Lightroom Denoise Review - Is It Worth Relying On in 2025?

What Is Image Noise and Why It Matters

Image noise is the visual distortion—grainy or colored speckles—that appears when shooting in low light or using high ISO settings. While a touch of noise can add character, too much of it masks fine details and reduces image clarity.

Common causes of noise:

• Shooting in low-light conditions
• Using high ISO values (ISO 1600+)
• Underexposed photos that are later brightened in post

Modern digital sensors and AI tools like Lightroom Denoise aim to fix this by removing noise while preserving important textures and edges.

What Is Lightroom Denoise and How It Works?

Lightroom Denoise is an AI-based noise reduction tool introduced in Lightroom Classic 12.3 and Camera Raw 15.3. It's powered by Adobe Sensei and represents a significant leap forward from the traditional luminance and color noise sliders.

Core strengths of AI Denoise Lightroom:

• Smart noise detection and detail preservation
• Great results on high ISO images (ISO 12800, 25600, 51200, or even 64000) 
• One-click enhancement for professional-level noise reduction
• Supports RAW formats only
• Especially useful for night photos, mobile low-light shots, and old photo restoration

Unlike traditional noise reduction tools, Lightroom Denoise creates a new DNG file while preserving the original. The output is natural and avoids the overly smoothed "plastic" look.

How to Denoise in Lightroom (Step-by-Step)

Wondering how to denoise in Lightroom with the latest AI tools? Follow these step-by-step instructions:

Step 1. Import your RAW photo into Lightroom Classic. This feature specifically targets RAW files, so make sure your image is in the correct format.

Step 2. Navigate to the Develop module. This is where you’ll find all your editing tools.

Step 3. In the Detail panel, locate and click the Denoise button. You'll find it right next to the familiar manual noise reduction sliders. Clicking this button will open a new dialog box dedicated to the AI Denoise process.

Step 4. Within the AI Denoise interface, you'll see a Strength slider (ranging from 0 to 100). This controls how aggressively the AI removes noise from your image. Adobe typically suggests starting around 50 for a balanced result, but feel free to experiment to find what works best for your specific photo.

Step 5. Optionally, you can toggle Enhance Details and Raw Details. These options can help preserve finer textures and sharpen overall image quality after denoising, preventing a overly smooth or plastic look.

Step 6. Once you’re satisfied with the preview, click Enhance. Lightroom will then work its magic.

Step 7. After processing, Lightroom will generate a new DNG file with the AI Denoise applied. Importantly, your original RAW file remains untouched, preserving your initial capture. This new DNG file will appear next to your original in the filmstrip, clearly marked with "Enhanced-NR" in its filename.

How to Denoise Multiple Photos in Lightroom

Many users often ask: Can you denoise multiple photos in Lightroom at once?

Yes and no. You can batch denoise Lightroom photos using the Sync feature—but there’s a big caveat: Adobe’s AI Denoise Lightroom tool only processes one image at a time.

Workaround of Batch Denoise in Lightroom:

1. In the Library module, select all the images you want to denoise
2. Open one in the Develop module 
3. Click the Denoise button and set your desired strength
4. Hit Sync to apply the same noise reduction settings to other images

However, each image still needs to be enhanced manually. You’ll need to click “Enhance” individually on each photo. This makes Lightroom batch denoise less efficient for high-volume workflows.

Lightroom Denoise: Before and After Examples

Now that you understand how Lightroom denoise photos with AI, the real question is: how effective is it in practice? To truly appreciate its capabilities, nothing beats seeing the results firsthand. Below, we've compiled a series of before-and-after examples so you can judge for yourself the impact this tool can have on noisy images.

Showcases of Photos Denoised by Lightroom

A High ISO setting photo captured by Sony A7s

This shot was taken in a really dark spot at the zoo, using Leica 50 APO lens, mounted on a Sony A7s with a Voigtlander adapter. These are actually straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, and as you can see, even with the in-camera noise reduction set to low, there's quite a bit of noise from that ISO 64,000 setting.

After applying Lightroom's denoise process, the transformation was instantly apparent. The distracting background luminance noise was significantly reduced, giving the image a noticeably cleaner, more refined appearance without flattening textures or making the scene look overly smoothed. Crucially, the intelligent processing also helped restore intricate fur details on the squirrel, bringing back natural clarity. Individual hairs and subtle features appeared more refined and distinct, recovering details previously obscured by heavy noise.

A noisy photo shot in low-light

This captivating night landscape was captured using a Canon EOS R6, with settings dialed in for the challenging low-light conditions: an ISO of 12800, a wide-open aperture of f/2.8, and a 30-second shutter speed to gather ample light from the faint stars and illuminate the scene.

Lightroom's denoise significantly reduced both chromatic and luminance noise, crucially without smearing the stars or sacrificing their sharpness. It restored smoother tonal transitions in the expansive night sky for a more natural look. The only minor drawback observed was slight processing artifacts where the mountains meet the sky, subtly impacting that transition.

A Smarter Alternative to Lightroom Denoise - Aiarty Image Enhancer

If you're seeking faster processing, true batch capability, and easier access without the need for complex setup, Aiarty Image Enhancer offers a compelling alternative. It’s designed to handle up to 3,000 images simultaneously with speed and precision, making it ideal for users who need to enhance large volumes of photos efficiently.

Aiarty Image Enhancer is a powerful AI-driven tool designed to remove noise, blur, pixelation, and compression artifacts from images, restoring clarity and enhancing resolution up to 32K. Using advanced algorithms, it accurately distinguishes fine details from visual distortions, intelligently reconstructing lost textures and features to deliver sharp, high-quality results. It also supports a wide range of formats, including RAW, JPEG, and PNG etc, making it a versatile choice for photographers, designers, and anyone working with image enhancement at a professional level.

Better yet, it doesn’t require high-end hardware, and the steps are simple to follow.

Step 1. Free download Aiarty Image Enhancer and install it. Drag and drop to load your grainy images to be denoised.

Step 2. Choose a proper AI model and your target upscale factor.

Step 3. Tap Single Export or Batch Export to export your denoised image individually or in bulk.

Lightroom Denoise vs Aiarty Image Enhancer

To determine which performs better between Lightroom and Aiarty Image Enhancer, we conducted a head-to-head comparison of their denoise results and overall performance.

Denoise Result

To determine which performs better between Lightroom and Aiarty Image Enhancer, we conducted a head-to-head comparison of their denoise results and overall performance.

Based on our comparison, while Lightroom Denoise AI delivered solid performance, it often left behind more noticeable grain. What's truly impressive, however, is Aiarty Image Enhancer's output, consistently producing remarkably clean images with crisp, well-preserved details. This difference is likely influenced by their workflows: Aiarty offers efficient one-click processing, whereas Lightroom requires more hands-on adjustments for optimal results.

Table Comparison: Which Image Denoiser Is Right for You?

Conclusion

Now that you've got everything about Lightroom Denoise, it's clear that it performs well in general noise reduction—especially for RAW files with mild to moderate noise. However, when dealing with more complex noise, a large batch of photos, or non-RAW formats like JPEG or PNG, its capabilities become quite limited. Fortunately, Aiarty Image Enhancer offer strong results in such cases.

Obveriously, they’re designed to meet different user needs. So when should you use Lightroom, and when is Aiarty the better choice? Here's how to choose the right one for you:

• Choose Lightroom Denoise if:
• You prioritize maximum image quality, particularly with RAW photos.
• You're experienced in manual post-processing and fine-tuning sliders.
• You have a high-performance computer and an active Adobe subscription.
• Opt for Aiarty Image Enhancer if:
• You need fast and automated enhancement, especially for multiple images.
• You work with various formats like JPEG, PNG, and even RAW.
• You prefer a fully automatic, easy-to-use interface.
• You’re on a low- to mid-range system or looking for a budget-friendly solution.

In short, Lightroom is ideal for perfectionists with the tools and time to refine every detail, while Aiarty is the smarter pick for creators who value speed, simplicity, and wider compatibility without compromising quality.