Luminar Neo Review (2023): Is It the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread?

In this comprehensive Luminar Neo review, I will give you my thoughts on the first few months of using this photo editing software. You’ll learn about the pros and cons, what Luminar Neo does well, what it’s still missing, who I think it’s for (and not for), and more!

It’s broken down into chunks and you can click any of the headings below to jump to that section. But I recommend reading my entire evaluation, especially if you’re still on the fence, or have questions. I’ve tried to answer anything and everything so this is a thorough Luminar Neo review and FAQ resource for you. This review is up to date as of March 28, 2023.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase Luminar Neo using a link on this page, I earn a small commission. There is no increase in the price for you.

If you prefer to watch a video review instead of reading all this – click play on the video below now and use the text and images here as a reference when you’re done watching.

What is Luminar Neo?

Luminar Neo is the current generation (as of the time of writing this review) of photo editing software created by the folks at Skylum. Previous versions include Luminar AI, Luminar 4, and Luminar Flex.

Luminar Neo is a complete solution with a full raw photo editing workflow as stand-alone software, OR you can use it as a plugin for Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, or Apple Photos and incorporate it into your existing workflow.

Minimum and recommended computer specs

As with every photo editing software, there are minimum computer requirements for running Luminar Neo, and recommended specs for best performance.

Minimum requirements Mac

Minimum requirements Windows

Why Luminar Neo is a big part of my workflow!

Unless you’ve been living off the grid or under a rock for the last year, you’ve likely already heard about Luminar Neo. But you may be wondering or asking yourself what it does and whether or not you need it.

Let me answer that in three parts by outlining how I rate it and why I use it, who I think this software is for, and who it’s not for, so you can determine where you fit in this equation.

When I first tried Luminar in 2017, Skylum was still called MacPhun and was only for Mac. I didn’t expect to like Luminar as much as I did though.

I’ve been using Lightroom since it was released by Adobe in 2007, and Photoshop a lot longer than that even (back to 1996). So I was pretty engrained in the Adobe way of doing things and my workflow was set.

BUT . . . I didn’t know what I was missing!

This is why I use Luminar Neo

Since that first taste of the software, I was hooked.

I have used, and reviewed, every iteration of it and Luminar Neo is now a HUGE and permanent part of my current photo editing workflow. This Luminar Neo review would not be complete without me explaining why I use it and like it so much:

Why I Like Luminar Neo so Much

• It’s super fun to use.
• Luminar Neo is really user-friendly (way more so than Adobe software).
• It can add finishing touches to images quickly with a few clicks or sliders that previously took a lot longer in Photoshop.
• Adding a bit of style is also faster and easier with Luminar Neo than with Photoshop.
• It handles tasks that Lightroom can’t (so you don’t need to go to Photoshop) such as:
  • Doing a sky replacement
  • Adding a texture or bokeh overlay
  • Single image faux HDR
• In my opinion, Luminar Neo can even do some things better than Photoshop (like sky replacement, which I rate highly – more on that below).
• Luminar Neo allows me to focus more on creativity and style than software technique and skills.
• It HELPS me create looks for images that I never would have considered or imagined, again enhancing creativity.
• The end result is that I am more inspired and happier with my finished images!

Even a DigitalCameraWorld review says “some of Luminar Neo’s AI tools are quite remarkable.”

Luminar Neo IS for you IF:

Now that you know why I use Luminar Neo, let’s take a closer look and evaluate whether or not it is for you. I HIGHLY recommend you get and use Luminar Neo if you can relate to any of the following:

• You are not currently editing your images but you want to and have no idea where to begin.
• You find Lightroom and Photoshop too complicated to learn and use.
• You have an older version of Lightroom or Photoshop and don’t want to pay Adobe monthly to update them – but you know you’re missing out on new tools and technology.
• You want to upgrade from Apple Photos or Windows Photo Editor.
• You primarily use Lightroom Classic and you want to do more advanced things with editing but Photoshop baffles you.
• You want to speed up your existing workflow which includes using Lightroom and Photoshop.
• You like to keep photo edits simple so you can spend less than five minutes on an image.
• You want to spend more time doing photography and less time editing.
• You want to make images that pop and wow your friends and family.
• You already have Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz, and a few other plugins (meaning you see the value in each of them).

If you still aren’t sure about it, keep reading this review to see if you fit into the category below.

Luminar Neo is NOT for you IF:

Here’s my honest assessment – I truly believe that Luminar Neo is for just about any photographer with a small list of exceptions. So if you fit any of the following, I’d recommend that you NOT get Luminar Neo.

You have an outdated and slow computer

Do you have a really old computer that either doesn’t have the minimum requirements or it has JUST the bare minimum? In this case, Luminar Neo may run really slowly and be frustrating, but then again so will Lightroom, Photoshop, ON1 Photo Raw, or any other photo editing software.

If this is your situation, I’d suggest upgrading your computer before attempting any photo editing.

You are a highly experienced Photoshop user

If you are a Photoshop expert, meaning you regularly do advanced things like creating composite images, using tools like Liquify, you do frequency separation skin editing, luminosity blending using layers and masking, creating and running your own actions, making complex selections, head swaps, HDR, and more – then you likely do not need Luminar Neo.

If you can do things as seen in the images above and below using Photoshop (sky replacement including a reflection, adding extra objects as layers, adding a LUT) then you may not need Luminar Neo.

BUT – how fast can you do it? Can Neo make it faster and easier??

NOTE: However, even if you do fall into this category – I would still recommend that you at least try Luminar Neo to see if it can help you do any of your complex edits faster. That is why it is a big part of my own workflow that does also include both Lightroom and Photoshop.

You are a photography purest

If you do not want to do any photo editing at all then you don’t need Luminar Neo. But then again if that were the case, you likely wouldn’t even be reading this, right?

But if you are a true photography purest and believe that real photographers should never edit or manipulate their photos in any way, then Luminar Neo is not for you.

NOTE: However, if you don’t currently edit your photos because you find editing software overwhelming, too hard, too confusing, and hard to learn – then I would recommend you take a look at Luminar Neo!

The bottom line is that unless your computer can’t handle the software, you are a super editing expert (way beyond my own skillset), or you haven’t the slightest bit of interest in editing your photos – then I recommend you use Luminar Neo!

Luminar Neo Pros and Cons

Having said all that, if you’re still with me, in this part of my Luminar Neo review we will take a closer look at what it actually does and how it performs. Keep in mind that Luminar Neo can be used as a stand-alone editor or as a plugin. If you do the latter, it looks and functions a little bit differently.

What Luminar Neo does really well – PROS

As I mentioned in my assessment above, there are lots of things to like about Luminar Neo and it does a lot of things really well. The following is a small list of the stuff that I think it excels at:

• It’s easy to add images and get going.
• Presets make it simple to do a one-click edit and call it a day.
• At the same time, the tools are available for more advanced options like layers, local adjustments, sky replacements, and more.
• Tons of Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes it a really powerful tool.
• The tools are sorted in a logical manner – basic tools at the top (do those first), then creative and advanced tools further down (do those later) – this is very useful for beginners!
• The portrait editing tools rock – I’ve tried many so-called automated and AI portrait tools and in my opinion, Luminar Neo’s are the best (also super easy to use). I rate this set of tools as top-notch!

• You can do you – meaning whether you prefer a natural look for your editing or one that’s more over the top – you can do either with Luminar Neo.
• It has layers so you can combine images to make composites, or add an overlay.
• It’s super easy to replace the sky or remove a portrait background.
• It does sharpening and noise reduction really well (rating a very close second to Topaz software).
• It has some unique tools that aren’t in any other software that I’ve tried (Super Contrast and Color Harmony to name two) – and they are fast becoming some of my favorite go-to’s.
• Luminar Neo does complete NON-destructive editing – meaning, you can’t ruin your original photos, ever!
• It’s easy to create your own looks and save them as a preset to use on other images.

I could continue to add many more pros to the list above, but I’ll stop there. You have probably already gotten the idea from this Luminar Neo review – I am a fan of it! In fact, I am also a Skylum ambassador – that’s how highly I rate it and how much I like it!

What are its shortcomings – CONS

As with any software, there are always a few cons or shortcomings to go along with the good stuff. But how big of a deal are they for Luminar Neo and are they a deal breaker for you? In this part of the review we’ll discuss and then you be the judge.

At the time of writing this Luminar Neo review, the cons as I see them include:

• The lack of a fully functioning UNDO feature. This is necessary and we’re told it’s coming soon.
• The program can be slow to respond at times.
• Exporting multiple images at one time is slow.
• There is no ability to edit the metadata of your images (such as adding copyright information, a caption, or GPS coordinates).

• You cannot batch rename your images.
• There isn’t currently a text tool to add text overlays to your images.
• Some of the tools are still in development and still need more work (the clone tool is still coming soon, and the new Noiseless extension has room for improvement.

• AI masking needs some work yet (see image above) – a better way to refine the edge or auto-find edges would be really useful.
• You cannot copy and paste a mask from one layer to another. This is a biggie for me.
• The vignette tool doesn’t do true post-crop vignetting. Meaning if you crop your image the vignette size still matches the original image.
• When using a radial or gradient mask you can’t go back and alter it or reposition it. You have to undo the mask and start over.

One thing to keep in mind though is that many of the cons listed above will not be an issue for you if you are using Luminar Neo as a plugin for Lightroom or Photoshop (which can do those things). There are also workarounds for a few things (not ideal I know).

So all you’d really miss or have any issues with is the lack of an undo function and the working speed of the software. But in my evaluation, the benefits or pros mentioned above, far outweigh those issues.

FAQs about Luminar Neo and Skylum

One question I get quite often about deciding to purchase Luminar Neo is about the stability of Skylum as a company due to them being based in Ukraine. What will happen if the Skylum company closes? This section of my Luminar Neo review is about the future of the company and software.

The situation in Ukraine and Skylum

Well, I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that I do NOT believe there is anything to be worried about in that regard. Skylum is a very stable company that’s been around since 2009 (as Macphun) and they aren’t going anywhere.

As a Skylum partner and ambassador, I attend monthly Zoom meetings with their team that quite often will include one or two of the directors of the company. I am in direct contact with several other team members on a weekly basis getting updates about the products and I know that most of the team members have either left Ukraine or are in a remote area where it is safe.

If you want to know more about the situation and how Skylum is handling it CLICK HERE or you can read the Skylum team’s war stories and see how they are managing.

Listen to an interview with Skylum CEO Ivan Kutanin and Communications Head Anna Koval.

If you want to help the people in Ukraine, you can do so by purchasing Luminar Neo and supporting Skylum and its employees. You can also help by contributing to Valid Ukraine, a foundation set up by Skylum to help the people of the country.

What about the future of Luminar Neo?

Where is Luminar Neo going in the future? Will Skylum pull the plug on it and introduce another new Luminar in 2023? Those are all great questions! Unfortunately, I do not have all the answers but I will tell you what I do know and what I believe.

First, in my judgment, I believe Luminar Neo is here to stay.

I know they’ve said that about other versions of Luminar in the past and then changed the roadmap, but this time I think it’ll stick. Skylum has invested a lot of time and effort into Neo and I only see it expanding and growing in the future.

Personally, I’ve been interviewed by the development team three times during the making of Luminar Neo.

They took all my feedback onboard as well as the many others who were interviewed. I also sent them images to help train the Artificial Intelligence (they wanted horribly dust spotted images so I sent them about 100 really bad ones). So they are really involving their partners in the development of Luminar Neo.

Luminar Neo Roadmap

What features are still coming and what’s been promised? What’s on the roadmap? What are Luminar Neo extensions and how do they come into play?

What you see above is the only published roadmap for Luminar Neo that is available, so here is a short list of what we know is coming soon:

• Clone & Stamp has just been released (while I was in the video) with version 1.4.0.
• Undo and Redo have also been promised.
• A catalog migration tool is supposed to be coming for Luminar AI by October 2022, and for Luminar 4 by the end of the year.
• The ability to merge layers will be added.
• LUTs will be able to be previewed by hovering over them.
• Each new minor release includes bug fixes as well as speed and performance improvements.
• Skylum is committed to continually improving upon the software and its functions.

What are Luminar Neo Extensions?

Extensions are additional pro functions that you can choose to add to Luminar Neo. Again, this is where it gets a little confusing – you can either buy the entire set of seven extensions or get an annual subscription for Luminar Neo Pro which includes them all.

The pro extensions that have already been released are:

• HDR Merge
• Noiseless AI
• Focus Stacking AI
• Upscale AI
• Sharpen AI
• Magic Light AI
• Background AI (background removal)

There is an HDR Merge review on my YouTube channel, and in my review, I came to conclude it was a spectacular addition to the software. I went on to rate it two thumbs up.

Noiseless AI is an extra punch for noise reduction. I’ve tested it against Topaz Denoise and it performs very well – they are very comparable.

Background AI (to remove the background on any subject, not just portraits) and Upscale AI (for increasing the resolution of small or cropped images). These were delivered in November 2022.

Focus Stacking AI allows you to combine multiple images to extend the depth of field and focus in your images. It’s most applicable to macro and landscape photography. I have tested this one and it works really well also. I predicted this one correctly!

SuperSharp AI (I also had predicted a sharpening extension) is designed to go head-to-head with Topaz but at this point, it’s just not there yet. Topaz still has the edge on the sharpening feature.

Magic Light AI is the final extension that is currently available. What this one does is adds an effect to light sources where you can make them into a twinkly starburst or more of a glow. This is one you have to see in action to understand. I did an overview of it on YouTube as well.

I did an overview and review of the first six extensions, you can watch it here:

There will be more coming in 2023 but they haven’t been announced yet so we can only speculate as to what they might include. This is what I’d love to see:

• Merge to panorama
• Star stacking for making star trails
• Liquify or something similar
• Luminosity masking

Do you agree? Did I miss anything? Add a comment below and tell me what extensions you’d like to be added.

Luminar Neo Pricing

The pricing for Luminar Neo is a bit complicated now because you have the choice to either buy it outright (lifetime license on that version) or go with the subscription plan (you’ll always have the current version). On top of that are also options for getting the extensions if you so choose.

So I’m going to break it down into three different categories to simplify it for you. Simply choose the option below that describes you, then click to expand that section and you’ll see only the prices that are applicable to you.

NOTE: All prices listed below are in USD$. If you live in another country the price will be converted to your currency when you add it to your shopping cart on the Skylum site.

Pricing if you already own a version of Luminar

1. Buy Luminar Neo with a lifetime license – $149 
2. Buy the full extension pack for $299 
3. Get an annual subscription (it includes all the extensions) – $99 (Pro is $119)
4. Monthly subscription price – $9.99/month (Pro $14.95) so getting an annual plan is a better deal than paying one month at a time.

There is a discount if you upgrade from Luminar AI to Luminar Neo. Make sure you log into your Skylum account to access the special pricing.

How hard is it to learn?

One of the reasons I recommend Luminar Neo for total beginners is because it is so easy to learn how to use. It does not have the same extra steep learning curve that both Lightroom and Photoshop both require.

From my analysis of Luminar Neo and evaluation of it since it was released, I personally find the program very intuitive and user-friendly. It guides you through using presets and will even suggest some for you for a quick edit. Then if you want to do more you can go deeper and learn how to use each of the tools.

But you aren’t all alone on this journey!

Of course, there are plenty of YouTube channels with Luminar Neo tutorials and guides, etc., done by other photographers who are familiar with the software. The tutorials are usually on random tools or how to do one particular technique. But they’re published sporadically, and often with very little direction (not start to finish).

You can search and find what you’re looking for but few (if any) have a logical order to help you get started easily. The advantage, however, is that they are free. You can find free videos on Luminar Neo on my YouTube channel as well.

If you have now read through this Luminar Neo review and decided that it’s right for you, then I would be happy to guide you on this path.

I have created a full course on how to use Luminar Neo from start to finish, with step-by-step instructions.

You’ll learn from one instructor with over 30 years of photo editing experience (me), holding you by the hand as you learn how to use Luminar Neo. It’s designed for the complete newbie, but extensive enough that even seasoned editors will get a lot out of it as well.

Plus, if you DO use Lightroom or Photoshop, I show you how to work Luminar Neo into your workflow to add finishing touches that used to take multiple steps, but can now be done in virtually a single click and a slight adjustment.

This course is designed to help you get up to speed using Luminar Neo making images you’re proud of as soon as possible. Many students have given it a review of it and they’re all positive.

If you’ve been a regular visitor here on Digital Photo Mentor for a while (or on our YouTube channel), then you’re probably familiar with my teaching style. But if you want to see what the course looks like we’ve opened up the first two lessons for you to check out for free.

Conclusion

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! It is my hope that this Luminar Neo review has helped you make a decision on whether or not to add it to your digital workflow. If you DO choose to buy Luminar Neo, remember to use my discount code DPM-NEO (*affiliate link) to save money when you checkout.

Overall, I rate Luminar Neo 4 out of 5 stars.

Yes, there are a few things that bug me about it, but in the bigger picture it does what I want it to do and it does it well. I’m excited to see where Skylum takes it and I’m in for the long haul.

If you have any questions about Luminar Neo or my course on it – just pop them into the comment area below and I’ll try to help you answer them.

Do you already own Luminar Neo and use it yourself? If so, what rating do you give it? I want to hear from you, tell me your thoughts in the comments below.

Cheers,