For anyone holding a good image or clip that is too small or too soft. Upscale 4x is the one you can run today, at 10 credits per image. Both Topaz picks are listed but not open for generation yet.
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1
Upscale 4×
Print-grade 4x reconstruction. The default for a keeper image.
- 10 credits per image
- open source
- Does not change content
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2
Topaz Video Upscale
Frame by frame to 1080p or 4K, priced per second.
- 5 credits per second
- Topaz Labs
- Priced per second
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3
Topaz Image Upscale
The one to use when the output goes to print and artifacts are unacceptable.
- 13 credits per image
- Topaz Labs
- Higher rate than open upscalers
Ranked by result quality, one case at a time
Upscaling has a different right answer for a still, a face and a moving clip. The order is by output quality within each case, with the flat rate beside it. Upscale 4x leads because it reconstructs fine detail at four times the size and produces print-ready files. Topaz Video Upscale is second as the only option here for footage. Topaz Image Upscale is third, kept for prints where artifacts are unacceptable.
Faces are the case this list covers least. A blurry portrait usually needs restoration more than size. The AI Photo Enhancer tool is where that job starts.
What runs now and what is still closed
Upscale 4x is open. Use it in AI Image Upscaler, or in AI Image Resizer when you want to upload the file directly. Topaz Video Upscale and Topaz Image Upscale both show their rates, but generation on them is not open yet. Plan around Upscale 4x for now.
Remember what an upscaler cannot do. Upscale 4x does not change content. A wrong hand or a warped logo comes out larger and just as wrong. Fix the picture first with an editor or a fresh render, then enlarge the keeper.
What enlarging a batch costs
One image through Upscale 4x costs 10 credits, about $0.11 at the largest pack. Ten keepers cost 100 credits, about $1.06. Topaz Image Upscale is listed at 13 credits per image. Once it opens, ten would be 130 credits, about $1.38.
Video is billed by length. Topaz Video Upscale is listed at 5 credits per second. A 5-second clip is 25 credits and a 10-second clip is 50, about $0.27 and $0.53. That is usually cheaper than re-rendering a soft clip on a premium video model.
Testing the two image upscalers against each other
Once Topaz Image Upscale opens, pick one real keeper with fine texture. Good examples are a portrait with loose hair or a product label with small print. Run it through both and view the results at the size you will print. Look at edges, at text, and at flat areas like sky where noise or banding appears. If you cannot see a difference at print size, the 10-credit run is enough.
Deliberately not on this list
Background removal and object masks are not upscaling, so Remove Background and Segment Anything 2 sit elsewhere. Generators that redraw an image at a higher resolution are left out too, because they change the content. That defeats the point of enlarging a picture you already like.
More rankings
Questions about Best AI upscalers
Which upscaler can I run today?
Upscale 4x, at 10 credits per image, through AI Image Upscaler or AI Image Resizer. Topaz Video Upscale and Topaz Image Upscale are listed with their rates. Generation on them is not open yet.
Will an upscaler fix a bad hand or warped text?
No. Upscale 4x does not change content, it rebuilds detail at a larger size. Correct the image with an editor or a new render first, then enlarge the version you want to keep.
How much will upscaling a short video cost?
Topaz Video Upscale is listed at 5 credits per second. A 5-second clip is 25 credits and a 10-second clip is 50. It outputs 1080p or 4K, but it is not open for runs yet.
