Did a high-ISO or low-light shot come out grainy and full of color speckles? Neat Image profiles the noise in your photo and filters it out while keeping edges and fine texture. It runs on its own or as a Photoshop plug-in.
Reduce noise while retaining detail
Automatic profiling finds a smooth area in the photo and measures its noise, so the filter can tell grain apart from real detail. Ready-made device profiles for a camera and ISO setting can be used instead.
Filter settings control luminance and color noise separately, and built-in sharpening restores crispness after cleanup. Pro editions process 16-bit and 32-bit images, so DSLR files and HDR work keep their full precision.
Work through the image cleanup
The standalone app walks through four steps: open the image, profile the noise, tune the filter and save the result. GPU and multi-core CPU acceleration keep processing quick.
- Batch-process a whole folder of photos with the same profile and settings.
- Adjust image options when the result needs more detailed tuning.
- Apply the cleanup to correct noise, excessive sharpness, or other visual defects.
Add filters for retouching
Lightroom users can send photos to the standalone app through Lightroom's External Editor option, and filter presets can be saved for reuse.
Pros
- Reduces photo noise while aiming to retain important details
- Includes controls for excessive sharpness and other visual defects
- Supports adding custom filters
Cons
- Photoshop plug-in is a separate product
- Heavy filtering can make skin and textures look smooth
System requirements: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11 · 64-bit only · 4 GB RAM or more · Intel x64 or AMD x64 processor · Display resolution of 1280×800 or higher
Does Neat Image work inside Photoshop?
Yes. A separate plug-in version runs in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, including the 2026 releases.
Can I use it with Lightroom?
Yes. Set the standalone app as an External Editor in Lightroom and send photos to it.
Can it process many photos at once?
Yes. Batch processing applies the same noise profile and filter settings to multiple images.