Skylum Luminar Neo is fully embracing the subscription format and will no longer offer separate purchase options for the software starting in 2024.
In an email that contains link to a detailed FAQ document, Skylum notes that the “future changes” are coming next year and that it will also no longer offer the 2023/24 Creative Journey Passes for lifetime customers wishing to access generative technologies.
“We want to simplify the process of accessing all the latest technologies in Luminar Neo for all of our customers. The most convenient way to do that will be to purchase a Pro subscription,” the company says.
“We strongly believe that Luminar Neo users should have access to all our new features and Generative technologies to get the best experience from our software, that is why in 2024 we are simplifying our offering by focusing on the Pro subscription.”
Add-on purchases such as separate extensions and extension packs will no longer be available to purchase starting on December 26, 2023 while the Creative Journey Pass will no longer be available starting January 5, 2024. Existing Creative Journey Pass holders will get access to all the new AI features until December 31, 2024, regardless of when their pass was purchased as a sign of goodwill from Skylum.
Those who have a “lifetime pass” to Luminar Neo and all its extensions don’t fare as well, however. Anyone who wants new AI features will have to subscribe to Luminar Neo Pro. Those who have a lifetime license to Luminar Neo will receive Studio Light, Neon & Glow, and Water Enhanсer for free, but any other updates will require a subscription.
In addition to moving to a subscription model, Skylum is going to shift from its current strategy of releasing multiple individual extensions throughout the year to a model that will see two major product updates per year along with regular “minor updates” designed to address performance issues and issue bug fixes.
Skylum had one toe in the fully subscription model pool already, so jumping all the way in should hardly come as a surprise. The company joins Capture One, Pixelmator Photo, and Photo Mechanic in moving to subscription models in 2023 after Adobe created a highly profitable blueprint with Creative Cloud.
Image credits: Skylum
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