Local Photo RestoreOld photo restoration apps compared
Written by the developer of Local Photo Restore, so read it with that in mind. Prices are U.S. prices checked on September 25, 2026, from each company’s site or App Store listing (linked below). They change often; check before you buy.
Short version: for torn or scratched prints, MyHeritage Photo Repair or Photoshop are better choices. For colorizing black-and-white photos, use MyHeritage In Color or Photoshop. For dramatic face sharpening, Remini or MyHeritage. For faded, yellowed, or soft photos you’d rather not upload, and a one-time price, Local Photo Restore ($3.99) fits.
At a glance
| Tool | Processing | Scratch / tear repair | Colorize B&W | Face enhancement | U.S. price (checked Sep 25, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Photo Restore | On device | No | No | No dedicated face model | $3.99 once, no in-app purchases |
| Remini | Cloud | Claimed | Not listed in iOS app | Yes (generative) | Free download; Pro Weekly $9.99, 1 Month $9.99 |
| MyHeritage | Cloud | Yes (Photo Repair) | Yes (In Color) | Yes | Complete plan $299/yr ($199 first year); a few photos free |
| Reimagine (MyHeritage) | Cloud | Yes | Yes | Yes | $49.99/yr or $7.99/mo |
| Adobe Photoshop | Computer; some AI features use the cloud | Yes (manual + AI filter) | Yes (Colorize filter) | Yes (Photo Restoration filter, beta) | $22.99/mo (annual plan, billed monthly); Photography plan $19.99/mo |
| Picsart | Cloud | Yes (web restorer) | Yes | Yes | Plus $11.99/mo or $64.99/yr; Pro $13.99/mo or $83.99/yr (iOS) |
| Photomyne | Scanning on device; AI restore uses external processing | Yes (paid AI credits) | Yes | Yes | $59.99/yr membership; AI restore sold separately (e.g., $3.99 credits) |
| Apple Photos | On device; some Apple Intelligence edits may use Apple servers | Small marks only (Clean Up) | No | No | Free, built in |
“Claimed” means the feature appears in the product’s own description; we didn’t test it. Subscription prices on the App Store can vary by offer.
Local Photo Restore
What it does: on-device AI enhancement up to 4x (capped near 17 MP), Remove Yellow Tint, Restore Contrast, Auto Fix, before/after compare, new-copy saving. Price: $3.99 once. Processing: on device, no account.
Best for: faded, yellowed, soft, or low-resolution photos when you don’t want to upload them or subscribe. Not for: scratches, tears, colorization, or face reconstruction.
Remini
Remini, from Bending Spoons, is the best-known AI photo enhancer. Its App Store description promises to turn faces into high definition and repair old, blurry, or scratched photos. It uses generative face enhancement, which can make a blurry face look sharp, and sometimes like a slightly different person.
Price: free to download with subscriptions; the App Store lists Remini Pro Weekly at $9.99 and a 1 Month plan at $9.99, plus Lite weekly options. Processing: cloud. Better fit when: faces are very small or blurry and you want the most dramatic result. See Remini vs Local Photo Restore.
MyHeritage (Photo Enhancer, In Color, Photo Repair)
MyHeritage is a genealogy service with a strong photo suite: Photo Enhancer for faces, In Color for colorization and color restoration, and Photo Repair for scratches, tears, holes, and stains. It’s the most complete one-stop option for damaged heirloom photos.
Price: a few photos free; unlimited use comes with the Complete plan at $299/year ($199 for the first year on myheritage.com). Its separate Reimagine app is $49.99/year or $7.99/month. Processing: cloud. Better fit when: prints are torn or scratched, you want colorization, or you’re already building a family tree there.
Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
Photoshop is the professional tool: Spot Healing, Clone Stamp, and Content-Aware Fill for manual repair, plus neural filters for photo restoration (scratch reduction, face enhancement; still labeled beta) and colorization. Lightroom adds Denoise and healing tools. Nothing else gives you as much control, but it takes time to learn.
Price: Photoshop $22.99/month on an annual plan billed monthly; the Photography plan with Photoshop and Lightroom is $19.99/month. Photoshop on iPhone starts at $7.99/month. Processing: mostly on your computer; Adobe says some neural filters and all generative features use the cloud. Better fit when: damage is serious and you want to control every repair.
Picsart
A general AI photo editor with an online photo restorer (scratch removal, resolution enhancement) and a colorizer. Good if you also want a full creative editor.
Price (iOS): Plus $11.99/month or $64.99/year; Pro $13.99/month or $83.99/year. Processing: cloud. Better fit when: you want colorization and broader editing in one subscription.
Photomyne
Photomyne is built for scanning whole albums quickly with your phone camera, detecting and cropping several prints at once. Its AI restoration (scratch, tear, and glare removal; colorizing; face sharpening) uses external processing and is sold separately from the membership.
Price: $59.99/year membership after a 3-day trial; AI restore on a pay-per-use basis (the App Store lists restore credits at $3.99). Better fit when: you’re digitizing hundreds of prints. Local Photo Restore doesn’t auto-crop or batch-scan.
Apple Photos and Google PhotoScan (free)
Apple Photos handles cropping, straightening, and exposure and color sliders on every iPhone, and Clean Up can remove small blemishes on devices with Apple Intelligence. It has no dedicated old-photo restoration, AI upscaling, or yellow-tint tool. Google’s free PhotoScan app reduces glare when photographing prints by combining several shots. It hasn’t been updated since 2022 but is still on the App Store. Both are good companions to any restoration app.
How to choose
- Torn, scratched, or stained: MyHeritage Photo Repair, Photoshop, or a professional restorer. More.
- Black-and-white you want in color: MyHeritage In Color, Photoshop, or Picsart. Read this first.
- Tiny, blurry faces: Remini or MyHeritage, knowing the face is partly generated.
- Hundreds of prints: Photomyne or a scanning service.
- Faded, yellowed, or soft, and private: Local Photo Restore, $3.99 once.
Sources
All checked September 25, 2026: Remini on the App Store; Remini privacy policy; MyHeritage pricing; MyHeritage Photo Repair; Reimagine on the App Store; Photoshop plans; Adobe neural filters FAQ; Photoshop on the App Store; Picsart on the App Store; Picsart photo restoration; Photomyne pricing; Photomyne on the App Store; PhotoScan on the App Store; Apple Photos Clean Up; Local Photo Restore on the App Store.
Local Photo Restore costs $3.99 once in the U.S. App Store, with no subscription or in-app purchases. iPhone and iPad, iOS or iPadOS 18.2 or later.