P
PDreamwave vs Luminar Neo
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
D
Choose Dreamwave if…
- you're in its core audience: hr and people teams, professionals and job seekers
L
Choose Luminar Neo if…
- you work on macOS, Windows, iOS
- you're in its core audience: hobbyist photographers, professional photographers
Side by side
Feature Dreamwave Luminar Neo
Pricing modelPaidPaid
Starting price——
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Data retention—Facial images stored only temporarily as needed to return results
Security and compliance—GDPR
PlatformsWebmacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Web
CategoryAI HeadshotsPhoto Editing
CompanyDreamwave AI, Inc.Shinyfields Limited · Cyprus · since 2008
Full feature lists
D Dreamwave
- Headshots generated from a single selfie
- Team-wide consistent styles like Business Formal and White Coats
- 4K print-ready output for badging
- HRIS sync with Workday, ADP, Rippling, Gusto, BambooHR
- Push photos to Slack, Outlook and Okta
- Prompt-based outfit, background and distraction edits
- Branded AI photobooth for live events
- Specialty styles for real estate and clinical staff
L Luminar Neo
- One-slider Enhance for overall image correction
- AI Assistant applies edits from text descriptions
- GenErase, GenSwap and GenExpand generative editing
- Sky replacement and relighting tools
- SkinAI and FaceAI portrait retouching
- Upscale, Supersharp and Noiseless denoise
- HDR merge, panorama stitching and focus stacking
- Plugin for Lightroom Classic and Photoshop
Their home pages
What each vendor shows first: the pitch, the plans and the sign-up.
Dreamwave · dreamwave.ai
Luminar Neo · skylum.comWhat you'd pay
The cheapest plan that fits, per month, billed yearly where the plan offers it.
Dreamwave
Company headshots$49-59 per person
Event photoboothCustom
Luminar Neo
Desktop Only$99.00 one-time (sale; regular $417.00)
All Platforms$139.00 one-time (sale; regular $477.00)
Max$159.00 one-time (sale; regular $546.00)
Price changes we've recorded
We re-read each pricing page every month and log what changed.
Dreamwave
No changes since we started tracking.
Luminar Neo
- Nov 5, 2026Desktop Only: One-time license (USD price not shown) → $99; All Platforms: One-time license (USD price not shown) → $139; Max: One-time license (USD price not shown) → $159
- Nov 5, 2026Desktop Only: £89.00 (sale, was £377.00) → One-time license (USD price not shown); All Platforms: £139.00 (sale, was £405.00) → One-time license (USD price not shown); Max: £159.00 (sale, was £464.00) → One-time license (USD price not shown); Plan dropped: Luminar Engine (business)
Strengths and limitations
Dreamwave
- Team plan includes 150 photos per person and a free redo
- 1-2 hour turnaround
- Integrates with major HRIS and workplace apps
- Says it never sells or trains on user data, and data is deletable
- No free plan
- Event photobooth pricing is quote-only
Luminar Neo
- One-time license, no mandatory subscription
- Supports raw files from 1,000+ cameras
- Works as a Lightroom Classic and Photoshop plugin
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Generative AI tools included for one year only, then require renewal
- Web version listed as coming Fall 2026
- No free trial listed on the pricing page
- Desktop requires 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)
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Facts from each vendor's public pages, prices checked Nov 5, 2026. Editorial policy