Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editor that automates complex retouching tasks like sky replacement, portrait enhancement, and background removal with minimal manual effort.
Review
Luminar Neo commits entirely to getting a good-looking result without spending time on it. Sky replacement, background swaps and object removal all run in one click. At the stage where you want results before learning RAW development properly, it gets you somewhere faster than Lightroom.
The caveat is the same thing: the AI is strong. Stack the automatic operations and the result drifts toward looking artificial, so restraint becomes part of using it. It is not built for professional work that depends on precise manual control — what it is good at is producing a reasonably striking image quickly, not refining details.
Pricing leans on one-time purchase: a perpetual Desktop licence at $119, Cross-device at $149, and Max with everything at $179. If you prefer a subscription, Pro is $119/year. It also runs as a Lightroom or Photoshop plugin, which makes the obvious combination easy: develop in Lightroom, hand off to Luminar for the sky. Not being locked into a subscription matters if you would rather buy once. The AI processing is demanding and gets sluggish on older machines, so use the 7-day trial to check your own hardware first.
- AI-powered tools make complex edits like sky replacement one-click simple
- Generative AI features for background replacement and object removal
- Works as standalone app or plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop
- Perpetual license available — no forced subscription
- Great for beginners and enthusiasts who want fast, impressive results
- AI tools can look artificial if overused — subtle application is key
- Less suitable for professional photographers who need precise manual control
- Performance can be slow on older hardware due to AI processing demands
| Free tier | ✓ Free tier |
| Pricing model | subscription+one-time |
| Price (永続（Desktop）) | $119 USD |
| Features | |
| Languages | en, ja |
| API | ✗ Not available |
| Pricing Plans | 無料トライアル$07日間 Pro サブスク$119/年 永続 Desktop$119買い切り 永続 Cross-device$149買い切り、複数デバイス 永続 Max$179買い切り、全機能 |
| Homepage | https://skylum.com/luminar-neo |
