Luminar Update 2026: Luminar Neo is now called Luminar – and what else is coming this summer and fall
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Introduction
Luminar is getting a major update, the software is being renamed – and at the same time the pricing is changing. All three are official as of today.
The question I receive most frequently on this topic comes first.
Your presets will continue to work
Nothing will change with your purchased preset collections. They will remain installed, they will remain usable, you don't need to buy anything new or migrate anything.
The format remains unchanged: My collections will continue to be delivered as .lnpc files and will be installed as before via Presets > Purchased > Add . Those who purchased them through the Skylum Marketplace will find them unchanged under Purchased and can reinstall them there at any time.
My collections are designed for Luminar on Desktop . Skylum hasn't yet announced whether preset collections will also be usable on mobile devices or in the upcoming web editor. I'll update this page as soon as there's any official information.
On my website, I've already updated all product names to the new spelling: → View all Luminar presets
Luminar Neo is now called Luminar
The "Neo" suffix is being dropped. Luminar Neo is now simply called Luminar. All products will henceforth be sold under the single Luminar brand.
If the platform needs to be named, this is the correct name:
Luminar on Desktop
Luminar on Mobile
Luminar on Web (new, launching in fall 2026).
This doesn't change anything about your installation or your license. It's the same software under a new name.
The update will be released in two phases.
Phase 1 – Summer Update, starting August 5, 2026. Free for everyone.
Phase 2 – Fall Upgrade, Autumn 2026. Part of it free, part of it paid.
In between is a pre-order window that closes on August 31st.
Phase 1: The Summer Update (August 5, free)
This is the part that affects everyone – without additional costs and without pre-ordering.
At its core is an upgraded user interface. Skylum explicitly describes it as the first stage of an ongoing improvement, not a one-time overhaul: The interface is intended to be less of an obstacle during editing.
The following items are included, as announced:
New interface design and revised navigation
Improved generative tools (GenTools)
Export up to 25% faster
Masking with approximately 33% less memory requirement
Preset previews up to 4x faster
New camera support: Panasonic Lumix DC-L10, Sony A7 V (Compressed RAW), Sony A7R VI
I've had a look at the new interface. The most visible change is a bar along the right edge with five sections: Presets, Tools, Edits, Extra and Info. Switching between presets, tools and the list of applied edits now takes one click instead of moving through several levels. Export has moved to the top right.
Extra holds the generative tools along with Upscale, Restoration and the merge functions. These were previously only reachable from the catalog view – now they're available directly while editing.
Used as a plug-in from Photoshop or Lightroom, Luminar still shows a reduced interface without catalog and crop functions. The top right button reads Apply instead of Export.
For my own workflow this is a clear improvement: moving between presets, tools and edits used to be more cumbersome than it needed to be.
One thing is still missing. I'd like to see which preset I applied to an image – including after I've edited it further. That information is still lost. For anyone working with larger preset collections, it's the feature I've been waiting for longest.
If you use my preset collections, the last point is particularly relevant for you: Faster preset previews relate precisely to the step in your workflow where you click through a collection.
Phase 2: The Fall Upgrade (Fall 2026)
It's worth taking a closer look here, because Skylum distinguishes between two groups.
Included in the paid fall upgrade:
Fog effect in Atmosphere
Composition variations in Crop
Improved Enhance AI
New AI Assistant
Web Editor (Luminar on Web)
Included in the paid autumn upgrade:
Atmosphere 2.0 – Fog
Crop 2.0 – Composition Variations
Improved Enhance AI
AI Assistant in a new version
Web Editor (Luminar on Web)
The main new feature is the web editor: Luminar can now be used in a browser for the first time. Skylum has not yet released any details about its functionality.
It's impossible to judge how well the individual tools actually work before release. Once I've worked with the finished version, I'll write about how they perform in practice.
Pricing is changing – pre-order until August 31
This is the second major change, and the more relevant one for existing customers.
For existing customers: Luminar Prime
There is no classic one-time upgrade any more. Instead there is Luminar Prime – a subscription.
Prime is for owners of a perpetual Luminar license. If you have a running Luminar subscription, you can't add Prime. For new customers, Prime is only available as part of the Max plan.
The point that will raise the most questions: Prime is a subscription, but according to Skylum every feature released while your subscription is active becomes permanently yours – even if you cancel later. You are not paying repeatedly for tools you already have; you are paying for the period in which new ones arrive.
One limitation: this applies to features, not to the asset library. Presets, LUTs, overlays and courses from the Creative Library are only available while your subscription is active.
What happens to X Membership
Skylum is discontinuing X Membership. Its asset library moves into Prime. If you want to keep access to those assets, Prime is the way; if you don't, you keep your Luminar license and every feature you paid for, but not the library. How Skylum handles existing X Memberships hasn't been communicated yet. If you have a running membership, ask Skylum support about your specific case.
What this means for my collections: some of my collections on the Skylum Marketplace are included in X Membership, marked with the corresponding icon. Those move to Prime. All others are regular one-time purchases and stay that way: bought once, yours permanently, independent of any subscription.
According to the announcement, it includes all features of the fall upgrade, access to Luminar on Web, a library of several thousand presets, LUTs, skies and overlays, and unlimited use of the generative tools while the subscription is active.
During the pre-order window, Prime costs $69 / €69 for the first year – 50% off the regular price. In Spain, Italy and Greece it is €59.
Whether that adds up depends on how often you update. If you have bought every upgrade so far, you will likely pay less. If you keep one version unchanged for years, you will not.
For new customers: three plans
Desktop Only – $129 / €129 – Luminar on Desktop only
All plattforms – $159 / €159 – desktop, mobile and web, with expanded AI capabilities and lifetime access to Luminar on Web from fall
Max – $199 / €199 – everything in Classic, plus one year of Luminar Prime, the creative asset library and more than 50 hours of photography courses
Until August 31, a launch offer of up to 50% applies across all plans. Anyone who buys by then – new or existing customer – also receives the complete fall 2026 update.
View Luminar pricing and pre-order
Use code KF10 for an additional 10% discount.
All dates at a glance
Date | What happens |
August 5, 2026 | Free interface upgrade for everyone. Pre-order and launch offer are running |
August 31, 2026 | Pre-order and launch offer end |
In autumn 2026 | Fall upgrade and Luminar on Web arrive |
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase through it, I receive a commission – the price remains the same for you. I am a Skylum Marketplace Artist. All information regarding features and prices is taken from the official Skylum announcement, dated July 31, 2026.