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Luminar (formerly Luminar Neo)
AI-assisted photo editor for desktop and mobile with portrait tools such as skin smoothing, face enhancement, body sculpting and portrait background removal, usable standalone or as a Lightroom Classic and Photoshop plugin.
Visit siteRanking created by SGM Creative · How we rank
Luminar (formerly Luminar Neo) is ranked 4 of 10 retouching and AI editing software in 2026, with a score of 6.8/10 (tier Solid).
Vendor tagline: "Choose once, edit forever."
Score breakdown
| Skin retouching depth | 12/30 |
| Predictable cost | 20/25 |
| Fits a pro workflow | 15/20 |
| Try before you buy | 10/10 |
| Platforms | 6/10 |
| Kept up to date | 5/5 |
| Total | 6.8/10 |
Facts
- Vendor
- Skylum
- Price model
- mixed
- Entry price
- EUR 89 one-time (Desktop Only, sale price; list EUR 417)
- Free trial
- Yes
- Works in
- standalone, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop
- Platforms
- mac, windows, ios, android
- Founded
- 2008
- Latest update
- Luminar 1.28.0 released 2026-08-05, dropping the Neo name; 1.28.1 followed (source: https://phototrend.fr/2026/08/luminar-1-28-maj-skylum/)
Prices
- Desktop Only: 89.0 EUR / one-time
- All Platforms: 109.0 EUR / one-time
- Max (includes Luminar Prime, renews yearly): 129.0 EUR / one-time
- Desktop Only auto-upgrade: 39.0 EUR / year
- All Platforms auto-upgrade: 49.0 EUR / year
- Max renewal: 69.0 EUR / year
Reviews
- Trustpilot: 4.6 from 7090 reviews
Strengths
- Portrait tools include SkinAI, FaceAI, body sculpting and portrait background removal
- Runs as a standalone app or as a plugin for Lightroom Classic and Photoshop
- One-time licences, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans
Watch-outs
- Generative AI tools are included for 365 days; after that they need a Luminar Prime subscription
- The web version is listed as coming Fall 2026, not yet available
- The trial FAQ says the Lifetime License is charged at the end of the trial unless cancelled in the Skylum account
See the best Luminar (formerly Luminar Neo) alternatives →
Data verified on 2026-10-30. Re-assessed every two weeks. No payment can change this score. Spotted a mistake? Send a correction.
Sources
- https://skylum.com/luminar
- https://skylum.com/luminar/pricing
- https://skylum.com/luminar-trial
- https://www.trustpilot.com/review/skylum.com
- https://phototrend.fr/2026/08/luminar-1-28-maj-skylum/
- https://lartdelaphoto.fr/luminar-neo-devient-luminar-1-28/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylum
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