There’s no doubt that a good sky can add to the beauty of a photograph. But what if you’re shooting in an area that doesn’t have very nice skies? Or what if you want to create a specific mood or feeling in your photo? In those cases, you might need to use a sky replacement app.
Luminar Neo is the best sky replacement software. It has a specific tool for replacing skies in images. Thanks to AI technology, this once-complicated task is quick and easy. It’s a two-click operation. And the software is packed with other AI tools for painless photo editing.
Testing Sky Replacement Apps
Our test image has a washed-out sky and fine detail in the background trees. The tools that couldn’t handle these issues didn’t make the cut.
Also, while it’s nice to have sky images available in the program, these are made by other photographers. But we prefer to use our own replacement skies. So we’ll let you know if this is possible in the software, using a small replacement sky image from an iPhone.
Lastly, we looked at how each tool managed file-size issues.
We’ve split the tools into software and apps. If you post-process on a computer, the software tools are for you. If you primarily photograph and edit on your mobile devices, skip to the second section for the apps.
Best Sky Replacement Software
Now we’ll look at the best sky replacement software options in more detail.
1. Skylum Luminar Neo
| Brand |
Brand
Luminar
|
| Operating System |
Operating System
macOS and Windows
|
| Payment Type |
Payment Type
12-month subscription / One-time payment
|
| Free Trial Period |
Free Trial Period
30-day money-back guarantee
|
| Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool |
Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool
Yes
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
AI enhancement and editing tools, powerline removal AI, sky replacement AI, layers, filters
|
Luminar Neo from Skylum has the best sky replacement tool of any photo editing software. And that’s down to Skylum’s use of artificial intelligence (AI).
With the power of AI, they’ve transformed complex and time-consuming tasks into quick and easy operations. And the sky replacement feature is the best example.
Previously, replacing a sky in an image was hard work. But that’s not the case with Luminar Neo. Changing a sky is as easy as clicking a few buttons. The AI does all the hard work, and it does it in record time. You can literally replace a sky in seconds.
Neo gives you a good selection of skies to choose from. The basic program gives you plenty of sky options. But you can buy additional skies if that’s not enough. Then once you’ve selected the sky you want, simply click apply. That’s it.
There’s no cutting or copying. And there are no complicated layers. The AI bot does all the heavy lifting, giving you the easiest editing experience of your life.
Luminar Neo is also packed with other advanced AI features. There are AI background removal, AI masking, and AI relight tools, just to name a few. You can read our full Luminar Neo review for a more in-depth look at the software.
Pros:
- Incredibly quick and easy to use
- Plenty of skies are included in the program
- No editing experience is required
- Natural results
- Automatically makes minor adjustments to an image so the sky matches the scene
Cons:
- Additional skies have to be purchased
2. Adobe Photoshop
| Brand |
Brand
Adobe
|
| Operating System |
Operating System
macOS and Windows
|
| Payment Type |
Payment Type
Monthly subscription
|
| Free Trial Period |
Free Trial Period
7-day trial
|
| Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool |
Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool
Yes
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Layer editing tools, wide and varied tool set, text-in-image features, brush tools
|
With just a couple of clicks, Photoshop will change your sky. If you already use Adobe products, this is the quickest way to get the job done.
The AI Sky Replacement tool does a good job masking around background details. It also blends foreground lighting and color with the new sky image.
The look is customizable. You can easily change the sky temperature, horizon blending, and foreground lighting. Both sky and foreground changes show as editable layers, and you can adjust the mask if necessary.
It masks better than Luminar AI, but it lacks creative options. If you want your sky replacement software fast and without bells and whistles, this is your program.
How to Replace a Sky With Photoshop
- Open image in Photoshop
- Select Edit > Sky Replacement
- Select a sky or click the gear to add your own
- Click OK
Pros
- Easy to use
- Customizable lighting and color adjustments
Cons
- Access by subscription
3. Landscape Pro
| Brand |
Brand
Anthropics
|
| Operating System |
Operating System
macOS and Windows
|
| Payment Type |
Payment Type
One-time payment
|
| Free Trial Period |
Free Trial Period
Two-week trial
|
| Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool |
Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool
Yes
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
AI-powered selection tools, sophisticated lighting controls , add text, logos, and watermarks to images
|
Landscape Pro isn’t just for landscape photography. It has a lot of built-in presets that you can adjust with sliders. You can add your own sky image or use one of the presets.
Along with skies, you can adjust lighting, atmosphere, and many other sky elements. You can even move individual clouds around and move the sun to paint on 3D lighting effects.
The precision of Landscape Pro relies on how well you label and mask the elements in your scene. The program helps, but you, not the AI, mask around trees and other objects.
There are a lot of effects, but use them sparingly and at a low opacity. Many are over the top at full power.
How to Replace Sky with Landscape Pro
- Open image in Landscape Pro
- Label the sky and other objects in the image
- Refine the masks
- Open the Sliders tab in the Sky panel
- Select a sky or click + to add your own
Pros
- Many lighting and atmosphere effects
- Reflects sky in water
Cons
- Manual masking
- Unrealistic and over-the-top effects
- Can be a bit sluggish
4. PhotoDirector 365
| Brand |
Brand
CyberLink
|
| Operating System |
Operating System
macOS and Windows
|
| Payment Type |
Payment Type
One-time payment
|
| Free Trial Period |
Free Trial Period
Limited usage free download
|
| Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool |
Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool
Yes
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Wide AI tool set, layer editing, guided editing for beginners
|
PhotoDirector 365 has a nice AI sky replacement with additional lighting effects. The process is almost instant. Simply click a sky, and AI instantly finds and replaces it. It’s as fast as having a magic wand.
The AI masking was a bit inconsistent. For some of the skies, the background trees showed halos. But for our target sky, there was no problem at all.
There does not seem to be a way to refine the mask. The sky and foreground color adjustments are basic.
But there are many effects like lens flares, light rays, and even some animation that make this program worth exploring. All effects render instantly.
How to Replace Sky in PhotoDirector 365
- Open image in PhotoDirector 365
- Select Sky Replacement in the Photo Effects panel
- Select a sky or click the + icon above My Templates to import your own
Pros
- One-click sky replacement
- Many lighting and animation effects
- Instant results
Cons
- Inconsistent AI masking
- Basic color blending
Best Apps with Sky Replacement Feature
We also set out to find the best sky replacement apps for smartphones.
Photo editing apps, which were once simply playgrounds for the casual photographer, now include powerful features like sky replacement.
Not many can compete with desktop photo editing software, but here are a couple of photo editing tools that try.
1. Lightleap
| Brand |
Brand
Lightricks
|
| Operating System |
Operating System
Android and iOS
|
| Payment Type |
Payment Type
Free with in-app purchases
|
| Free Trial Period |
Free Trial Period
None
|
| Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool |
Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool
Yes
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Over sixty available skies, healing tools, remove unwanted elements, targeted editing tools
|
Lightleap by Lightricks is a subscription app, but there are enough free features to whet your appetite. One of the features is sky replacement.
You cannot use your own sky photos. But there are a handful of free skies and many more if you subscribe to the app.
You simply click a sky background, and the program instantly masks and replaces the sky.
The masks worked well with lighter skies. Darker skies showed a halo around the background trees in the target image.
As the name would imply, there are other light tricks to play with, including lightning effects and shooting stars. However, results are not customizable.
How to Replace Sky with Lightleap
- Open image in Lightleap
- Select the Sky tool
- Choose a sky background
Pros
- One-click sky replacement
- Many lighting and animation effects
- Instant results
- Many freebies
Cons
- Costly subscription
- Inconsistent AI masking
- Cannot import skies
- Results are not customizable
2. PICNIC
| Brand |
Brand
ESTsoft Corp.
|
| Operating System |
Operating System
Android and iOS
|
| Payment Type |
Payment Type
Free
|
| Free Trial Period |
Free Trial Period
None
|
| Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool |
Dedicated Sky Replacement Tool
Yes
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Wide variety of skies, import own skies, easy controls, fast editing
|
All Picnic does is change skies. One click instantly masks the sky and colorizes the foreground to match. The masking works well with light and dark skies.
You cannot use your own skies, and there are not as many choices as Lightleap.
There are only two adjustments, one for the sky background and the other for the foreground.
But the app is free and fast. If all you want is a quick sky replacement, this is a good choice.
How to Replace Sky with Picnic
- Open image in Picnic
- Select sky background
Pros
- Free
- Fast
- Consistently good masking
Cons
- Limited sky selections
- Few customizations
Conclusion—Best Sky Replacement Tool
Replacing a sky in an image used to be a painful process. Even with the best editing software, it was a difficult and time-consuming procedure. But software has changed. And now replacing a sky couldn’t be easier.
Luminar Neo is by far the best sky replacement software. AI technology allows you to change a sky and transform an image in a matter of seconds. You can’t make the processes any quicker or easier. And the Neo program is also packed with other advanced editing tools.
