Best 7 Free Photo Slideshow Makers in 2023

Videos have become the staple of entertainment. Slides of images stacked up together don’t cut it anymore. You need the pizzazz in the form of music, effects, and a plethora of backend features to rejuvenate life into a slideshow.

There is no need for a dedicated slideshow maker when a video editor can do the job and go the extra mile. With an editor to make a slideshow, you can add music, motion, effects, animated subtitles, amongst several other things.

Let us start by looking at some of the best slideshow makers for Windows 10 and then look for other platforms along the way.

The Best 3 Free Photo Slideshow Makers for Windows

Here we have the best free slideshow makers that are Windows-specific. They are developed for the Windows platform.

FilmForth – A free Slideshow Maker for Windows 10/11

FilmForth is your friendly neighborhood’s video editor that has made video editing as easy as a walk in the park. You can find it on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and start editing videos of any significant format. Get FilmForth’s highlighted features and pros from the list below.

• Add animated text with entrance, exit, and emphasize effects. You can choose different fonts from the system or the in-built library.
• Several dozen transitions between the slideshow pictures.
• Built-in effects and filters for changing the tone of the photos bring the best out of them.
• Add music from the library (from Soundcloud) to the slideshows, add a voice-over or use a locally stored music file.

Video Tutorial: How to Make a Slideshow with FilmForth

Windows Movie Maker – For Windows 8/7 Users

Windows Movie Maker has been around for a decade before Microsoft Photos replaced it. A free video editor shipped with Windows installments, starting from ME (Media Entertainment). You can easily create slideshows on this veteran application by offering all the intermediate levels video editing features.

But it won’t be able to use on Windows 10 since 2012. Looking at the Windows Movie Maker history, you easily find Windows Photos which is available on Windows 10. Get Windows Movie Maker’s features and pros from the list below.

• Auto movie feature lets you create movies and slideshows with predefined effects, music, and transitions.
• Import photos in virtually all the known formats.
• Upload the slideshows directly to YouTube.

Microsoft Photos – For Windows 10/11 Users

Microsoft Photos was a replacement for Windows Movie Maker, with their inbuilt video editor. Powered by the modern user interface and housing the in-trend features, you can get decent mileage out of it, even as a slideshow maker. You can learn Microsoft Photo’s pros and feature from the next list.

• Storyboard timeline that makes it easy to manage your slideshow’s photos.
• Back up all your slideshows in the OneDrive cloud and never lose the data again.
• An extensive library of overlay elements that can be added to your photos.

Best 2 Photo Slideshow Makers for Mac

Moving on to the Apple ecosystem, we have one video editor and another exclusive slideshow maker, both having advanced slideshow-making abilities.

iMovie – The Best Free Slideshow Maker For Mac

iMovie is a video editor that is bundled as a free utility on Mac OS-based computers. The incredibly easy slideshow maker was released as a lighter version of Final Cut for the general public. A decade later, it went cross-platform as the iOS version of iPhone and iPad. Take a look at the iMovie’s features and pros.

• Open multiple projects simultaneously and edit them in real-time.
• Put your photos in premade templates for slideshows. They contain the music, effects, and more beforehand.
• Work on your slideshow on the Mac and go mobile with the iPhone as it supports cross-platform.

JPEGdeux – Make Slideshow for Mac Computers

JPEGdeux is another free photo slideshow maker for Mac OS. Based on the classic JPEGview, the philosophy stays the same, being fast and straightforward. Some JPEGdeux features and pros are listed below.

• Create slideshows in under a minute as all the options are given right on the single screen.
• Calibrate the image quality with a swivel button.
• Auto-scan the directories for the images and display them for the user to choose from.

Free Photos Slideshow Makers for Mobile Phone

Now let’s have a look at the best photo slideshow makers for mobile phones. We will be talking about the major operating systems, mainly Android and iOS.

Scoompa Video – Free Photos Slideshow Maker for Android

A free slideshow maker that also provides basic video editing facilities. With over 50 in-inbuilt fonts, add captions in a style that matches the overall theme of the slideshow. On top of that, they offer a library of music to embed, along with the option to import your own files.

Slideshow Creator by Animoto – Free Slideshow Maker for iOS Devices

Formerly known as Animoto, the Slideshow Creator ticks all the right boxes. The user interface feels inspired by iOS itself. For creating a free slideshow, browse the photos and import them onto the app. The free version permits up to 20 photos, which is more than enough for most of us. You can also export the slideshows.

Conclusion

Relying on PowerPoint alone for slideshows has become a thing of the past. You have yourself video editors that double as the best slideshow maker for free. On Windows, you can start with Windows Photos, but that doesn’t take you far enough. FilmForth can take it from there and provide the ultimate slideshow creation experience. Similarly, iMovie is a competent counterpart on the Mac OS.

When you move to mobiles, there are a plethora of options. However, you can place your bet on Scoompa for Android. With minimal ads, it gets the job done within a couple of minutes. On the other hand, iOS has Animoto’s very own Slideshow Creator, which feels well placed, powered by a streamlined user interface.