About
DeOldify is a pioneering AI colorization tool that has been bringing old black and white photos and videos back to life since 2018. Built on deep learning techniques, it produces strikingly realistic color outputs from grayscale imagery, making it a go-to solution for photo restoration enthusiasts, genealogists, historians, and creative professionals. The tool is available in two forms: free open-source Google Colab notebooks hosted on GitHub that anyone can use for both photos and videos, and a premium, polished integration through MyHeritage — a genealogy and family history platform — which offers the most advanced and user-friendly version of DeOldify. The MyHeritage integration comes with a free trial and multiple options to ensure optimal colorization results. DeOldify is built by Lounge Amateurs LLC and has gained significant recognition in the AI and restoration community for the quality and realism of its colorizations. The open-source notebooks are accessible to developers and hobbyists alike, while the MyHeritage partnership makes it convenient for non-technical users to restore and share family memories. Whether you're digitizing old family albums, restoring archival footage, or experimenting with generative AI, DeOldify offers a powerful and accessible solution for photo and video colorization.
Key Features
- AI-Powered Photo Colorization: Automatically adds realistic, natural-looking color to black and white photographs using deep learning models.
- Video Colorization: Extends colorization capabilities to full video files, breathing new life into archival and historical footage.
- Open-Source Google Colab Notebooks: Free, publicly accessible Colab notebooks allow developers and enthusiasts to run DeOldify without any local setup.
- MyHeritage Premium Integration: The best and most polished version of DeOldify is available exclusively through MyHeritage, offering enhanced results and an easy-to-use interface.
- Ongoing Research & Development: Active GitHub project tracks the evolution of the tool, with cutting-edge restoration and colorization work continuously being developed.
Use Cases
- Restoring and colorizing old family photographs for genealogy and personal history projects.
- Colorizing historical black and white footage for documentaries or educational content.
- Enhancing archival images for museums, libraries, or digital heritage projects.
- Creative projects where artists want to reimagine vintage photos in full color.
- Developers experimenting with deep learning and computer vision for image restoration pipelines.
Pros
- Free & Open Source: Google Colab notebooks are freely available and open source, making the tool accessible to anyone without cost.
- High-Quality Colorization: Consistently produces realistic and visually impressive colorization results, widely considered best-in-class.
- Supports Both Photos and Video: Unlike many colorization tools that only handle still images, DeOldify also processes video content.
- Established & Trusted: In development since 2018 with a strong community, GitHub presence, and a reputable partnership with MyHeritage.
Cons
- Best Version Requires MyHeritage Subscription: The highest-quality, most user-friendly version of DeOldify is locked behind MyHeritage's paid or trial plan.
- Colab Notebooks Require Technical Know-How: Running the free open-source notebooks requires some familiarity with Google Colab and Python environments.
- Limited Standalone Web App: There is no independent, fully-featured web application — users must rely on Colab or a third-party platform like MyHeritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DeOldify free to use?
Yes, DeOldify offers free open-source Google Colab notebooks for both photo and video colorization. The most advanced version is available through a MyHeritage subscription, which offers a free trial.
How do I use DeOldify for free?
You can use DeOldify for free by accessing the Google Colab notebooks linked from the official website or GitHub repository. No local installation is required — just open the notebook and run the cells.
What is the difference between the open-source version and the MyHeritage version?
The open-source Colab notebooks are free but require technical setup. The MyHeritage version is the most polished and advanced implementation, offering a simpler user experience with enhanced colorization quality.
Can DeOldify colorize videos as well as photos?
Yes, DeOldify supports both photo and video colorization. Separate Colab notebooks are available for each use case.
Where can I find the DeOldify source code?
The source code and project history are available on the official DeOldify GitHub repository, which is linked from the website.
