Comparing the Top AI Photo Editing Tools: PHAiTO, Imagen AI, Aftershoot, and Luminar Neo
If you’re a photographer, you probably know about AI photo editing tools like Imagen AI, Aftershoot, Luminar, and PHAiTO.
Why? Because it’s 2025, and if you haven’t looked into or thought about looking into AI photo editing software, you’re missing out on streamlining your business, gaining more clients, and keeping your sanity.
Higher work volumes demand faster, accurate, and efficient workflows. No matter what your subject is. The growth of AI is only picking up speed and adding more opportunities to get some help with photo culling, editing, and automation.
What do you gain? Consistency and speed, plus you get to keep creative control.
But not all AI photo editing platforms were created equal. In this blog, we’re comparing the top four and looking at features, pricing, performance, and more.
Let’s get into it.
Overview of AI Photo Editing Tools
Imagen AI
Imagen AI is one of the most well-known AI photo editing platforms, heavily marketed to wedding and portrait photographers. Its main selling point is the ability to create a Talent AI Profile that learns your personal Lightroom editing style and applies it at scale.
Imagen AI Features
Learns your editing style through sample catalogues
Batch edits thousands of images quickly
Offers pre-made profiles from well-known photographers
Lightroom integration for seamless workflow
Imagen AI Pricing
Imagen pricing is based on a per-image model, with costs adding up quickly for high-volume editors. Subscriptions can reduce per-edit costs, but lock you into monthly fees.
Pros and Cons of Imagen AI
Pros: Style consistency, trusted by many wedding pros, and an active community.
Cons: Accuracy can vary, limited creative flexibility, and there is a higher long-term cost.
Aftershoot
Aftershoot started as a photo culling tool, and that’s still where it shines. It uses AI to automatically sort through thousands of images, selecting the best shots and flagging duplicates.
Aftershoot Features
AI photo culling (sharpness, face detection, duplicate removal)
Recently added AI editing with presets
Works directly with Lightroom catalogues
Aftershoot Pricing
Aftershoot pricing is tiered, typically billed monthly or annually. The entry cost is attractive, but editing features are only available with higher-tier plans.
Pros and Cons of Aftershoot
Pros: Incredible time-saver for event photographers, intuitive interface, reliable culling.
Cons: Editing features are less developed, and community feedback notes are inconsistent.
Luminar Neo
Luminar Neo by Skylum is known for creativity and effects rather than pure workflow speed. Unlike Imagen and Aftershoot, Luminar isn’t primarily built for wedding or event photographers, but for those who want creative control with AI tools.
Luminar Features
AI sky replacement, portrait retouching, and enhancement filters
Lumina brush tools for local adjustments
Integration with wedding photography Lightroom presets and third-party plugins
Strong appeal to fine-art and editorial photographers
Luminar Pricing (Luminar 4 vs Luminar Neo)
Skylum previously released Luminar 4; Neo is their latest version with more advanced AI. Luminar pricing includes both one-time lifetime licenses and subscription options.
Pros and Cons of Luminar
Pros: Strong creative tools, one-time purchase option, and good for stylized workflows.
Cons: Slower for high-volume culling or wedding workflows, and less suited to large galleries.
Where PHAiTO Fits In
Hey, that’s us! Your friendly, neighbourhood AI photo editing tool. Though we’re the new kid on the block, nice, and have incredible customer service (we’ve got the reviews to prove it), our AI editing tool packs a major punch.
PHAiTO is a Canadian-based AI photo editing platform built by photographers, for photographers. Unlike many of our competitors, we’re not just about speed. Our AI editing platform gives you accuracy and personalization, and helps keep your creative vision intact. The platform integrates seamlessly with Lightroom and supports a wide range of editing workflows, including weddings, real estate, and branding shoots.
PHAiTO’s Features and Strengths
Lightning-fast editing: Thousands of images processed in minutes, cutting editing time by up to 90%.
High accuracy: Delivers results with up to 90% consistency to your editing style. Human-trained AI that handles tricky details like diverse skin tones, lighting challenges, and creative looks.
Personalization: With “match my look”, you can customize your profile within 30 seconds with MyPHAiTO. Just upload your preset, answer a few preference questions, and voila!
Creative flexibility: Customize your edits or choose from pre-built “Looks” designed for different photography styles.
Global, but local: Proudly Canadian with customer support that feels human, approachable, and responsive.
Future-ready: AI photo culling will launch in late 2025, making PHAiTO an all-in-one editing and workflow assistant.
PHAiTO’s Pricing
Everyone’s different, so we’ve got options.
Flexible pay-as-you-go model starting at $0.07 CAD/USD per edit
No forced subscriptions — credits can be purchased in bundles
Planned subscriptions launching in 2025 for high-volume photographers who prefer monthly options
Pros and Cons of PHAiTO
Pros: Affordable, flexible pricing; highly accurate edits; strong focus on skin tones and natural results; excellent human customer service; not locked into long-term contracts.
Cons: Still a newer platform compared to Imagen or Luminar; AI culling feature in development (coming soon).
Why PHAiTO is Different
Not us being so unbelievably unbiased…
While Imagen and Aftershoot position themselves around speed and automation, our values lie in accuracy, flexibility, creativity, and accessibility. It’s built to feel like an editing assistant, not a replacement for your creative input.
With a Canadian base, a warm brand voice, and human customer care, we’d like to think that we bring a balance of technology and heart (awwwww) that sets us apart.
Quick Comparison Table of AI Photo Editing Tools
Which AI Photo Editor Is Right For You?
Each AI photo editing tool has strengths, no matter if you’re looking at Imagen AI, Aftershoot, Luminar, or PHAiTO. We hope this blog gave you a good look into this and allows you to choose the best platform for you and your business.
And we’d be stoked if that is PHAiTO! If you’re looking for speed, accuracy, personalization, and affordability, then look no further.
See why photographers across Canada and the world choose PHAiTO. Get started with 1,000 free edits.