How to Upscale Video: Easy AI, Free, and Online Methods

Introduction

Over the past six years, I've tested more than 20 video upscalers—from simple online tools to professional AI-based software. In this guide, I'll walk you through what actually works, what doesn’t, and how to upscale video quality without wasting time or ruining the footage.

If you've ever tried to upscale a low-resolution video and ended up with blurry edges or strange artifacts, you’re not alone. I've made that mistake myself—especially back when “upscaling” mostly meant stretching pixels.

Through years of testing, I learned that how you upscale a video matters far more than how much you upscale it. In this guide, I'll show you the real differences between AI software, free tools, and online upscalers, helping you choose the right method based on your needs.

What is upscaling?

Video upscaling means increasing a video's resolution (for example, from 720p to 1080p or 4K). From my experience, AI-powered video upscaling delivers noticeably better results because it reconstructs missing details instead of simply stretching pixels.

Best ways to upscale a video:

• AI video upscaling software (best quality)
• Online video upscalers (fast but limited)
• Free video upscaling tools (basic improvement)

Why Upscale Video?

Upscaling increases video size and makes your videos look smoother while maintaining quality. The main purpose of upscaling is to improve the quality of old footage, which can appear blurry on modern screens. It increases video resolution to fit high-resolution displays. Here are some common reasons to upscale video.

• Play on higher-resolution screens: Upscaling converts lower-resolution videos, such as 1080p, to 4K or 8K to better display on modern TVs and monitors. Hence, upscaling prevents videos from looking stretched or blurry when played on modern devices.

• Improved video quality: Upscaling boosts the resolution and adds more detail and clarity. It helps to improve the quality of low-resolution videos.

• Restore old footage: Film restoration specialists upscale videos to make older videos look crisp and modern for new devices.

• Increased file size: Video upscaling helps to increase the file size of their videos. If you publish a video on a website, then upscale video because larger files look better than smaller files.

Better viewing experience: Higher-resolution videos look smoother on larger screens or devices, offering a more immersive viewing experience.

How to Upscale Video with AI Software

In my experience, AI software is the most reliable way to upscale video quality, especially when working with old, compressed, or low-resolution footage. AI video upscalers analyze each frame using trained deep learning models. Instead of blindly enlarging pixels, the AI predicts realistic textures, sharper edges, and cleaner details based on patterns it has learned from high-quality videos.

There are many AI software available that offer trials to upscale video free:

• UniFab Video Upscaler AI: An ultimate video enhancement software that can upscale video to 1080p, 4K, 8K, or even 16K.

• Topaz Video Enhance AI: This software implements neural networks to enhance videos.

• Video2X: An open-source application that improves GIFs, photos, and videos to high resolution.

• AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI: AI-based video upscalling software that can upscale video from SD to HD.

• HitPaw Video Enhancer: This AI video enhancer can enlarge low-resolution videos to 4k or even 8k.

• VideoProc Converter AI: Utilizing AI upscaling, this 4K video upscaling software improves videos of all kinds.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to upscale video using AI software.

Step 1: Download and install the AI software

• First, choose the right AI upscaling software that can upscale 1080p to 4k or 8k.

• Download and install the software.

Step 2: Import your low-resolution video

• Open the software and click the ‘Upload’ button to import the video.

• Choose your low-resolution clip and import it to the AI software.

Step 3: Adjust enhancement settings

• Select the resolution, AI module, and other settings.

Step 4: Preview and export

• To initiate the process, click the ‘Upscale’ button.

• Preview the final result and export.

If you want to try Adobe Premiere Pro, check out the guide on how to upscale video in Premiere Pro.

Advantages and disadvantages of using software

Quick Verdict:  During my tests, UniFab AI Video Upscaler consistently produced cleaner facial details and fewer compression artifacts when upscaling 720p videos to 4K.

How to Upscale Video Free

To upscale videos for free use, online apps like CapCut, Media.io, Picwand, or YouCam. These apps use AI to increase resolution and clarity. The upscaling procedure is basically the same for all free apps. Free video upscaling tools can be useful, but only if you understand their limitations. I’ve tested many free options, and most of them fall into one of these categories:

• Resolution limits
• Watermarks
• Slower processing
• Reduced detail recovery

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to upscale video free.

1. Upload your video: Choose any free online app and upload the video file.

2. Adjust upscaling options: Pick the resolution, enhancement model, and other additional settings such as contrast or brightness.

3. Start the upscaling process: Hit the 'Upscaling' button and wait for the processing to complete.

4. Preview & Download the enhanced file: Preview the enhanced video and download it to your device.

That’s all about how to use AI to upscale video for free. Free apps are best to handle minor blur, pixelation, and shakiness.

Advantages and disadvantages of using free apps

Quick Verdict: Free video upscaling works best for small projects or quick previews, not professional-quality output. If you're just experimenting or need a quick resolution boost for social media, free tools may be enough. However, from my experience, they rarely deliver the same clarity as AI-based solutions.

How to Upscale Video Online

To upscale video online, go to any online tool like CapCut, Media.io, or YouCam and upload your video. Next, select the resolution and upscaling factor, then preview and download the enhanced video. Online video upscalers are popular because they're convenient — no installation required. I've tested several browser-based tools, and they generally offer:

• Simple upload-and-export workflows
• Limited control over enhancement settings
• File size and resolution caps

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to upscale a video using online tools.

Step 1: Go to the right online tool: First, choose a video upscaling online tool to upscale the video from 1080p to 4k or 8k. You can try;

• CapCut

• YouCam

• Media.io

• Canva

• HitPaw

Step 2: Import the low-resolution footage: Click the ‘Upload’ button and import your SD video.

Step 3: Choose upscaling options: Select the resolution, upscaling factor, such as 4x or 8x, etc., AI module, and other settings.

Step 4: Preview and export: Start the process, preview the upgraded video, and export it.

That’s about how to upscale videos with an online video upscaler. 

Advantages and disadvantages of using online tools

Quick Verdict: Online video upscalers are fast and easy, but quality and customization are limited. If privacy, output quality, or large files matter to you, desktop AI software is usually the safer option.

How to Choose the Right Methods

Choosing how to upscale a video depends on your goal. You can use AI software, free apps and online tools.

• For Creators & Professionals: The AI software, like UniFab or Topaz is recommended because there is

  • Batch processing

  • Stable and smooth workflow

  • No internet crashes

  • High-end results

• For Beginners: UniFab, CapCut, and YouCam are recommended, as these are easy to use.

• For Quick Tasks: Online video upscaler tools, such as CapCut, are recommended to upscale short clips fast.

Conclusion

Here we have discussed how to upscale video to 4k using AI software, free apps, and online tools. After years of testing different methods, my takeaway is simple: AI video upscaling is the only approach that consistently improves video quality. Free and online tools are fine for quick tasks, but if you care about clarity, detail, and professional results, AI software like UniFab offers a clear advantage.

FAQs about How to upscale video 

How to upscale video to 4k?

• Upload your video to any 4K video converter.

• Set the resolution to 4k and start processing.

• Once you have, download the high-detail video.

How to upscale video in CapCut?

Open CapCut, create your new project, select Basic, and enable Enhance image. Click export to save your project.

How to upscale video in Premiere Pro?

Launch the software, drag your uploaded video to the timeline, and choose 'Replace with After Effects Composition.' In the “Effects & Presets” tab, search for “Detail-Preserving Upscale” and add it to the video clip.

How to upscale a video on iPhone?

To upscale video on iPhone, open the camera app, go to Record Video settings. Select resolution and frame rate of 4K at 24 fps and record video with a cinematic look