Topaz killed the one-time license. Here's the print-native alternative that didn't.
In September 2025 Topaz Labs retired perpetual licenses. Gigapixel is now roughly $204/year. If you'd rather own your upscaler than rent it — and you actually print — here's the honest comparison.
For a lot of print shops the switch to subscription-only was the last straw. Not because $204 is unaffordable, but because a pre-press utility isn't a creative subscription. You reach for an upscaler the few times a week a client sends a bad file — you buy a tool like that once, the way you buy a good trimmer.
There's a second issue the 'which subscription is cheaper' debate misses: even at its best, Topaz Gigapixel was never built for print. It works in RGB, thinks in multipliers (2×, 4×) instead of centimeters at a target DPI, and exports a JPEG or TIFF — not the CMYK PDF your RIP wants. So you'd still be doing the print-specific work by hand.
Krixel is the opposite by design: a one-time license, and print-native end to end.
| Krixel | Topaz Gigapixel | |
|---|---|---|
| License model | One-time (you own it) | Subscription only (since 09/2025) |
| Price | One-time from €49 | ~$204 / year |
| Perpetual license available | Yes | No (retired Sept 2025) |
| Forced to renew for latest version | No | Yes |
| Exact physical size + DPI | Yes | No |
| CMYK PDF export with bleed | Yes | No |
| Preserves logos (no invented detail) | Yes (faithful) | Yes (faithful) |
| Runs fully offline | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | Limited |
| Best for | Print-ready large format | Faithful photo enlarging |
What Topaz changed in September 2025
Before: Gigapixel had a one-time purchase that included a year of updates, and you kept the app forever. After September 2025: perpetual is gone from the public lineup. Gigapixel is about $204/year (or $50/month), and the full Topaz suite runs $399–$799/year. Existing owners keep their perpetual license, but any new version requires a subscription.
Why a one-time license matters for a print shop
An upscaler for a print shop isn't a daily-driver creative app — it's standby capability you reach for on deadline day. Paying monthly rent on a tool you use a few times a week is a bad deal, and print operators noticed. Over three years, a $204/year subscription is more than $600 in rent for a utility. A one-time license you own removes that math entirely.
Krixel: own it, and it's built for print
Krixel is a one-time license — your purchase includes a year of model updates, and after that the app keeps working forever with updates optional. And unlike Gigapixel, it's print-native: you give it a low-res file and the physical size you need (say 300 × 100 cm), and it targets the DPI, upscales faithfully with Real-ESRGAN, handles CMYK, and exports a print-ready PDF with bleed. Processing runs locally on your GPU, so client files never leave your shop. It's the model Topaz users liked — before Topaz took it away.
When Topaz is still the right call
Honesty first: if your main job is restoring or enlarging photographs for screen or fine-art photo prints, Topaz's photo models are excellent and print-readiness isn't your bottleneck — stick with it. But if you're a print shop, sign maker, large-format producer or prepress operator whose recurring pain is client files that won't hold up at output size, Krixel is built for your specific problem, and you buy it once.
Verdict
If you left Topaz over the subscription switch and you actually print, Krixel is the natural landing spot: a one-time license you own, plus the print pre-press (DPI at size, CMYK, PDF with bleed) that Topaz never did. Own your upscaler, and let it speak print.