Palette.fm vs DeOldify vs ColorizeOldPhotos: which photo colorizer should you use?

Short answer. Use Palette.fm if you only need colorization and want its color filters and very large output sizes. Use DeOldify if you are comfortable running a Python project on a Linux machine with a graphics card and want a free, open-source model. Use ColorizeOldPhotos if your prints are also scratched, creased or faded and you want repair and color in one pass, with a free preview that needs no sign-up and no subscription.

All three add color that is an estimate, not a record. None of them can know what color a uniform or a car really was. See how accurate AI colorization is before you rely on any result.

At a glance

Palette.fm

Palette.fm is a colorization-only web tool. Its site advertises more than 21 color filters, adjustable color and uploading several images at once. The free tier gives one trial credit and unlimited watermarked previews at up to 500 × 500 px. Paid credits remove the watermark and allow up to 5000 × 5000 px. You can pay $72 a year for 480 credits or $49 once for 75 credits that last two years.

One thing to check before buying: the homepage says one photo costs one credit, but Palette’s separate documentation for its developer API prices images differently by resolution. We could not confirm from public pages whether the website follows the same scale, so look at the credit cost at the size you need.

Choose it when you only need colorization, want to pick between filters, need very large files, or have enough photos to make a bigger pack worthwhile. Look elsewhere when your photos are damaged, since it does not advertise repair, or when you would rather not make an account just to try it.

DeOldify

DeOldify is the best-known open-source colorizer. It is released under the MIT licence and described in its README as a deep-learning project for colorizing and restoring old images and video. Its author says they will not provide a ready-made free app or web service, so using it means running it yourself: Linux, Python and a graphics card with roughly 4 GB of memory or more. The GitHub repository has been archived and read-only since 19 October 2024, so do not expect new fixes.

Choose it when you are technical, have many photos, want full control, want it free, or cannot upload family photos to anyone’s server. Look elsewhere when you want something that works in a browser in a minute, or you need ongoing maintenance and support.

ColorizeOldPhotos

We built this for the common case of a family print that is both black and white and damaged. You can run Colorize only (adds color, keeps scratches and stains), Restore only (repairs damage, keeps black and white) or Restore + colorize in a single pass. The watermarked preview is free and needs no sign-up; you sign in only to download. Credit packs are one-time purchases, so there is nothing to cancel. Uploads are deleted within 24 hours and never used to train models.

Our limits. Colors are AI estimates. Restoring large missing areas is reconstruction, not recovery. You cannot yet choose colors or recolor a single object, and there are no filters. Our largest output is smaller than Palette’s paid maximum. You can see our own results on public-domain photographs in the examples gallery.

Choose it when the photo is damaged, you want to see a preview before signing up, or you have a few photos and do not want a subscription. Look elsewhere when you need filters, very large output or fully offline processing.

How to choose

• A few damaged family prints: ColorizeOldPhotos.
• A batch of clean black and white photos where you want filters and large files: Palette.fm.
• Hundreds of photos, technical comfort, and no uploads: DeOldify on your own graphics card.
• Not sure: try the free previews. Palette.fm and ColorizeOldPhotos both show a watermarked result before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Is Palette.fm free?

It has a free tier with one trial credit and unlimited watermarked previews up to 500 × 500 px. Watermark-free, full-size results need paid credits.

Is DeOldify free?

Yes, the code is MIT-licensed. You run it yourself, so you need a suitable computer, and the repository is archived.

Which one repairs scratches?

DeOldify’s README says it handles restoration as well as colorization. Palette.fm’s site describes colorization only. ColorizeOldPhotos has a dedicated Restore mode; see how we tested restoration.

Which one is most private?

DeOldify, because nothing leaves your machine. Palette.fm says uploads are deleted shortly after results and not used for training. ColorizeOldPhotos deletes uploads within 24 hours and never uses them for training. See the privacy checklist for what to ask any service.

Which gives the most accurate colors?

We have not tested that and no tool can promise it. Colors are estimates; ask a relative who remembers the real ones before trusting any result.