Luminar Neo is a desktop photo editor with deep AI tools for sky replacement, portrait enhancement, and landscape retouching.
Luminar Neo by Skylum is built around AI-assisted editing for photographers. Its tools analyze scenes and apply complex adjustments automatically: Sky AI swaps skies with relighting, Structure AI enhances detail without halos, Portrait AI retouches skin and eyes, and GenErase removes objects generatively. The app runs as standalone software with layer support and extensions for upscaling, noise removal, and background replacement.
Luminar Neo is sold via subscription or a one-time purchase with optional extension packs. Trials are available; some AI extensions require add-on plans.
Photographers who want fast, AI-assisted editing with more automation than Lightroom and less complexity than Photoshop.
Landscape photographers replace dull skies and rebalance exposure in one click. Portrait photographers smooth skin while keeping texture. Real estate teams batch-process interior shoots, and hobbyists restore family archives with denoise and sharpen extensions.
Apply Sky AI before other adjustments so lighting changes cascade correctly, and use the masking AI to limit portrait effects to faces.
Photographers typically import catalogs, apply AI sky and portrait adjustments globally, then use masking to fine-tune problem areas. The extension stack handles specialized jobs like upscaling and denoising, and plugin support keeps Luminar inside established Lightroom or Photoshop workflows.
No, it is paid software, though a free trial is offered for evaluation.
No public API; it is a desktop application for end users.
Its AI sky and portrait tools are class-leading; Lightroom offers broader catalog management.
Yes, a broad range of camera RAW formats is supported alongside standard formats.
Yes, Luminar Neo works as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic.
Both subscription and one-time purchase options exist; extensions may be sold separately.
Yes, layer-based composition is supported for combining multiple images.
Extensions add specialized capabilities such as upscaling, noise removal, background replacement, and focus stacking; they can be purchased separately or bundled with the subscription.