My understanding is that since Skylum completely rebuilt the editing module of the program and introduced a myriad of new tools, the upgrade was not possible due to compatibility issues. You can run both versions of Luminar simultaneously. When you install Luminar 4, it does not replace the Luminar 3 installation. It is not an upgrade to Luminar 3 but is a new application. Luminar 4 is the second generation of the program since the introduction of the digital asset management (DAM). The popularity of Luminar exploded even further when they introduced the Library module to the program, which made it a viable option not only for editing photos but also for managing and organizing large photo libraries. When Skylum released the Windows version of Luminar in 2018, it immediately became the darling of newcomers in the world of photography because of the simplicity and intuitiveness of the program compared to Lightroom and Capture One. Instead, Sklyum created a completely different experience that relied heavily on filter effects and AI-powered tools.

The program caught the attention of many photographers because it did not follow in the steps of industry leaders Lightroom and Capture One. Luminar is a photo editing program that was originally created by Skylum (formally known as MacPhun) as a Mac-only RAW editor.

Skies for luminar 4