Adobe's commercially-safe generative AI (Firefly) plus Express design app, integrated with Creative Cloud.
Recraft vs Topaz Labs
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Recraft is best for editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations, while Topaz Labs is best for professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video. Only Recraft offers text-to-image and image-to-video. Recraft has a free plan, while Topaz Labs has no free plan.
Which should you choose?
Choose Recraft if…
- You need editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations
- Text-to-image matters to you
- Image-to-video matters to you
- You're one of: brand and graphic designers, marketing teams needing icon and illustration sets, merch creators
- 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
| Recraft | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations | Professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Starting price | From $12/mo | From $12/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, API |
| Ideal for | Brand and graphic designers, Marketing teams needing icon and illustration sets, Merch creators | Professional photographers, Video editors and restorers, Print and archival specialists |
Feature comparison
| Recraft | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-image | Yes | No |
| AI editing / inpainting | Yes | Limited |
| Background removal | Yes | Yes |
| Upscaling / enhancement | Yes | Yes |
| Image-to-video | Yes | No |
| Commercial use allowed | Paid plans | Yes |
| Design templates | Limited | No |
| API | Yes | Enterprise |
| Mobile app | Yes | iPhone only |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Recraft | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | — |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | Opt-out available | Yes |
| Audit logs | Enterprise plan | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| Deployment | Cloud, API | Desktop, cloud, on-prem |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Recraft
Recraft is an AI design tool that generates both raster images and editable SVG vectors, with its V4 model family (released February 2026) focused on design quality. It includes a vector editor, image vectorization, background removal, creative upscaling, mockups, brand style and colour controls, and image-to-video via models such as Kling and Veo. Designers, marketers and brand teams use it for icons, illustrations and on-brand assets.
Key features- Text-to-vector (SVG) and raster image generation
- Vectorizer that converts PNG/JPG to SVG
- Custom styles and brand colour palettes
- Background remover and creative upscaler
- Mockups for merch and packaging
- Image-to-video and a developer API
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
Recraft
Free plan; Pro from ~$12/mo (annual) / ~$10-12 entry
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
Recraft
Strengths- Vector output is editable and print-ready
- Style controls keep a series of assets consistent
- Has a free plan
- Web, iOS and Android apps plus an API
- Free plan outputs are public and limited in credits
- Photorealism is less of a focus than Midjourney or Leonardo
- Fewer ready-made layout templates than Canva
- Video generation relies on third-party models and uses credits quickly
Not ideal for: Photographers and those wanting cinematic photoreal images or full layout editing should look at Midjourney or Canva.
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
Recraft
Topaz Labs
FAQ
What is the main difference between Recraft and Topaz Labs?
Recraft is built for editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations; Topaz Labs is built for professional-grade upscaling, denoising and sharpening of photos and video. Key differences: Recraft offers text-to-image and image-to-video.
Is Recraft or Topaz Labs cheaper?
Recraft starts from $12/mo and Topaz Labs starts from $12/mo (as of September 2026). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Recraft and Topaz Labs have free plans?
Recraft has a free plan, while Topaz Labs has no free plan.
Which is easier to use, Recraft or Topaz Labs?
Both have a medium learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Recraft and Topaz Labs?
Other image & design tools worth comparing include Adobe Firefly / Adobe Express, Photoroom and Magnific.
Alternatives
