6 Best AI Video Upscaling Software [Free and Paid]

Traditional video upscaling has its limitations – for one, it doesn’t actually improve video quality so much as it lets you resize low-resolution videos without compromising too much on quality. On the other hand, today’s best AI video upscaling software uses artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms to understand the context of video content, making it possible to upscale and even enhance footage up to 8K resolution.

For instance, if you have some 720p- or 1080p-resolution footage that you recorded on an older camera or smartphone and you want to use it in a 4K-resolution production, you can achieve this in just a few clicks with AI upscaling software.

Along with AI video editor tools and text-to-video generators, AI-powered upscaling software is set to become more widely used in the coming years, by experienced and novice video creators alike.

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What is the best AI video upscaling software?

Our top-recommended AI-powered video upscaling software, tools, and apps are:

• Pixop
• Movavi
• Topaz Video AI
• AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI
• DVDFab Video Enhancer AI
• HitPaw Video Enhancer

Let’s break each of these tools down in detail!

Pixop

Pixop is a cloud-based machine-learning and AI-powered video enhancer for media professionals, TV stations, filmmakers, video editors, and video and post-production companies. It offers video upscaling and remastering using automated AI filters.

An example use case for the software is monetizing digital archives by enhancing and upscaling low-resolution video to fit modern displays.

The software’s automated filters let you improve video quality with AI-powered denoising, deinterlacing, deep restoration, and more. Pixop’s web app also includes video storage and collaboration features

Despite its advanced capabilities, Pixop it is easy to use – all you need is an Internet connection.

Highlights

• Super resolution/upscaling
• Remaster HD, 4K, and 8K
• Improve the quality of video presentations and webinars you create for social media
• Denoising
• Deblurring
• Deinterlacing
• Deep restoration
• Frame rate conversion
• Encoding
• Remaster digital footage from the ’90s onward
• Cloud based
• Encrypted and secure
• Available on a pay-as-you-go basis – no subscription pricing or licensing fees

Pricing

Pixop is available on a pay-as-you-go basis and starts from just a few dollars, depending on your video processing and storage needs.

Bespoke solutions, bulk discounts, and REST API access are available for enterprises.

Pixop has a 14-day free trial.

Movavi Video Converter

Movavi Video Converter, part of the popular Movavi desktop suite of tools for multimedia creators, recently introduced an AI upscaling feature for enlarging video resolution up to eight times.

Using the tool, you can also convert media files at ultrafast speeds, losslessly compress large videos, edit video footage, and insert subtitles.

Movavi offers a variety of additional tools for working with video, including:

• Video Editor
• Screen Recorder
• Slideshow Maker

Highlights

• Upscale video up to eight times the original resolution
• Convert video, audio, and images in 180+ formats for 200+ devices
• Batch video processing
• Video editing features include trimming, rotating, cropping, merging, adjusting colors, and adding effects
• Add subtitles to your video
• The app can also be used as an audio converter, image converter, and video-to-audio converter
• Fast and easy to use
• Available for Mac and PC

Pricing

Movavi Video Converter costs $54.95 for a one-year license and $64.95 for a lifetime license.

You can also purchase the Video Suite bundle to get lifetime access to all the Movavi video apps, including:

• Video Converter
• Video Editor
• Screen Recorder

Movavi has a limited free version.

Topaz Video AI

Topaz Video AI is best-in-class AI video upscaling and enhancing software that’s designed to do a few things really well: deinterlacing, motion interpolation – and, of course – upscaling (up to 8K). Samples of enhanced videos shown on the site are indeed very impressive.

Topaz AI analyzes multiple frames to reduce artifacts that are typical with traditional upscaling. In addition, the tool’s AI is trained exclusively on video footage rather than still images.

You can use the software to upscale videos, home videos (on VHS, etc.), stock footage, and cartoons up to 8K, as well as recover low-quality videos, remove noise, and deinterlace interlaced footage. Topaz Video AI can also restore old footage by stacking multiple AI models.

If you’re creating slow-motion cinematic footage, Topaz Video AI can create new frames for a smooth slow-motion effect. It also features AI-powered shake stabilization for smoother panning (as if you used a tripod).

The developers also offer a variety of other applications for professionals who work with video and images, including:

• Topaz Photo AI
• DeNoise AI
• Gigapixel AI
• Sharpen AI

Highlights

• AI video upscaling up to 8K
• Convert DVDs to Blu-Ray quality
• Restore and enhance old footage and cartoons
• Reduce artifacts
• Remove noise
• 24 to 60 FPS conversion for smooth slow motion
• AI-powered shake stabilization for smooth panning
• Motion interpolation
• Deinterlacing
• Use on up to two computers (you can use your purchase on both Mac and Windows)
• Prompt live chat and email support

Pricing

Topaz Video AI costs $299 for lifetime access to the software, plus one year of new AI models and major upgrades. You can use it on up to two computers (both Windows and Mac).

The company offers a generous 30-day refund policy.

A free trial is currently available.

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is AI-powered enhancing and upscaling software that can upscale videos from 480p to 1080p, 4K, and 8K, improving the video’s quality through a range of post-processing features.

The tool’s AI can upscale low-resolution videos and cartoons, rendering them in sharper detail while keeping motion consistency intact.

Its other AI-powered highlights include video deblurring, face blurring and touch-up capabilities, denoising, color enhancement and correction, and scratch removal.

The developers also offer two other products for working with videos and images:

• Any Video Converter Ultimate – a video conversion tool suite for converting and editing videos, recording your screen, and burning DVDs
• AVCLabs Photo Enhancer AI – upscale, sharpen, denoise, colorize, and color calibrate with the power of AI
• Video Background Removal – AI-powered online free video background removal tool

Highlights

• Upscale footage to 1080p, 4K, and 8K
• Automatically enhance video quality instantly
• Machine learning technology deblurs footage frame by frame
• Retouch human faces in videos for sharing on social media
• Denoising
• Deinterlacing
• Color correction and enhancement
• Scratch removal
• AI-powered face blurring
• Available for Windows and Mac
• Easy for anyone to use – configuring parameters is optional
• Free tech support updates

Pricing

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI costs $39.95 for a one-month plan or $119.95 for a one-year plan. You can also purchase a lifetime license for $299.90.

A free trial version is available.

DVDFab Video Enhancer AI

DVDFab Video Enhancer AI is another popular AI-based tool for upscaling low-resolution videos while automatically enhancing them. It losslessly upscales video images so that the result is even higher quality than the original.

The software automatically boosts brightness and saturation, corrects color, denoises, deblurs, and sharpens the image, along with removing artifacts.

DVDFab is easy to use for non-tech-savvy people: Everything is completely automated, with no configuration necessary – simply load your video, and the AI will output an enhanced version. For greater control over the finished result, you can choose to adjust optional parameters, including denoise, sharpen, and enlarge.

The tool’s AI models have been trained through millions of videos and continue to improve over time.

Highlights

• Losslessly upscale video image from 720p up to 4K
• Enhance old home videos, old movies, and low-quality videos taken on old cameras and smart phones
• Deinterlacing
• Deblocking filter
• Simple for anyone to use – configuration optional
• Prompt support, with tickets resolved in 48 hours
• Available for PC

Pricing

DVDFab Video Enhancer AI costs $59.99 for a one-month license. An annual license costs $79.99. All plans include free upgrades for the duration of your license. A lifetime license costs $159.99.

They offer a 30-day moneyback guarantee.

A trial version of the software is available.

HitPaw Video Enhancer

HitPaw Video Enhancer is a desktop application for upscaling low-resolution video up to 4K with just one click.

HitPaw offers three AI models for enhancing video:

• The general denoiser model enhances most older footage, making videos appear sharper and clearer.
• The animation model lets you repair animations and anime.
• The face model improves clarity of human faces.

To use the software, simply upload your videos, choose the AI model you want based on the type of video you’re trying to repair, preview the finished result, and export your video.

HitPaw makes several other products for people who work with multimedia, including:

• Video Converter
• Video Editor
• Live Streaming Recorder
• Compressor
• Object Remover
• Watermark Remover
• Music Converter
• Photo Enhancer

Highlights

• AI-powered upscaling up to 4K
• Automatic enhancement
• Denoising for greater clarity
• Deblurring
• Repair human and anime faces
• Batch video processing
• 30+ formats supported
• Repairs video with just one click – just upload your video and the choose AI model you want to use
• Available for Windows and Mac
• 24/7 tech support

Pricing

HitPaw costs $59.99 for a one-month license, or $129.99 for an annual license. You can also purchase the software for life for $399.99.

All plans include software updates and 24/7 tech support. The company offers a 30-day refund guarantee. A free trial download is available.

What is AI video upscaling software?

Basic, or traditional, video upscaling software uses interpolation algorithms to resize lower-resolution videos, such as those recorded on an older camera or smartphone, so that they fit higher-resolution displays. It essentially “colors in” in the pixel deficit by duplicating existing pixels and stretching them across the screen.

At best, traditional upscaling results in correct dimensions with no real reduction in video quality. At worst, it may degrade video quality by introducing artifacts and blurriness or causing the footage to appear stretched.

AI-enhanced video upscaling software, on the other hand, uses deep learning models that have been trained by millions of images to understand the context of an image and predict what it should look like in high resolution.

Such models not only increase an image’s resolution, but they also attempt to enhance its quality in the process. Therefore, AI-enhanced upscaling often results in crisper, clearer, more detailed footage than traditional upscaling.

In addition, many of today’s best AI upscaling tools and apps pack a suite of useful video enhancement features.

Another benefit of AI video upscaling software is that it tends to be less expensive and easier to use than traditional high-end video editing platforms like Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects. You just upload your footage and click a few options, and the artificial intelligence will do the heavy lifting for you.

What is the best free video upscaling software?

Unfortunately, there are no free cloud-based (online) AI video upscalers. A couple of good open-source and free AI upscaling applications for desktop include:

• Waifu2x Extension GUI
• Video2X

The above programs feature a graphical user interface (no command line), but they’re a bit trickier to install for users who aren’t familiar with the GitHub platform.

The following pro AI upscaling tools offer limited free trials:

• Topaz Video AI
• AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI
• DVDFab Video Enhancer AI
• Movavi
• Pixop
• HitPaw Video Enhancer

Note that most free trials let you convert a just few videos with a watermark added.

AI video upscaling software: Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI video enhancer?

The best AI video enhancer is Topaz Video AI. The software can upscale video up to 8K and packs a lot of other advanced enhancement features. Reddit users consistently recommend Topaz as a top solution for AI video upscaling.

To learn more about how to use AI in your business, see our post on how to automate affiliate marketing.

Is there a way to upscale a video?

Yes, you can upscale your videos using video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects, but this won’t give you the advantages of AI-enhanced upscaling. To learn more about the best AI video upscaling software on the market today, see the list above.

Is Topaz Video Enhance AI free?

No, Topaz Video AI is not free. However, you can purchase a lifetime license to the software for $299, making it lower cost than programs like Adobe Premiere Pro. Topaz Video AI currently offers a free trial of their AI video upscaling and enhancing software.

Can videos be upscaled to 4K?

Yes. With the help of AI video upscaling apps, you can upscale lower-resolution footage (for instance, 480p or 720p) to 1080p, 4k, and even 8k. See our top-recommended upscaling tools above.

Which app is best for improving video quality?

One of the best apps available today for improving video quality is Topaz Video AI, an artificial-intelligence-powered upscaling and enhancing software program. Using this software, you can upscale low-resolution footage while preserving and even enhancing image sharpness and clarity. In addition, the tool has a lot of useful features for enhancing video quality. Read our review of Topaz Video AI above.

In conclusion …

AI technology is having a (huge) moment, and we can expect to see ongoing improvements in today’s best AI video upscaling software as developers compete to release new and improved versions of their products. Whether you’re a video production expert or a budding content creator, the future is looking bright!