PolyMedium vs Luma Genie: Image-Led vs Text-Led AI 3D
Updated August 30, 2026 · Published August 29, 2026
Luma Genie generates 3D from text prompts inside Luma's ecosystem. PolyMedium is image-first: upload a reference, and it works out what the subject is and prices by it. Worth knowing before you compare: Luma's public focus has shifted heavily to video, and its own pricing page no longer mentions 3D generation at all.
Feature comparison
| Feature | PolyMedium | Luma Genie |
|---|---|---|
| Image-to-3D | Yes, the primary input | Limited; Genie is text-led |
| PBR textures | Yes | Yes |
| Quality upgrade | Yes, on a finished model, from $0.50 | No |
| Game-engine focus | Yes: GLB presets, engine import guides | General |
| Billing | Per model, $0.25 to $3.00, no subscription | Luma credit plans from $30/mo; 3D not listed on the pricing page |
| Vendor focus | 3D asset generation is the whole product | Luma's flagship products are video and image models |
PolyMedium pros
- • Image input is first-class: a photo or concept art beats describing the same thing in words when a reference exists
- • Per-model pricing with a $3.00 free start, against $30/month for Luma's entry plan
- • 3D is the entire product, not a legacy corner of a video company
Trade-offs
- • No text-to-3D: PolyMedium needs a reference image, so prompt-only ideation isn't supported
- • If your team already pays for a Luma plan for video work, Genie's marginal cost to you is just credits you already have
Verdict
PolyMedium if you have reference images and want game-ready models at per-model prices. Luma Genie if you work prompt-only and already live inside Luma's ecosystem.
The structural difference behind every row above: most tools on this page sell you one engine. PolyMedium tested 41 engines and routes each upload to whichever wins on that subject — including, at some tiers, engines from the companies it is compared against.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, PolyMedium or Luma Genie?
PolyMedium for anyone not already paying Luma: objects and drawings are $0.25 per model and characters are $0.50 to $3.00, with a $3.00 free starter balance and no subscription. Luma sells credit subscriptions across its products: Plus at $30/month, Pro at $90/month, Ultra at $300/month (lumalabs.ai/pricing, checked 2026-08-30). Notably, that pricing page does not mention 3D generation among its listed capabilities.
Is Luma Genie still supported?
Genie remains accessible, but Luma's public emphasis in 2026 is its video models, and 3D generation is absent from the company's own pricing page (lumalabs.ai/pricing, checked 2026-08-30). If you are betting a pipeline on a 3D tool, the vendor's level of investment in 3D is worth weighing. PolyMedium does one thing: images into 3D assets.
Text prompt or reference image: which gives better 3D?
If a reference exists, use it. An image pins down proportions, materials, and details that a text prompt describes only approximately, and PolyMedium's scan-faithful pipeline reproduces what the image shows. Text-to-3D is the right tool when the thing doesn't exist yet and you have no art for it; that workflow is Genie's, not PolyMedium's.