This information applies to all versions
DxO PhotoLab ELITE Edition and DxO PureRAW are based on the same engine and you can expect the same results for denoising and optical corrections.
If you don't have any photo editing software and are just starting with photography, DxO PhotoLab is a comprehensive solution. It offers tools for color and exposure correction, local corrections, keywords, and much more.
However, if you already have software for image editing, but you are looking for a very powerful tool for denoising and very precise optical corrections but you want to keep your current workflow, DxO PureRAW might be the better choice for you.
Users of DxO PhotoLab 6 & 7 should note that DeepPRIME XD2 and the new lens softness correction algorithm are currently only available in DxO PureRAW. In addition, batch processing with the option to shuffle the order of images and priority within a batch and custom naming conventions to each batch of images for faster identification later in your workflow are strong arguments for purchasing DxO PureRAW 4.
Please note: There are two Editions available for DxO PhotoLab, ESSENTIAL, and ELITE EDITION.
PhotoLab ESSENTIAL is a comprehensive solution on a budget. It offers tools for color and exposure correction, local corrections, keywords, and much more.
However, compared to DxO PureRAW it only offers HQ denoising rather than PRIME, DeepPRIME, or DeepPRIME XD noise reduction.
If you choose to start with DxO PhotoLab ESSENTIAL Edition, you can always upgrade to DxO PhotoLab ELITE Edition in the future in order to take advantage of PRIME, DeepPRIME and DeepPRIME XD noise correction features.
If you choose to start with DxO PureRAW and wish to have more control later on, you’d need to buy a full license for DxO PhotoLab ELITE Edition. The products are sold separately, there are no cross-upgrades available.
To compare the differences between DxO PhotoLab ESSENTIAL and ELITE EDITION from this article, please click on this link and refer to the second tab called "Compare Editions".