Luminar vs Photon Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
Photon Library
Organize and enjoy your photos and videos with a sleek, intuitive media management app. It offers a streamlined approach to browsing, viewing, and organizing your collections with a clean interface and smart features.
- Clean, modern interface
- Smart album organization
- Calendar view
- Favorites section
- Smooth, responsive performance
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Rediscover your memories with Photon Library, a sleek, intuitive photo and video manager for iPhone and iPad. Browse, search, organize, and clean up your library in a thoughtfully designed interface built around the moments that matter. BROWSE AND RELIVE - Enjoy a clean, modern layout that keeps your photos front and center - Open any photo with a smooth zoom transition from its thumbnail - Start a slideshow from an album or a custom selection of photos - Swipe up on a photo to see details, including where it was taken on a map - Browse by date with Calendar view - Revisit your favorites anytime FIND ANYTHING, FAST - Search by place. Type “Madrid” to quickly find photos taken there - Refine results by date range, media type, screenshots, or favorites - Search album names and combine filters to narrow down exactly what you want - Keep your location data private. Place searches run entirely on your device ORGANIZE WITH EASE - Pin your most important albums to keep them close at hand - Collapse and expand album groups to reduce clutter - Filter albums by name to jump straight to what you need - Select multiple photos quickly by dragging across the grid - Add photos to albums, share them, or mark favorites with a long press RECLAIM STORAGE - Find photos and videos you may no longer need using date range and media type filters - Protect what matters by excluding favorites and items already stored in albums - Preview everything before you delete it - Review your selection and deselect anything you want to keep Photon Library is a refreshing alternative to complicated photo-management apps. Declutter your library or enjoy your memories with less friction and more control. Simplify your photo library. Download Photon Library and rediscover your memories with ease. Requires iOS 26 or later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Luminar at Free against Photon Library's $6.99. Luminar also leads on chart position (#156 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Photon Library's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12). On review sentiment, update cadence, 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; Photon Library costs $6.99 up front. Luminar sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Photon Library asks for nothing beyond the download.
Luminar ships an update every 2 weeks, Photon Library every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Luminar | Photon Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (4.5K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 41.8% of reviews — better | 41.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.5K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #156 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 642 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Skylum | LateNiteSoft S.L. |
Customer experience
Luminar
Photon Library
Bugs and requests
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)
Photon Library
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Luminar
- 1 Week2 variants$4.997 Days
- 1 Month$14.991 Month
- 6 Months$25.996 Months
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- 12Months with monthly payment$39.991 Year
- 12 Months7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- 1 Year7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Lifetime2 variants$69.99
- Lifetime Desktop$99.99
- Lifetime Access: Mobile + Desktop$179.99
Photon Library
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Luminar free?
Is Photon Library free?
Do Luminar or Photon Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Luminar or Photon Library?
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