Topaz Labs
Topaz Labs upscales and enhances photos and video with AI. In 2026 it added Wonder 3 and Astra 2, with Studio bundles from $399/year.
About Topaz Labs
What is Topaz Labs (2026 update)
Topaz Labs is an AI-powered photo and video enhancement company in the art and creative design category, best known for upscaling, denoising, sharpening, and stabilizing images and footage with dedicated apps like Photo AI, Video AI, and Gigapixel. It is built for photographers, videographers, and post-production teams who need to rescue soft, noisy, low-resolution, or old footage rather than reshoot it.
What is new in 2026
Topaz Labs shipped its largest single release of AI models in company history with the April 2026 Next-Gen launch, adding four new image models, Wonder 3, Denoise Max, Super Focus 3, and High Fidelity 3, plus two new video models, Starlight Precise 2.5 and Astra 2, across five applications. The company also introduced Topaz NeuroStream, proprietary technology that the company says cuts VRAM usage by up to 95%, letting more users run these models locally on consumer-grade hardware instead of needing a high-end GPU or cloud processing. In May 2026, the Expansion Update followed with a new SDR-to-HDR video upscaler, wider access to the newest models on both desktop and web, and Topaz Labs for Premiere, a panel that lets Adobe Premiere editors send footage to Topaz’s cloud processing for AI upscaling without leaving their timeline. Also notable for buyers: Topaz ended perpetual, one-time licenses in September 2025, so as of 2026 all new purchases are subscription-based, though existing perpetual-license owners keep what they already bought.
Key features
- AI upscaling and enhancement for photos (Photo AI, Gigapixel) and video (Video AI)
- New 2026 image models: Wonder 3 (one-click sharpen, upscale, denoise), Denoise Max, Super Focus 3, and High Fidelity 3
- New 2026 video models: Starlight Precise 2.5 and Astra 2 for video enhancement
- Topaz NeuroStream technology to reduce VRAM usage for local processing
- SDR-to-HDR video upscaling added in the May 2026 update
- Topaz Labs for Premiere panel for in-timeline AI processing inside Adobe Premiere
- Web and mobile apps in addition to desktop software
Pricing in 2026
Topaz Labs now sells everything as a subscription, with individual desktop apps, web and mobile apps, and multi-app Studio bundles priced separately according to the official pricing page.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Topaz Photo (Personal) | $199/year or $39/month | Photo AI desktop app, personal license |
| Topaz Video (Personal) | $299/year or $59/month | Video AI desktop app, personal license |
| Topaz Gigapixel (Personal) | $149/year or $29/month | Gigapixel upscaling desktop app, personal license |
| Topaz Studio (bundle) | $399/year or $69/month | All desktop apps bundled together |
| Topaz Studio Pro (bundle) | $799/year or $79/month | All desktop apps plus Pro-tier features |
Who should use it
Topaz Labs suits photographers, videographers, and editors who regularly need to rescue low-resolution, noisy, blurry, or old footage and photos, and who want dedicated, purpose-built AI models rather than a general photo editor’s built-in filters. It is a good fit for anyone doing archival restoration, print enlargement, or upscaling footage for modern displays. It is less suited to users who only need occasional, light editing, since the individual app and bundle prices assume regular, ongoing use.
Limitations and alternatives
Because Topaz Labs dropped perpetual licenses for new customers in September 2025, anyone starting fresh in 2026 has to commit to an ongoing subscription rather than a one-time purchase, and processing some of the newest models still depends on cloud access rather than running fully offline. If you need different capabilities or pricing, consider these alternatives:
- Adobe Photoshop, for AI-assisted enhancement bundled inside a full general-purpose photo editor
- DaVinci Resolve, for video enhancement and color work inside a complete video editing suite
- Krea, for browser-based AI image and video upscaling without installing desktop software
Frequently asked questions
Can you still buy Topaz Labs software with a one-time payment?
No, as of September 2025 Topaz Labs ended new perpetual licenses. In 2026, all new purchases are subscriptions, though customers who already own a perpetual license keep access to it.
What new AI models did Topaz Labs release in 2026?
The April 2026 Next-Gen release added image models Wonder 3, Denoise Max, Super Focus 3, and High Fidelity 3, plus video models Starlight Precise 2.5 and Astra 2, described by the company as its largest single release of AI models to date.
How much does Topaz Studio cost?
According to the official pricing page, Topaz Studio, the bundle of all desktop apps, costs $399/year or $69/month, with a Studio Pro tier at $799/year or $79/month.
What are good alternatives to Topaz Labs?
Depending on your workflow, alternatives include Adobe Photoshop for AI enhancement inside a full photo editor, DaVinci Resolve for video enhancement within a complete editing suite, and Krea for browser-based AI upscaling without installing software.
Information last verified: September 2026.
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