Adobe's commercially-safe generative AI (Firefly) plus Express design app, integrated with Creative Cloud.
Krea vs Topaz Labs
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Krea is best for real-time AI image and video generation with access to many models, while Topaz Labs is best for professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video. Only Krea offers text-to-image and image-to-video. Krea has a free plan, while Topaz Labs has no free plan.
Which should you choose?
Choose Krea if…
- You need real-time AI image and video generation with access to many models
- Text-to-image matters to you
- Image-to-video matters to you
- You're one of: concept artists and designers, creators experimenting with multiple ai models, developers needing an image/video api
- You want a free plan (Topaz Labs doesn't have one)
Choose Topaz Labs if…
- You need professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video
- You're one of: professional photographers, video editors and restorers, print and archival specialists
- Detail recovery is among the most accurate available
At a glance
| Krea | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Real-time AI image and video generation with access to many models | Professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Starting price | From $10/mo | From $12/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, API | Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, API |
| Ideal for | Concept artists and designers, Creators experimenting with multiple AI models, Developers needing an image/video API | Professional photographers, Video editors and restorers, Print and archival specialists |
Feature comparison
| Krea | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-image | Yes | No |
| AI editing / inpainting | Yes | Limited |
| Background removal | — | Yes |
| Upscaling / enhancement | Yes | Yes |
| Image-to-video | Yes | No |
| Commercial use allowed | Paid plans | Yes |
| Design templates | No | No |
| API | Yes | Enterprise |
| Mobile app | iOS | iPhone only |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Krea | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Enterprise plan | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | Yes |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | — | Enterprise plan |
| Deployment | Cloud | Desktop, cloud, on-prem |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Krea
Krea is an AI creative suite that combines real-time generation (images update as you draw or type), image and video generation with in-house and third-party models such as Flux, Kling, Runway and Veo, an enhancer/upscaler, and custom model training. It also offers editing, style transfer and a real-time video mode. It is used by designers, concept artists and creators who iterate quickly on visuals, and it offers a developer API.
Key features- Real-time image and video generation from sketches, prompts or webcam
- Image and video generation with Krea and third-party models
- Enhancer and upscaler for images and video
- Custom model (LoRA) training on your own images
- Editing and inpainting
- API for image, video and enhancement
Topaz Labs
Topaz Labs makes AI enhancement software, including Gigapixel (upscaling), Topaz Photo (denoise, sharpen, restore), Topaz Video (upscaling, frame interpolation) and the Bloom creative upscaler, available as desktop apps, a web app and an iPhone app. Much of the processing runs locally on your own GPU, with cloud options for heavy jobs. Photographers, video editors and restoration specialists use it; Adobe announced an agreement to acquire the company in June 2026.
Key features- Gigapixel upscaling up to 16x
- Denoise, sharpen, unblur and face recovery
- Video upscaling, frame interpolation and SDR-to-HDR
- Bloom generative upscaler for AI images
- Background removal and photo restoration
- Plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere Pro
Pricing
Krea
Free plan (daily limits); Basic ~$10/mo ($9 annual)
Topaz Labs
No free plan; Topaz for Web - Image from $12/mo; Gigapixel $19/mo (annual commitment); Topaz Studio from $45/mo
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Krea
Strengths- Real-time canvas gives immediate visual feedback
- Many leading image and video models under one plan
- Upscaler is strong for AI-generated images
- Free plan with daily compute units
- Compute-unit system makes costs hard to predict for video
- Interface changes frequently and has many options
- Free plan limits resolution and premium models
- No design templates or layout tools
Not ideal for: Users who need finished marketing layouts with text and templates should use Canva or Adobe Express instead.
Topaz Labs
Strengths- Detail recovery is among the most accurate available
- Desktop apps can process locally without uploading files
- Covers both photo and video enhancement
- Integrates with Adobe apps
- No free plan, only trials
- Local processing needs a capable GPU and can be slow on older machines
- Subscription changes (from perpetual licences) frustrated long-time users
- Not a text-to-image generator or design tool
Not ideal for: Casual users who only need occasional web upscaling or who want to generate images from prompts will find it expensive and overbuilt.
Integrations
Krea
Topaz Labs
FAQ
What is the main difference between Krea and Topaz Labs?
Krea is built for real-time AI image and video generation with access to many models; Topaz Labs is built for professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video. Key differences: Krea offers text-to-image and image-to-video.
Is Krea or Topaz Labs cheaper?
Krea starts from $10/mo and Topaz Labs starts from $12/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Krea is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Krea and Topaz Labs have free plans?
Krea has a free plan, while Topaz Labs has no free plan.
Which is easier to use, Krea or Topaz Labs?
Both have a medium learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Krea and Topaz Labs?
Other image & design tools worth comparing include Adobe Firefly / Adobe Express, Photoroom and Magnific.
Alternatives
