Luminar Neo vs Topaz Labs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Luminar Neo grades higher than Topaz Labs: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Luminar Neo grades higher on value for money. Topaz Labs grades higher on features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Luminar Neo
AI photo editor sold as a one-time license, from Skylum
Topaz Labs
AI upscaling and enhancement apps for photos and video
Which one is for you
Pick Luminar Neo if
- Fits if you'd rather pay once than subscribe and edit on a Mac or Windows PC
- Works for photographers who want AI edits inside Lightroom or Photoshop as a plug-in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there's no free plan or trial
- Watch out: the generative tools and AI assistant are included for 1 year, then need a Luminar Prime subscription
- Pricey if you want phone editing: Desktop Only at $89 leaves out mobile, which starts at $109
- Tight on Desktop Only, where the page says big upgrades may need extra payments
- Watch out: the crossed-out $417 price and the Black Friday banner have no end date
Pick Topaz Labs if
- Fits if you upscale photos or video often and want it rendered locally
- Works for studios that would use photo, video and web together on the one bundle
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need more than one app, as each is a separate plan and the bundle is $79 a month
- Skip it if you want to try first, because there's no free plan or trial
- Watch out: cloud video credits expire every month and don't roll over
- Watch out: commercial use is limited to orgs under $1M revenue, and full commercial rights need Pro or Studio
- Watch out: the page's structured data lists Studio monthly at $69 while the visible page shows $79
How we grade them
| 2.4GPALuminar NeoFair | 2.0GPATopaz LabsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$89 one time for 2 computers, less than a year of the $11.88 middle subscription ($142). The catch is that the generative tools run out after a year. | D$19 a month for the web image plan, but the desktop apps are $39 for Photo and $59 for Video, and the bundle is $79. The category's middle is $10 and its dearest tenth starts at $21.62. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on the pricing page. | FNo free plan or trial is listed anywhere on the pages read, so you pay from the first use. |
| Features | CSky, portrait and light tools, generative erase and expand, restoration and a plug-in mode. The generative tools and assistant lapse after 1 year without Prime. | BModels for upscaling, denoising, sharpening, frame interpolation and SDR to HDR, with unlimited local rendering on the desktop apps plus web and iPhone versions. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It's a program you install and start editing in. | BNo store rating on record. These are install-and-go desktop apps where you load a file and pick a model. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, iOS and Android, with 3 integrations. No web version yet: the page lists Luminar on Web as coming in Fall 2026. | BMac, Windows, web and iPhone, but no Android app and no API on the listing. |
| Best for | AI photo editing you buy once | upscaling photos and video on your own machine |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Luminar Neo and Topaz Labs. How we grade
Where they differ
- Luminar Neo can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Topaz Labs also covers video editing.
At a glance
| Luminar Neo | Topaz Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $89 one-time, Desktop Only (shown as 77% off $417) | $19 per month (Topaz for Web - Image) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Skylum | Topaz Labs |
| Price read from | skylum.com | topazlabs.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Luminar Neo
- The generative tools and AI Assistant are included for 1 year, then need a Luminar Prime subscription.
- The page says big upgrades may need extra payments on the Desktop Only plan.
- Luminar on Web is listed as coming in Fall 2026, so it is not counted as a platform here.
- Cross-device editing currently works one way, from mobile to desktop.
Topaz Labs
- Monthly cloud video credits expire at the end of each month and do not roll over.
- Limited commercial use covers organizations under $1M USD annual revenue; full commercial use needs Pro or Studio Pro licenses.
- Plans are per app, so using photo, video and web features together points toward the $79 Studio bundle.
- The page's structured data lists Studio monthly at $69 while the visible page shows $79.
Key features
Luminar Neo
- Generative tools
- GenErase, GenSwap and GenExpand remove, replace or extend parts of a photo using generative AI.
- AI Assistant
- Takes an edit described in plain words, applies it, recommends options and answers questions about the photo.
- Portrait and sky tools
- Face AI, Skin AI, Bokeh AI and Sky AI target portraits and landscapes with sliders rather than manual masking.
- Restoration and upscaling
- Photo restoration and an AI upscaler are listed, along with noise reduction, HDR merge and panorama stitching.
- Plug-in mode
- The desktop app works standalone or as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and Apple Photos.
Topaz Labs
- Photo enhancement models
- Topaz Photo lists Wonder, Standard Max, Dust & Scratch, Super Focus, Remove, Denoise, Sharpen and Upscale models.
- Video upscaling
- Topaz Video lists upscaling, denoising, frame interpolation, stabilization and SDR to HDR conversion models, including Starlight.
- Cloud and local rendering
- Desktop apps render locally without limit, while web and cloud work draw on monthly video credits that expire each month.
- Topaz for Web and iPhone
- Web workflows include unblur, face enhancer, background remover and colorizer, and an iOS app covers image upscaling.
- Studio bundle
- Topaz Studio covers Video, Photo, Gigapixel, the mobile app and Topaz for Web in one plan.
Plans
Luminar Neo
Desktop Only$89
one-time
Perpetual license for 2 Mac or Windows computers; the page shows $417 crossed out and a Black Friday banner with no end date.
All Platforms$109
one-time
Adds Luminar Mobile on 3 devices, cross-device editing and Spaces web galleries; crossed-out price $477.
Max$129
one-time
All Platforms plus 1 year of Luminar Prime: yearly feature upgrades and the asset library; crossed-out price $546.
Topaz Labs
Topaz for Web - Image$19
per month ($199 per year billed annually)
Unlimited cloud image rendering with the web image workflows, 32 MP export limit, limited commercial use. First year $169.
Topaz Photo$39
per month, cancel anytime
Desktop photo models with unlimited local and cloud image rendering; limited commercial use.
Topaz Video$59
per month, cancel anytime
Desktop video models with unlimited local rendering and 25 monthly cloud video credits.
Topaz for Web - Pro$59
per month ($599 per year billed annually)
Image and video workflows, 400 monthly video credits, 256 MP export, full commercial use. First year $199.
Topaz Studio$79
per month, cancel anytime
All apps, unlimited local and cloud image rendering, 300 monthly cloud video credits. Yearly $499; first year $299.
Ways to pay less
Luminar Neo
No public discounts listed.
Topaz Labs
- Other savings
Black Friday first-year annual prices
A Black Friday sale shows first-year-only annual prices: Studio $299 (regular $499), Web Image $169 (regular $199) and Web Pro $199 (regular $599). No end date is shown.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Luminar Neo or Topaz Labs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Luminar Neo starts at $89 one-time, Desktop Only (shown as 77% off $417), and Topaz Labs starts at $19 per month (Topaz for Web - Image).
Which has a free plan, Luminar Neo or Topaz Labs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Luminar Neo nor Topaz Labs has a free plan.
Which platforms do Luminar Neo and Topaz Labs run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Luminar Neo lists an Android app and only Topaz Labs lists a web app. Both list macOS, Windows and iOS apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.