I built image-upscaling.net — a free, browser-based AI image upscaler. No subscriptions. No paywall. No logins. Just better results, as rated by users on Reddit and Product Hunt.
It’s been growing organically. Users love the speed and quality. I’ve received amazing feedback, and people appreciate that there’s finally a tool that does what it says — and does it exceptionally well — without trying to upsell them at every click.
So naturally… Google made things difficult.
What Went Wrong
Since launching:
- Google Cloud has prevented me from renting GPUs with the silliest excuses.
- The Google Play Store rejected my app, saying it “did not pass testing.” Well, this app is so simple that even a modern LLM could probably have coded it in a single go. I have a LOT of users and haven’t received a single bug report for weeks.
- My site is nearly invisible on Google Search.
This is not random.
Why? Maybe I’m Competition.
Let’s be honest: most AI tools right now are just wrappers on top of public models — charging monthly fees for what is essentially open access. And that’s fine. People need to make a living.
But what happens when someone offers a better experience — for free?
Well… it disrupts the model. Especially when that tool:
- Doesn’t rely on Big Tech infrastructure.
- Doesn’t play into their subscription ecosystem.
- Doesn’t harvest user data to “monetize later.”
I guess they don’t want “free and good” to become the new normal. They want to keep the subscription mentality alive, and they want small developers like me to use their paid APIs.
I Did It Anyway
So I went around them.
I run my own GPUs.
I publish my app directly on my site.
I get my users from Reddit, Product Hunt, direct links, and word of mouth.
Building Without Permission
If anything, resistance is a signal that I’m on to something.
Apparently, building something that’s better and free is seen as a threat.
Cool. I’ll wear that like a badge.
And I’ll keep building anyway.
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