I am sorry, but I am so confused right now…. Have been staring at the Topaz page for an hour now and it only gets more confusing…..
I have owned Denoise AI and Sharpen AI for years. Currently only owning Photo AI. Apparently I am considered a founding customer and therefore can use Photo (Studio) for free. I have paid till April 2026, so after that date (if I don’t renew) I cannot update anymore but can still use the version I then owe (correct?). But what app can I then still use? The Photo AI one I own or the Photo (Studio) one I am currently using?
As I understood (but maybe incorrectly?) Photo AI is not being updated anymore? But instead it will be Photo (Studio) that is getting updated and developed?
Now I receive an email with a Black Friday offer. I can subscribe to Studio (8 different apps) for $ 163/year. But I don’t need al those apps…. I don’t do video and I only need something to denoise and sharpen photos (so Topaz Photo will be sufficient). On separate apps I get offered a discount of 15%. But when I click the link, I don’t see a separate Photo app which I can buy (or actually subscribe to, as I understand that Topaz switched to a subscription model)?
However, if I just go from the homepage, I seem to be able to ‘buy’ the Photo app (which one is this, the AI or the Studio one?). Just not with a 15% discount it looks? For $ 21/month (based on annual committment). Which is much more than the $ 163/year for whole Studio?
Who can help me out? Am I correct in understanding the above or do I miss something?
Edit: if I look at my current subscription and try to renew it, I looks I can prolong with a year (Studio) for only $ 77? Even more confusing…..
I am not Topaz staff. I’ll try to answer some of your questions…
If you own any of the ‘legacy’ products (with AI in their name - like Photo AI, Denoise AI) you will retain them when your expiration date for Studio rolls around in April 2026. Your legacy products will only be updated with relevant bug fixes. No new features. But they are yours to continue using through and beyond April 2026.
Topaz is on a strictly subscription basis since Sep 2025. They renamed all the active products to be part of their latest Studio (3rd offering, different types of products with same name) suite. Like other subscriptions, if you stop subscribing you lose access to and ability to use the products in the subscription suite (Topaz Photo, Topaz Gigapixel, the Web-based products, etc.). Those renamed products are the only ones that will be updated with new features.
Others out there might try to pitch you on the merits they see in subscribing to the full Studio suite vs letting that subscription lapse on your April renewal date. I’m not in TL Sales, so I’m just responding to your questions. You’d have to weigh your personal benefits (or none) of a subscription. I also can’t address your question about disaggregating products. I wasn’t aware that’s an option. Hopefully, someone else can help with that.
Like you, I don’t use any video products. I’m sure someone will give you the pitch that you’ll pay less for the subscription Studio suite renewal (as a Founder) than you would to renew your two legacy, now frozen with no future development, products.
Ok. So do I understand correctly that in April 2025 I paid for a year of updates, to be owned by me if the year is over, but instead I got 5 months of updates (April-September) to be owned? Interesting…..
There were many (many) comments about that on the forum discussion page when the switch to a subscription approach was announced in Sept. 2025. Let’s just say they weren’t happy comments. Lots of back & forths about, “Well, you got a “Founder” subscription price and free use of the subscription products for the remainder of your payment term!” vs “Yeah, but that’s not what was represented to me and what I paid for b/c I’m still out (X) months of upgrades for a paid legacy product…” I didn’t count, but those more ambitious (and with more time on their hands) than I counted over 1.5K comments (all with essentially the same level of confusion and ire).
Just out of curiosity, what makes you think we’re from the same country? Do I know you and my mind is gapping?
Hi there, since it seem that its year till i buy i have question, is Topaz Studio licensed same as i have now so if i buy it i get lifetime license with year of updates or if i do not pay after a year it will stop working?
Same question if i want to rebuy PhotoAI and ViedeoAI only? will it be same as now so life time with year of update or subscribe time only?
The Topaz Studio suite is one users subscribe to. It is not a perpetual license. When a user ends their subscription, the products included in TL Studio can no longer be used - the user will no longer be given access if their subscription is terminated. While users are active subscribers to Studio they receive any feature updates & bug fixes TL issues.
You’d have to contact Topaz Support to see if they will still let you purchase the legacy, perpetual license, no longer being feature updated products. But, I believe the window to do so has closed… Cannot hurt to ask them if you are interested.
Just to be clear, Photo AI & Gigapixel AI are legacy products now. They will no longer be updated.
If you are interested in subscribing to just the renamed for subscription Topaz Photo and/or Topaz Gigapixel vs the full Studio suite, pls contact TL Spt at the email address above.
You may want to mention being a customer of the legacy products if planning to consult them with your question.
