AKVIS Noise Buster AI: Clean Grain Out of Photos With Trained Neural Networks
AKVIS Noise Buster AI is a noise reduction program for Windows, macOS and Linux that removes digital noise and grain from photos using neural networks. It suits photographers shooting in low light or at high ISO, and the Home license costs $49 once.
Noise shows up as grain on skin and as random red and blue specks in dark areas, and most tools remove it by smearing away detail too. Noise Buster AI picks a trained network by how bad the problem is, then lets you sharpen or blend the result.
Quick facts
- Version: 13.2
- Developer: AKVIS
- Platforms: Windows 10-11 (64-bit only), macOS 10.15 to macOS 27 (64-bit), Linux 64-bit (standalone only)
- Editions: standalone app, or a plugin for AliveColors, Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Corel PaintShop Pro and other editors
- Price: $49 Home, $55 Home Deluxe, $89 Business, all one-time
- License: never expires, covers 2 computers
- Trial: 10 days, all features, no registration
- What we checked: the license comparison table and requirements on the vendor site, the 64-bit Windows installer on the download server (52 MB, file dated April 23, 2026), and the price of all four licenses on the order page on November 6, 2026. We didn't install the program or denoise our own photos
Before you buy
Home Deluxe is just $6 more than Home. It adds the Smart Blur tool and gives you both the plugin and the standalone app, so it is the sensible pick for almost everyone. The AI noise reduction itself is the same on every license.
Windows 7 and 8 are no longer supported, and AKVIS recommends 16 GB of RAM and a discrete AMD or NVIDIA card. Home and Home Deluxe are for personal use, so paid work needs Business at $89.
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Overview
You open a photo, choose a noise level (Weak Noise, Strong Noise or Strong Compression with Noise), and press Run. Each level uses its own neural network. The window can split a picture into Before and After, or show the two side by side, so you can judge the difference at 100% zoom.
AKVIS Noise Buster AI 13.1 comparing a penguin before and after in Weak Noise mode. The Post-Processing sliders for Edge Intensity and Sharpness are on the right.
Version 13 retrained the networks on real noisy photos and moved them to ONNX Runtime, with DirectML support for AMD and NVIDIA cards on Windows and CoreML support on Macs. Version 13.1 added Dark, Gray and Light interface styles, and 13.2 added a Blend with Original control.
Features
Three AI noise modes
AKVIS Noise Buster AI offers Weak Noise, Strong Noise and Strong Compression with Noise, each with its own trained network. The third targets images that have both noise and heavy compression damage.
Traditional algorithm as well
AKVIS Noise Buster AI keeps a non-AI algorithm alongside the neural networks, on every license, for times when the AI result isn't what you want.
Post-Processing
AKVIS Noise Buster AI can refine the AI result automatically, with Edge Intensity and Sharpness controls in a real-time preview. Blend with Original mixes some of the source back in to keep fine texture.
Strong Noise mode with a split Before and After view on a noisy skating photo.
Manual tools
AKVIS Noise Buster AI includes Smudge and History Brush tools on all licenses, and Crop in the standalone edition. The History Brush restores the original on selected areas. The Smart Blur tool, which smooths grain while keeping outlines, needs Home Deluxe or Business.
Batch processing and presets
AKVIS Noise Buster AI can process a folder with the same settings, which suits a series shot in the same conditions, and it saves your settings as presets.
Benefits
You rescue photos you would otherwise skip: the indoor shots at high ISO, the long exposures, the older compact-camera pictures. You don't have to learn the theory of luminance and color noise, because choosing one of three levels gets you most of the way.
Real-World Uses
- Indoor events: clean high-ISO photos from a wedding or a school play.
- Night photography: reduce long-exposure noise in dark skies.
- Old compact-camera photos: small sensors make noisy pictures, and these are often the ones with the most sentimental value.
- Web images: repair pictures with both noise and heavy compression.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
AKVIS Noise Buster AI suits hobby photographers who want a cheap, simple desktop denoiser, either on its own or as a plugin in their editor.
Skip it if your Windows PC is 32-bit or on Windows 8, as the current version will not run. Skip it if you already use a RAW developer with good AI noise reduction, because you probably don't need a second one. Check too whether your editor's built-in tool does the job.
Usage Guide
- Download the installer and run it. The Windows setup contains the standalone and the plugin.
- Open a photo in the standalone app, or call the plugin from your editor.
- Zoom to 100% and choose Weak Noise, Strong Noise or Strong Compression with Noise.
- Press Run and compare Before and After.
- Turn on Post-Processing and adjust Edge Intensity and Sharpness if needed.
- Use the History Brush on areas you want left alone, then save.
Where it falls short
- Speed depends on your hardware. The old version drew a complaint about being "a very sluggish plugin". The current one has GPU support, but a machine without a good graphics card may still feel slow.
- Over-sharpening can bring noise back. AKVIS warns in the program that the Sharpness setting should be used carefully, because it can return digital noise to the image.
- Free alternatives exist. An older Snapfiles reviewer felt free plugins did as well, though that was long before the AI versions.
- Older reviews. We found no independent test of version 13, so try it on your own files.
What Users Say
The reviews we found mostly predate the current AI engine, so they say more about the product's history than about version 13. There is no sizeable set of user ratings on the big software review sites, and the one Snapfiles user review is critical.
Reviewers
"AKVIS Noise Buster, available both as a standalone app and Photoshop-compatible plug-in, is a highly effective tool for reducing noise and grain in digital images." Michael Kleper, The Kleper Report
"For those who wish to avoid resorting to complex graphics suites, AKVIS Noise Buster will provide a far more accessible solution for such tasks." Andrei Verdeanu, Softpedia, March 2019
Users
"So with the risk of being redundant, yes, it works well and yes, it's a very sluggish plugin." gimpguy, Snapfiles, 3 stars, version 8.5, September 2012
"I guess one can try it out but personally, I don't feel it's worth it." gimpguy, Snapfiles
"Almost ALL of my "final copies" are Noise Busted at some point to produce the best product that I can create." Kevin Kemball, on the AKVIS testimonials page
The praise is for ease of use and the quality of the result. The complaint was speed, on a version far older than today's. Testimonials are picked by the vendor.
Editions and Pricing
| License | Price at checkout | Edition | Use | What you get |
|---|
| Home Standalone | $49 | Standalone app only | Personal, non-commercial | All AI modes, Crop, no PSD |
| Home Plugin | $49 | Plugin only | Personal, non-commercial | All AI modes, PSD, no Crop |
| Home Deluxe | $55 | Plugin and standalone | Personal, non-commercial | Adds Smart Blur, both editions |
| Business | $89 | Plugin and standalone | Commercial use allowed | Everything in Deluxe |
Buy Home Standalone ($49)Buy Home Plugin ($49)Buy Home Deluxe ($55)Buy Business ($89)
FAQs
Does AKVIS Noise Buster AI use my graphics card?
Yes. AKVIS Noise Buster AI uses DirectML on Windows, which works with AMD and NVIDIA cards, and CoreML on Macs.
Does AKVIS Noise Buster AI work with RAW files?
Yes. AKVIS Noise Buster AI opens RAW and DNG files along with TIFF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, WEBP and TGA. PSD works in the plugin only.
Which AKVIS Noise Buster AI license should I buy?
Home Deluxe suits most home users. At $55 it costs only $6 more than Home and adds Smart Blur and both editions of AKVIS Noise Buster AI.
Can I use AKVIS Noise Buster AI for wedding photography I get paid for?
Yes, with the $89 Business license. AKVIS Noise Buster AI Home and Home Deluxe are for non-commercial use only.
Is AKVIS Noise Buster AI a subscription?
No, AKVIS Noise Buster AI is a one-time purchase and the license never expires. 1 Year of Updates costs $19.95 once your update period ends.
Can I install AKVIS Noise Buster AI on a laptop and a desktop?
Yes. Each AKVIS Noise Buster AI license registers on 2 computers, and they can run different operating systems.
System Requirements
- Windows: Windows 10-11, 64-bit only. Minimum Core Duo, 8 GB RAM, 8 GB disk and a DirectX 9+ graphics card. Recommended Core i5, 16 GB RAM, 10 GB disk and a discrete AMD or NVIDIA card (DirectX 12+) with 3 GB or more of memory.
- macOS: 10.15 Catalina to macOS 27, 64-bit. Minimum Intel, 8 GB RAM and 8 GB disk, recommended Intel or M1, 16 GB RAM and 10 GB disk.
- Linux: 64-bit Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat, CentOS, Fedora or openSUSE, standalone only. Minimum Core i3 and 8 GB RAM, recommended Core i5 and 16 GB RAM.
- Plugin: needs a photo editor that supports plugins.
Conclusion
AKVIS Noise Buster AI is good value at $55 for Home Deluxe if you want a simple desktop denoiser and don't already have one in your RAW software. The reason to buy is a low one-time price for current AI noise reduction. The main reason not to is that we found no independent test of the current version, and your editor may already do this. The 10-day trial settles it: run your noisiest photos through it.
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