Table Of Content
Whether you are a casual user, vlogger, or professional videographer, enhancing video quality is essential for creating captivating content. Topaz Video AI has quickly become one of the leading AI-powered video enhancers on the market. This comprehensive 2025 Topaz Video AI review dives deep into its key features, AI model performance, strengths, weaknesses, pricing, and compares it with the promising alternative, UniFab Video Enhancer AI. By the end, you'll have a clear answer on whether Topaz Video Enhance AI is truly worth your investment.
Topaz Video AI is an advanced video enhancement software developed by Topaz Labs, designed to upscale video resolution and improve overall quality. It leverages specialized AI models such as Nyx, Apollo, Chronos, and others to perform noise reduction, sharpening, detail recovery, frame interpolation, and stabilization. Featuring a redesigned user interface, multi-threaded architecture, and customizable presets, Topaz Video Enhancer AI delivers an efficient and powerful solution for video enhancement. Read on for a detailed review to see if it fits your needs.
Topaz Video AI provides all essential functions expected from a top-tier AI Video Enhancer, featuring a comprehensive suite of AI models designed for specific video enhancement tasks. To help users better understand each model's purpose and capabilities, the following table summarizes the key functions of the various AI models included in Topaz Video Enhance AI.
| AI Models | Purpose | Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Proteus | Enhancement | Upgrade and sharpen medium quality video, fix compression artifacts, anti-aliasing and denoise. |
| Gaia | High quality video optimized for HD and 4K resolutions. | |
| Theia | Sharpen and add additional detail to your input video. | |
| Artemis | Provides a balanced enhancement of detail and noise reduction, with variants tailored for low, medium, and high-quality source footage to address issues like halos and aliasing. | |
| Nyx | Noise reduction and sharpening for low quality video. | |
| Iris | Reducing noise and compression, it's great for recovering faces in low to medium quality footage. | |
| Rhea | Allows fine-tuning several parameters for optimal quality. It's great for fine details. | |
| Apollo | Frame Interpolation | Specializes in non-linear motion and slightly blurry inputs. It can generate 8 interpolated frames per run. |
| Apollo Fast | Fast frame interpolation; suitable for small motion with non-blurry and less-textured inputs. Generates 4 interpolated frames per run. | |
| Chronos | It is suitable for FPS conversion or slow-mo. Processing speed increases linearly with the number of generated frames. | |
| Chronos Fast | Specializes in fast motion with larger changes between frames. (May not be faster processing than Chronos, despite the name.) | |
| Aion | Improves Apollo at handling large motion. Fewer tiling artifacts in high resolution videos. It supports up to 16x slow motion. | |
| Themis | Motion Deblur | Reduce motion blur caused by panning, rotation, or zoom. |
| HyPerion | SDR To HDR | Convert videos from SDR to High HDR. |
These specialized AI models provide a versatile and efficient video enhancement experience. Next, let's examine the real-world performance of Topaz Video AI's key models based on testing results.
To evaluate Topaz Video AI's effectiveness, we tested several key AI models on a system with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G CPU. Below are the highlights from our performance tests:
Testing machine
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Gra
Purpose: Proteus supports upgrade and sharpen medium quality video by fixing compression artifacts, anti-aliasing and denoise.
Effect
The Proteus AI model enhances video details, making textures sharper and improving overall clarity.
Limitations
It offers balanced enhancements across the video, without focusing on one specific feature.
Facial restoration is limited, with only slight improvement in clarity.
Processing Time: Approximately 12–14 minutes to upscale a 30-second 720p 60fps video to 4K.
Purpose: Topaz Nyx Model is suitable for noise reduction and sharpening for low quality video.
Effect
Noise Reduction: The Nyx AI model delivers excellent restoration results, effectively eliminating nearly all noise from the video.
Sharpening: This model sharpens edges and contours, enhancing the perceived resolution and clarity of the video.
Limitations
Possible Over-Smoothing: With footage that has high noise levels, the Nyx AI model may over-smooth the image, causing a loss of fine details.
Limited Impact on Well-Lit Footage: Nyx works well in low light, but its benefits are less noticeable in well-lit footage with minimal noise.
Processing Time: About 1 minute for a 30-second 25fps video.
Purpose: Iris is a general enhancement model for reducing noise and compression. It is great for recovering faces in low to medium quality footage, which is the best model for face recovery.
Effect
Enhanced Facial Details: It sharpens facial features like eyes, lips, and skin texture, making faces more detailed.
Improved Saturation and Contrast: It boosts saturation and contrast, giving the video a soft, realistic look.
Limitations
Artificial Appearance: The model enhances face detail well, but at higher resolutions like 4K, the effect can seem over-processed and lack a natural feel.
Processing Time: Around 4 minutes to upscale a 30-second 720p 25fps video to 4K.
Purpose: Themis supports reducing motion blur caused by panning, rotation, or zoom.
Effect
We can see the subtle difference between the before and after, where the edges of the original video were slightly blurred. The restoration has sharpened the edges and eliminated motion artifacts.
Limitations
Stuble Changes: It effectively stabilizes and reduces noise, but the overall visual changes may be subtle, making it ideal for users looking for moderate improvements rather than dramatic transformations.
Processing Time: 30 seconds to 1 minute for a 30-second 720p 25fps video.
Purpose: Topaz Hyperion is a new model launched by Topaz Video AI for converting SDR videos to HDR. The early beta version delivered mediocre results, with overly high saturation and brightness, severe warm color overflow, and minimal difference from the original SDR footage.
The official release shows noticeable improvements in brightness and contrast. Shadow areas appear brighter, while highlights tend to be overexposed, making the image sharper but at the cost of losing some details. Colors are more intense—especially warmer tones—which may lead to color overflow or overcorrection. Compared to native HDR, the Hyperion style is more aggressive.
With default settings, the latest version takes about 1 to 1.5 times the original video duration to process. If parameters are adjusted, conversion time increases exponentially, resulting in a significantly higher time cost.
Effect
Enhances colors and contrast, making the image more vibrant.
Delivers a natural, realistic HDR look without over-saturation.
Limitations
Some content may not benefit from the conversion as much as others.
We also conducted a comparative analysis of the processing performance among the different Topaz Video AI models to help you choose the most suitable one based on your needs.
Among the various AI models, Rhea, Proteus, and Iris are commonly used for facial restoration and detail enhancement. Here is how they compare:
Overall, all models offer smoother facial restoration compared to the original video, significantly improving the character's appearance.
When zoomed in, Proteus and Iris both show some facial distortion or warping after processing, though Iris tends to maintain better clarity.
Nyx and Artemis are both AI models focused on noise reduction.
The Topaz Nyx model effectively removes most noise but relies on aggressive smoothing, which reduces image detail and realism—resulting in a cleaner yet less detailed picture.
Topaz Video AI does offer a free trial, allowing users to test its video enhancement features before making a purchase. However, the trial version may come with watermarks or limited functionality compared to the full product.
Regarding pricing, Topaz Video AI is a paid software with a one-time lifetime license priced at around $299, which includes one year of free upgrades. After the initial year, if you wish to continue receiving updates and support, an annual subscription costing approximately $149 is required. (Note: For the latest prices, please check the Topaz Video AI official website.)
To summarize:
Is Topaz free?: No, but the free trial lets you explore its features before buying.
Topaz Video AI free trial: Available for a limited period with some restrictions.
Topaz Video AI price: One-time cost of about $299 for lifetime use plus optional yearly updates.
Topaz AI cost: Includes the upfront license fee plus optional yearly maintenance fees.
Before purchasing, it's recommended to download the Topaz Video AI free trial to evaluate performance and usability. This trial helps ensure the software meets your needs without any upfront cost.
Step 1: Start with a Free Trial or Full Version
Download and install Topaz Video AI. If you’re new, consider trying the free trial to explore its features.
Step 2: Import Your Video
Open the software and import the video file you wish to enhance.
Step 3: Explore Enhancement Options and Adjust Settings
You will find various video enhancement options on the right side of the interface. The functions can be broadly grouped into the following categories: Preset, Video, Stabilization, Motion Deblur, Frame Interpolation, Enhancement, and Grain. You can set the parameters you need.
Step 4: Export Enhanced Video
Click the "Export" button to export videos and you can adjust detailed settings, including container, quality level, bitrate, profile, codec and more.
Now that we have explored Topaz Video AI’s AI models, their performance, processing speed, pricing, and how to use the software, it's important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this tool. Understanding its strengths and limitations will help you make an informed decision about whether Topaz Video AI is the right choice for your video enhancement needs.
As one of the most popular video enhancers in the world, Topaz Video AI has its own advantages and unique features.
Now that you have gained an understanding of its features and advantages, let's analyze its disadvantages to decide if Topaz Video AI is worth it:
Having examined the technical strengths and weaknesses of Topaz Video AI, it's equally important to consider real user experiences. Feedback from the user community sheds light on practical challenges and praises, offering valuable insights into the software's performance in everyday use.
On Trustpilot, Topaz Video AI holds a solid rating of 4.1 out of 5.
Topaz AI has attracted a large user base with its powerful video enhancement capabilities, but recent issues and the emergence of numerous competitors have put its market position at risk. To maintain its leadership, Topaz AI must make significant improvements.
If you're dissatisfied with Topaz Video AI's results or its high price, UniFab offers an effective and affordable alternative. With versatile features for various video types, UniFab might be the solution you're seeking. Read on to see if it's the right fit for you!
UniFab All-In-One contains multiple AI-powered video and audio enhancement tools. Offering rapid GPU-accelerated performance and advanced AI technology, it outperforms Topaz Video AI with superior video noise reduction, 4k/8K/16K upscaling, and lossless compression. Discover how UniFab's exceptional features can enhance your video quality and boost efficiency!
UniFab All-In-One
Two free AI tools:
UniFab All-In-One
We tested the UniFab Animation Model and Topaz Video AI – Gaia Model to enhance an anime video. Below is a comparison of their performance in terms of conversion time, processing speed, and visual quality.
Testing machine
GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
CPU：AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Gra
| Evaluation Aspect | Topaz – Gaia Model | UniFab – Animation Model |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Time | 9 min 37 s | 4 min 42 s |
| Processing Speed | 6.19 fps/s | 12.66 fps/s |
| Visual Quality | Results are relatively blurry with limited texture enhancement | Sharper visuals with better detail preservation |
We also tested the UniFab HDR upconverter AI to convert a video from SDR to HDR. Below are the original SDR image, the original HDR image, the HDR image generated by UniFab, and the HDR image generated by Topaz Video AI - Hyperion Model.
Comparing these, we can draw the following conclusions:
| Evaluation Aspect | Topaz Hyperion | UniFab HDR Upconverter |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness & Contrast | Noticeable boost in brightness and contrast; brighter shadows, overexposed highlights, sharper image but loss of detail. More aggressive than native HDR. | Slight contrast boost, softer overall look, closer to native HDR. However, highlights appear dark with less detail. |
| Color Shift | Strong colors, especially enhanced warm tones, may lead to color overflow or overcorrection. | Better controlled; maintains a color distribution closer to native HDR. |
| Saturation | High saturation; colors appear more vivid and intense than native HDR. | Moderate enhancement; balanced and closer to native HDR. |
| Detail Preservation | Detail loss in highlights due to increased contrast and saturation. | Midtones and shadows retain more detail; however, dark highlights and slight distortion reduce texture clarity. |
| Conversion Time | Default settings: 1–1.5× video duration. Time increases exponentially with custom settings. | Fast model: ~1× video time. High Quality model: ~2.5× video time. |
In the field of video processing, choosing the right tool is crucial. Topaz Video AI and UniFab All-In-One are two highly regarded video processing tools on the market, each with its unique strengths and applications. To help you better understand the differences between them, we will provide a detailed comparison table and video demonstration, offering an in-depth analysis of the features and performance of these two tools, enabling you to make the best choice.
| Comparison | UniFab All-In-One | Topaz Video AI |
| Supported OS | Windows/Mac | Windows/Mac |
| Pricing | $299.99/Lifetime
| $299/Lifetime, includes one year of unlimited upgrades $149/Upgrade per year
|
| Free Trail | 30-Day Free Trial for Full Features, without Watermark | 30-Day Free Trial with Watermark |
| User Experience |
|
|
| Main Features |
Note: These tools can also be purchased separately as needed. |
|
| Custom Configuration | Codec, Resolution, Format Rate, Color Space, Encoding Method, Bits/Pixel, Audio Passthrough (Codec&Channel, Sample Rate, Bit Rate) Output Visual Mode, Format | Output type, Codec, Profile, Bitrate, Quality level, Audio mode, Container, Apply LUT |
You can get a more intuitive understanding of UniFab vs Topaz by watching the video below, helping you choose the product that best suits your needs.
30-day Free Trial with full feature access!
Select a Feature
Open UniFab, then head to the 'All Features' section to pick the enhancement mode that matches your requirements. Then, click the '+' icon to upload your video, or drag and drop it directly into the interface.
Configure Output Options
Modify settings like resolution, format, quality, codec, frame rate, and audio preferences. Customize further based on your needs.
Process Your Video
Press the "Start" button to initiate processing. UniFab will complete the task swiftly with enhanced speed and efficiency.
We hope today's Topaz Video AI review has answered all your queries about this tool. Topaz Video AI significantly advances video enhancement technology, offering broader format support, a refined user interface, and a helpful preview feature that elevates the user experience. However, it is not without its drawbacks, including limited advanced enhancement capabilities, slow processing speeds, high hardware requirements, and sometimes unnatural face enhancement results. For those seeking to overcome these challenges and achieve superior performance in content revitalization, exploring UniFab may be a worthwhile alternative.
Topaz Video AI provides robust tools for enhancing your videos by upscaling resolution, reducing noise, and effectively deinterlacing, making it particularly useful for older footage. A free version is available to help you determine if the results meet your expectations. However, the software is quite pricey, with a one-time cost of around $299.
Topaz Video AI requires Windows 10/11 or macOS (10.15 or later), an Intel or AMD CPU with AVX2 support, a dedicated NVIDIA (GTX 900 series or newer) or AMD (Radeon 400 series or newer) GPU with at least 4GB VRAM, and 16GB of RAM minimum. For best performance, especially with memory-intensive tasks, a GPU with 8GB+ VRAM, 32GB+ RAM, a more recent CPU, and ample disk space are recommended, as integrated graphics may cause slow processing.
Topaz Video AI is safe to use. It does not collect your information without your consent and does not share any collected data with third parties.
Yes, there are several excellent Topaz Video Enhance AI Alternative. For example, you may want to know HitPaw vs Topaz.