Apollo vs Luminar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Apollo
Enhance your Portrait Mode photos by adding and manipulating light sources after the shot. This app reconstructs a 3D map of your image, allowing real-time adjustments to color, intensity, and distance of lights for professional-looking results.
- Add light sources to Portrait Mode photos
- Adjust light color, intensity, and distance
- Real-time 3D light and shadow rendering
- Create invisible light sources
- Edit photos after they are taken
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*** Apollo operates on Portrait Mode photos (requires iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X or NEWER). *** Apollo is the FIRST application that enables you to add light sources to your **Portrait Mode** photos, after the photo was taken! Apollo reconstructs a 3D map of your photo which you can augment with new light sources in real time. Take your portrait mode photographs from awesome to unforgettable by selecting the color, intensity, distance of a light and illuminate your photos and selfies to your heart's content. *** WARNING: Taking portrait mode photos requires iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X or NEWER. *** Apollo is the first app to use the depth data of your portrait mode photos to calculate photorealistic light and shadow. Using a proprietary processing algorithm running on your iPhone's graphics card, Apollo is able to render light sources on a portrait scene or selfie in real time. Apollo allows professional photographers and amateurs alike to try things that are not possible in the physical world. You can shape scene lighting by adding or even removing light. Since lights are computationally rendered in the scene, it is possible to put a light source within the frame: say hello to invisible lamps! The UI is optimised for use with one thumb, allowing you to always view the entire photo. One price, no in-app purchases and no subscriptions. We hope that Apollo is part of the computational photography revolution. We are doing our best but your support is crucial. Send us your feedback, ideas or bug reports on our support email. Show off your lighting chops on our social media outlets. --- Instagram: @apollo_illumination_app and share with tag: #apollo_illumination --- Facebook page: apollo.illumination --- Follow us on twitter: @Apollo_illum or share with tag: #apollo_illumination
Luminar
This app offers powerful AI-driven photo editing tools for mobile devices. It features intuitive controls, smart enhancements for skies, lighting, and skin, and a range of editing options for composition and style. Supports RAW files and integrates with Apple devices.
- AI Sky Replacement
- AI Photo Enhancement
- AI Skin Retouching
- AI Body Shaping
- RAW File Editing
- Intuitive Gesture Controls
- Photo Filters
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Luminar — Your all-in-one, on-the-go photo editor and creative companion for iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro. Explore powerful AI-driven tools and an interactive interface that responds to your touch, delivering a uniquely engaging photo editing experience. Streamlined design with unparalleled control Luminar's user-friendly design allows you to edit your photos with intuitive gestures, featuring smoothly gliding sliders and spinning dials that respond realistically to your touch with motion and sound. With Luminar, there are no complicated functions or processes. Less fuss, more creativity. Smart AI enhancements Powered by cutting-edge technology, Luminar is the revolutionary smart AI photo enhancer for your every need: - SkyAI: Seamlessly replace dull skies with brilliant ones for impressive backdrops - EnhanceAI: Effortlessly enhance photo quality with a single slide, adjusting color, tone and clarity for professional results in seconds - StructureAI: Unlock hidden details and clarity in your images, enhancing contrast and texture for striking visual impact - Light Depth: Add natural depth and dimension with AI-powered, depth-aware lighting - FaceAI: Automatically enhance face features, brighten the face and subtly refine proportions - SkinAI: Automatically retouch the skin and remove imperfections for a clean and smooth result - BodyAI: Shape a subject’s midsection in a realistic way by adding or removing volume - BokehAI: Blur backgrounds, adjust focus, customize bokeh shapes All-in-one powerhouse - Curves: Edit photos with precise color and tone adjustments, achieving the perfect balance and mood - Details: Enhance every detail with just a tap, bringing your images to life with clarity and sharpness - Crop: Easily trim, align, flip and rotate for the perfect composition, ensuring your images stand out - Landscape: Transform your landscapes with ease and enhance golden hour lighting, brighten foliage, or remove haze for breathtaking results - Monochrome: Convert your color photos to stunning black and white masterpieces, adding depth and mood to your images - Erase: Effortlessly remove distracting elements from your photos to place focus on your subjects - Photo Filters: Enjoy a diverse collection of photo effects that add a unique style to your shots - RAW File Support: Edit your RAW photos directly on your mobile, preserving maximum image quality Seamless integration with Apple devices Designed for the Apple ecosystem, Luminar makes it easy to edit photos taken on your iPhone or iPad, enhancing your editing workflow. On the iPad, you can add personal touches using the Apple Pencil for sharper details and convenient edits. Plus, discover a new immersive editing experience with Vision Pro, optimized for iPadOS and VisionOS. Luminar — Envision more Whether you're a beginner or a pro, the Luminar AI photo editor offers a range of features to suit your needs, including detail enhancement, photo retouching, color adjustment, and more. Try Luminar now and experience next-level photo editing at your fingertips. Compatibility Note: The Luminar picture editor is optimized for devices running iOS/iPadOS 17 and newer. Please note that on iPad 6-gen, certain advanced features such as Erase, Sky AI and Relight AI are not available. To access all features, you need to purchase one of the plans below: 1 Week subscription 12 Months subscription (+7 days free trial. Once the trial is over, you will be charged a yearly subscription) Lifetime license Subscriptions auto-renew at the cost of the chosen package, unless canceled 24-hours in advance prior to the end of the current period. The subscription fee is charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. You may manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://skylum.com/legal Terms of use: https://skylum.com/legal-eula
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Luminar at Free against Apollo's $2.99. Luminar also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Apollo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Luminar is free to download; Apollo costs $2.99 up front. Luminar sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Apollo asks for nothing beyond the download.
Luminar holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luminar has 4.8K ratings behind it against 447, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of Apollo's written reviews are positive against 41% of Luminar's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Apollo ships an update monthly, Luminar every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.
| Parameter | Apollo | Luminar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (447 ratings) | 4.8 (4.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.6% of reviews — better | 41.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 447 | 4.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #183 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 670 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | INDICE S.A. | Skylum |
Customer experience
Apollo
Luminar
User reviews
Apollo
From 447 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Unique lighting effects
- 🚀 Impressive depth-based editing
- 👍 Intuitive user interface
- 🎨 Ability to create dramatic photos
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with older iPhones
- 🔒 Limited to portrait mode photos only
- ⚠️ Crashes and freezes reported
- 🤔 Confusing tutorial prompts
Luminar
From 4.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful editing tools
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great AI-powered features
- 💡 Convenient mobile editing
Room to improve
- 🔒 Subscription-only model
- 🐛 Buggy and slow performance
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔙 No option to save mid-edit
Bugs and requests
Apollo
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to access full photo library
- Crashes when trying to edit certain photos
- Inconsistent performance across devices
Requested features
4 requests- Support for all photo types, not just portrait mode
- Option to save and load custom lighting presets
- Ability to control light direction and intensity
- Integration with other photo editing apps
Luminar
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and freezes
- Issues with saving and exporting
- Inaccurate AI-powered tools
Requested features
4 requests- Batch editing and presets
- Raw file support
- Masking and local adjustments
- Export options (PNG, TIFF)
In-app purchases
Apollo
No in-app purchases
Luminar
- 1 Week2 variants$4.997 Days
- 1 Month$14.991 Month
- 12 Months7 Days trial$39.991 Year
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- 1 Year7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Prime subscription$69.991 Year
- 12 Months + Prime7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- Lifetime2 variants$69.99
- Lifetime Web + Desktop$99.99









