Adobe attaches Content Credentials when qualifying generative AI tools are used and does not add visible AI labels. If you want to work by hand for free, our guide to fixing a faded, scratched or torn photo covers free editors such as Photopea, GIMP and Snapseed.
How to choose
- One photo or a hundred? For one, a free tool is enough. For an album, credits or a subscription save time.
- Read where your photo goes. From 24 hours to as long as your account exists: choose what you are comfortable with.
- Check for a watermark before you start. Not after an hour of work.
- Prefer a tool that labels the result. Restoration fills in what was missing, and colours are an estimate. Our article on how to tell an AI-restored photo explains why a label matters.
- Keep the original scan. Next to the restored version, always.
Sources
- Remini, photo restorer: remini.ai/photo-restorer
- Remini Help Center, watermarks: remini.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/25348527542545
- Remini Web Help Center, data storage: remini-web.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/12449277758993
- MyHeritage Help Center, In Color: myheritage.com/help/en/articles/12852501
- MyHeritage Help Center, Photo Repair: myheritage.com/help/en/articles/12852514
- MyHeritage Education, photo features: education.myheritage.com/article/myheritage-photo-features
- Picsart, photo restoration: picsart.com/ai-image-enhancer/photo-restoration
- Picsart, image tools: picsart.com/image-tools
- Fotor, photo restoration: fotor.com/features/photo-restoration
- HitPaw Online, restore old photos: online.hitpaw.com/restore-old-photos.html
- HitPaw Online, pricing: online.hitpaw.com/pricing.html
- HitPaw, privacy policy: hitpaw.com/privacy-policy.html
- ezremove, photo restoration: ezremove.ai/photo-restoration
- ezremove, pricing: ezremove.ai/pricing
- Google Photos Help, editing photos: support.google.com/photos/answer/6128850
- Google Photos Help, Content Credentials: support.google.com/photos/answer/16496549
- Adobe Help, Neural Filters: helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/neural-filters-list-and-faq.html
- Adobe Help, AI content labeling: helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/apps/generative-ai/ai-content-labeling-faq.html
- Adobe, Photoshop plans: adobe.com/products/photoshop/plans.html
Questions people ask
How can I restore an old photo for free online?
Several tools have a free option. ezremove gives free daily credits and adds no watermark. Fotor gives new users free credits. MyHeritage lets you repair and colourise several photos free after signing up, with a watermark for non-subscribers. The Memory Palace restores two photos an hour free, without an account. Google Photos offers AI editing to all users, and in some countries you can ask it to restore an old photo.
Which free photo restorer has no watermark?
ezremove and Fotor say their restored photos have no watermark. The Memory Palace adds no watermark to the image either, but shows a note next to the result that it was restored with AI. MyHeritage adds its logo for non-subscribers, and Remini may show a watermark, in some cases even for paying users.
Do I need an account to restore an old photo?
Not always. The Memory Palace needs no account. ezremove says no sign-up on its restoration page, though its daily credits are tied to logging in. MyHeritage, Google Photos and Photoshop need an account.
What happens to my photo after I upload it?
It differs a lot. Fotor and ezremove delete uploads within 24 hours, HitPaw within seven days, The Memory Palace after seven days. MyHeritage keeps photos in your account until you delete them. Remini says it keeps data only for a short, limited period, without naming one.
Are AI-restored photos labelled as AI?
Some are. Google Photos shows Edited with AI tools and adds Content Credentials when an AI edit is saved. MyHeritage places a small symbol in the corner of colourised and enhanced photos. The Memory Palace shows a note under the result and writes an AI marker into the file. Most other tools do not say whether they label the result.
Is Photoshop free for restoring photos?
No. Photoshop has a seven-day free trial and then costs from US$22.99 a month for the single app. Its Neural Filters include Colorize and a Photo Restoration filter in beta.
Start preserving your family's memories today
Build a beautiful, private Memory Palace for your family's stories, photos, and legacy.
Bring one old photo back, no account neededGood day. Carry on from your phone? I'll hold the door for you.
Rather use your phone? The app is free.