What is Luminar Starter? Getting Started with the Free Base Platform

Summary

Luminar Starter is the free base platform of Luminar Works. It gives you everything needed to start planning - and nothing you don't - including resource, customer, and task management, manual trip planning on the Gantt, and publishing. It is free for up to 5 resources in your first Business Unit, with no time limit and no credit card required. It is not a trial: paid modules (Smart Planning, Multi-day Planning, Size-Up) layer on top whenever your operation needs them, without restructuring what you've already configured.

Prerequisites

- None to get started - Luminar Starter requires only a valid email address and phone number to create an account.

- No credit card is required for the free tier (up to 5 resources in your first Business Unit).

- To add resources beyond 5, or to add additional Business Units, you will be charged per resource - having a payment method on the Subscription Management page is required at that point.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Create your account

Enter your name, email, and phone number. Your number is verified and an activation link is sent to your inbox, where you set your own password and sign in.

2. Set up your Business Unit

Tell the platform a little about how you operate, then choose a Business Type:

- Time-Constrained - planning is built around the time of the people doing the work; Agents are the primary resource and only service tasks can be planned.

- Capacity-Constrained - planning is built around what equipment can carry or handle; Assets are the primary resource, and all three task types (drop-off, pick-up, service) can be planned.

Your Business Unit is the home base for planning - set it up once, and add more Business Units as your operation grows.

3. Add your resources and customers

Add the Assets and/or Agents you work with, along with your Customers (and their Sites).

4. Bring in your tasks

Import tasks from a spreadsheet via CSV, create them through the REST API, or add them directly in the platform each time you're ready to plan.

5. Build your plan

Drag and drop tasks onto the Gantt until the plan fits your day. Luminar Starter plans one day at a time, and gives you full hands-on control of every trip. Constraint issues - missed time windows, exceeded capacity - are flagged clearly on the Gantt so you can adjust before publishing.

6. Publish your trips

Publishing locks a trip in for execution. Entities move through three states as you work: Planning (actively being worked on, cannot be edited), Planned (associated to a trip), and Published (confirmed and locked - only published trips are available via CSV export or the REST API).

7. Grow into paid modules when you're ready

When your operation needs more, activate paid modules directly from Subscription Management (accessed from the main menu after login):

- Smart Planning - automated trip optimisation.

- Multi-day Planning - extend the planning horizon beyond a single day.

- Size-Up - plan against multiple capacity dimensions.

Adding a module never restructures or replaces your existing configuration.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a credit card to use Luminar Starter?

No. It's free for up to 5 resources in your first Business Unit, with no credit card required.

What happens after 5 resources?

If you stay on Luminar Starter, you pay only for resources beyond the included 5. Once you subscribe to any paid module, pricing applies across your full resource count. Volume and annual billing discounts are shown on the Subscription Management page.

Do I lose my data if I downgrade?

No. Your plans and operational data stay available. Removing a paid module deactivates its capabilities, and they reactivate the moment you re-add it.

Is Luminar Starter really free, or just a trial?

Really free - it doesn't expire and stays fully functional for up to 5 resources in your first Business Unit, for as long as you like. The separate 30-day trial gives you access to paid modules up front; when it ends, Luminar Starter is simply what you keep.

When to contact support

Contact support if:

- Your activation email or phone verification does not arrive after signing up.

- Resource counts on Subscription Management don't match what you have configured.

- A trip you published is not appearing via the REST API or CSV export.

- You removed a paid module and your configuration did not restore correctly after resubscribing.

- You're unsure whether your Business Unit should be Time-Constrained or Capacity-Constrained for your operation.

Luminar Starter includes community support and self-serve help guides. Direct email support becomes available once you activate any paid module - reach out via the Helpdesk for anything not covered here.