Even with the advanced digital technology and high-powered cameras of today, most videos are not fit for purpose right out of the gate. Even big-budget Hollywood productions need a video upscaler to make the final movie look and sound perfect.
Video upscalers allow you to make color corrections, fix imperfections, and improve your clip’s quality. However, choosing the best software to upscale video quality can be challenging.
This guide looks at the 15 best software to upscale video quality for Windows and Mac PCs. We also provide a step-by-step guide you can follow to enhance video quality for home videos or social media content.
PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality on this list. It includes a vast selection of both video and audio-enhancing tools. Use it to balance and correct the color of your videos, stabilize shaky footage, denoise video/audio, and swap out skies with AI-powered sky replacement. Detailed Review >
AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is one of the best software to upscale video quality to 8K. Use this video quality enhancer to blur or unblur moving faces in a crowd. Detailed Review >
Topaz Video AI is a powerful video quality enhancer that can upscale video up to 8K without sacrificing quality. Use it on classic cinema or old home movies and watch them in crisp detail like never before. Detailed Review >
Choosing the best software to upscale video quality depends on several different factors. We outline those factors below to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Price
In our list, we have options to cover a range of budgets, so you can find what you need without breaking the bank.
Ease of Use
We’ve also found the best software to upscale video quality to suit a range of skill levels, from first-time users to editing professionals. Some of our video upscalers offer one-click solutions for beginners, while others have manual adjustments so you can enhance video quality exactly the way you want.
Video Editing Tools
Some of the best software to upscale video quality are also fully-featured video editors, some offer only basic editing tools, and others exist only to upscale videos. If you are an influencer, content creator, or filmmaker, it makes sense to get a multifunctional video quality enhancer.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
PCMag Rating: 5/5 Excellent
Video Enhancement Tools: 5/5
Price: Free
*Premium version available for a 30-day free trial, then $4.33/month
Who It’s For
The best software to upscale video quality on our list is PowerDirector. No matter your video editing experience, you can quickly improve the look and quality of your videos. From basic to advanced color correction and audio editing to powerful AI restoration tools, PowerDirector has all the features you need to create the best-looking and sounding videos.
Why We Picked It
Fix your video's appearance with lighting adjustments, video denoise, and white balance. Steady shaky handheld or action sports footage with video stabilization. And make your audio crisp and pristine with audio denoise, wind removal, and dereverb.
Once your footage looks and sounds the way you intended, you can make it even better with effects, color enhancements, titles, and transitions. Or take your videos to the next level by adding an HDR effect or swapping dull skies for beautiful sunsets and starry vistas with AI Sky Replacement. With PowerDirector's enhancement tools, your footage will look better than anything you could shoot in real life.
Bottom Line
PowerDirector isn't just a video quality enhancer. It has all the video editing tools and effects you need to create engaging videos. Plus, it has compatibility with all standard video formats and lets you upload directly to social media to save time.
Click the link below to download PowerDirector for free today to enhance video quality and add a professional touch to your videos.
Image from avclabs.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Trustpilot Rating: 4.6/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 5/5
Price: $39.95/month, $119.95/year, or $299.90 for a perpetual license
Who It’s For
AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is one of the best software to upscale video quality for its facial recognition features. AVCLabs uses a combination of facial recognition and motion tracking to deblur and enhance facial details on one face in a shot or multiple faces, whether moving or standing still.
Why We Picked It
The automated multi-frame super-resolution will upscale video from SD to HD, and from HD to UHD 4K or 8K. Processed videos remain uncompressed, while unwanted video parts are eliminated for a smoother, crisper, more natural look.
Bottom Line
AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI has automatic tools for beginners to upscale video resolution without any quality loss. It’s #2 on our list of the best software to upscale video quality because it does not have video editing tools, and its price is too high for most people to afford both this software and a video editor.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Trustpilot Rating: 4.4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 5/5
Price: $299
Who It’s For
Video AI from Topaz Labs is one of the best software to upscale video quality for slow-motion effects. While traditional time interpolation causes stuttering, the technicians at Topaz Labs seamlessly generate new frames that are indistinguishable from frames captured in-camera. The result is a natural and stutter-free slow-motion effect.
Why We Picked It
Upscale video from SD to HD, and HD to 4K or 8K, without sacrificing quality. This video upscaler can remove noise and grain and convert different frame rates while bringing out crisp detail in your shots with minimal flickering.
Bottom Line
Topaz Video AI is very similar to AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI. Both are some of the best software to upscale video quality with AI but lack video editing tools. They even cost the same. However, AVCLabs has motion tracking/blur tools that Topaz lacks.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
PCMag Rating: 4.5/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4.5/5
Price: $20.99/month
Who It’s For
Adobe Premiere Pro is the best software to upscale video quality for professionals as it offers almost all video formats, and it is suitable for editing any video content. Filmmakers and editors have used this software to make various popular movies and TV shows, including Mindhunter, Gone Girl, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Why We Picked It
Premiere Pro features a nonlinear editing platform with Lumetri Color Tool, providing unlimited color manipulation. Using this tool, you can adjust your clip’s exposure, contrast, shadows, and white balance, and you can trigger them at any point in the clip using keyframes.
Bottom Line
Premiere Pro has a steep learning curve and isn’t the best software to upscale video quality for beginners. Although Premiere Pro and PowerDirector are both powerful video quality enhancers and video editors rolled into one, beginner-friendliness and affordability put PowerDirector on top.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows
Softpedia Rating: 4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4.5/5
Price: $70
Who It’s For
Ashampoo® Video Optimizer Pro 2 is one of the best software to upscale video quality for action camera footage. With this software, you can automatically stabilize shaky videos, fix fish-eye distortions caused by a wide-angle lens, and denoise/deflicker videos taken in bad lighting.
Why We Picked It
This video quality enhancer comes with 20 preset filters for vignettes, lighting, saturation, and more. Apply presets with a click of a button or manually fine-tune brightness, shadows, and highlights. It also includes a large preview window to see all of your video enhancements in action.
Bottom Line
Like the best software to upscale video quality, PowerDirector, Ashampoo® Video Optimizer Pro 2 has both automated and manual solutions to enhance video quality for beginners and professionals. It also has some basic video editing tools, but unlike PowerDirector, it is not a stand-alone video editor.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
Trustpilot Rating: 4.2/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4.5/5
Price: Mac: $69.99/month, $109.99/year or $349.99 for a Lifetime License
Windows: $42.99/month, $99.99/year or $349.99 for a Lifetime License
Who It’s For
HitPaw Video Enhancer has 4 AI Models that beginners can apply in one click. AI Models include Denoise, Animation, Colorize, and Face. We think it’s one of the best software to upscale video for faces, because the Face Model repairs and sharpens facial details, revealing individual eyelashes and strands of hair.
Why We Picked It
With this video upscaler, you can convert low-res video up to 1080p or 4K and convert SD to HD. You can even upscale videos from 4K to 8K and enlarge videos up to 8 times without quality loss.
Bottom Line
HitPaw Video Enhancer makes it easy to upscale videos in only 3 steps. However, you must choose only one AI model per video, and there are no manual adjustments. It also costs more than any of the best software to upscale video quality on this list.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows
Softpedia Rating: 4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4.5/5
Price: $59.99/month, $79.99/year, or $99.99 for a Lifetime License
Who It’s For
DVDFab Video Enhancer AI is one of the best software to upscale video quality because it works for users of any skill level. No need to tinker with a bunch of settings, simply import your video and choose to enlarge, denoise, or sharpen. If you are tech-savvy, you can have more control over the end result by adjusting the optional parameters.
Why We Picked It
Use DVDFab Video Enhancer AI on old home movies shot on DV or classic films and enjoy the enhanced video quality on a big screen. The software boosts saturation, corrects color, decreases noise, and sharpens blur, all with the click of a button.
Bottom Line
In short, DVDFab Video Enhancer AI is one of the best software to upscale video quality for novices who need a quick and easy way to upscale old videos. But the processing time is extremely long, taking a minimum of 8-30 hours to restore one video.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
PCMag Rating: 4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4/5
Price: Free
*DaVinci Resolve Studio available for $295
Who It’s For
DaVinci Resolve is a pro-level video upscaler with advanced tools for colorists, VFX artists, video editors, and sound engineers. We think it’s the best software to upscale video quality available to Linux users. It also has a very robust free version that will let users on a budget upscale video at no cost.
Why We Picked It
Enhance video quality with the impressive Shot Match feature, which matches the color of any clip or Hollywood movie. DaVinci has a library of over 85 Resolve FX plug-ins that enhance video quality, such as Face Refinement, Automatic Dirt Removal, and Dead Pixel Fixer.
Bottom Line
DaVinci Resolve is a post-production behemoth with an impressive array of effects to upscale video and audio. However, it has a steep learning curve and it will take some time to improve video quality with all the manual features and precise tools. If you are looking to upscale videos with one click, try PowerDirector.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows
PCMag Rating: 4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4/5
Price: $59.99 for Studio and $129.99 for Ultimate
Who It’s For
When looking for a video quality enhancer, Pinnacle Studio is a viable option. We like this software for hobbyists, because it is almost pro-level, but is also easy to use. It’s also relatively affordable, especially if you opt for the Studio version.
Why We Picked It
The Ultimate edition’s video upscaler tools include white balance, exposure, contrast, vibrance, haze correction, and clarity. You can apply auto tone and auto white balance to enhance your clip without spending valuable time with adjustments.
Bottom Line
Pinnacle Studio is one of the fastest video editors, making it similar to the best software to upscale video, PowerDirector. But unlike PowerDirector, Pinnacle Studio doesn’t feature a split-screen preview, so you can only see the enhanced video quality once you move the play head.
Image from BolderVideo.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Mac
TechRadar Rating: 4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4/5
Price: $299.99
Who It’s For
Final Cut Pro has several tools to enhance video quality, including Cinematic Mode, which can manually change the f-stop and shift focus on footage shot on newer iPhones. You can adjust how blurry or sharp the background appears, and even shift focus from one part of the shot to the other - all in post.
Why We Picked It
With this video upscaler, you can change the color, hue, luminance, or saturation of just one color using an eyedropper tool, use keyframes to change colors over time, or use the object tracker to apply color changes to a moving object or person. It also comes with audio enhancements such as reducing background noise and optimizing levels.
Bottom Line
Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing suite with multiple video quality enhancers. It is not the best software to upscale video quality for beginners. For an equally feature-rich video editor with AI-powered tools, we recommend PowerDirector.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Web Browser
Trustpilot Rating: 3.7/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4/5
Price: Pay per gigapixel for processing, and per gigabyte for storage and downloads
Who It’s For
Pixop is one of the best software to upscale video quality for large businesses because it is designed for large archives of digital footage.We recommend it for broadcasters, media production companies, TV networks, or professional video editors. Clients can easily access their Pixop account online to store, organize, and enhance video quality.
Why We Picked It
With this video upscaler you can remaste digital footage up to UHD 8K. We liked the Face Forward filter, which makes lighting on faces appear uniform, blurs the background for a Portrait effect, and balances color.
Bottom Line
Pixop has powerful AI tools, however, it works best on digital videos from the 90s onward, so this is not the best software to upscale video quality if you want to upgrade your classic film collection. We moved it below DaVinci Resolve, Pinnacle Studio, and Final Cut Pro in our updated list because they offer a full set of video editing features.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
TechArrival Rating: 4/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 3.5/5
Price: $54.95/year or $69.95 for a Lifetime License
Who It’s For
Movavi Video Converter is an AI-powered video upscaler, converter, and basic editor. This video quality enhancer allows you to convert not only video but also music and photos into over 180 formats.
Why We Picked It
Simply drag and drop your video into the window, choose your upscaling parameters from a drop-down menu, and click Upscale. You also get a recommended resolution in the drop-down menu, making it one of the best software to upscale video quality for beginners. You can increase the resolution of your videos by a factor of 2 or 4, and preview your new resolution before it is applied.
Bottom Line
Movavi Video Converter also comes with some basic video editing tools such as color adjustment and adding filters. If you need a three-in-one tool to convert, edit, and upscale video, then this is a good choice. However, it’s mainly a converter. You wouldn’t use it as a stand-alone video editor, and there are more powerful video quality enhancers on our list.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows
TechRadar Rating: 3.5/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 3.5/5
Price: $79.99 for Pro and $99.99 for Ultimate
Who It’s For
VideoStudio Pro from Corel is a video upscaler for beginners. It’s one of the best software to upscale video quality if you want to make instant movies and slideshows from your media. Drag-and-drop an Instant Project Template onto your timeline to automatically recreate a popular video style. Highlight Reel uses AI technology to choose your best clips, while FastFlick instantly creates a slideshow from a given template.
Why We Picked It
Face Effects is one of the most popular features of this software, especially among influencers. Using this tool, you can brighten or smooth your subject’s skin using straightforward controls. This video upscaler has color correction tools that brighten your scenes, add accent colors, or adjust a clip’s hue, saturation, and white balance.
Bottom Line
VideoStudio Pro has an intuitive interface that is and easy to learn and use, even if you are new to video editing. We moved it ahead of Lightworks in our updated list because it is easier to use and has a more affordable price. However, VideoStudio is more gimmicky and not the best software to upscale video quality for professionals.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
G2 Rating: 3.5/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 3.5/5
Price: Free
*Premium subscriptions available for $9.99/month for Create, and $23.99/month for Pro
Who It’s For
Lightworks is a pro-level video editing software and one of the best software to upscale video quality for audio enhancements. It has Quick FX audio templates you can easily drag and drop onto your timeline. These incredibly fast audio adjusters combine different effects to enhance dialogue or music.
Why We Picked It
This video upscaler also has advanced color correction tools to give your video the right look and enhance video quality to HD, Full HD, 2K, or 4K. With Lightworks, you can import a file at any frame rate and it will play at its native shape and resolution.
Bottom Line
Lightworks has a fairly robust free version, however, all of the video upscaler features listed above are only found in the expensive Pro version. This software also has a learning curve for beginners. The best software to upscale video quality, PowerDirector, offers AI-powered audio enhancements for a fraction of the cost.
Image from Vegas Pro.
Key Features:
Compatibility: Windows
PCMag Rating: 3/5
Video Enhancement Tools: 4/5
Price: $15.99/month or $149 for a Lifetime License
Who It’s For
Vegas Pro is one of the best software to upscale video quality for editors who need excellent online collaboration tools. With the Notes feature, teammates can leave virtual color-coded notes linked with timecode on specific areas of the edit.
Why We Picked It
Using the look-up tables (LUTs), you can apply various color effects to your clips, conveying specific settings or moods. There’s also an AI-powered tool to upscale video from 720p to 4K.
Bottom Line
Vegas Pro lets you change your clip’s playback speed, but using this feature can be challenging, especially if you are new to the software. While Vegas Pro is a feature-packed video enhancer, it has a relatively unintuitive interface, and it doesn’t feature tutorials for beginners.
OS
Windows, Mac
-
Beginner-Friendly
Yes
-
Video Editing Tools
Fully-featured video editor
-
AI Tools
Yes
-
Audio Enhancements
Yes
-
This section looks at how to enhance video quality using PowerDirector.
Download and install PowerDirector on your computer before following these steps.
Click Compare in split preview to see your upscaled video next to the original clip.
Click Compare in split preview to see your upscaled video next to the original clip.
For more information on how to enhance video quality with Color LUTS, check out How to Color Correct and Color Grade: The Ultimate Guide.
Even if you only post videos for fun on Facebook and YouTube, a video upscaler will help make your footage more enjoyable for friends and family to watch.
If you're looking for the best software to upscale video quality, look no further than PowerDirector. This video quality enhancer includes color and audio correction, restoration tools, and sky replacement. PowerDirector also offers video editing features like motion tracking, 3D editing, and chroma key. It has all the functionality you might need as a video content creator.
Download the best software to upscale video quality for free by clicking the link below and see how great your videos can look and sound.
A video upscaler uses a collection of editing tasks to improve video quality and make it more engaging to viewers. In most cases, video upscalers aim to accurately portray subjects’ color and appearance despite suboptimal environmental conditions. For example, a clip you capture early in the morning might have a color imbalance, with most elements appearing in various shades of blue.
Professional video editors feature unique and AI-based video quality enhancer tools such as sky replacement and auto-adjustments to optimize your clip’s white balance, contrast, and exposure.
Video editing software, such as PowerDirector, come with several different methods to improve video quality. Suppose your clip is too dark or bright, or the video has a color imbalance. In this case, you can enhance the video using color correction tools. If your video is grainy or pixelated, you can use a video denoiser. And if you took action camera footage, you can use a video stabilizer to fix shaky video, and lens correction to get rid of the common fish-eye effect.
The top ten features you should look for in a video upscaler are
If you’re looking for the best software to upscale video quality that checks all of these boxes, we recommend PowerDirector.
PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality. It has every possible tool to upscale videos including color correction, video stabilization, video denoise, lens corrections, color match, lighting adjustment, and more. It’s also beginner-friendly, affordable, and has both automatic and manual video enhancement tools for any level of editor.
With PowerDirector Essential, you can improve video quality for free. Use all the premium features found in PowerDirector 365 for free for 30 days, then continue using the free version as long as you wish.
PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality. Video editors often have the tools you need to enhance videos.
Use PowerDirector to fix a blurry video by using the Video Stabilizer tool. It includes an adjustment slider so you can choose an exact level of clarity.
PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality that will allow you to convert low-quality video to HD. You can also use a video converter.
Yes, using a video upscaler such as PowerDirector, you can improve video quality. PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality because you can make colors more true-to-life and remove grain, pixelization, blur, and more. You can even enhance audio by removing background noise and wind.
You can upscale video using PowerDirector’s video enhancer tools outlined in this article. When you are done making video enhancements, click Export. Under Profile name/Quality, you can choose 4K. If you want to choose a specific frame rate and resolution, you can hit the +, then Video, and choose the video profile settings you want.
Yes. PowerDirector Essential is our pick for the best software to upscale video quality you can get for free.
PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality. See our “How to Enhance Video Quality” section above for a step-by-step guide.
Yes, using PowerDirector, the best software to upscale video quality. PowerDirector is a video editor that can upscale videos in a variety of ways.
PowerDirector is the best software to upscale video quality to 4K that is available for free. Try PowerDirector’s free version for as long as you want, and get all the premium tools to enhance video quality free for 30 days.