5 Best Alternatives to Topaz Video AI in 2025

Topaz Video AI has earned a solid reputation as one of the most powerful AI video enhancers around. It can upscale footage, reduce noise, and even smooth out motion in a way that looks impressive on paper. But many editors and hobbyists point out the trade-offs: the software is expensive, it demands strong GPU power, and performance can feel sluggish on longer projects. Others mention that results aren’t always consistent, especially when dealing with older or heavily compressed clips.

If you scroll through communities like Reddit, you’ll see the same concerns repeated. Some users praise the tool’s capabilities, while others look for something cheaper, faster, or less resource-hungry. Threads like this one or this Final Cut Pro discussion make it clear: there’s demand for practical substitutes.

That’s why a list of Topaz Video AI alternatives makes sense. In this guide we’ll look at options that are free, open source, online, or simply more affordable—covering tools for Windows, Mac, and even mobile.

Best Alternatives to Topaz Video AI

1. Aiarty Video Enhancer – cheaper but still powerful alternative to Topaz Video AI

• Platform: Windows, macOS (supports NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD GPUs – see full tech specs on the official site)
• Price: Standard License – $79/year (1 PC, free updates for a year); Lifetime License – $165 one-time fee (3 PCs, lifetime free updates, includes Aiarty Image Enhancer as a bonus)
• Core features: AI upscaling up to 4K, noise reduction, deblurring, frame interpolation (boost up to 120fps), audio denoising, color adjustment, and basic editing

If you’re looking for something that matches Topaz in output quality but doesn’t weigh heavily on your budget or system, Aiarty Video Enhancer is a strong choice.

Topaz Video AI is priced at $299 for a perpetual license tied to one machine, which includes only a year of free upgrades. After that first year, you'll need to pay an additional fee to continue getting updates. In contrast, Aiarty offers a more budget-friendly purchase. Its lifetime option is nearly half the price at $165 and covers three PCs with lifetime updates. For users who prefer not to commit right away, there’s also a $79 annual plan. This price gap makes Aiarty one of the most attractive cheaper alternatives to Topaz Video AI without cutting essential features.

Before you make a purchase, you can download a free trial to test the software with your videos.

In terms of capability, Aiarty does more than just upscale. It can also handle denoising, deblurring, frame interpolation for smoother motion, and even audio cleanup. Processing speed is noticeably faster on mid-range machines, and the results are sharp without the artificial “over-smoothing” effect that some AI tools struggle with.

In side-by-side tests , Aiarty often matches or even outperforms Topaz. On noisy night footage, both tools clean up grain effectively, but Aiarty preserves fine textures with extra clarity. With old blurry clips at 360×540P, Aiarty restores more detail and delivers sharper visuals. And when upscaling low-quality 720P videos, Aiarty enhances facial details and reduces background noise more thoroughly, resulting in a cleaner, more natural output.

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Using Aiarty is refreshingly straightforward. You simply import your video, pick the AI model and upscale option, adjust settings if needed, and hit export. There’s no steep learning curve, which makes it appealing for both casual creators and editors who just want reliable results without diving through layers of menus.

The video below offers a detailed review of Aiarty Video Enhancer, including a how-to guide, its processing speed, and a before-and-after quality comparison.

2. Video2X – free and open-source alternative to Topaz Video AI

• Platform: Windows, Linux
• Price: Free and open-source
• Core features: AI upscaling for videos and GIFs, frame interpolation (via third-party scripts)

Video2X offers a completely free solution for editors and hobbyists who want to enhance videos without paying a dime. Its open-source nature also makes it highly customizable for advanced users willing to tweak settings or add new models.

In practical tests, Video2X performs remarkably well, particularly on anime and 2D animation content. It can upscale older low-resolution clips to HD or even 4K with preserved sharpness and minimal artifacting. For real-life footage, results vary depending on the chosen AI model—some models preserve fine detail better than others, but with proper configuration, Video2X can produce outputs comparable to paid alternatives.

However, because it’s free and open-source, there is no official customer support, and beginners may need to follow guides to get the best results.

3. TensorPix – Online alternative to Topaz Video AI

• Platform: Web-based
• Price: TensorPix offers a free tier with limited features. Paid plans start at $5.50 per month, with higher tiers providing additional features and capabilities.
• Core Features: Upscale videos, enhance video quality, stabilize shaky footage, and boost frame rates

TensorPix is a browser-based video enhancer, making it a good choice for those who don’t want to install heavy desktop software or rely on a strong GPU. Instead of processing locally, videos are uploaded to the cloud where AI models upscale and enhance them.

One of its strengths is accessibility—you can run it on almost any device, even on a MacBook without a dedicated GPU. This makes it appealing for casual users or editors who just want quick results without the hassle of configuring hardware.

In terms of quality, Tensorpix performs reliably well on both real-life and animated content, delivering clearer, smoother videos after enhancement. However, compared to desktop software like Aiarty or Topaz, processing time depends heavily on your internet speed and the cloud server queue. It also may not provide as many fine-tuning controls.

4. CapCut – Mobile alternative to Topaz Video AI

• Platform: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web
• Price: Free with core features. CapCut Pro unlocks 4K export, AI tools, and premium effects, starting around $9.99/month (though prices may be higher in some regions).
• Core Features: Video upscaling up to 4K, noise reduction, sharpening, color and brightness correction, stabilization

CapCut is a cross-platform video editor with built-in AI enhancement, making it one of the most accessible alternatives to Topaz Video AI for mobile users. Its video enhancer can upscale footage to 4K, sharpen edges, smooth shaky clips, and improve colors—all within the same editing interface.

Because it runs on iOS, Android, desktop, and even browsers, CapCut is highly flexible and suitable for users who need quick results without switching between multiple apps. The free version works well for casual editing, but full AI enhancement and watermark-free 4K export require a Pro subscription.

In terms of quality, CapCut delivers decent improvements for both real-world and animated videos, though outputs can sometimes appear overly smooth or artificial compared to professional desktop tools like Topaz or Aiarty. Processing also happens in the cloud, so speed and privacy depend on your internet connection and server performance.

5. DaVinci Resolve – Professional editing alternative to Topaz Video AI

• Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free version with robust tools. DaVinci Resolve Studio (the paid edition) costs a one-time $295 license with lifetime updates.
• Core Features: Advanced color grading, noise reduction, motion blur, upscaling with Super Scale, stabilization, professional editing and compositing

DaVinci Resolve is widely regarded as one of the most powerful free video editors available, and it doubles as a capable alternative to Topaz Video AI for those who want more control over their footage. Its "Super Scale" feature lets you upscale videos up to 4K or 8K, while its temporal and spatial noise reduction tools help clean up grainy or low-quality clips. Combined with professional color grading and motion tools, Resolve can enhance videos in ways that rival or even surpass AI-driven solutions, provided you’re willing to learn its workflow.

Unlike Topaz, which automates most of the process, DaVinci Resolve offers fine-grained manual control. This makes it better suited for professionals or advanced hobbyists who want to tweak every detail. However, the learning curve can be steep, and while the free version is generous, Studio unlocks the most advanced features like better noise reduction, 10-bit HDR support, and Super Scale at higher resolutions.

Comparison Table & Conclusion

With so many alternatives available, it can be difficult to decide which tool fits your workflow best. To make the choice easier, the table below compares Topaz Video AI with Aiarty and other popular options across platforms, pricing, strengths, and limitations.

Choosing the right alternative to Topaz Video AI depends on your needs and workflow. If you want a balanced option that’s powerful yet affordable, Aiarty Video Enhancer stands out with its lifetime updates, multi-PC license, and consistently sharp results across real-life, anime, and portrait footage. Click the button below to download this tool and see for yourself.

Open-source enthusiasts might prefer Video2X, while those who want quick cloud-based fixes can try TensorPix.

For mobile-first creators, CapCut offers convenience, and professionals seeking maximum control may gravitate toward DaVinci Resolve.