8 Best AI Video Restoration Software in 2025 (with Tested Result)

AI old video restoration software has become far more practical in recent years, especially for improving low-resolution, noisy, or unstable footage. Tasks like upscaling SD or DVD videos, reducing heavy grain, fixing compression artifacts, and stabilizing handheld recordings can now be done on a desktop PC without professional post-production experience.

However, the results vary widely depending on the software and the type of footage. Some AI old video restoration software handles noise reduction well but struggles with faces or fast motion, while others sharpen details aggressively and introduce flickering or artificial textures. Marketing claims rarely reflect these differences.

To evaluate how AI old video restoration software performs in real-world scenarios, we tested dozens of tools across a range of footage types, including 8mm home movies, 480p DVD rips, and heavily compressed sources. Based on these results, we curated the 8 best AI video restoration tools of 2025, prioritizing output quality, artifact control, consistency, and practical usability over marketing claims.

Can Old Videos be Restored with AI

Yes! Old videos can be restored with AI. Modern video restoration tools analyze each frame to reduce noise, remove blur, fix compression artifacts, stabilize shaky footage, enhance colors, and even upscale resolution. While the results depend on the original video's quality, AI can often make old recordings look much clearer, smoother, and closer to modern standards, bringing damaged or low-resolution footage back to life.

Our Testing Criteria for AI Old Video Restoration Software

To ensure the AI video restoration tools we recommend provide reliable and high-quality results, we tested each one using consistent conditions and the same test footage.

Test environment: Intel (R) Core i5-11400F CPU, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, Windows 11.

Test footage: A 12-second clip of a little boy, downloaded from Pexels.

Test criteria: We evaluated each tool based on the following:

• Visual Enhancement and Artifact Removal: How well the video restoration tool improves old videos, including upscaling resolution and fixing common issues like noise, blur, compression artifacts, shakiness and more.
• Detail Preservation and Natural Improvement: Whether the old video restoration tool maintains original textures while enhancing fine details naturally, without making the video look artificial.
• Hallucination Control: Some tools may generate false details, such as distorted faces or unreadable text. We measured how often these errors occur.
• Cost Effective: We considered whether the tool delivers strong results at a reasonable price or in a free version. However, tools that produce exceptional restoration results were still included even if they are more expensive.
• Performance and Efficiency: We recorded render times for a 1-minute 1080p clip upscaled to 4K to assess real-world speed and practicality.

These criteria help ensure that our recommendations focus not just on technical capabilities, but also on reliability, visual quality, and usability for real-world video restoration.

Before You Start: How Video Quality Affects Restoration

The quality of your source video plays a big role in the results you get from restoration software. Tools perform best when the footage is clear, as cleaner input allows them to enhance details more effectively.

Interlaced Footage

Many videos from the 1990s and early 2000s, such as camcorder recordings or broadcast TV, are interlaced. This can appear jagged on modern screens. Using de-interlacing features, like those found in VideoProc Converter AI (or other premium software), smooths the motion and allows restoration tools to produce fluid and lifelike video.

Compression Artifacts

Old digital videos often show blocky, pixelated areas caused by compression. High-quality restoration software can reduce these artifacts, but working with the highest-quality source available—like uncompressed or high-bitrate files—always delivers better results.

Understanding these factors helps you get the most out of any restoration tool and ensures you can compare software based on real-world performance.

8 Best AI Video Restoration Software: In-Depth Reviews

We have benchmarked the following video restoration software based on several key factors, including their ability to reduce noise, recover genuine details without introducing errors, maintain temporal consistency across frames, enhance resolution, and deliver efficient performance in real-world scenarios.

1. Videoproc Converter AI

Price: Free trial. $39.95/year. $65.9/lifetime

Rating: 9.8/10 by Digital Photography School

Best For: Speed, stabilization, and efficient restoration on standard hardware

Powered by AI models trained on large collections of photos and videos, VideoProc Converter AI targets common problems found in older and low-quality footage such as those digitized from DVD, early recording devices, and older consumer cameras. It uses AI-based enhancement to improve clarity, reduce noise and compression artifacts, and upscale videos to Full HD or 4K, so older footage looks clean and sharp even on the modern UHD4K TV screens. This capable old video restoration software also includes AI stabilization to help smooth shaky handheld recordings, along with frame interpolation for increasing playback smoothness in low-frame-rate videos.

Beyond video restoration, it offers AI-powered tools for audio and photos, such as noise reduction and image enhancement, with photo upscaling support reaching up to 4K, 8K, or 10K. These AI features are combined with a broader media toolkit that includes video conversion, compression, downloading, and DVD ripping, making VideoProc Converter AI a practical all-in-one option for users who want to restore old media while also handling everyday video and audio tasks.

What We Like

• Upscale old videos from 480P to 1080p and 4K with naturally enhanced details
• Fix noise, grain, blur, pixelation, and other visual flaws naturally and automatically
• Leverage AI technology to stabilize shaky footage and increase frame rate
• Deinterlace, adjust color, and apply more adjustments to revive your old videos
• All-in-one: AI-enhance video/image/audio, record screen, compress videos, etc.

What We Dislike

• Fewer manual controls for fine-tuning specific AI parameters
• As a desktop-based restoration software, it cannot run on your browser

How's It Performance in Practice

Overall, the process is easy and efficient. We tested it with several clips, and in most cases, it was able to turn old videos that were visibly grainy and low-resolution into noticeably clearer results. I mainly tested Real Smooth v3 and Gen Detail v3. From our experience, Real Smooth v3 performs better at reducing grain and noise, while Gen Detail v3 is more effective at restoring fine details, such as eyelashes and hair, which aligns well with its intended purpose.

In terms of resolution, upscaling 480p or 720p footage to 1080p delivers very solid results. Upscaling to 4K also works well when the original video is around 1080p. Overall, the output quality is improved without looking over-processed.

2. Topaz Video

Price: $299/year (You can also opt for Topaz Studio at $399 per year, which includes Topaz Video, Topaz Photo, and several other applications.)

Rating: 4.6/5 by G2

Best For: Professional control and recovering specific details

Topaz Video is widely regarded as the industry standard for enthusiasts and professionals who demand total control. It is a "pure" video restoration tool that offers a wide variety of AI models trained for specific scenarios, such as de-interlacing, motion interpolation, and detail recovery. It allows users to manually adjust parameters for recovering detail, reducing noise, and removing compression artifacts. It is capable of the highest quality output but demands significant user input and patience to dial in the settings.

What We Like:

• The Iris model is exceptional for recovering low-resolution faces
• The Proteus model allows for granular manual control over sharpening and de-noising
• Excellent "De-Halo" capabilities to fix glowing edges in high-contrast scenes
• Professional workflow support, including export to ProRes and image sequences

What We Dislike:

• Pricing subscription fee: $199/year (or $399/year as part of Topaz Studio)
• Extremely demanding on hardware; requires a powerful GPU with high VRAM
• Slow render times, often taking hours for short clips on average hardware
• Steep learning curve; using the wrong settings can result in unnatural look

How's It Practice in Real Performance

Based on our tests, Topaz Video delivers the best overall results for most of the videos we processed. The Iris model is our preferred choice for handling old footage with faces. It makes videos look noticeably clearer without introducing obvious artifacts and avoids the overly plastic or artificial look that some enhancement tools produce.

Topaz Video also offers a wide range of models and advanced options to further improve video quality. For example, users can fine-tune the strength of denoising and sharpening, giving a high level of control over the final output. That said, this flexibility can also make the software slightly more challenging for beginners to use.

3. Aiarty Video Enhancer

Price: Free trial; $79/year; $165.00/lifetime

Rating: 4.3/5 by G2

Best For: Generative detail recovery and fixing focus issues

Aiarty Video Enhancer represents the cutting edge of generative AI video restoration software. It utilizes Generative Adversarial Networks to achieve results that traditional upscalers cannot. This tool is designed to "hallucinate" or generate plausible textures, such as skin pores, hair strands, or fabric patterns, based on its training data. It is particularly effective for rescuing footage that is out of focus or extremely soft, as it recalculates the image to simulate sharpness.

What We Like:

• "More-Detail" model generates realistic textures that transform SD footage to 4K.
• Capable of fixing out-of-focus shots that would otherwise be unusable.
• Simple interface for high-quality results without complications.
• Output looks impressive even on large 4K screens.

What We Dislike:

• It runs offline, which is good for data security, but it doesn't work in a browser.

How's It Practice in Real Performance

Aiarty Video Enhancer is an excellent choice if you want more control while still keeping the workflow simple. In our tests, it successfully restored details in many old videos using the moDetail-HQ v3 and SmoothHQ-v3 models. The Strength slider is particularly useful, as it lets you adjust the intensity of the AI restoration and achieve a good balance between preserving original details and improving overall quality.

In addition, features like frame interpolation, color adjustment, and the audio background noise remover are all practical and helpful for enhancing older footage.

4. SEEDVR2

Price: Free.

Rating: 5/5 by Civitai users

Best For: Developers and AI enthusiasts who are familiar with ComfyUI

SeedVR2 is one of the best AI video restoration tools for bringing old and degraded footage back to life. It can recover details in severely damaged videos, making archival footage and low-resolution clips look sharper and clearer. Many impressive results shared on Reddit communities focused on video restoration and Stable Diffusion workflows highlight its potential and effectiveness. With its advanced architecture and one-step restoration process, SeedVR2 delivers high-quality, consistent results while preserving temporal continuity, making it an exciting option for anyone exploring AI-driven video enhancement.

What We Like:

• Recovers details in severely degraded or low-resolution footage.
• Produces high-quality results in a single step.
• Community-proven results on Reddit show impressive performance.
• Maintains smooth motion and temporal consistency.

What We Dislike:

• Steep learning curve; requires setting up your workflow (e.g., ComfyUI).
• Demands high-end hardware for optimal performance.

How's It Performance in Practice

The test machine is well built, but a 16GB GPU is somewhat limiting when running the 7B mode of SeedVR2. The 3B mode is noticeably weaker than the 7B version, but the results are still impressive. Overall, its output is close to Topaz Video, and for certain clips—such as the little boy footage—I felt SeedVR2 actually restored details better than Topaz.

That said, the learning curve is steep. You need to install ComfyUI, download models, and configure multiple components before it works properly. As an alternative, I found a Hugging Face Space that allows quick testing of the 3B mode. You can upload an old video, preview the results, and then decide whether it's worth spending the time to learn the full setup.

5. Avclabs Video Enhancer AI

Price: $299/lifetime

Rating: 4.3/5 by TrustPilot

Best For: Automated batch processing and color workflows

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is a powerful tool for handling large volumes of footage, making it ideal for restoring entire seasons of TV shows or extensive home movie collections. It features a dedicated facial refinement tool that enhances features while smoothing skin tones, giving a polished, professional look—perfect for wedding videos and portrait work. One of its standout strengths is automatic color correction: it adjusts white balance and removes color casts during upscaling, streamlining the workflow. This all-in-one approach saves time while restoring both color and resolution in a single pass.

What We Like:

• Excellent for batch processing large volumes of video.
• Facial refinement produces polished, professional-looking results.
• Automatic color correction fixes white balance and color casts during upscaling.
• Saves time with an all-in-one restoration workflow.

What We Dislike:

• Faces can look overly smoothed for some preferences.
• Less flexible for fine-tuned, manual adjustments.

How's It Performance in Practice

We like the UI design of AVCLabs Video Enhancer. It's a good example of how simplicity and a wide range of features can coexist in one program. There were some clips where we didn't see much improvement, even after restoration with different models provided by this old video restoration software.However, the video restoration quality is solid overall, and for old footage with faces, its Face AI model can do a lot of work in restoring facial details. When configured properly, the results can be quite impressive.

6. Neat Video

Price: Starts at $67.90, with output resolution limited to 1080p

Rating: 3.7/5 on Trustpilot

Best For: Basic and reliable noise reduction through a plugin workflow

Neat Video isn't standalone software. It's a specialized noise reduction plugin that works inside editors like Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. By creating a noise profile tailored to your camera and ISO, it mathematically cleans footage before any AI upscaling. I included it here because many old videos, including home recordings or ripped DVDs, often suffer from noise due to lighting conditions or capture device limitations. Neat Video is especially useful when editing in a video editor and you need to quickly reduce noise before further processing.

What We Like:

• Industry-leading noise reduction that preserves genuine detail.
• Integrates directly into your existing editing timeline.
• Essential for cleaning “dirty” footage before AI upscaling.

What We Dislike:

• Doesn't upscale resolution; strictly for noise removal.
• Interface can be complex for beginners.
• Can significantly increase render times in your editor.

How's It Performance in Practice:

There's not much to cover about Neat Video. Its impact is limited to videos that are already of decent quality, where the main issue is graininess. After all, this old video restoration software is designed specifically for reducing grain, not for full-scale restoration.

7. FreeAIUpscaler

Price: Free

Best For: Free and no log-in requirements for enhancing video quality.

Free AI Video Upscaler is an open-source, browser-based tool that enhances video clarity entirely on your device using WebGPU, with WebGL as a fallback. The underlying technology is not well documented, but in our tests it improved video quality. Some artifacts may remain, such as grainy footage appearing softer and slightly over-smoothed. On the bright side, there are no watermarks, time limits, or file size restrictions, making it an excellent option for occasional upscaling, experimenting, or restoring old videos for free.

What We Like:

• Completely free with unlimited use, no signup required.
• Videos remain private since nothing is uploaded to servers.
• No watermarks, time limits, or file size restrictions.
• Open-source and runs directly in the browser with minimal setup.

What We Dislike:

• Processing is slower than server-based paid options.
• Browser must remain open during processing.
• Large or high-resolution videos can take significant time.

How's It Performance in Practice

This free old video restoration tool isn't as powerful as the other options listed in this post. It doesn't allow model selection or specifying output resolution or format—it only lets you choose small, medium, or large upscaling to achieve different levels of clarity.

Since it runs in the browser, processing is slow and laggy; for example, a 12-second clip can take over 10 minutes, during which the test machine is mostly occupied and other programs may not run smoothly. The output quality is also lower than most of the other tools we tested. However, it's free and easy to use, so it could still be useful for those who just want a quick, no-setup solution.

8. Wink Video Enhancer

Price: Approximately $49.99 to $59.99 per year for the VIP plan

Rating: 4.5 on the App Store and 4.5 out of 5 on Google Play

Best For: Quick and simple enhancement of old or low quality videos

Wink Video Enhancer is a simple, AI-powered tool that improves clarity, sharpness, and resolution in older or blurry footage. It offers noise reduction, motion blur correction, stabilization, and upscaling up to 4K, making videos look cleaner and smoother without requiring technical skills. Its one-click workflow and intuitive interface work on web, desktop, and mobile, making it accessible for casual users who want to quickly improve the look of old recordings.

What We Like:

• Straightforward, beginner-friendly interface.
• Enhances clarity, reduces noise, and stabilizes footage.
• Supports upscaling to 4K in one click.
• Works across web, desktop, and mobile platforms.

What We Dislike:

• Fine details can sometimes appear over-smoothed.
• Free or basic versions may limit some advanced features.
• Not as powerful as professional-grade restoration software for severely damaged videos.

How's It Performance in Practice

We tested the online version of this old video restoration software. Its UI gives the impression of being a powerful hub for AI-related tools. We tried both Quality Restoration and AI Repair features. The Quality Restoration tool is very basic; it processes the video in just seconds, but the result is pixelated and not impressive.

On the other hand, AI Repair is where the real magic happens. During the restoration process, it shows a score for the video, analyzes the issues, and provides an estimated time for completion. The final result is very natural-looking, much clearer than the original, and doesn't overdo the enhancement. The web UI doesn't allow for side-by-side comparisons, but from the preview screenshot of the processed video, the difference is noticeable.

How to Get the Best Results When Restoring Old Videos

Getting professional-looking results with video restoration tools requires some guidance. While these programs are powerful, they work best when you review the footage and adjust settings to match your desired look.

Quality Control

Even the most advanced AI old video restoration software can misinterpret shadows or textures. By reviewing your footage and adjusting settings like “detail recovery” or “noise reduction,” you can make sure the restored video looks accurate and natural.

Balancing Smoothness and Texture

Removing noise is important, but too much can make the video look unnatural or “waxy.” Some software lets you add back a subtle grain after upscaling, restoring a realistic texture and a more natural, cinematic feel.

Consistency Across Frames

Modern tools now keep details stable from frame to frame, even during fast motion. This prevents flickering and ensures the restored footage looks smooth and consistent throughout.

Hardware Requirements for AI Restoration

Your hardware plays a key role in getting the best results from video restoration software.

VRAM Matters Most

Video RAM, or VRAM, is the most important specification. For restoring 1080p videos, 4GB of VRAM is usually enough. If you want to upscale to 4K using advanced tools like Topaz Proteus, 8 to 12GB of VRAM is recommended for smooth performance.

Storage and Cooling

Video restoration is demanding on your system. Make sure your GPU stays cool, as it will be working hard for long periods. Fast storage is also essential. Using an internal NVMe SSD or a high-speed external SSD helps prevent bottlenecks and keeps your workflow efficient when saving large 4K files.