1. Should you try Palette FM? Overview

What it is	AI photo colorization and recoloring service that turns black-and-white or faded images into full-color photos using text-guided palettes and preset filters. Built by a one-person team around a popular research demo.
Country / HQ	Porto, Portugal (Palette FM Unipessoal LDA; founder Emil Wallner)
Best for	Photographers, genealogists and creators restoring old B&W photos, or anyone wanting to recolor an image with a specific mood via keywords.
Check before buying	Credits are consumed per image; the free tier is essentially a single watermarked trial. Output is capped at 5000x5000px and there is no desktop app.
Editor rating	~4.3/5 (editor, community sentiment)
Pricing signal	From free trial (1 credit + watermarked preview); Subscribe $72/yr (480 credits); Pay-once $49 (75 credits, 2-yr access).

2. Features What it does

Feature	What it does
Black-and-white colorization	Upload a grayscale photo and the model infers realistic skin, sky and object colors automatically.
21+ preset filters	One-click looks (vintage, cinematic, noir, etc.) for fast stylistic recoloring.
Keyword-guided color	Type a prompt like ‘autumn forest’ to bias the palette toward a mood or scene.
High-resolution export	Renders up to 5000x5000px for print- and archive-ready results.
API access	Programmatic colorization for bulk or productized workflows.

Plan	Price / mo	Key limits & who it fits
Free trial	1 credit + watermarked preview	Test the model before paying; no card required.
Subscribe	$72/yr	480 credits, continuous access, best per-credit value.
Pay once	$49 (one-time)	75 credits valid 2 years; good for occasional users.

Access type	Details
Access	Web app (no desktop client); upload and download via browser.
API	REST-style access for developers and bulk jobs.

Source	Rating	What it says
Editor	~4.3/5	Best-in-class B&W colorization with surprisingly natural skin tones; credit model and 5K cap are the main limits.
Community	—	Praised for realism vs. older CSS/PS filters; noted that heavy stylization needs prompt tweaking.
Source	—	palette.fm; 2026 AI image-tool roundups.

✔ Suitable	✘ Not suitable
• Restoring and colorizing family or archival B&W photos • Creators wanting quick, prompt-driven image recoloring • Small studios needing an API for bulk colorization	• Users needing a free unlimited tier (trial is 1 image) • Print work above 5000x5000px • Teams wanting on-prem / desktop software

Competitor	How it differs	Best for
Hotpot AI	Simpler colorize tool, freemium	Casual users
DeOldify (open source)	Free self-host colorization	Developers / tinkerers
Photoshop Neural Filters	In-app colorize, no credits	Adobe subscribers
Palette’s own API users	Programmatic pipeline	Productized workflows

Takeaway	Palette FM is the standout consumer tool for turning black-and-white photos into believable color images, with keyword prompts adding creative control. The credit system keeps it affordable but not free at scale.
Who should pick it	Anyone restoring old photos or recoloring images who values realism over a fully free tool.
Who should skip it	Users who need unlimited free colorization or very high-resolution / offline processing.