Topaz alternative
A Topaz Video AI alternative you pay for once
Topaz Video is a good tool, and since 2025 it's only sold as a subscription. If what you mostly need is to rescue old footage rather than finish commercial work, Phoenix Upscaler does that job on your own PC for $129, once, with every update included.
Side by side
| Phoenix Upscaler | Topaz Video | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 once | $59 a month, or $299 a year |
| One-time licence | Yes. Every update included, nothing renews. | No. Subscription only since 2025. |
| Runs on | Windows and Linux | Windows and Mac |
| Where the work happens | On your own PC. Nothing uploads. | On your own computer |
| Built for | Old footage: tapes, DVDs, film scans, old phone clips | A wide pro toolkit: upscaling, frame interpolation, slow motion, stabilisation |
Topaz prices from topazlabs.com, checked September 2026. Their Topaz Studio bundle, with their photo apps, is $399 a year.
When Phoenix is the better pick
- You'd rather own the software than rent it.
- Your footage is old: VHS or camcorder tape, DVDs, 8mm scans, phone clips from the 2010s, old uploads.
- You're on Linux.
- You want the restore to stay faithful to what was filmed, not invent a new face.
- You don't own a gaming PC and just want a few clips done: Cloud Restore runs the same restoration on our GPUs and charges per clip.
When Topaz is the better pick
- You work on a Mac and want a desktop app. Phoenix doesn't have a macOS version yet.
- You need frame interpolation, slow motion or stabilisation alongside upscaling.
- You finish paid work and want a lot of manual control over every model.
If those are your jobs, Topaz earns its subscription. If the job is making old video watchable again, paying $299 every year for it is a lot of rent.
The honest test
Run the same short clip through both. Phoenix's free download restores 60-second clips, so pick a section with a face, some motion and a dark corner, and compare them full screen. That tells you more than any comparison page, this one included.
Questions
Is Topaz Video AI still a one-time purchase?
No. Topaz moved to subscriptions in 2025. Topaz Video is $59 a month or $299 a year, and the Topaz Studio bundle is $399 a year (topazlabs.com, September 2026). Older perpetual licences keep working but no longer get new models.
Is Phoenix Upscaler a subscription?
No. It's $129 once, every future update is included, and you can install it on up to three of your own computers.
Does Phoenix run on a Mac?
Not yet. On a Mac, use Cloud Restore: upload a clip, see the price in dollars, pay for that one clip, and download the result.
Is Phoenix as good as Topaz?
On old, low-resolution footage, judge it on your own clip. The free download is there so you can compare the two side by side before paying anything. Phoenix aims for a clean, faithful picture rather than invented detail.
Related: How to restore old video · VHS restoration software
Compare on your own clip
The right test is your footage. Restore a minute of it for free and decide from what you see.
Download Phoenix