Luminar Neo: One of the Best Photoshop
Alternative Focused On Photo Editing

Looking for a photo editor other than Photoshop? Designed for the needs of photographers, Luminar Neo offers an award-winning intuitive editing workflow while providing many AI-powered tools to maximize your creativity.

Main points of difference

While Photoshop is a powerful and well-known app with creative artists, it’s not the only option to consider when it comes to editing your photos. Here’s what Luminar Neo does better.

Only the tools you need

Photoshop’s vast tools fulfill the needs for many different types of creatives, while Luminar Neo has been designed specifically for photographers. It doesn’t overwhelm you with a lot of unnecessary tools, helping you focus on what matters: editing photos.

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors

Innovative AI features

Luminar Neo proposes alternative ways to solve common problems of photographers. The easy-to-use AI powered tools streamline routine tasks, allowing you to focus on the fun and creative parts of photo editing. Enhance AI analyzes your photo and lets you easily make dozens of improvements with just two sliders. Sky AI seamlessly replaces the sky in one click, and Relight AI fixes backlit photos based on depth of field.

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Fast results with minimal effort

Luminar Neo helps you get better-looking photos quicker because it isn’t bogged down with a cluttered interface and complicated tools. One-click Presets, fast AI tools that replace hours of redundant editing, and the ability sync adjustments cut down the time you need to get results you envisioned.

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(3)

Intuitive way of editing

You don’t need to spend a lot of time learning the app to achieve results you’ll love. Luminar Neo’s beginner-friendly interface guides you through your editing flow — import, apply a Preset, refine with powerful editing tools, and, finally, export your photo in a breeze.

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(4)

Luminar Neo vs Photoshop: which photo
editing software is better?

Luminar Neo

Photoshop

Available on Windows and macOS

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)

AI-powered editing tools

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)

Batch editing

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)

Catalog function

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)

Designed specifically for photographers

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)

Both lifetime license and subscription model

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(5)

Luminar Neo

Photoshop

Available on Windows and macOS

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)

AI-powered editing tools

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)

Batch editing

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Catalog function
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Designed specifically for photographers
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Both lifetime license and subscription model
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(14)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(23)

An application & plugin for macOS & Windows

4.8

based on 4000+ reviews on TrustPilot about Skylum Software

Award-winning photo software

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(24) Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(25)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(26)

More than 1,000,000 users worldwide

Vast collection of creative assets for incredible results

Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(27)

Keep your workflow, expand your possibilities

Want to get all the benefits of Luminar Neo but already have an established Photoshop workflow? Great news! You can use all the power of Luminar Neo as a plugin for Photoshop without changing up your usual editing process.

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Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(29)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(30)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(31)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(32)
Luminar Neo vs Adobe Photoshop: Alternative for Photo Editors(33)

Photo editor and
Photoshop plugin.
For Windows & macOS

  • High-performance image editor
  • 24/7 technical support
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Join community of Luminar Insiders
View plans

Frequently Asked Questions

Luminar Neo vs Photoshop: which is better for beginners in photo editing?

Both Luminar Neo and Photoshop are powerful photo editing software, but they have different strengths and weaknesses. Photoshop is a more advanced software with a steep learning curve. It has a wide range of tools and features that can be overwhelming for beginners. It’s a great choice for creatives who don’t only edit photos, but are looking for vast functionality. On the other hand, Luminar Neo is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with a modern interface and a range of AI-powered tools that make it easy to enhance your photos with just a few clicks. It’s an excellent option for beginners who want to quickly improve their photos without spending a lot of time learning complex editing techniques.

I’m used to my editing workflow in Photoshop. Can I use Luminar Neo as a plugin?

Sure, you can also use Luminar Neo as a plugin to Photoshop, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.

What are the system requirements for running Photoshop vs Luminar Neo?

Read more about the system requirements for Photoshop and Luminar Neo.

How does the performance and speed of Luminar Neo compare to Photoshop?

The performance and speed of Luminar Neo and Photoshop can depend on a variety of factors such as the size of the image being edited, the complexity of the edits, the hardware specifications of the computer, and more.

Are there any unique features in Luminar Neo that can’t be found in Photoshop?

Yes, Luminar Neo has several unique features that cannot be found in Photoshop, as well as a vast collection of Presets. For example, the Atmosphere AI feature in Luminar Neo uses content-aware and depth masking to place fog, mist, or haze in the background and/or foreground of an image. This smart tool prevents the subject of your photograph (such as a person or tree) from being covered by the atmospheric effect and positions the effect in a way that maintains a realistic look. Explore the tools of Luminar Neo.

How do pricing plans differ for Luminar Neo and Photoshop?

Luminar Neo’s pricing plans are more flexible. You can buy Luminar Neo’s lifetime license as a single purchase, or subscribe with monthly or yearly plans. Choose between the Explore Plan and the Pro Plan that unlocks all the Luminar Neo Extensions that easily deliver professional results. Photoshop requires a subscription.

App Requirements

macOS

Mac Model

MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, Mac mini, early 2010 or newer

Processor

CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better

OS version

macOS 11.0 or higher.

RAM

Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

Disk space

Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

Display

1280x768 size or better

Windows

Hardware

Windows-based hardware PC with mouse or similar input device

Processor

CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better, AMD Ryzen™ 5 or better

OS version

10 version 1909 or higher (only 64-bit OS)

RAM

Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

Disk space

Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

Display

1280x768 size or better

Graphics

Open GL 3.3 or later compatible graphics card