Luminar Neo Review 2025: Outstanding image editing with AI features

Since its release in 2022, the image editing software Luminar Neo from Skylum has enjoyed enormous popularity. As one of the first tools to provide users with extensive AI features, the software quickly built up a large fan base and established itself as a strong alternative to Adobe Lightroom and the like. We took a closer look at Luminar Neo 2025 in our test.

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Luminar Neo Review 2025: What’s behind it?

Luminar Neo 2025 is a modern image editing software that is particularly suitable for photographers looking for fast and impressive results without a complicated learning curve. The software is characterized above all by its advanced AI functions, such as the automatic adjustment of exposure, contrast and color (Auto Adjust), as well as specialized tools such as Atmosphere AI for realistic fog effects and Sky AI for replacing and adjusting the sky.

Luminar Neo works with a modular approach and offers effect-oriented tools that make creative image editing easier, even for beginners, without limiting the possibilities for professionals.

The program impresses with a clear and modern user interface and offers an enormous advantage in terms of price, especially compared to Adobe products such as Photoshop or Lightroom: Instead of an expensive monthly subscription model, you only pay once for Luminar Neo and then own the software forever.

At the same time, developer Skylum is always offering attractive deals that allow you to get Luminar Neo at a significantly lower price: Currently, the desktop-only license is available with a 75 percent discount for a new 99 euros, while the variant for multiple end devices (desktop, mobile app for iOS, Android, ChromeOS) is available for just 129 euros instead of 405 euros. One-off and without follow-up costs. Also included is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t like the software.

Intuitive user interface and easy to get started

Luminar Neo is characterized above all by its clear and customizable user interface, thanks to which even newcomers to image editing can find their way around very quickly. Nevertheless, the image editing software offers a powerful package of functions that should also satisfy professionals:

Image catalog including ratings, detailed raw editing, HDR merging, focus stacking, AI upscaling or the creation of panoramas: no problem at all. Even advanced AI features such as generative deletion or generative expansion of the image section are available.

Where Lightroom often feels overwhelming for beginners, Luminar Neo provides a smooth entry-level experience with clearly structured tools and a dashboard that makes the most important editing options immediately accessible. In addition, the workspace can be customized so that both beginners and advanced users can create their optimal working environment.

Another advantage of Luminar Neo: After loading an image, a new area opens where you can give photos a basic look with presets. The software analyzes the photo and provides a few recommendations that you can then use to refine the look.

The presets can be adjusted in terms of intensity as a percentage and provide a practical introduction before you move on to classic raw image editing in the “Develop” section.

Powerful raw and image editing with AI functions

Luminar Neo provides you with a whole range of presets that are suitable for nature shots, macro photos, portraits and many other styles. If you like, you can also significantly expand the catalog of presets via the store, but this is not really necessary.

Once you have decided on one of the countless presets, it’s time for classic image editing in the “Develop” section, which is very similar to Lightroom and the like in terms of functionality.

Here you have the familiar options to choose from, with which you can correct the exposure, add curves or carry out detailed color grading, for example. However, thanks to extensive AI-supported features, Luminar Neo goes much further.

Blurred photos, for example, can be sharpened using “Super Sharp AI”. “Upscale AI”, on the other hand, noticeably upscales low-resolution images, while “Noise-free AI” reduces image noise, resulting in a visible improvement, especially at high ISO values.

These features work extremely well in practice and deliver excellent results. The differences can be shown or undone at any time at the touch of a button if you don’t like them.

Sky replacement and atmosphere at the touch of a button

Personally, I have been using Luminar Neo almost every day for years, even though I also use Adobe Lightroom from time to time (with interruptions). Neo has two unbeatable advantages for me:

Quick edits in Luminar Neo can be realized in significantly less time than in the case of Adobe Lightroom
Luminar Neo works much more reactively than its competitor and loads noticeably faster, especially individual photos

Especially when creating thumbnails for my tests and articles, I use Luminar Neo almost exclusively, as only a few adjustments are necessary here and the finished images are ready much faster.

And with the AI functions such as sharpening or upscaling, I have the option of making complex adjustments virtually at the touch of a button.

But that’s just the beginning of the powerful AI features that Luminar Neo puts at your fingertips. The software offers innovative tools such as automatic sky replacement (Sky AI), Atmosphere AI for realistic fog and lighting mood effects and advanced portrait editing with intelligent masking.

These functions allow you to perform complex image manipulations and creative effects with just a few clicks, which would otherwise require time-consuming manual work.

While Lightroom also uses artificial intelligence in the form of Adobe Sensei, it primarily uses it to support classic tools such as automatic exposure adjustment and face recognition. For detailed effects or extensive retouching, a link to Photoshop is usually required, as Lightroom itself does not offer layer editing or complex effect control. Luminar Neo also enables working with layers, which not only allows creative combinations of images, but also supports precise and flexible editing without leaving the program.

Lightroom alternative: image management and workflow

When it comes to image management, Adobe Lightroom is slightly ahead. However, Luminar Neo deliberately keeps the organization simple: it has a functional but simpler library view without in-depth cataloging and automation. This is usually sufficient for users with smaller volumes of photos and an uncomplicated workflow.

For export and workflow, Luminar Neo offers fast and flexible options for file size, format and compression, which is ideal for web, social media and smaller print jobs.

Luminar Neo is considered to be quite performant for single image processing and requires less memory on the computer. It is therefore particularly suitable for users who want to achieve results quickly without investing in powerful hardware. However, Luminar uses a relatively large amount of RAM and CPU power due to the AI technologies, meaning that performance decreases with extensive image series.

Luminar Neo Test 2025: Conclusion

In 2025, Luminar Neo is once again an excellent and powerful image editing program that is primarily aimed at ambitious beginners, amateur photographers and creative people who want to quickly create attractive images with the help of AI-supported automation and simple operation without having to familiarize themselves with complex programs or take out an expensive subscription.

It impresses with innovative functions, a modern interface and flexible use, including the option to work as a plugin in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. The AI-supported features in particular make Luminar Neo unique and offer all the functions you could wish for.

Anyone who is looking for a powerful and versatile image editing program with professional features but beginner-friendly operation and only wants to pay for it once will find Luminar Neo an excellent option.