Filmworkz Phoenix vs Refocused

Filmworkz Phoenix is a Windows application for restoring, enhancing, grading, and mastering film and video. It combines film and video restoration with Nucoda color grading in one workflow. DVO tools remove dirt, scratches, flicker, and noise, and can stabilize or enhance footage while preserving the source material. A multi-layer timeline handles mixed film and video with multiple video and audio tracks. Phoenix provides unlimited color layers, HDR grading, ACES workflows, and Dolby Vision mastering. Listed formats include DPX, TIFF, EXR, DNxHR, H.264, MP4, Apple ProRes, ProRes RAW, RED, and Sony RAW, with AAF or MXF export workflows. It supports Tangent Elements and Arc control surfaces, the Precision panel, OFX effects such as BorisFX, and timeline exports to Loki Render. Subscriptions license one instance on a single machine, with transfers through License Manager. License Manager can create licenses for offline machines. Plans are PHOENIX CORE at $239 a month, PHOENIX film at $419 a month, PHOENIX video at $479 a month, and PHOENIX ultimate at $599 a month. Phoenix Ultimate has a 3-day free trial.

Refocused is desktop software for enhancing and restoring video with AI models that process footage on the user's machine. Its seven model families cover super-resolution, diffusion restoration, interpolation, denoising, depth estimation, and segmentation. The Refocus model provides motion-aware 4× super-resolution, and a flagship workflow chains it with Regenerate-Q. In the Refine workspace, users can apply tracked object masks, select by depth threshold, reprocess specific regions, and create synthetic depth-of-field focus. Compare offers synchronized A/B playback and up to 8× zoom for inspecting frames. Output can reach 8K and includes 10-bit ProRes, HDR, and image sequences; listed formats include H.265/H.264, ProRes, VP9, AV1, PNG, JPEG, and TIFF. Processing works offline after installation and activation, though license validation and model updates periodically need internet access. A free trial includes full processing and all models, with watermarked output. The Full license is $64.99 as a one-time purchase and includes unlimited local processing, up to five devices, and one year of updates.