The 5 Best Slideshow Makers for 2024

A slideshow is a wonderful way to build a story around a concept—whether it’s a professional business presentation or a customer testimonial slideshow.

Just as it sounds, a slideshow maker combines photos, slides, and videos into a single slideshow, which you can customize with text, effects, sounds, and transitions. Considering that 65% of humans are visual learners, slideshows can lead to increased attention and greater audience engagement compared to simple reading.

After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. And a slideshow is even better.

To get the most out of your slideshow, you need a slideshow maker that’s powerful and easy to use. With hundreds of available programs, determining which one is worth using can be tough. We’ve compiled a list of the best slideshow software that can help you create professional-looking presentations in just a few minutes.

• Movavi Slideshow Maker
• SmartSHOW 3D
• NCH PhotoStage Slideshow Software
• Wondershare Filmora
• Icecream Slideshow Maker

Movavi Slideshow Maker

Movavi Slideshow Maker is a multimedia software program that allows you to create customized slideshows on Microsoft Windows or MacOS. It comes equipped with hundreds of transitions, visual effects, and filters that can make your slideshow stand out while keeping things entertaining. You can even use voice-over to add your own enthusiasm to the story.

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Movavi’s intuitive interface makes it easy to create slideshows in three steps. How? Select Slideshow Wizard from the start-up menu, add your files, and the software will create a slideshow using a pre-designed template of your choice. If you prefer to take full control over the creative process, choose Manual Mode. While it is somewhat more time-consuming, this option allows you to personalize your slideshow with full editorial control.

Who is it for? Both independent workers and businesses looking to stand out with professional-looking presentations, pitch decks, and more. Newcomers can get a head start by using the quick mode to access ready-made templates, while advanced users can design their slideshow from scratch using manual mode.

Key features

• Provides professional slideshow tools
• Compatible with both MacOS and Microsoft Windows
• Easy to use with two editing modes: quick mode with Slideshow Wizard and manual mode with full control over slideshow making
• Offers 105+ transitions and 165+ visual effects and filters
• Supports 14 languages
• No watermarks
• Ready-to-use slideshow templates available
• Wide range of file types supported
• 24 built-in sounds for free use
• Royalty-free music available

SmartSHOW 3D

SmartSHOW 3D is another platform designed to help you create animated slideshows for multiple business purposes, from demonstrating your experience to reaching out to collaborators.

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With a wide range of templates, 3D effects, and music tracks available, SmartSHOW 3D makes creating inventive and fun 3D collages easy. The software also offers powerful tools for producing slideshows with multiple layers where every element moves and rotates in three dimensions.

If you don’t have the time to create a slideshow from scratch, SmartSHOW 3D gives you the ability to quickly craft a slideshow using one of the 200+ professional templates from the library.

Not an expert? That’s all right. Video tutorials are available to help you master the software’s most professional editing functions. Even if you’re a beginner, you’re likely to find SmartSHOW 3D intuitive and easy to use.

Key features

• Built-in video and music library with 200+ music tracks available
• Convert slideshow projects to HD video in MP4, AVI, 3GP, etc.
• Multiple transition effects
• 700+ templates and effects designed by professionals
• 500+ animation effects applied with drag and drop
• 3D effects for photos and captions
• Histogram and audio points for volume adjustment
• Able to burn slideshows to DVD

NCH PhotoStage Slideshow Software

NCH PhotoStage Slideshow Software is an all-in-one slideshow creator that helps you create, edit, and share photo slideshows, even for professional purposes.

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This versatile program has a wide range of transitions, photo touch-up tools, and audio optimization. If you want to give your slideshows an entertaining touch, the tool also lets you add pre-recorded narrations and background music along with your presentation.

The simple and well-structured user interface helps you achieve great results in just a few minutes. That said, the software also makes it easy to share slideshows with others through Android and iPhone devices or directly through YouTube, Vimeo, and Flickr.

Both casual users and slideshow-making newcomers will find that this software provides an intuitive user experience with nifty organization tools.

Key features

• Complete photo optimization
• Easy to navigate
• Allows import of pre-recorded narrations
• Ability to share files on social media through Vimeo, YouTube, and Flickr
• Includes royalty-free sound effects and music tracks
• Supports 4K and full HD (720p, 1080p, etc.)
• Burns slideshows to DVD

Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is video editing software that offers powerful tools to help you create professional-looking video slideshows.

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The software offers advanced and modern features you’d expect in high-level video editing tools, including motion tracking, green screen, auto reframe, and audio ducking. This software offers multiple smart templates and media to use in your video clips, along with a built-in effects library that’s refreshed with new additions every month.

The program is available on both Microsoft Windows and MacOS. FilmoraGo also offers a mobile version of the video editor for Android and iOS devices.

For all of its features, this video editor is still as intuitive and easy to use as anything on the list. Wondershare Filmora might be the right video editor for you if you’re looking for advanced customization features on top of the basic editing and trimming functions.

The good news is that the tool doesn’t require any technical editing experience, making it well suited for both beginners and advanced users.

Key features

• Free library of smart templates, royalty-free stock media, and sound effects
• Silence detection and audio ducking
• Easy editing tools with no technical experience required
• Changing backgrounds and special effects
• Easy import and export of files
• Portrait plug-in to remove background, with 70+ AI sticker effects
• Resize videos automatically with auto reframe
• Speed ramping, masking, and auto beat sync, among other useful tools
• Multiple output formats: WMV, MP4, AVI, MOV, F4V, MKV, TS, 3GP, MPEG-2, WEBM, GIF, and MP3

Icecream Slideshow Maker

Icecream Slideshow Maker is a software program dedicated to creating slideshows out of images. It has all the characteristics of other top-of-the-line products on this list, including a user-friendly interface, online support, and a wide range of transitions. It has a free version and a professional version with some additional features, both for use with Microsoft Windows.

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Tech-savvy or not, you’ll be able to create simple slideshows from your photos within a few minutes. You can add transition effects, multiple audio tracks, and text to make your presentation stand out. Your work is saved in the program and can be retrieved from the History panel whenever you want.

The online slideshow maker comes with a built-in media player, which you can use to preview your photo slideshow before exporting it. This makes the software a particularly attractive option for beginners, as it allows for quick edits and improvements at later stages. If you’re happy with the results, you can share your project on YouTube, Google Drive, or directly with others.

Key features

• Easy to add custom text to the slides of your slideshow
• Can use multiple audio and video file formats (JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, MP3, WAV, and WMA)
• Full control over the size, color, and position of overlay text
• Ability to insert audio files and change transitions
• Share files on YouTube, Google Drive, and Dropbox directly from the program
• 26+ transition effects to choose from and a wide variety of useful tools
• Online support
• Easy-to-use interface with some advanced editing features

Help clients better understand your business with professional slideshows

Now that you know which photo slideshow makers are among the best, get ready to start using professional slideshows for your marketing proposals, pitch decks, or explainer videos. These tools can boost your business’s productivity and add a creative touch to professional presentations.

Join Upwork, the world’s work marketplace, today to find independent professionals who can help your business create slideshows that share your vision and help you connect with clients and customers.

Are you an independent professional? Connect with businesses in need of your expertise by browsing the available professionals who create slideshows.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyse and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.