Luminar Neo – Skylum’s most recent AI-powered photo-editing engine – combines smart tools, intuitive design, and modular enhancements for both novices and pros alike.
Whether you’re replacing skies or fixing noise, this guide investigates what makes Luminar Neo special and how you can use it in your creative workflow.
What is Luminar Neo?
Luminar Neo is by Skylum – formerly Macphun – and was launched in February of 2022, as a successor to Luminar AI and had a new modular editing engine for faster, more flexible image processing.
It can be downloaded as stand-alone software or be used as plugins for Lightroom, Photoshop, and Apple’s Photos, and can be run on PCs and Macs.
Key Features & AI Tools
Luminar Neo comes with 30+ AI tools, which fall under several categories:
1. Essentials (Smart enhancements)
Enhance AI: a one-slider magic, it adjusts color, contrast, tone, and more.Structure AI: completes detail on a selective basis, establishing integrity in subjects – useful for landscapes.
2. Landscape
Sky AI: one-click sky replacement; automatically blends and establishes reflections and local lighting.Atmosphere AI, Sunrays, Twilight Enhancer AI, Water Enhancer AI – great for edits to help boost mood.
3. Portrait
Skin AI, Face AI, Body AI, Portrait Bokeh AI — careful portrait retouching through sliders and masking .
4. Image Quality
Supersharp AI, Noiseless AI, Upscale AI — boost clarity, eliminate noise, and enlarge to 600% with no quality reduction .
5. Generative AI
GenErase, GenSwap, GenExpand — (object removals, compositing and creative extensions) .
6. Merge Tools
HDR Merge, Panorama Stitching, Focus Stacking — complex multi-shot compositing .
Latest update (v1.24.0 – June 2025)
Skylum’s latest update adds:Auto Adjust:
One-click balanced edits through the Develop tool .
Real export menu (includes AirDrop for iOS)
Workflow and stability adjustments as well as smoother plugin/TTF management
Catalog cache clean-up for optimum catalogue performance
Catalog cache clean-up for optimum catalogue performance
Additional hotfixes and camera-support updates continue to improve application
Pros:
AI wizardry delivered quickly and efficiently with great results for sky, portrait, noise, and sharpness .
Modular engine ensures smooth performance, even when multiple tools are applied .
Easy to learn and easy to use; users have described the interface as intuitive after spending 10–15 minutes learning it .
Cons:
AI can sometimes be a little aggressive, milage varies but your best results are with a little fine tuning .
The catalog system is a little less rigid than Lightroom – it depends on external storage .
On slower computers, the application can lag outside the catalogue functionality when lots of AI tools are being applied .
Who Should Use It?
Luminar Neo is a great choice for:
Beginners — the one-click tools deliver professional quality.
Enthusiasts looking for portrait, landscape, or creative AI enhancements.
Professionals who wish to use it in conjunction with Lightroom or Photoshop as a plugin.
Users who want to maximize their tools for the lowest engagement and don’t have to pay for a subscription for every great tool.
Editor’s Workflow Suggestions
1. Start using Enhance AI then continue to use the targeted focused tools.
2. For impressive landscape scenes, use Sky AI + Twilight AI.
3. For portraits, use the Erase Tool + Skin AI for polished skin retouch.
4. Use Auto Adjust for giving quick batch edits; saves much time.
5. Clean the cache from time to time to keep the catalogs snappy.
Pricing Options
Standalone License: One Time Purchase (~$139)Single PC.
Subscription: Annual (~$79) inclusive with future Extensions and multi-wise options.
A free 30‑day trial with a money-back guarantee makes it a no-brainer.
Final Thoughts
Luminar Neo takes AI editing to the next level with an easy to use interface, it’s fast, powerful, and efficient in making complex edits easy for all to use. There are limits to traditional RAW cataloging and your network speed.
However, the strengths are apparent in the areas of changing sky, skin refinement in portraits, and reducing noise. Surely, there is much more to explore.
If you want high-quality edits in a hurry (and future AI-powered tools), Luminar Neo is an awesome option to choose. But if you’re happy to pay for Lightroom or Capture One for its cataloging tools, Neo works just as nicely as a plugins surplus.
