AIHow

Products worth trying

Our own tools, plus free and open-source software we installed and kept — each one with what it is good at and where it falls short.

What we build

Photo·Built by us·Windows

Stack Pix

Node-canvas image workflows that run entirely on your machine

One-time purchase, free tier included

VerdictReach for it when the job is a folder rather than a file: chain cut-out, background, resize and compression into one canvas and run it over a whole catalogue without uploading anything.

Pros

  • + 81 ready-made workflows, so there is no blank canvas to stare at
  • + Batches, grouping and resume are built in, not bolted on
  • + Images never leave the machine

Cons

  • − Windows only for now
  • − Large AI models are a multi-gigabyte first download
  • − The canvas takes an afternoon to feel natural
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Found in the wild

Photo·Spotted on Reddit·Windows, macOS, Linux

Upscayl

One-button AI upscaling, offline

Free and open source

VerdictThe tool to open when one specific image is too small — an old scan, a cropped screenshot, a photo a marketplace rejected. It does exactly one thing and it does it without an account.

Pros

  • + Genuinely one button
  • + Runs locally
  • + No account, no upload

Cons

  • − Enlarges only — no editing
  • − Poor originals come back bigger, not better
  • − Large images are slow on CPU

Recommended repeatedly in self-hosted and photography threads

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Photo·Spotted on Reddit·Self-hosted (Docker)

Immich

A photo library you host yourself

Free and open source; you supply the hardware

VerdictThe best replacement for a cloud photo subscription — if you are willing to be the one running the server. If Docker is not something you want in your life, skip it regardless of how good the app is.

Pros

  • + Automatic phone backup, search and face grouping
  • + Replaces a monthly subscription for a whole family
  • + Photos stay on hardware you own

Cons

  • − Setup is a project, not an afternoon
  • − You own the backups now
  • − Needs a machine that stays on

The name that comes up whenever someone asks about leaving a cloud photo service

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Video·Community pick·Windows, macOS, Linux

HandBrake

The boring, reliable video transcoder

Free and open source

VerdictTwenty years old and still the thing to use when a video file is too big or in the wrong format. Presets cover most cases; ignore everything else.

Pros

  • + Rock solid and free
  • + Good presets for common targets
  • + Batch queue works

Cons

  • − Interface is dense
  • − No AI features
  • − Encoding is CPU-heavy by design
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Drawing·Spotted on X·Windows, macOS, Linux

Krita

A free painting app that takes AI plugins seriously

Free and open source

VerdictIf you draw, this is the free tool worth learning — brush engine first, plugins second. Do not install it as an image editor for photos; that is not what it is for.

Pros

  • + Excellent brush engine
  • + Free, with no watermarked export
  • + Active AI plugin ecosystem

Cons

  • − Not a photo editor
  • − Large files need memory
  • − Plugin quality varies wildly

Keeps surfacing in AI-art timelines as the free canvas that is actually usable

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AI·Spotted on X·Windows, macOS, Linux

Ollama

Run language models on your own machine

Free and open source

VerdictInstall it for a specific reason — text you would rather not upload, or repetitive rewriting you want for free. Do not install it expecting the strongest model available; that is not what local gives you.

Pros

  • + Text stays on your machine
  • + One command to pull a model
  • + Local API other apps can use

Cons

  • − Smaller models than hosted ones
  • − Multi-gigabyte downloads
  • − Terminal-first unless you plug in another app

The default answer in local-LLM threads for “how do I run this myself”

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