Correction, 2026-10-01: we presented Topaz's Recovery and Redefine variants as options at a flat 65. They are priced at 65 per started 24-megapixel block of output (up to 1,685), but the canvas and the MCP connector don't let you pick a Topaz variant: both run the standard precision path, 11 per block, up to 281. We also left out that Topaz enlarges 4x while Clarity always enlarges 2x and is diffusion-based, listed "generate larger" routes without their resolutions, called Imagen 4 Ultra the highest-fidelity still (we have not measured that), called base Wan 3.0 the cheap route to 1080p (cheaper 1080p options exist), and gave Flux Edit a flat 7 (it is priced by image size).
Correction, 2026-09-30: We called Clarity the default; the upscale tool starts on Topaz, and BRIA (6 credits) was missing.
Topaz Image Upscale is 11 credits per started 24-megapixel block of output, scaling with output size up to 281. On 8frame Topaz always enlarges 4x, so a 1-megapixel image becomes 16 megapixels: one block, 11 credits. That pricing shape is the whole decision: it makes Topaz cheaper than Clarity for small images and more expensive for large ones, which is exactly backwards from how people assume it works.
One scope note first, because it matters: this is still-image upscaling. There is no video upscaler on this canvas.
TL;DR
- 11 credits per started 24-megapixel block of output, up to 281. Topaz enlarges 4x
- No variant picker. The canvas runs Topaz's precision path; the generative Recovery and Redefine variants are not selectable there
- Clarity is 13 credits flat for a fixed 2x, and it is diffusion-based, so it can add detail that wasn't there
- BRIA Increase Resolution is 6 for 2x or 4x
- Use Topaz when the output is physically large: print, billboard, packaging, transit
- Stills only. No video upscaling exists here
The upscalers
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Tool | Credits | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Topaz Image Upscale (tool default) | 11 per 24MP block of output, up to 281 | 4x, scales with output size |
| Clarity (image upscale) | 13 | Flat, fixed 2x, diffusion-based |
| BRIA Increase Resolution | 6 | Flat, 2x or 4x, up to 8192 x 8192 |
Clarity is our usual pick for a batch because flat pricing is predictable and 13 credits is cheap. Know what it is: on 8frame it always enlarges 2x, and it is a diffusion upscaler (Stable Diffusion with ControlNet, per its own readme), so it can invent texture. The tool itself starts on Topaz, and BRIA Increase Resolution enlarges 2x or 4x for 6.
Topaz is correct when output size is the point. Its per-block pricing means a small image costs less than Clarity, and a large one costs more, which is appropriate: you are paying for the pixels you asked for. A 2-megapixel image becomes 32 megapixels, two blocks, 22 credits.
When to pick Topaz
Print. Anything measured in physical dimensions rather than pixels. Posters, packaging, book covers, large format.
Billboard and transit. Where the enlargement factor is extreme.
When to pick Clarity
Screen delivery. Web, social, a hero image on a landing page, a thumbnail that needs a resolution bump.
Batches. Flat pricing makes twenty upscales predictably 260 credits, each a 2x enlargement.
When you do not know the output size yet.
When to skip both
An upscale is a repair. If you know the deliverable is large, generate larger:
| Route | Credits per image |
|---|---|
| Seedream 5 Lite at 2K or 3K | 6 |
| Seedream 5 Pro at 2K | 13 |
| Nano Banana 2 at 4K | 22 |
| Nano Banana Pro at 4K | 42 |
Generating at the size you need can cost less than generating small and repairing. Do the arithmetic for your spec.
What an upscale cannot do
Recover detail that was not captured. It infers plausible detail. On text and faces the inference is visible.
Fix focus or motion blur. The information is not there.
Repair heavy compression. Upscaling often amplifies blocking artefacts into a textured mush.
Un-blow a highlight. Clipped white has no data.
The one place it genuinely earns its cost in video
Video cannot be upscaled here, but the source still for image-to-video can, and that is worth doing:
A soft start frame can carry its softness into the clip, and there is no video upscaler to fix it afterwards. Upscaling the still first, at 11 credits on Topaz for a 1-megapixel image or 13 on Clarity, is cheap insurance.
For the clip itself: generate at delivery resolution. Base Wan 3.0 is 95 credits for 5 seconds at 1080p, and no video model on 8frame outputs 4K.
The workflow
- Get the image right first. Edit before you enlarge: Flux Edit from about 7 credits for a 1-megapixel image (priced by size, up to 87), background removal at 12.
- Get the output spec from your printer or platform. Do not guess.
- Upscale once, at the end. Not iteratively.
- Set type after the upscale, in vector, never upscaled.
- Check at 100 percent for the inference artefacts an upscale introduces.
FAQ
How much does Topaz Image Upscale cost? 11 credits per started 24-megapixel block of output, up to 281; Topaz enlarges 4x. A 1-megapixel image is 11 credits.
Topaz or Clarity? Clarity at 13 flat for a 2x enlargement on screen work; it is diffusion-based, so check it for invented detail. Topaz (4x) when the output is physically large. BRIA at 6 for a plain 2x or 4x.
Can I upscale video? Not on this canvas. Generate at delivery resolution instead.
Does upscaling add real detail? No. It infers plausible detail, and on text and faces you will see it.
Sources
- Topaz, Clarity and BRIA prices, the fixed 4x Topaz factor, the tool default and the absence of a Topaz variant picker on the canvas and MCP connector: 8frame tool registry cost functions, front tool registry and credit config, MCP connector tool definitions, origin/main, read 2026-10-01
- Clarity on 8frame (fixed 2x, diffusion-based, Stable Diffusion with ControlNet per its readme): 8frame upscale strategy and content fact sheet, 2026-10-01
- Image and video prices for the generate-larger routes: 8frame tool registry, origin/main, read 2026-10-01
Clarity for a batch, Topaz when the print is big, and upscale the still before the clip.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.