Topaz Video Review 2026: Plans, Pricing, and What You Actually Get

Key takeaways

Topaz Video is Topaz Labs' desktop app for AI video upscaling, restoration, frame interpolation, slow motion, stabilization, and SDR-to-HDR conversion. Since September 2025 it's sold only by subscription: the Personal plan lists at $299 a year, $39 a month with an annual commitment, or $59 month to month, with Pro and Studio tiers above it.

It suits people who want Topaz's specific model lineup and can meet its 16 GB RAM minimum. If you need a one-time license or two machines on one plan, read the licensing section first.

• Topaz Video replaced Topaz Video AI on 16 September 2025 and is subscription-only. Video AI owners keep the version they bought; 7.1.5 is the final Video AI release.
• The Personal plan lists at $299 a year, $39 a month with an annual commitment, or $59 month to month. Pro is $699 a year. Topaz Studio, which bundles all Topaz apps, is $399 a year.
• Topaz Video includes local rendering plus 25 cloud video credits a month. On Personal licenses, several Starlight models run only through cloud rendering.
• Topaz Video runs on one computer at a time and checks the subscription monthly, allowing up to a month offline.
• Minimum requirements are 16 GB of RAM, plus a 6 GB dedicated GPU on Windows or an M-series Mac on macOS 13 or later.

How we reviewed

This review is built from Topaz Labs' own pricing page, documentation, and release notes, all accessed on 11 October 2026. We did not run image-quality or speed tests, and we don't score or rank products. Prices are in US dollars as listed and can change with promotions; check Topaz's site before you buy. KwaFlux makes a competing app, so we kept every Topaz statement to what Topaz publishes and link to the page it came from. Next scheduled review: January 2027.

What is Topaz Video?

Topaz Video is a subscription desktop app for Mac and Windows that enhances video with AI models: upscaling, denoising, deinterlacing, frame interpolation, slow motion, stabilization, and SDR to HDR.

It launched as version 1.0.0 on 16 September 2025, as part of the Topaz Studio bundle. Topaz's release post says the new app is available only under a subscription license and that Topaz will no longer sell perpetual licenses. Its predecessor, Topaz Video AI, is now a discontinued legacy app: version 7.1.5 is final, and owners can keep using the version they bought.

Topaz Video plans and pricing

Prices as listed on topazlabs.com/pricing on 11 October 2026:

What the tiers mean:

• Personal vs Pro. Topaz describes Personal plans as covering personal and commercial use for organizations under $1M USD in annual revenue. Pro licenses add full commercial use for larger organizations, seat management, and higher limits.
• Studio. Topaz Studio bundles Topaz Video, Topaz Photo, Topaz Gigapixel, and Topaz's mobile and web apps, with cloud image rendering included.
• Credits. Monthly cloud credits expire at the end of each month and don't roll over.

What's included: models, local rendering, and cloud credits

The Topaz Video plan lists these video models: Starlight Precise, Starlight Mini, Proteus, Iris, Nyx, Rhea, Rhea XL, Artemis, Gaia, Theia, Apollo, Chronos, Aion, Themis, SDR to HDR, and Stabilization, plus cloud access to Starlight Sharp, HQ, and Fast.

Where those models run matters as much as which ones you get:

• Local rendering on your own computer isn't metered by credits.
• Cloud rendering uses credits. Topaz's documentation says that on a Personal license, Starlight Mini, Sharp, HQ, and Fast 2 require cloud rendering, while Starlight Precise 2.5 can run locally on supported NVIDIA hardware on all license tiers.
• With a Pro license, Starlight Mini can run locally on supported hardware, including M-series Macs and AMD GPUs on Windows; local Starlight Sharp, HQ, and Fast 2 need a compatible NVIDIA GPU.

Sidenote: If you plan to use the Starlight models heavily on a Personal plan, count how many cloud credits your projects need each month. The 25 included with Topaz Video expire monthly.

System requirements

From Topaz's system requirements page:

Details from the same page worth knowing:

• Intel-based Macs, Snapdragon processors, virtual machines, eGPUs, and Linux aren't supported.
• Aion, Hyperion, and Rhea need 8 GB of VRAM.
• Topaz notes that while integrated graphics are technically supported, very few processes run at a usable speed without a dedicated graphics card.
• The Starlight series exceeds the recommended specs. For example, local Starlight Mini on Windows lists 32 GB of RAM and at least 10 GB of VRAM on NVIDIA (16 GB or more recommended); on Mac it lists macOS 15, an M-series Pro, Max, or Ultra chip, and 36 GB of RAM.
• The app needs internet access for activation, model downloads, updates, and cloud rendering.

Licensing, devices, and offline use

Topaz's comparison of the two apps sets out the rules:

A Video AI license doesn't activate Topaz Video, and Topaz says Topaz Video isn't a free upgrade. If Video AI already meets your needs, Topaz's own guidance is that you aren't required to switch.

What Topaz Video costs over three years

List prices only, before tax and promotions:

For comparison, KwaFlux sells monthly and yearly plans and a one-time Perpetual License with free updates within the current major version; its prices change with promotions, so take the current ones from pricing and run the same math. These figures compare list prices, not picture quality. For a general method that works with any vendor's prices, see lifetime vs subscription: a 3-year cost frame.

Who should choose Topaz Video

Topaz Video is a strong fit if one or more of these is true:

• You want Topaz's models specifically. The Starlight family, Proteus, Iris, Nyx, and the rest are Topaz's own, and new models arrive only in Topaz Video.
• You work inside an editor. Topaz's documentation says its plugins install automatically into supported host programs.
• You want heavy models without a top-end GPU. Cloud rendering with credits runs the Starlight models on Topaz's servers.
• You already own Video AI and it's enough. Keep using it; Topaz says you're not required to switch.
• You also need photo tools. Topaz Studio bundles the video, photo, and upscaling apps at $399 a year.

Who might look elsewhere

These are facts from Topaz's pages that matter for some buyers:

• You want a one-time purchase. Topaz no longer sells perpetual licenses.
• You need two computers on one plan. Topaz Video runs on one computer at a time.
• Your computer has 8 GB of RAM, or it's an Intel Mac. Topaz's minimum is 16 GB, and Intel Macs aren't supported.
• You want every model to run locally on a Personal plan. Several Starlight models are cloud-only on Personal licenses.
• You work offline for long stretches. Topaz Video checks the subscription monthly, with up to a month offline.

How KwaFlux differs

KwaFlux is our product, so here are the facts side by side, without quality claims:

For a fuller comparison, including where Topaz is the better choice, see KwaFlux vs Topaz Video.

How to evaluate before you buy

Whichever tool you consider, run the same checks:

1. Use your own footage. Pick three clips: your typical source, your worst source, and one with faces.
2. Match the settings. Same input, same output resolution, same frame rate.
3. Check your hardware against the requirements before you pay, including VRAM for the models you want.
4. Count the true monthly cost. Include credits if the models you need are cloud-only on your plan.
5. Read the license terms. Devices, offline limits, what happens when a subscription lapses, and what a "lifetime" or perpetual license covers.

Final thoughts

Topaz Video gives you Topaz's newest models in a subscription, with cloud credits for the heaviest ones and fairly demanding hardware requirements. Whether that's the right deal depends on the models you need, the machine you have, and how long you'll keep paying. Check those three things, and the decision mostly makes itself.

Compare it with KwaFlux on your own footage

KwaFlux runs AI upscaling, repair, and restoration on your own computer. AI processing runs locally on your GPU — media files are not uploaded for processing. It runs on Windows 10 (64-bit, version 1809 or later), Windows 11, and macOS 12 or newer on Apple Silicon. Previews need no account: 1, 3, or 5 seconds on video modules; 5, 15, or 30 seconds for Video Stabilization; the whole picture for images; and the opening 5 to 30 seconds for audio. Signing in with an active paid plan is required only to export, convert, repair a file, or download a file from a link.

Related reading: Topaz Video's switch to subscription and lifetime alternatives.

Topaz Labs, Topaz Video, Topaz Video AI, and Topaz Studio are trademarks of Topaz Labs, LLC. KwaFlux is an independent product and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Topaz Labs. Competitor pricing and feature information comes from the public pages listed above as of 11 October 2026 and may change; check current details with the vendor.