Here is a screenshot of the status window of TuneUp Utilities 2014, on the desktop (it's strictly a desktop app). This is from a 8.1 installation, and has always looked fine, even on 8.
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/4605/xxa9.png
Here is what it looks like, on another 8.1 installation. I've seen this kind of ridiculous 8.1 blurriness on system prompts, too. The Device Manager, for example. Some times it goes away. I use 125% DPI and "one scaling level for all displays". Maybe Microsoft is losing control of this... or are they preparing us for total Windows 9 Desktop Blurriness © ?