AVCLabs vs Topaz: Full Comparison, Real-World Tests, Pros & Cons + Better Alternative
- Updated on 2025-12-18
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Table Of Content
Quick Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
The Bottom Line:
Choose [AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI] if: You are a beginner who wants a simple, automated workflow. It is the better choice for restoring old home movies because it includes a dedicated AI Colorization model for black-and-white footage, which Topaz lacks.
Choose [Topaz Video AI] if: You are a professional who needs granular control. It offers industry-leading video stabilization, motion deblur, and specialized AI models (like Iris for faces and Proteus for fine-tuning) to recover maximum detail from shaky or low-quality sources.
Key Differences at a Glance: AVCLabs vs Topaz
Before we dive into detailed testing, let’s start with a quick side-by-side look at the basics of AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI and Topaz Video AI. We’ll also introduce UniFab All-In-One as a budget-friendly alternative that delivers a broader feature set, offers performance on par with Topaz, and keeps the smooth, easy-to-use experience that makes AVCLabs approachable.
| Category | AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI | Topaz Video AI | UniFab All-In-One |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Quick enhancements, Colorizing old movies, Basic upscaling | Professional projects, Stabilization, Motion Deblur, Fine-tuning | Anyone needing an all-in-one, easy and powerful video and audio enhancement solution |
| Ease of Use | Very beginner-friendly | Complex (Steep learning curve, manual parameters) | Very Simple UI, no learning curve ( One-click automation) |
| AI Models | Fewer, general-purpose models (Standard, Ultra, Colorize) | 14+ Specialized models (Proteus, Iris, Nyx, Themis) | 17+ tools for upscaling, sdr to hdr, colorization, stabilization, subtitle translation, and more; every features have multiple models |
| Performance | Simple enhancement | Industry-leading clarity and detail retention | On par with Topaz, realistic enhancement, natural detail preservation. |
| Speed | Faster for simple tasks | Slower; benefits from strong GPU | Faster processing; optimized for most hardware. |
| Pricing | $299.90 Lifetime | $299/year (No Lifetime option) | $319.99 Lifetime |
Best AVCLabs and Topaz Alternative: UniFab All-In-One
- Simple to use like AVCLabs
- Topaz-level enhancement depth
- Better pricing ($299.99 Lifetime) than Topaz ($299/Year)
- More Complete tools Than AVCLabs & Topaz
- Frequent product releases and updates
- 30-Day Full-Feature Free Trial, No Watermark
UniFab All-In-One
Overview of AVCLabs and Topaz Video AI
What is AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI
AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is an AI-powered video enhancement tool designed to improve video quality by upscaling resolution, reducing noise, enhancing details, and restoring faces. It focuses on automation and ease of use, providing a straightforward solution for users who want better-looking videos without complex manual adjustments.
- User Experience: Simple, beginner-friendly presets.
- Features: Upscaling, denoise, sharpen/detail, face enhancement, B&W colorization.
- Performance: Quick, simple enhancement.
- Best for: Beginners who want quick improvements.
What is Topaz Video AI
Topaz Video AI is a professional-grade video enhancement software that uses advanced AI models to upscale resolution, reduce noise, stabilize footage, and recover fine details. It is built for users who prioritize maximum quality and control over every aspect of video restoration and upscaling.
AVCLabs vs Topaz: Features Comparison
This section compares the key features and AI models of AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI and Topaz Video AI, highlighting their core functionalities, technical differences, and use cases to help you choose the right tool for your video enhancement needs.
Key Features of AVCLabs AI
| Purpose | AVCLabs AI Models | Functions |
| AI Enhancement | Standard | A basic frame-by-frame video enhancement model that doesn’t require high-end equipment. |
| Ultra | Upscale to 4k with frame-by-frame process | |
| Anime | Scaling old animes or cartons | |
| Standard (Multi-Frame) | Process videos up to 13 frames at a time | |
| Ultra (Multi-Frame) | Same with Standard (Multi-Frame) but with higher quality | |
| Denoise | Remove video noise | |
| Face Enhancement | Enhancement Level | Recover faces from old videos and restore the details |
| AI Colorize | Soft; Bright; Render Factor | Adds color to black-and-white videos, offering two modes: soft and bright. |
| Motion Compensation | Slow Motion | None; 2x; 3x; 4x; 6x; 8x; 10x; 12x; 16x |
| Video Blur AI | AI Facial Recognition | Applies blur to specific video areas for privacy or emphasis. |
| License Plate Recognition | ||
| AI Background Blurring | ||
| AI Object Recognition | ||
| Stabilization | - | Reduces shake for smoother, steadier footage. |
Key Features of Topaz Video AI
| Purpose | Topaz Video AI Models | Functions |
| Enhancement | Proteus | Upscale medium-quality |
| Gaia | Upscale high-quality; Topaz Anime upscaling | |
| Theia | Sharpening and adding additional detail. | |
| Artemis | Upscale all quality videos | |
| Rhea | Combination of Proteus and Iris for retaining fine details | |
| Noise Reduction | Nyx | Noise reduction for low quality video |
| Iris | Noise reduction and face recovery for low to medium quality | |
| Frame Interpolation | Apollo | Specializes in non-linear motion for FPS conversion or slow-mo |
| Apollo Fast | Fast frame interpolation, suitable for small motion with non-blurry and less-textured videos. | |
| Chronos | Specializes in linear motion for FPS conversion or slow-mo. | |
| Chronos Fast | Specializes in fast motion with larger changes between frames. | |
| Aion | Supports up to 16x slow motion and fewer tiling artifacts in high resolution videos | |
| Deinterlacing | Dione | Deinterlacing |
| SDR to HDR | HyPerion | Convert SDR videos to HDR |
| Motion Deblur | Themis | Remove motion blur |
AVCLabs vs Topaz: Performance Tests
In this section, we run side-by-side performance tests on AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI vs Topaz Video AI across different video types, then summarize the results and key takeaways.
Testing Machine:
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- CPU：AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Graphics
1. 4K Upscaling
We selected two 30-second 720P video clips and set the output parameters to 4K. Below are the effect display images for AVCLabs and Topaz.
AVCLabs Results
Effect:
- Improved clarity with enhanced texture and sharpening.
Cons：
- Loss of Detail: the image looks noticeably smeared and lacks fine details.
- Color distortion: the color is deepened and looks unnatural.
Processing Speed
- The speed of upscaling a 720P, 30-second, 60fps original video to 4K is around 3 fps.
Topaz Results
Effect：
- Clarity: Significant improvement in sharpness and clarity.
- Detail Preservation: Successfully retains details, clearly outlining features like mountain contours.
- Color Correction: Low contrast, providing natural-looking colors.
Cons:
- Artificial Artifacts: Noticeable AI processing artifacts, making the overall image appear unnatural.
Processing Speed
- Exporting a 720p, 30-second, 60fps original video to 4K takes approximately 10 minutes.
Key Takeaway
Overall, both products are effective at enhancing video clarity and have similar processing speeds. However, AVCLabs works worse for detail preservation compared to Topaz.
2. Face Enhancement
AVCLabs offers an AI model specifically designed for face enhancement, effectively restoring facial details. Topaz's Iris model also features face restoration capabilities while enhancing overall video clarity. We compared the two models, and the following are the result images.
AVCLabs Results
Effect：
- Face Restoration: Significant improvement in clarity, with added texture and detail.
Cons：
- Clarity and Detail: Detail restoration is lacking, especially in the hair, which exhibits a noticeable oil painting effect.
- Over-sharpening: Excessive sharpening results in a lack of depth in the characters and a heavy smearing effect.
- Artificial Effect: The result resembles an AI-generated face swap, giving it a highly technological feel.
Processing Speed:
- Upscaling a 7-minute, 720P video to 4K is approximately 100 minutes
Topaz Results
Effect:
- Face Restoration: Superior clarity compared to AVCLabs, restoring facial details like wrinkles, with smoother skin appearance.
Processing Speed:
- Upscaling a 7-minute, 720P video to 4K is approximately 50 minutes.
Key Takeaway
In conclusion, both in terms of performance and speed, Topaz's Iris model outperforms AVCLabs in face enhancement.
3. Noise Reduction
Next, we will make a comparision in the field of noise reduction.
AVCLabs Results
Effect:
- Noise Reduction: The noise reduction is poor, with noise not fully eliminated.
- Clarity and Detail: The image appears blurry with low clarity, and the details are not adequately restored.
Topaz Results
Effect:
- Noise Reduction: The restoration of nyx model is highly effective, with noise almost completely eliminated.
- Clarity: Noticeable improvement, restoring some of the building's details.
Processing Speed
- Exporting a 30-second, 25fps original video takes about 1 minute.
Key Takeaway
AVCLabs's noise reduction performance is poor, and the processing speed is about 1 fps, which is slower compared to Topaz.
AVCLabs vs Topaz: User Feedback Comparison
We compared AVCLabs and Topaz in terms of performance. Next, we'll focus on comparing them from several aspects of user reviews and their pricing plans to help you choose the tool that best suits your needs.
Feedback on User Interface
AVCLabs Video Enhancer's interface is user-friendly, with a simple operation menu and parameter settings. It requires minimal customization, making it ideal for beginners.
Topaz's interface is relatively complex, offering more customization options and parameter settings. So, this tool is better suited for experienced users. Some beginners often report that the software is challenging to operate.
Feedback on Preview Function
Both AVCLabs and Topaz support preview functionality, but they differ in their approaches.
AVCLabs only offers a side-by-side preview. You can choose the preview duration, with a maximum of up to 10 seconds.
Topaz provides multiple options, including split view and side-by-side view, making it easier for users to review and adjust the video. The maximum supported preview duration is 2 seconds.
AVCLabs vs Topaz: Pricing Comparison
AVCLabs and Topaz offer different pricing plans. AVCLabs provides three subscription options: monthly, yearly, and lifetime, while Topaz offers two subscription options: monthly and yearl, no lifetime subscription. You can choose the product that best fits your budget.
| Pricing Plan | AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI | Topaz Video AI |
| One-month plan | $39.95 | $33 |
| 1-year plan | $95.96 | $299 |
| perpetual plan | $299.90 | None |
AVCLabs vs Topaz: Pros and Cons
AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI
- Pros: Very easy to use with a beginner-friendly interface; generally more affordable with flexible pricing (monthly/annual/lifetime); strong for quick, automated enhancements like general upscaling, basic color adjustments (brightness/contrast), and colorization; face enhancement works well for casual restoration.
- Cons: Less manual fine-tuning than Topaz; can struggle with complex artifacts or severely degraded footage; automatic face/detail refinement may sometimes look overdone; performance can be resource-intensive on some systems.
Topaz Video AI
- Pros: Professional-grade results with cutting-edge AI; excellent stabilization and motion deblur; strong noise/artifact removal; advanced model options (e.g., Proteus, Iris, Nyx) for different footage types; high-fidelity upscaling with support for very high resolutions (up to 8K/16K), ideal for demanding restoration and detail recovery.
- Cons: Higher price and often paid upgrades/annual updates; steeper learning curve with more complex controls; can feel overwhelming for casual users and may look “too processed” if settings aren’t tuned carefully.
After comparing AVCLabs and Topaz video AI, you will have a basic understanding of both products. AVCLabs is easy to use but falls short in performance. On the other hand, Topaz has a steeper learning curve and is more complex, making it less suitable for beginners. Therefore, I suggest you can try the AVCLabs and Topaz alternative UniFab.
UniFab offers a simple interface, powerful features, excellent performance, and delivers noticeable video enhancement results. Most importantly, while delivering the same level of video enhancement quality, UniFab offers a lifetime plan that Topaz doesn't have, and its price becomes much lower than AVCLabs when you use coupons from UniFab Twitter.
Best AVCLabs and Topaz Alternative: UniFab All-In-One
- Simple to use like AVCLabs
- Topaz-level enhancement depth
- Better pricing ($299.99 Lifetime) than Topaz ($299/Year)
- More Complete tools Than AVCLabs & Topaz
- Frequent product releases and updates
- 30-Day Full-Feature Free Trial, No Watermark
UniFab All-In-One
Best AVCLabs and Topaz Alternative: UniFab All-In-One
If you're still not convinced by either AVCLabs or Topaz—whether due to pricing, performance, or user experience—UniFab All-In-One may just be your answer. Unlike AVCLabs' limited model options or Topaz's steep learning curve, UniFab strikes a balance between power and simplicity.
This AI Video Enhancer contains 17+ AI-powered video and audio enhancement tools. It has all the functions that Topaz and AVCLabs have.
Key Features of UniFab All-In-One
- Video Upscaler AI - Upscale videos to 720P, 1080P, 4K, 8K, even 16K.
- RTX Rapid Upscaler AI - Blazing-Fast Upscaling up to 4K with NVIDIA RTX Video Super Resolution.
- HDR Upconverter AI - Convert SDR videos to HDR10 or Dolby Vision.
- RTX RapidHDR AI - Blazing-Fast Converting from SDR videos to HDR10.
- Face Enhancer AI - Enhance facial details for clearer, more realistic appearance.
- Denoise AI - Remove video noise caused by various reasons.
- Subtitle Generator AI - Creates and translates subtitles in 30+ languages.
- Video Translator AI - One-click AI dubbling and translation for any video.
- Stabilizer AI - Fix shaky footage and restore stable, smooth video.
- Colorizer AI - Automatically colorize black-and-white or vintage videos.
- TV Show Converter - Auto-converts and generates metadata and .nfo files.
- Deinterlace AI - Convert interlaced footage into clean, progressive video.
- Smoother AI - Add frame interpolation to achieve ultra-smooth playback up to 120 fps.
- Audio Upmix AI - Upmixes audio to EAC3 5.1/DTS 7.1 for surround sound.
- Video Converter - Convert videos to 1000+ formats for all devices and platforms.
Free AI Tools
- Vocal Remover AI - Extract vocals or background music for remixing or voice isolation.
- Video Background Remover AI - Remove backgrounds or unwanted objects with precision.
Best AVCLabs and Topaz Alternative: UniFab All-In-One
- Simple to use like AVCLabs
- Topaz-level enhancement depth
- Better pricing ($299.99 Lifetime) than Topaz ($299/Year)
- More Complete tools Than AVCLabs & Topaz
- Frequent product releases and updates
- 30-Day Full-Feature Free Trial, No Watermark
UniFab All-In-One
UniFab vs AVCLabs vs Topaz: Processing Effects
UniFab vs AVCLabs - Denoise Video
| Comparison Factor | UniFab Denoiser | AVCLabs Denoise |
|---|---|---|
| Denoising Effectiveness | Delivers significantly cleaner results by effectively removing noise and artifacts | Leaves noticeable noise after processing, resulting in less clean output |
| Static & Dynamic Performance | Provides natural denoising for both still frames and motion scenes | Struggles with dynamic content, residual noise often remains |
| Processing Speed | Much faster processing with optimized AI models | Slower processing, less efficient performance |
UniFab vs AVCLabs - Animation Model
| Comparison Factor | UniFab - Animation Model | AVCLabs - Animation Model |
|---|---|---|
| Image Quality Enhancement | Significant enhancement of 720P and 1080P quality, with sharper and clearer visuals | Noticeable quality improvement, but slightly less sharp and clear |
| Detail and Texture Performance | Superior detail optimization, providing richer visual information | Detail restoration and texture performance are average, with less emphasis on fine details |
| Processing Speed | UniFab Animation Model processes much faster and more efficiently | AVCLabs Anime has slower processing speed, with lower efficiency |
UniFab vs Topaz - SDR to HDR
HDR is the closest image quality to what the human eye perceives. UniFab is the world's first software to use AI model technology for converting SDR videos to HDR. Its technology is mature and in practical use. In comparison, Topaz's latest HDR model, Hypeon, supports HDR conversion. Here is a UniFab vs Topaz chart of the two products.
| Feature | UniFab HDR Upconverter AI | Topaz Hyperion |
|---|---|---|
| HDR Quality | Natural colors, balanced highlights, rich shadows, preserves true HDR depth | Bright and vivid, but detail loss in highlights and shadows, weaker HDR effect |
| Processing Speed (fps/s) | 24.5 fps/s | 16.7 fps/s |
| Total Processing Time | 9 min 45 sec | 14 min 11 sec |
Final Verdict
AVCLabs is easier to use and more beginner-friendly, making it a good option for users who want a simple, straightforward workflow. Topaz provides more advanced tools and deeper customization, but it requires more time to learn. Topaz stands out in specialized areas such as stabilizing shaky footage, generating slow-motion effects, and using advanced AI models for upscaling and deblurring. AVCLabs, by contrast, keeps things simple with a clean interface and also offers a video colorization model, which Topaz doesn't include in its standard feature set.
If you want a tool that combines Topaz's professional quality with AVCLabs's ease of use, I recommend UniFab. It offers both advanced video enhancement and a beginner-friendly experience, and it also provides an affordable lifetime purchase option.
FAQs about AVCLabs vs Topaz
Does AVCLabs or Topaz have better face enhancement?
Topaz Video AI's "Iris" model is generally considered superior for recovering fine details in faces, though AVCLabs offers adjustable intensity levels which can prevent the "uncanny valley" effect.
Can Topaz Video AI colorize black and white movies?
No, Topaz Video AI focuses on upscaling and stabilization. AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI includes a dedicated neural network for colorizing B&W footage.
Which software is faster, AVCLabs or Topaz?
Generally, AVCLabs is faster and less resource-intensive. Topaz Video AI requires a powerful GPU (NVIDIA RTX recommended) and can take significantly longer to render due to its complex multi-pass models.
Is there a free alternative to AVCLabs and Topaz?
While not fully free, tools like UniFab and HitPaw offer free trials. For open-source (free) options, users often look at Video2X, though it requires more technical skill to operate.