Chatbots can turn a faded photo into a crisp one almost instantly. They do it by drawing a new picture, and a new picture can carry a slightly different face. Nostalgia repairs the photo you have: the original stays beside every result, every face is checked against it, and you can mark the exact damage to fix.
They are genuinely useful, and many people already have them open:
Upload a photo, ask for a restore and get a result straight away, often at no cost.
Image models produce clean, sharp, colourful pictures that look impressive at a glance.
You can ask for anything in plain words, from removing a crease to changing the background.
When the people in the photo matter more than a polished picture:
Nostalgia works on your photo instead of generating a new one. Every restored face is checked against your original, and if one changed, we keep the original face.
Compare before you keep anything. Nothing replaces your photo until you choose.
Our free face check compares a restored photo with the original, including one a chatbot made, so you can see whether a face changed.
Scan the rest of the box, keep names, dates and stories with each photo, and ask relatives what they remember.
General differences as of October 2026. Chatbot image tools change often; try the same photo in both and compare the faces yourself.
| Feature | Nostalgia - Living Archive | ChatGPT and Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| How the photo is restored | IncludedRepairs the photo you uploaded; faces are kept from your original if a restore changed them | Generates a new image from your photo and your prompt |
| Faces checked against your original | IncludedEvery restored face, every time | Limited or not offeredNo built-in check |
| Original kept beside the result | IncludedAlways, in one Versions history | Limited or not offeredUp to you to keep it |
| Repair only what you mark | IncludedMark scratches, creases or spots; only those areas change | Limited or not offeredYou can ask, but the whole image is regenerated |
| Black and white stays black and white | IncludedColour only when you ask | May add colour or change tone unless you say otherwise |
| Full resolution | IncludedNever fewer pixels than you uploaded | Output size set by the model |
| Scanning, names and family answers | IncludedPhone and flatbed scanning, who/when/where/what, relatives answer from a link | Limited or not offeredNot part of the product |
| Cost to start | IncludedOne restore free with no account | IncludedOften free within usage limits |
You do not have to start over. Here is a simple way to check it:
Open the free face check and compare the chatbot's result with your original scan.
If a face changed, restore the original in Nostalgia and compare the two.
Keep whichever version looks like the person you remember. Your original stays either way.
They can produce a cleaner picture from an old photo. Because they generate a new image, details and faces can shift. Compare the result with your original before you share it as the real photo.
After each restore, every face is compared with the face in your original. If one changed, the original face is kept in the result.
Yes. The free face check compares any restored photo with its original and shows whether a face changed.
Your first restore is free with no account. A free account then includes monthly restores, and paid options are there for larger collections.
Upload one inherited photo to see how the photo check reads it before any AI runs. No credit card. 10 free restores every month, and 30 never-expire welcome restores to start.
Want a guided overview of the workflow first? Read the archivist’s overview.