diff --git a/monai/visualize/__init__.py b/monai/visualize/__init__.py
index cd980846b3..49a628b66f 100644
--- a/monai/visualize/__init__.py
+++ b/monai/visualize/__init__.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 from .class_activation_maps import CAM, GradCAM, GradCAMpp, ModelWithHooks, default_normalizer
+from .gradient_based import GuidedBackpropGrad, GuidedBackpropSmoothGrad, SmoothGrad, VanillaGrad
 from .img2tensorboard import add_animated_gif, make_animated_gif_summary, plot_2d_or_3d_image
 from .occlusion_sensitivity import OcclusionSensitivity
 from .utils import blend_images, matshow3d
diff --git a/monai/visualize/class_activation_maps.py b/monai/visualize/class_activation_maps.py
index 16fb64cb46..ba1f5d2589 100644
--- a/monai/visualize/class_activation_maps.py
+++ b/monai/visualize/class_activation_maps.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def __init__(
                     mod.register_backward_hook(self.backward_hook(name))
             if self.register_forward:
                 mod.register_forward_hook(self.forward_hook(name))
-        if len(_registered) != len(self.target_layers):
+        if self.target_layers and (len(_registered) != len(self.target_layers)):
             warnings.warn(f"Not all target_layers exist in the network module: targets: {self.target_layers}.")
 
     def backward_hook(self, name):
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ def __call__(self, x, class_idx=None, retain_graph=False):
             self.score.sum().backward(retain_graph=retain_graph)
             for layer in self.target_layers:
                 if layer not in self.gradients:
-                    raise RuntimeError(
+                    warnings.warn(
                         f"Backward hook for {layer} is not triggered; `requires_grad` of {layer} should be `True`."
                     )
-            grad = tuple(self.gradients[layer] for layer in self.target_layers)
+            grad = tuple(self.gradients[layer] for layer in self.target_layers if layer in self.gradients)
         if train:
             self.model.train()
         return logits, acti, grad
diff --git a/monai/visualize/gradient_based.py b/monai/visualize/gradient_based.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32b8110b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/monai/visualize/gradient_based.py
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+# Copyright (c) MONAI Consortium
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from functools import partial
+from typing import Callable
+
+import torch
+
+from monai.networks.utils import replace_modules_temp
+from monai.utils.module import optional_import
+from monai.visualize.class_activation_maps import ModelWithHooks
+
+trange, has_trange = optional_import("tqdm", name="trange")
+
+
+__all__ = ["VanillaGrad", "SmoothGrad", "GuidedBackpropGrad", "GuidedBackpropSmoothGrad"]
+
+
+class _AutoGradReLU(torch.autograd.Function):
+    @staticmethod
+    def forward(ctx, x):
+        pos_mask = (x > 0).type_as(x)
+        output = torch.mul(x, pos_mask)
+        ctx.save_for_backward(x, output)
+        return output
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def backward(ctx, grad_output):
+        x, _ = ctx.saved_tensors
+        pos_mask_1 = (x > 0).type_as(grad_output)
+        pos_mask_2 = (grad_output > 0).type_as(grad_output)
+        y = torch.mul(grad_output, pos_mask_1)
+        grad_input = torch.mul(y, pos_mask_2)
+        return grad_input
+
+
+class _GradReLU(torch.nn.Module):
+    def forward(self, x: torch.Tensor) -> torch.Tensor:
+        out: torch.Tensor = _AutoGradReLU.apply(x)
+        return out
+
+
+class VanillaGrad:
+    def __init__(self, model: torch.nn.Module) -> None:
+        if not isinstance(model, ModelWithHooks):  # Convert to model with hooks if necessary
+            self._model = ModelWithHooks(model, target_layer_names=(), register_backward=True)
+        else:
+            self._model = model
+
+    @property
+    def model(self):
+        return self._model.model
+
+    @model.setter
+    def model(self, m):
+        if not isinstance(m, ModelWithHooks):  # regular model as ModelWithHooks
+            self._model.model = m
+        else:
+            self._model = m  # replace the ModelWithHooks
+
+    def get_grad(self, x: torch.Tensor, index: torch.Tensor | int | None, retain_graph=True) -> torch.Tensor:
+        if x.shape[0] != 1:
+            raise ValueError("expect batch size of 1")
+        x.requires_grad = True
+
+        self._model(x, class_idx=index, retain_graph=retain_graph)
+        grad: torch.Tensor = x.grad.detach()
+        return grad
+
+    def __call__(self, x: torch.Tensor, index: torch.Tensor | int | None = None) -> torch.Tensor:
+        return self.get_grad(x, index)
+
+
+class SmoothGrad(VanillaGrad):
+    """
+    See also:
+        - Smilkov et al. SmoothGrad: removing noise by adding noise https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.03825
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        model: torch.nn.Module,
+        stdev_spread: float = 0.15,
+        n_samples: int = 25,
+        magnitude: bool = True,
+        verbose: bool = True,
+    ) -> None:
+        super().__init__(model)
+        self.stdev_spread = stdev_spread
+        self.n_samples = n_samples
+        self.magnitude = magnitude
+        self.range: Callable
+        if verbose and has_trange:
+            self.range = partial(trange, desc=f"Computing {self.__class__.__name__}")
+        else:
+            self.range = range
+
+    def __call__(self, x: torch.Tensor, index: torch.Tensor | int | None = None) -> torch.Tensor:
+        stdev = (self.stdev_spread * (x.max() - x.min())).item()
+        total_gradients = torch.zeros_like(x)
+        for _ in self.range(self.n_samples):
+            # create noisy image
+            noise = torch.normal(0, stdev, size=x.shape, dtype=torch.float32, device=x.device)
+            x_plus_noise = x + noise
+            x_plus_noise = x_plus_noise.detach()
+
+            # get gradient and accumulate
+            grad = self.get_grad(x_plus_noise, index)
+            total_gradients += (grad * grad) if self.magnitude else grad
+
+        # average
+        if self.magnitude:
+            total_gradients = total_gradients**0.5
+
+        return total_gradients / self.n_samples
+
+
+class GuidedBackpropGrad(VanillaGrad):
+    def __call__(self, x: torch.Tensor, index: torch.Tensor | int | None = None) -> torch.Tensor:
+        with replace_modules_temp(self.model, "relu", _GradReLU(), strict_match=False):
+            return super().__call__(x, index)
+
+
+class GuidedBackpropSmoothGrad(SmoothGrad):
+    def __call__(self, x: torch.Tensor, index: torch.Tensor | int | None = None) -> torch.Tensor:
+        with replace_modules_temp(self.model, "relu", _GradReLU(), strict_match=False):
+            return super().__call__(x, index)
diff --git a/tests/test_vis_gradbased.py b/tests/test_vis_gradbased.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7655ca661e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_vis_gradbased.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# Copyright (c) MONAI Consortium
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import unittest
+
+import torch
+from parameterized import parameterized
+
+from monai.networks.nets import DenseNet, DenseNet121, SEResNet50
+from monai.visualize import GuidedBackpropGrad, GuidedBackpropSmoothGrad, SmoothGrad, VanillaGrad
+
+DENSENET2D = DenseNet121(spatial_dims=2, in_channels=1, out_channels=3)
+DENSENET3D = DenseNet(spatial_dims=3, in_channels=1, out_channels=3, init_features=2, growth_rate=2, block_config=(6,))
+SENET2D = SEResNet50(spatial_dims=2, in_channels=3, num_classes=4)
+SENET3D = SEResNet50(spatial_dims=3, in_channels=3, num_classes=4)
+
+TESTS = []
+for type in (VanillaGrad, SmoothGrad, GuidedBackpropGrad, GuidedBackpropSmoothGrad):
+    # 2D densenet
+    TESTS.append([type, DENSENET2D, (1, 1, 48, 64), (1, 1, 48, 64)])
+    # 3D densenet
+    TESTS.append([type, DENSENET3D, (1, 1, 6, 6, 6), (1, 1, 6, 6, 6)])
+    # 2D senet
+    TESTS.append([type, SENET2D, (1, 3, 64, 64), (1, 1, 64, 64)])
+    # 3D senet
+    TESTS.append([type, SENET3D, (1, 3, 8, 8, 48), (1, 1, 8, 8, 48)])
+
+
+class TestGradientClassActivationMap(unittest.TestCase):
+    @parameterized.expand(TESTS)
+    def test_shape(self, vis_type, model, shape, expected_shape):
+        device = "cuda:0" if torch.cuda.is_available() else "cpu"
+        model.to(device)
+        model.eval()
+        vis = vis_type(model)
+        x = torch.rand(shape, device=device)
+        result = vis(x)
+        self.assertTupleEqual(result.shape, x.shape)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/test_vis_gradcam.py b/tests/test_vis_gradcam.py
index acca06d405..755f4d49ae 100644
--- a/tests/test_vis_gradcam.py
+++ b/tests/test_vis_gradcam.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ def test_ill(self):
                 x.requires_grad = False
         cam = GradCAM(nn_module=model, target_layers="class_layers.relu")
         image = torch.rand((2, 1, 48, 64))
-        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
             cam(x=image)