Photo restoration prices in 2026
We make Resly, an AI service in the second row, so read this knowing that. The real choice is between AI, which is cheap and instant, and a person, who is slower and costs more but can be told what the photo should look like.
| Option | Typical cost | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free AI tools (Adobe Firefly, Canva) | Typical cost: $0 | Turnaround: Seconds | Best for: Light fading and scratches |
| Pay-per-photo AI (Pastlume, Resly, Vintage Photos, Belagon, Reviva) | Typical cost: $1.49 to $9 a photo | Turnaround: Seconds to minutes | Best for: A few photos to keep, print or give |
| AI subscriptions (MyHeritage, Vintage Photos plans) | Typical cost: $7.99 to $25 a month | Turnaround: Seconds | Best for: A whole box of photos |
| Online human retoucher (RetouchUp, MemoryCherish) | Typical cost: $35 to $148 a photo | Turnaround: About 1 to 3 days | Best for: Heavy damage, an only photo |
| Local studio or freelancer | Typical cost: $78 on average; $25 to $494 | Turnaround: Varies | Best for: Handing over the original in person |
Human prices: RetouchUp $35 flat; MemoryCherish $38, $58 or $148 by artist tier; Thumbtack's US average $78, with most jobs $55 to $100. AI prices from each service's own site. All change over time.
What pushes the price up
- Damage. Dust and fading are quick; tears through a face, water damage and missing corners take a retoucher hours.
- Missing detail. Rebuilding an eye or a mouth that has faded away is the most expensive work, and the part where AI is least reliable.
- Color. Hand colorizing is often extra. Most AI services include it.
- Prints. A restored file is one price; a framed print adds the cost of printing. See photo restoration near me for in-person options.
BeforeAfterIs AI restoration good enough?
For most family photos, yes. AI repairs scratches, creases, stains and fading well, and colorizes in seconds, at a fraction of a retoucher's price. Its weak spot is faces where detail is gone: it has to invent something, and the result can look subtly like someone else. So a sensible order is: try AI first, compare the face carefully with the original, and pay a person only for the photos AI can't get right.
Resly costs $1.99 a photo (99¢ for each extra in the same order), shows old photos as a free watermarked preview before you pay, and needs no account. Restore a photo.
How to keep the cost down
- Start from a good copy: a 600 DPI scan, or a phone photo of the print laid flat near a window with the flash off.
- Crop out the album page around the photo before uploading.
- Try a free tool on lightly damaged photos first.
- Batch photos into one order where a service discounts extras.
- Keep the original print and the untouched scan, whatever you choose.