FaceApp vs Luminar Neo

FaceApp turns phone selfies into retouched portraits with one-tap filters for makeup, hair volume, skin cleanup, and age changes. The mobile app has passed one billion downloads and bundles photorealistic face edits that used to require desktop retouching, all from a camera roll photo on iOS or Android.

Unlike general photo editors that spread tools across layers and brushes, FaceApp focuses narrowly on faces and keeps edits to a single tap. That speed makes it popular for social posts, but you trade fine control for convenience compared with Lightroom or Photoshop.

FaceApp suits casual selfie editors, social media creators, and anyone experimenting with looks before a real haircut or makeup purchase. The app is free to download, and FaceApp Pro unlocks the full filter library without watermarks through monthly or annual subscriptions billed via the App Store or Google Play.

Luminar Neo is a desktop photo editor for macOS and Windows that combines one-click AI adjustments with layer-based manual control. Sky replacement, portrait retouching, generative erase and expand, HDR merge, and noise reduction all live in one app, with optional Lightroom Classic and Photoshop plug-in support.

Where subscription editors lock you into monthly fees, Skylum sells Luminar as a perpetual license with 2 device activations. Generative AI tools and the asset library renew annually, but the core app stays yours after a single purchase, which suits photographers who edit in bursts rather than every day.

Landscape shooters, portrait photographers, and hobbyists use Luminar Neo for batch presets, RAW support across 1000+ cameras, and cross-device handoff from mobile to desktop on higher tiers. An AI Assistant suggests edits in 16 languages and opens the right tool when you ask how-to questions.