Topaz Video AI Alternatives in 2026: 7 Options Compared

TL;DW

• Verdict: without a strong GPU, use a browser tool (VideoUpscaler or TensorPix); to own the software, Aiarty costs $165 once; Video2X is free.
• Why leave Topaz: since October 2025 it is subscription only, from $299/year, with no desktop trial.
• Topaz hardware: a 6–8 GB VRAM GPU on Windows, or an Apple silicon Mac.
• Trade-off: few alternatives match Topaz's 16K output; VideoUpscaler has no frame interpolation.
• Method: vendor pages checked 10 October 2026, not a same-clip test.

The best Topaz Video AI alternatives in 2026 are either browser tools that need no GPU or desktop apps that cost less to own. We make VideoUpscaler, so it is listed first, with its limits; every other tool is described from its own official pages. Prices are in USD.

Why are people looking for Topaz Video AI alternatives in 2026?

People move away from Topaz mostly because of price and hardware. Topaz stopped selling new perpetual licenses in October 2025, and the app, now called Topaz Video, is sold by subscription.

As of 10 October 2026, Topaz Video costs $299 a year, $39 a month on an annual commitment, or $59 month to month. Topaz Studio, the bundle of all Topaz apps, is $399 a year. Both include monthly cloud credits that do not roll over. Topaz staff confirmed on its forum that the current desktop version has no free trial.

The hardware bar is the other reason. On Windows, Topaz lists a GPU with 6 GB of VRAM as the minimum, 8 GB for some models, and 16 GB of NVIDIA VRAM for Starlight Sharp. On a Mac it needs Apple silicon; Intel Macs are not supported.

Topaz also sells a browser version, Topaz for Web – Video, from $19 a month at its sale price. It is worth a look if you like Topaz's models but not its hardware needs.

What should a Topaz alternative do?

A good Topaz alternative should match the jobs you actually use Topaz for. Check four things before you pick one:

• Upscaling quality on your type of footage: real-world video, anime, or old tape.
• Extra tools you rely on: frame interpolation, stabilization, denoise or deinterlacing.
• Where it runs: your own GPU, or a cloud GPU you rent per job.
• How you pay: subscription, one-time license, credits, or free.

Topaz Video AI alternatives compared

This table compares the seven tools on the facts each vendor publishes. Topaz Video is in the last row for reference.

The 7 best Topaz Video AI alternatives in 2026

Each tool below is ranked by who it fits best, not by output quality, since no shared benchmark exists.

1. VideoUpscaler: best for upscaling without a GPU

VideoUpscaler is a browser-based upscaler that runs FlashVSR, a diffusion video super-resolution model, on cloud GPUs. You upload a clip, pick 1080P, 2K or 4K, and download the result. Nothing is installed.

It bills per second of video: 1 credit per second at 1080P, 2 at 2K and 3 at 4K. The $29.90 monthly plan gives 1,000 credits, about 16 minutes of 1080P or 5.5 minutes of 4K. New accounts get 10 free credits, with a small watermark on free results. Failed jobs are refunded.

On our own GPU, a 10-second 360p clip took 41.2 seconds to reach 1080P and 68 seconds to reach 4K, measured on 13 August 2026.

See the pricing page for credit packs and the 4K video upscaler for 4K examples.

Where it falls short: it only upscales. There is no frame interpolation, stabilization or color grading, output stops at 4K, and files must be under 500 MB.

Best for: people on a laptop, a Mac or an AMD card who want an AI upscale in minutes without buying software. Paid accounts can also upscale up to 10 videos at once.

2. Aiarty Video Enhancer: best one-time license for desktop

Aiarty Video Enhancer is a Windows and Mac app sold as a $165 lifetime license for three computers, as listed on its store on 10 October 2026. It upscales to 4K and adds denoise, deblur, frame interpolation and SDR-to-HDR.

It needs less GPU than Topaz: Aiarty lists 4 GB of VRAM as the minimum and 8 GB as recommended. The free trial processes clips up to 120 seconds. Aiarty's own test upscaled a 25-minute 2K clip to 4K in 25 minutes on an RTX 5090.

Best for: people who want to own the software outright and have a mid-range GPU.

3. Video2X: best free Topaz Video AI alternative

Video2X is a free, open-source upscaler under the AGPL-3.0 license. Version 6 bundles Real-ESRGAN, Real-CUGAN and Anime4K for upscaling and RIFE for frame interpolation.

It runs on Windows and Linux with any Vulkan-capable GPU, including older NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics. There is no native Mac app, but it runs on Google Colab with a free cloud GPU.

Best for: technical users, anime fans, and anyone who will trade setup time for a zero price. For model choice, see Anime4K vs Real-ESRGAN.

4. TensorPix: best low-cost browser option

TensorPix is a browser tool with plans from $5.50 a month billed yearly. One credit covers about 2 minutes of enhanced video, and unused credits roll over. It offers upscaling to 4K, denoise, interpolation to 60 fps and stabilization.

The free plan limits input to 720p and uses a slow queue. TensorPix's FAQ says 1 minute of SD video takes 5 to 10 minutes to process.

Best for: long, low-resolution clips where cost per minute matters more than speed.

5. AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI: best for an all-in-one toolkit

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is a Windows and Mac app priced at $95.96 a year or $149.90 for a perpetual license on one PC, as listed on its purchase page. It outputs up to 8K and 120 fps.

Its feature list is wide: upscaling, frame interpolation, denoise, stabilization, face refinement, colorization, deinterlacing and object removal. AVCLabs recommends an RTX 3060 and lists 4 GB of GPU memory as the minimum.

Best for: restoring old footage where you need several repairs in one app.

6. HitPaw VikPea: best for phone and desktop

HitPaw VikPea, renamed from HitPaw Video Enhancer in 2024, runs on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web. The yearly Windows plan is $99.99 for one device.

It covers upscaling, frame interpolation to 120 fps, a stabilize model, a face model, colorization and low-light enhancement. The free version previews results; exporting needs a paid license.

Best for: people who edit on a phone as well as a computer.

7. UniFab Video Upscaler AI: best for very high output resolutions

UniFab Video Upscaler AI runs on Windows and Mac, with a browser edition called FabCloud. It can output up to 16K locally and 4K in the cloud, and FabCloud accepts uploads up to 10 GB.

It offers a 30-day full trial on desktop without a watermark. The product page did not show a price on 10 October 2026. UniFab says 1080p to 4K takes about 3.5 times the clip length on an RTX 4070.

Best for: people who need output above 8K and want a long free trial first.

Which Topaz Video AI alternative should you choose?

Choose by the constraint that matters most to you:

• No GPU or a Mac without Apple silicon: VideoUpscaler or TensorPix.
• Lowest price: Video2X (free) or TensorPix.
• One-time payment: Aiarty or the AVCLabs perpetual license.
• Frame interpolation and stabilization: AVCLabs, HitPaw VikPea or TensorPix.
• Output above 4K: UniFab, AVCLabs or HitPaw VikPea.

If you only need to upscale a few clips a month, a per-second price usually beats a $299 yearly subscription. If you process hours every week and own a strong GPU, a desktop license pays off faster.

What the vendor numbers actually show

The speed figures above are each vendor's own claims, measured on different clips and different GPUs. They cannot be compared directly.

We have not run the same clip through all seven tools yet. Until a same-clip test exists, use the free tiers: run one short, typical clip through two or three of these tools and compare the results side by side.

What this post leaves out

This post covers dedicated upscalers. Editors with an upscale button, such as CapCut, are not ranked here because their export limits are not stated clearly on their official pages.

For a wider list that includes editors, read the best AI video enhancers of 2026. If you are waiting for a deal on Topaz itself, see what to expect from Topaz Black Friday.

For the upscaling process itself, read how to upscale a video without losing quality.

When should you stay with Topaz Video?

• Stay if you need output above 8K or Topaz's Starlight models for heavily damaged footage.
• Stay if you rely on Topaz's plugins for Premiere, After Effects or DaVinci Resolve.
• Stay if you already own a perpetual license; it keeps working.
• Stay if you process hours of footage a week on a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM or more.

FAQ

Pick the constraint that matters most, then test one 10-second clip from your own project on two of these tools before you pay for anything.

Sources

All checked on 10 October 2026.

• Topaz Labs pricing: topazlabs.com/pricing; system requirements: docs.topazlabs.com; trial answer: Topaz community forum
• Aiarty: product page, store, tech specs
• Video2X: github.com/k4yt3x/video2x
• TensorPix: pricing
• AVCLabs: product page, purchase page
• HitPaw VikPea: product page, purchase page
• UniFab: product page
• VideoUpscaler: pricing