Shortlist by processing route: start with Topaz Video for desktop control, Topaz for Web or TensorPix for online processing, Video2X for a free local workflow, and UniFab for another desktop option. Krea's video miniapp is a browser trial worth checking, with important uncertainties below.
A ten-second generated shot, a five-minute interview, and an hour of home footage need different budgets and verification. This guide compares documented workflows and limits, not measured quality scores. Official sources were checked October 7, 2026. Prices are USD before tax; promotional discounts are excluded unless clearly identified. Disclosure: HowWorks publishes this guide and owns the Search feature mentioned below.
Best video upscalers by workflow
| Option | Useful starting point | Processing and cost | Main boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topaz Video | Repeated desktop enhancement with model and export controls | Local GPU; $59 monthly or $299/year paid annually; cloud usage separate | Model-specific hardware and license eligibility |
| Topaz for Web | Browser processing without installing a desktop editor | Subscription plus video credits; Video plan includes 200/month | MP4 upload; standard exports are MP4; confirm file acceptance |
| TensorPix | Cloud enhancement with a preview before the full job | Standard shown at $66/year ($5.50/month equivalent), 10 credits/month | Free input up to 720p; paid input up to 4K |
| Video2X | Free local processing for users comfortable with setup | Open-source; your GPU, storage, and rendering time | AVX2 CPU for prebuilt binaries and Vulkan-compatible GPU |
| UniFab | Desktop upscaling with a time-limited trial | Local lifetime-license offer; verify checkout price | Separate FabCloud route has different models and limits |
Sources: Topaz pricing, web plans, TensorPix plans, Video2X project, and UniFab product. A software download button does not establish a permanently free license.
Topaz Video: desktop software when control and local processing matter
Consider the desktop application for recurring work or footage you prefer to process locally. Its current subscription offering includes local rendering, but do not assume every model runs locally under every license. The cloud documentation says Starlight models on a Personal license require cloud rendering. Check your chosen model before buying hardware or a subscription. Desktop cloud contract.
Topaz recommends 32 GB RAM and at least 8 GB VRAM for its standard Windows configuration; Starlight requirements vary and can be substantially higher. Mac support also differs by model. Meeting a minimum specification establishes compatibility, not a render-time guarantee. System requirements.
Desktop cloud rendering documents a 100 GB input maximum, output up to 8K, and 9,000 frames per Starlight job. At 30 FPS, that frame cap is five minutes; at 60 FPS, it is two and a half minutes. This arithmetic is a job-planning limit, not a speed benchmark. The service also excludes some desktop operations, including stabilization, and retains cloud exports for seven days. Download promptly. Cloud limits.
Topaz for Web: a different entry point for longer browser jobs
The web app currently accepts MP4 and states no fixed duration limit, explicitly giving a two-hour video as an example. That makes it relevant to more than social clips; budget and upload acceptance still matter. Standard renders export MP4. The documented model choices include a fidelity-oriented Precise mode and a Creative mode that can introduce new detail. Treat those descriptions as workflow guidance, not a guarantee of accuracy. Web video documentation.
Do not apply the desktop Starlight frame cap to this separate browser product. Equally, do not assume web and desktop model versions, filters, or export options match. If your deliverable needs an editing codec, HDR, multiple audio tracks, or subtitles, confirm that exact route before submitting.
TensorPix: preview a cloud enhancement before paying for the full export
TensorPix suits users who want remote processing and a browser estimate. Its pricing lists H.264/H.265 exports, 1 GB storage on Free, and 10 GB on Standard. These are account storage allowances, not verified per-file upload limits. Paid plans accept input up to 4K; this input boundary should not be mistaken for a guaranteed output setting. Plan details.
The free preview produces a short, watermarked sample. The final credit requirement depends on source resolution, frame rate, duration, and processing choices, so use the in-app quote. Its documentation notes that some audio configurations can cause processing failures. For a dialogue job, verify the downloaded soundtrack and sync rather than trusting the preview alone. TensorPix FAQ.
Video2X: the free local option when you can manage setup
Video2X combines usable processing tools such as Real-ESRGAN and Real-CUGAN for super resolution and RIFE for interpolation. It offers Windows installation and Linux workflows; check the current release instructions rather than assuming every operating system has an equivalent installer. Precompiled binaries need AVX2, and processing needs a Vulkan-capable GPU. Official repository.
There is no cloud credit meter in this local workflow. The tradeoff is installation, hardware load, render time, and troubleshooting. Test your codec and soundtrack with the selected release before processing an archive. A free application is useful only if you can reliably produce the file you need.
UniFab: another desktop route, with a separate cloud offer
UniFab documents local output up to 16K and a 30-day desktop trial without a watermark. Its recommended Windows configuration includes 16 GB RAM, 8 GB VRAM, and an RTX 30-series-or-newer GPU. Larger output dimensions alone are not evidence of a better restoration. UniFab specifications and trial.
The same page distinguishes local processing from FabCloud, which lists a 10 GB upload limit, output up to 4K, credits, and fewer available models. Audio upmix is listed for local processing and as forthcoming for cloud; audio upmix is not the same as preserving an existing soundtrack. We could not establish a stable nonpromotional USD checkout price from this page, so compare the exact license and credit offer before purchase.
Krea: an alternative access route to check inside the Enhancer
Krea's current video-upscale miniapp page advertises MP4 input, four enhancements per 24 hours for signed-in free users, and source/plan-dependent 1x, 2x, 4x, or 8x scaling. We also reviewed a signed-in interface capture dated October 7 showing Topaz Video Upscale, Proteus enhancement, and Apollo interpolation. That establishes an observed access route, not a verified price or every account's entitlement.
Consider Krea if you already use its creative workspace. Check the exact model, accepted file, output settings, and in-app quote before paying: the public sources do not establish complete duration, file-size, audio, watermark, or absolute output-resolution limits. The pricing page lists Topaz Standard under image upscaling, so that line cannot prove a particular subscription includes the video workflow. A free enhancement count also does not promise a free full-length 4K export.
What will a one-minute or five-minute video cost?
Compare the complete job, including subscription commitment, render credits, retries, finishing, and transfer time. Local cost is software plus hardware capacity, electricity, storage, and time. Cloud cost adds remote processing and may require a subscription even when you buy extra credits.
Topaz for Web documents Starlight Precise 2.6 at 5 credits per ten seconds for 1080p output, or 20 for 4K, at 30 FPS. Linear planning estimates for that same model and FPS are:
| Duration | 1080p output | 4K output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 30 credits | 120 credits |
| 5 minutes | 150 credits | 600 credits |
These are arithmetic estimates, not observed invoices; confirm the quote before rendering. The Video plan's 200 monthly credits would not cover that five-minute 4K example. A 1,000-credit top-up costs $70 and requires an active subscription. Unused monthly credits expire; purchased credits do not. Extra operations add cost. Rate and credit rules.
TensorPix's “roughly two minutes per credit” is too broad to price a matching 4K job precisely. Request its actual estimate instead of multiplying that marketing approximation into a competing dollar figure.
Increase resolution without losing the original video
Upscaling increases frame dimensions; denoising targets noise, and interpolation creates intermediate frames. Deinterlacing is relevant to interlaced recordings. Choose these operations separately: a 4K export does not automatically need 60 FPS or aggressive sharpening.
For interviews, products, archive material, and readable signs, prioritize fidelity. For stylized generated footage, added detail may be acceptable, but faces and textures still need inspection. Upscaling cannot reliably repair a wrong hand, changing logo, or broken action already present in generated footage. See our AI video generator comparison for choosing the source workflow and free generator guide for generation allowances. Still images require a different workflow: best AI image upscalers.
Before a full render, test sections containing motion, faces, small lettering, darkness, and scene cuts. Compare at the intended viewing size as well as zoomed in. Then inspect the complete downloaded file for flicker, changing identity, halos, dropped frames, duration, audio sync, codec, and color. Keep the original and a record of the model/settings. A sharp sample frame cannot establish that a full-length video is ready to publish.