Magpie vs ReShade

Magpie is a free Windows tool for scaling windowed or fullscreen content with built-in algorithms and filters. These include Anime4K, FSR, CRT shaders, and other effects. Effects can be combined, most have adjustable parameters, and users familiar with HLSL can add effects. The WinUI-based interface supports light and dark themes, and the tool supports multiple monitors. Release notes describe a screenshot hotkey that defaults to Alt+Shift+S, with customizable filenames, and SGSR, a lightweight upscaling algorithm designed for 3D content. The FAQ says frame generation is not planned because Magpie focuses on visual quality and post-processing, which can add latency when used for frame generation. Magpie requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later, or Windows 11, and DirectX feature level 11. It is licensed under GPLv3, and downloads are linked from GitHub Releases. The repository says it has no SECURITY.md file and no published security advisories. Magpie is associated with a maker founded in 2021.

ReShade is free post-processing software for games and video applications on Linux and Windows. It adds effects such as SMAA antialiasing, screen space ambient occlusion, depth of field, chromatic aberration, film grain, color correction, and multi-pass blurring. Supported graphics APIs are Direct3D 9, 10, 11, and 12, OpenGL, and Vulkan. ReShade FX is the project’s shading language and compiler, based on HLSL, with support for textures, render states, color and depth data, timers, and key states. Shaders can be authored once for the supported APIs and compiled into HLSL, GLSL, or SPIR-V as appropriate. An add-on API supports ReShade and the games using it; full add-on support is available in an unsigned build. Multiplayer sessions automatically disable depth access to prevent exploitation. ReShade has been open source under the BSD 3-clause license since January 1, 2017. The site states version 6.8.0 was released on August 2, 2026. Windows requirements include Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10, or 11 and .NET Framework 4.8.