Luminar
Luminar (formerly Luminar Neo) is a photo editor from Skylum for Mac and Windows, with web, tablet and mobile versions. It is known for AI tools such as sky replacement, GenErase and relighting, and is sold as a one-time purchase with an optional Prime add-on.
#39 in Image & Design ToolsPhoto EditorsAI Photo EditorsNo free plan
Who it's for
Best for
Hobby photographers who want quick, dramatic edits
People leaving Adobe who want to pay once
Not for
Pros who need fast batch work and strong organizing
Buyers who want a stable, predictable upgrade plan
Features
Sky replacement
Swap a dull sky for a new one and Luminar relights the scene to match.
GenErase
Removes distractions such as wires, debris, or background objects by brushing over them.
Denoise and upscale
Clean up noise in low-light photos and enlarge images while keeping detail.
Relight
Brighten or darken the foreground and background separately based on depth.
Desktop, web and mobile
Use Luminar on Mac and Windows, in the browser, and on tablet and phone.
What users say
Pros
- Straightforward presets and seamless adjustment copying deliver polished photo edits in seconds.
- A one-time purchase can replace Lightroom or Photoshop.
Cons
- Frequent licensing shifts and upsells push one-time purchases toward an additional paid Prime subscription.
- It can be slow and laggy, even on powerful computers, especially when exporting.
- AI editing tools frequently fail to produce the clean, realistic results shown in promotional demos.
- Desktop and mobile apps require separate subscriptions, so a desktop lifetime purchase does not unlock phone or tablet editing.
A selection of the review sources we used:
Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details
Global Traffic Rank
Top 100k
Alternatives
Rank#39 in category#20 in category#21 in category#30 in category
Free planNoYesYesYes
ProEasy presets and adjustment copying deliver polished photo editsFast AI filters, photo restoration, phone editing, prompt answersQuick, all-in-one phone editing with great stickersA dependable free Photoshop stand-in that runs in the browser