large photo display screens brands

It"s a great time of year for deals on all kinds of tech, including digital photo frames. We"re on the cusp of some big shopping events coming up, and many of the frames in this list are contenders for price drops.

Put your best memories on display with the best digital photo frame. Using an LED display, digital photo frames showcase digital versions of your snaps in a slideshow format, so not only are you displaying several photos in one frame, but you"re also saving money on prints. Plus, you can change the images on the display as often as you"d like.

Sharp, chic and easy to use, the leading models put your personal snaps front and centre. And, they"re a terrific (and economical) way to show off your family photos, vacation pics, and photography masterpieces.

What’s the best digital photo frame for most people? We highly recommend the Aura Mason Luxe, which boasts a neat look, slick interface, and detailed display. Alternatively, if you want an option which also supports for video calls, Facebook’s Portal is worth considering. But, if you’re looking for a great value alternative on a tight budget, the 8-inch Nixplay Nix ticks a lot of boxes for not a lot of money.

Whether you want a simple panel or a smart display, we have comprehensively tested the best options then gathered all the best ones here, covering models across a range of price brackets. We’ve also included some useful buying tips to keep in mind when deciding which frame is the best fit for your home.

From affordable frames to premium screens, here are the best digital photo frames available and ranked in the list below. Once you’ve found your favorite frame, you’ll find links beneath each entry that take you straight to the best deals available right now. Need some more in-depth advice? Also check out our guide on how to buy a digital photo frame.

The Aura Mason Luxe is a clear cut above most other photo frames. It’s stylish, has greater character to its design and, most important of all, the screen is excellent in most respects.

Its 4:3 aspect display is perfect for not just adding some color to your room with your photos, but to actually get an up-close look at them. Pixel density is so high they look sharp and detailed even when you get your face right up to the screen. We found that color is natural-looking and well-saturated too, so you can be sure you’re seeing a fair representation of the photos you fling its way.

Nixplay’s 2K Smart Digital Photo Frame features one of the sharpest screens on the market. With a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, the display offers detail for days – and it’s vibrant, too, with impressively deep blacks and more than enough brightness to beat the screen’s reflective coating.

At 9.7 inches, the display also strikes an excellent middle ground: with a flexible stand setup that can support the frame in portrait or landscape orientation, the Smart Digital Photo Frame will fit on almost any shelf, while also giving images enough real estate to really be seen and enjoyed. Handily, it can also be wall-mounted.

One of our favourite things about this frame is that loading up photos via the partner app is a straightforward process. Create, populate and organise multiple playlists using photos from your smartphone, or sync with Google Photos to display AI-generated smart albums. You can also connect with friends to easily receive snaps and assign them to your frame.

Classier than most competitors, the Aura Carver stands out with an embossed border and angular, free-standing design. Its 10.1-inch display isn’t as sharp as the slightly pricier Carver Luxe, but we found its 1280x800 panel fine in testing, with pleasant colors and good viewing angles. It helps that the screen can adjust automatically to ambient conditions and go impressively bright, helped by a semi-matte finish.

We think Aura frames have the slickest software out there, and the Carver is no exception. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, but the subtle touch panel on top makes it easy to flick between photos. Other settings are found in the similarly streamlined smartphone app, although customisation options are limited. Friends and family can contribute to your slideshow, but there’s no support for albums.

A cheap and cheerful photo frame, the Aeezo Portrait 01 is more flexible than its price tag suggests. Its no-frills, plastic build won’t win any design awards, but it’s neat enough, even if the simple stand has limited stability.

We were largely happy with its photo reproduction in our review. Color depth isn’t exceptional, but the 10-inch display strikes a good balance when it comes to detail: hard edges aren’t too soft or too sharp. It is less bright than other frames in the same price bracket, though.

The Netgear Meural isn’t quite like other digital photo frame. By the standards of this category, it’s a pretty high-end buy, but it"s actually the entry-level model in Netgear’s series of art displays. They scale all the way up to a 21.5 inches.

This is a 15.6-inch photo frame you can orient in portrait or landscape. It’s a large canvas for your photos, and the Meural app offers access to a huge library of paintings and other art works. They can inject some culture into your home. You have to pay for a subscription to get full access, but a good few handfuls are available without one.

With a generous border and glass facade, the Skylight Frame is one of the more attractive photo frames we’ve tested. It’s larger than most 10-inch models, but its white surround and classy design give it real presence on a shelf. In use, its responsive touchscreen feels quite a lot like a tablet: you can pinch to zoom and swipe to switch photos. It’s not sophisticated, but it works smoothly and makes it easy to find specific images.

Facebook is phasing out its Portal devices for consumers, but right now that makes this 10-inch display excellent value at its new low price. Meta will continue to provide support for existing customers and its core functionality will continue unaffected.

While it"s primarily device for calling friends and family, Meta"s social screen does a side-gig as a slick digital photo frame. Styled like a floating box frame with neat lines and a quality finish, it’s an attractive fit for contemporary shelves – provided there’s space for the supporting leg. The stand can prop the Portal in portrait or landscape, but it sticks out by 12cm – and the power cable exits from its end, so it can’t sit flush against your wall.

Up front, the 10-inch display is vibrant and responsive, with good detail and color reproduction. The panel is quite reflective, but there’s enough brightness to counter glare – though this dips when viewing from a 45-degree angle.

Setup is straightforward and the slick touchscreen interface is matched by the polished partner app. which particularly impressed us. Photos can be sourced from Facebook, Instagram or your smart device, then sorted into albums which can be individually enabled.

The Nixplay Touch 10 passes for a traditional photo frame at arm’s length. Its back is heavily sculpted, but this will usually be hidden away from view. While its slot-in stand didn’t feel especially sturdy in testing, the frame itself isn’t heavy enough to make this a problem.

Its plastic display surface softens reflections, and photos generally look good. We liked the color temperature during our time with the Nixplay, finding that it could produce rich tones, even if its LCD panel lacks the depth of OLED. We were less impressed by its sharpening, which caused edges to appear pixellated.

The Nest Hub Max is both a hub for smart devices and a portal for accessing Google Assistant at home, but it also does well as a digital photo frame. Styled like a 10-inch tablet attached to a fabric-skinned speaker, it forms a neat free-standing package with a small shelf footprint – even if the screen’s plastic shell and bezels don’t feel particularly premium.

The fixed stand setup means you can’t adjust the display angle from its default upward tilt. While this will be an issue if you want to place the frame on a higher shelf, the viewing angles are otherwise good, with decent saturation and plenty of brightness – provided you’re fine with a reflective panel.

At 1280x800, the resolution of the touchscreen could be higher, but we found that there’s still good detail with no noticeable pixellation – and it makes controlling the Nest Hub Max a cinch. Swipe between photos or tap the pop-up controls to hide, star or share particular images, or do the same thing with voice commands.

The Nest Hub Max can display art backgrounds, a full-screen clock or a selection of snaps from your Google Photos account. It supports Live Albums, features the option to show portrait pics in split-screen and offers time, weather and image data overlays – but you can’t manually change the slideshow order. And because it only works with Google Photos, the Nest Hub Max makes sense mainly for those already invested in the company’s cloud backup service.How to pick the best digital photo frame for youWhere will you place it?Most digital photo frames include some kind of stand, but not all can be wall-mounted. Similarly, some only work in one orientation, while others can switch from portrait to landscape. It pays to consider placement, including how a frame’s finish will fit with your decor.

What screen size do you need?Screen size can vary substantially, from 8 to 13 inches. Frames with smaller displays can be easier to place and are sometimes sharper. Larger options offer more space for your snaps but won’t always have a higher resolution. The sweet spot is usually somewhere around a 9-inch Full HD display.

How will you add images?Many of the latest digital photo frames rely on cloud storage to host your slideshow, letting you add photos directly from different devices. Others feature social media integration. But if your images live on hard storage, consider something with a memory card or USB input.

How much control do you want?Some digital photo frames offer seamless simplicity, while others allow you to adjust every setting – from brightness to sleep schedules. It’s worth checking what a given frame lets you tweak, especially if you’re particular about color balance or slideshow transitions.

How smart does it need to be?More than passive panels, several of the best digital photo frames in 2021 are actually fully fledged smart displays. That means voice control, media streaming and smart home integration. Whether you need this additional functionality will depend on the other devices already in your abode.What is the best size digital photo frame?Digital photo frames are available in a wide range of sizes. Which dimension is right for you will depend on your available space, as well as your own personal preference. Smaller digital photo frames are more compact and easier to place in your home, but offer less canvas space for your digital images. Larger photo frames give your treasured snaps room to shine, but require a larger footprint – and the biggest screens risk dominating a room.

While you can find digital photo frames with screens as small as 5 inches, we think the smallest you should realistically look at is 8 inches. A frame such as the Nixplay Nix Digital Photo Frame 8-inch benefits from a small footprint that’s easy to place almost anywhere, while still giving your images enough room on screen to be clearly visible. Any smaller and you risk having to squint to see your snaps.

The largest digital photo frames feature displays to rival your average laptop. The Nixplay Seed Wave, for example, ships with a 13-inch panel. This puts your pictures clearly front and centre, but it’s not exactly subtle. It risks looking like a small TV and blends less well into the background – although it certainly makes your shots unmissable.

We think the best size digital photo frame is between 9 inches and 10 inches. Models like the Google Nest Hub Max, Aura Carver and Facebook Portal all feature screens which measure in at around the 10-inch mark, while our favorite digital photo frame right now – the minimalist Aura Mason Luxe – has a 9.7-inch display. These hit the sweet spot for visibility and flexibility. A display at this size will also provide better pixel density than a much larger screen, improving clarity and sharpness (especially with Nixplay’s 2K frame, which features a high-resolution 9.7-inch screen).

Digital photo frames are unique devices with a range of specific factors to test. We put each frame through a range of scenarios to ensure each one is worthy of a recommendation.

We place each digital photo frame in a series of similar viewing scenarios to assess the sharpness and brightness of its display. This will usually include a dark environment, a daylit room and a bright spot in direct sunlight. Using an identical set of photos, we look at the accuracy of color reproduction, the clarity of each image and the viewing angles of the frame. We also take into account the proportions of the display and whether any cropping is likely to affect standard-sized digital images.

When you and your loved ones feel worlds apart, receiving a lovely picture or two can help you feel a little closer. With so many photos on our phones, hard drives, or in the cloud, printing them all out isn’t practical, and there’s never enough room to display them all on your wall. A digital frame can fix that, though: Prop one up on your desk or mantel, plug it in, install an app, and you can have a stream of photos or videos from your camera roll playing throughout the day. Many frames will even let your family or friends send pictures directly to your frame, so you can get surprises like a picture of your niece going to the zoo for the first time. To find the best digital frame for you, read on to find out what to look for and which frames we recommend.

Some digital picture frames have built-in storage, where photos are saved locally on the frame or accessed from a MicroSD card that you insert into the frame, and which you can expand using a larger MicroSD card or cloud storage. Others are exclusively cloud-based, and require you to upload photos through an app, or you can email photos to the specific frame using a unique email address and those images will be uploaded directly(though those frames may require a subscription to their cloud service, which costs about $5 per month).

Many digital frames require an internet connection to receive photos, so if you are buying a gift for someone who doesn’t have access to the internet at home, you’ll want to choose one that is usable without Wi-Fi. On the flip side, if you want to be able to add photos straight from your phone via an app, or to remotely add photos to a frame you’ve given as a gift, you’ll want one with a good app for uploading new images, or a frame that can pull from a specific Dropbox folder or photo album in your camera roll. And if you want to display photos that were not originally digital — whether they were taken recently or years ago, some frames offer scanning options within their dedicated apps that make it easier to upload vintage photos and other printed photos, or even a child’s artwork, if you happen to have a young Picasso (or simply an enthusiastic crafter) on your hands.

Though some brands offer smaller digital frames, the most common screen size is around nine or ten inches. You can also find larger frames that measure around 15 inches if you want to display your photos in a larger space. For screen resolution, look for 720p or higher; anything lower and your photos may look grainy or blurry due to fewer pixels. Resolution measures pixels per inch (PPI), and the fewer pixels per inch, the grainier the image (this is especially important when gifting a frame and considering someone else’s vision). We’ve listed both the resolution and the diagonal screen measurement for each frame below; the device itself will be larger once you account for the frame around the screen.

Style-wise, digital picture frames trend toward minimal and simple; you won’t find any gilt rococo options on the market. We looked for attractive frames that could match a variety of décor styles, with clean lines in classic colors or simple decorative bezels. You should also think about the photos you want to display relative to how the frame will sit on a desk or shelf or hang on a wall; some frames only stand vertically, making them ideal for photos in a vertical portrait orientation, some only stand horizontally, making them ideal for photos in a horizontal landscape mode, and some can stand either vertically or horizontally. Unless you plan to upload photos in only one mode, the best frames will be able to adequately handle a mix of portrait and landscape photos no matter the frame’s physical orientation in your home.

Many frames are controlled using a dedicated app that allows you to manage when and how photos are displayed. Some frames also offer video playback and sound, or are compatible with Apple’s Live Photos. Frames that have motion or light sensors will allow the screen to go to sleep and wake up when someone passes by the frame or the lights are turned on in a room. Some frames also have touch controls that let you swipe between photos or change settings without accessing an app.

Photo sharing and storage: Unlimited cloud storage; no built-in storage, USB port, or MicroSD slot; Wi-Fi required | Screen size and resolution: 9-inch screen, 1200p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape or portrait | Video and sound:Video: yes; Sound: yes

The Aura Mason comes recommended by several Strategist writers and editors who not only have the frame in their own homes but have gifted it to loved ones. The stylish, freestanding Aura Mason offers the best balance of features and ease of use, so even less tech-savvy folks can still get the hang of it. The Aura Mason doesn’t have any built-in storage, but you can upload unlimited photos to the frame using its dedicated app, linking the frame to a Google Photos or Apple iCloud account, sending photos to the frame’s unique email address, or using Aura’s web uploader.

Within the app, there is also a scanning feature to add printed photos or artwork to your frame. Because the frame requires Wi-Fi and uses cloud storage, having the app allows you to upload photos remotely, and you can invite multiple people to add photos to the same frame, turning it into a potluck of photos from family and friends (there are even social features in the app, including comments and likes). It also supports video and Apple Live Photos (something no other frame we tested offered) and has a built-in speaker for sound. The frame itself is attractive and minimalist with a sculptural ridged design, and it’s available in two colors, graphite or white quartz.

The Mason can be displayed in landscape or portrait orientation; its nine-inch screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio that is perfectly proportioned for smartphone camera photos, and the frame will automatically adjust photos when you rotate it from one orientation to the other. There is a discreet touch bar on the edge of the frame that lets you swipe through photos and videos. The frame also has an ambient sensor that can adjust the brightness of the frame or let it go to sleep depending on the light level in the surrounding area. And if you’re planning to give the frame as a gift, Aura makes it super-simple to preload the frame with photos so that all your recipient has to do is plug in the frame and connect it to their Wi-Fi.

Photo sharing and storage: Unlimited cloud storage; no built-in storage, USB port, or MicroSD slot; Wi-Fi required | Screen size and resolution: 10.1-inch screen, 1200p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Video: yes; Sound: yes

The Aura Carver Luxe’s specs, design, and functionality are similar to those of the Aura Mason, for about $20 less; the main differences are that the Carver has a slightly larger screen, a 16:10 aspect ratio (compared to the Mason’s 4:3, which better accommodates photos taken with a smartphone camera), and can only be displayed in the landscape orientation (an “intelligent pairing” feature can match up related vertical shots to display them side-by-side).

It’s well designed and available in two colors, gravel and sea salt. Trolio has gifted the Carver to multiple family members, and called it the best thing she bought last year, noting that “now that there are so many frames in my extended family, we can all add photos to one another’s frames, too — it’s almost like having a private mini social network that is blissfully Zuckerberg free.” As with the Mason, it’s very simple to preload the Carver Luxe with photos so that all your gift recipient has to do is plug it in and connect it to Wi-Fi (this is easiest to do if they have their own smartphone).

Photo sharing and storage: USB port and SD slot; no built-in storage or cloud storage; No Wi-Fi needed | Screen size and resolution: 10.1-inch screen, 1080p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Video: yes; Sound: yes

The Atatat is a budget-friendly digital frame that is best suited for someone who doesn’t have easy access to an internet connection. You display photos or videos on the frame using an USB stick or MicroSD card; there is no built-in storage, and you can’t upload photos via email or online. (Atatat does sell a Wi-Fi-enabled version, if that is your preference.) One Amazon reviewer who uses the Atatat to display her children’s drawings after loading them onto a MicroSD card notes that “operating this digital photo frame is easy.”

Instead of touch controls or a touchscreen, the Atatat has a remote control for accessing the settings and photos; there are also physical buttons on the back of the frame with the same functions — including specifying how long each image is displayed and adjusting the brightness of the screen. Numerous reviewers have praised the remote, which makes it easy to browse photos from a distance. You can also add music to accompany your images. The frame has an internal speaker and a headphone jack. It can be displayed in landscape orientation only, with a simple stand to prop it up on a desk or shelf, or it can be mounted on a wall.

Photo sharing and storage: 8GB built-in storage plus 10GB cloud storage, expandable to 50GB cloud storage with paid subscription; no USB port or MicroSD slot; Wi-Fi required to upload photos | Screen size and resolution: 10-inch screen, 720p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape or portrait | Video and sound: Video: yes; Sound: yes

Touchscreen capabilities help this 10-inch Nixplay frame stand out. It allows you to do things like pause slideshows, toggle settings, and even “like” photos that truly spark some joy, all without having to grab a remote or use your phone. You can flip the frame from landscape to portrait mode and easily swipe between your favorite photos or adjust the settings right on the screen. You’ll need Wi-Fi to upload photos using the Nixplay app or a web browser, or you can email photos to the frame’s unique address or import them from Google Photos, Dropbox, Facebook, or Instagram. You can also upload video clips, and the frame has internal speakers for audio playback.

Though Wi-Fi is required to upload photos (there’s no USB port or MicroSD slot), the Nixplay will still display photos that have been uploaded even if it loses an internet connection. As with our top-pick Aura frames, you can invite multiple people to add photos to the Nixplay. It comes in black, white, steel, or “wood effect,” and can be freestanding or mounted on the wall. A smart sensor wakes the frame up when you’re in the room and puts it to sleep when no motion is detected.

Photo sharing and storage: 8GB of built-in storage plus unlimited cloud storage; USB port and MicroSD slot; Wi-Fi enabled but not required | Screen size and resolution: 15-inch screen, 768p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Video: yes; Sound: yes

The Pix-Star has a massive 15-inch screen. It’s about the size of a laptop screen and noticeably larger than the other frames on this list. The Pix-Star also has a motion sensor, 8GB of built-in storage, and a MicroSD slot and USB port for adding photos, or you can upload photos over Wi-Fi via the Pix-Star app, email, or the brand’s website. As with Aura’s frames, unlimited cloud storage is included, and you have the option to link the frame to Google Photos, Dropbox, Instagram, and more. Because there are multiple ways to upload photos and because the Pix-Star has both internal storage and cloud storage, it straddles the line between online and offline usage.

If you want to gift the Pix-Star to someone who doesn’t have easy access to Wi-Fi you can easily add more photos by plugging in a USB stick, or if your recipient does have Wi-Fi, you can remotely add photos whenever you like. The frame supports video playback and audio playback and has a few extra features like a time and weather display, and built-in web radio stations that can add a soundtrack to your photos. It can be freestanding or wall-mounted.

Photo sharing and storage: Unlimited cloud storage; no built-in storage or MicroSD slot; Wi-Fi required | Screen size and resolution: 10.1-inch screen, 1200p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Video: yes; Sound: yes

The freestanding, landscape-only Aura Buddy frame is extremely similar to the Aura Carver Luxe. You still upload photos via the app, online, or through email and you still have unlimited online cloud storage. Like the Carver Luxe, the Buddy has a 10.1-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. But Aura has designed the Buddy as a showcase for pet photos by offering it in a neutral “biscuit” color and displaying “likes” as paw prints instead of the hearts seen on Aura’s other frames. It still has a touch bar, an ambient light sensor that can adjust brightness, and video and audio support.

Photo sharing and storage: Cloud storage; no built-in storage, USB port, or MicroSD slot; Wi-Fi required | Screen size and resolution: 7-inch screen, 600p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Video: yes (but not in photo slideshow mode); Sound: yes

The ultracompact, freestanding Google Nest Hub isn’t marketed exclusively as a digital picture frame because it’s technically a smart display and a smart-home control center, but Dan Seifert, deputy editor of the Verge, believes that if the device did nothing but display photos it would still be well worth the cost. It’s “not the largest, most expensive, best sounding, or flashiest smart display you can buy, but it might just be the best one for most people,” he writes in his official review.

The Hub has a seven-inch display and comprehensive controls that can be accessed via touchscreen or voice. It also has an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts its brightness and color temperature. But its greatest asset, says Seifert, is its “gorgeous” display that is “lovely to look at, never too bright, with pleasing saturation and colors.” He notes that “Unlike the crappy digital photo frames that were popular a decade ago,” it “actually does justice to your images.” Predictably, it’s easiest to link the Hub to a Google Photos account, though you may need to pay for additional storage in Google Drive to make room for all your photos.

And because it’s also a smart hub, you can use it watch videos from YouTube, check the weather, set timers, pull up your calendar, or control lights or other connected devices in your home. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, smart home reviewer at the Verge, is also a fan. “There are many digital picture frames out there,” she writes in her guide to using the Hub to display photos, “but what sets Google’s apart is the auto-adjustment feature that makes your digital pictures look like a printed image in a frame rather than a digital image on a computer screen.”

Photo sharing and storage: Cloud storage; Wi-Fi or cellular required | Screen size and resolution: 10-inch screen, 800p resolution | Design and photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound:Video: no; Sound: no

For the non-tech-savvy loved one out there who doesn’t have access to Wi-Fi, Familink’s 4G-powered photo frame is a good way to still feed photos into someone’s home without having to be there. The Familink comes with three months of 4G service, free of charge, and after that it’s about $7 per month, but it’s not required; after the three months are up, you can connect the frame over Wi-Fi rather than pay for cellular service.

Setup is dead simple, too: Plug the frame in, scan a QR code in the company’s app, and you’re good to send photos to the frame within the app or via email. It’s a bit more manual than connecting to an existing photo library or dropping in a microSD card, but it also provides a more curated feed of images for the recipient and lets them easily add their own photos without much fuss. It’s not without its caveats, though: (It does require some form of a connection for transferring photos, and its landscape-only kickstand only props out at one angle.

Photographs are lifetime souvenirs of those precious moments spent with family and friends. In the past, preserving your life’s special moments was a rather time-consuming process that involved shooting, printing the images, and finding the right wooden poster or holder before you could mount them on your wall.

Then why not take a look at the digital picture frame, which have become a common feature in most homes today. The best thing about electronic picture frame is that it has a clear LCD screen, built-in FHD or 4K media player and a USB port that let you constantly update all your photographic in a more attractive and organized style than the ordinary one. With internet connection, it even provides you a seamless way to showcase a large number of photographic at home or work from different location via WIFI network, you’ll never again run out of space to hang them on once you get one of wireless picture frame.

At DigitalFrame0, we can provide you with your customized large digital photo frame, which come with a wide range of choices to integrate perfectly with your interior design and home decors, whether you need a traditional, contemporary, or modern interior decoration, wall mounted in portrait or landscape orientations at home or a freestanding digital poster frame aka commercial advertising display at work. We can fulfill you all from small key-chain to largest format photo displays up to 98 inch .

Keep in mind that our digital wall frame features a glossy edge which is a better-looking alternative to the traditional white or matte black edges, has a more attractive slim design that doesn’t take too much wall space. Our poster display are designed to provide you with a sleek, stylish, and slim device to showcase your personal photographic or business presentation with crystal clear FHD or 4K resolution.

The Aura Carver combines attractive hardware and simple software to create a digital photo frame that is the easiest to set up and operate, and at a great price. We found the quality of its screen to be on a par with that of pricier frames. You go through the setup process on your Android or iOS device, no clunky remote required. If you’re primarily a phone photographer, you should be able to have your pictures up on this frame in a relatively short amount of time.

The setup was the simplest of the frames we tested. Once you download the Aura app, pair your phone to the frame, and connect it to your Wi-Fi network settings using your phone, you’re all set. (I did have to wait for the frame to power up and download a recent update, but it hasn’t needed any other software updates since, and I was still able to get the frame up and running in about five minutes.) One of the few steps between turning on the device and adding photos is the option to send invitations to family members and friends via text so they can upload their own pictures (you can also set up the Carver as a gift for someone else; more on that below). In addition, you won’t have to do anything on the frame itself with a remote control because there isn’t one. Aura frames have touch bars on top of the device that let you control basic functions, while setup and other controls are found in Aura’s smartphone app. And the Carver frame’s slim top makes it easier to find the touch bar compared with the Aura Mason.

The Carver’s resolution is a little lower than the Mason’s—1280×800 versus 1600×1200, respectively—but I didn’t see an obvious drop in image quality. It still looks sharp, has excellent contrast, and displays colors well. From older digital-camera pictures to professional wedding photos, the images looked as great as we’ve ever seen them on a digital screen, without the typical blue undertone that you’ll find on a tablet or other digital frames we’ve tried. The Carver has a 16:10 aspect ratio, but I found that the wider ratio meant the entirety of my wedding photos always fit on the screen, so no guests were cut out. It also meant that when two vertical photos were displayed, they had a 4:5 aspect ratio. The automatic light sensor worked well in our trial runs, cranking up the screen’s brightness to combat sunlight. It also tended to pick up light from a different room better than the Mason’s sensor; when these frames were in my dining room, for example, the Carver stayed on with light spilling in from the kitchen, but the Mason did not.

Compared with a lot of other products in this category, with their plastic frames and borders that often look closer to a tablet than a decorative photo frame, the Carver has an aesthetic that combines form and function quite well. The frame has nifty features, such as touch-sensitive strips that let you mark favorite photos and go forward and backward with a swipe. (The strips take a little patience to work—we recommend moving slowly when using them.) Yet the grooved, textured plastic makes the Carver look like a nice frame you might buy for a print photo. Instead of relying on a flimsy stand to prop itself up, its thicker base makes it more stable, and there’s nothing to assemble beyond plugging in the power cord.

Once the Carver is up and running, you have many display options to choose from. Working with its default settings, you get behavior that’s more suggestive of a real picture frame than a digital one—the only giveaway is when it switches to side-by-side mode. You’ll find no cheesy animations between photos like on other frames we’ve dismissed, only simple fades and swipes. The Carver does a remarkably better job than competitors at automatically cropping photos to fit on the screen, ensuring the subjects are nicely centered. It’s also easy to re-crop an image within the app if it doesn’t automatically focus on your favorite part (but based on my experience, you will need to do this very rarely). Its “Photo Match” mode—which places two portrait-orientation photos next to each other to fill the landscape-oriented screen—did a fairly good job at pairing together photos of my infant son or from my wedding. Other times the pairing was a little more random, but I didn’t find that too bothersome.

All Aura frames, including the Carver, can play videos, and you can upload them the same way you add photos (you can’t, however, use auto upload from a Google Photos folder; you can only add videos manually). The Carver puts vertical videos into Photo Match mode, placing them side by side with another video or a portrait-orientation photo. I noticed the frame often paired two vertical videos from my wedding, or a video of my son next to a portrait-oriented image of him. The Carver includes a built-in speaker to allow you to hear sound from your videos (if you choose to turn sound on), and the speaker was solid enough in our tests that we could hear both voices and background sound or music. You turn on sound manually for each video by tapping on the touch-sensitive strip, versus there being an on or off sound setting overall. If you don’t intervene, the video will play once silently and then freeze for the rest of its time on screen, unless you tap the touch-sensitive strip to replay it with sound on. All replays will include sound, but the next video the Carver shows will return to the muted auto-play setting. Aura will remember the volume level you selected, though volume can also be controlled on screen or from the app when a video plays.

A nice surprise about Aura’s frames: Unlike every other brand of frame we tested, the Carver and other frames in the Aura family are compatible with Apple’s Live Photo feature. So you’ll see such images come to life for an instant when they first appear on the display, similar to the video experience.

Aura’s software helps you easily set up the Aura Carver as a gift. Using the app, scan a QR code on the box to pair it with your account. That lets you invite family members to contribute photos before the recipient unpacks the frame and plugs it in. You can also have the frame shipped directly from Aura and use the company’s email-setup process to associate it with your account while the frame is in transit. Though we didn’t try the gift-setup method ourselves, we do appreciate Aura’s focus on the gift angle. This is a feature other frames don’t have (to replicate the experience, you have to prepare the frame yourself manually and then give it as a gift afterward).

The Carver also comes in a Mat version (it costs $30 more), which has two frame layers that look like a mat picture frame instead of the textured frame most other Aura frames have. It’s up to you if you think the aesthetics are worth the slightly larger investment; in our tests the only difference we noticed between the two is that the Carver Mat’s ambient-light sensor occasionally picked up light better than the standard Carver. Besides that, they’re identical in quality and experience.

Unlike the Aura Mason, the Carver’s aspect ratio isn’t our preferred 4:3, but we found that both landscape and portrait photos still fit nicely on screen.

If you don’t want to see photos placed side by side, you can turn off the Carver’s Photo Match mode in the app. But without it, there’s large pillarboxing on either side of portrait photos. We also found that turning off this setting wasn’t instantaneous—it took several minutes for the frame to recognize the change.

Nothing quite wows your guests like one of the best digital photo frames. The latest models can offer a picture quality so sharp, that the detail will make you feel as if you’re actually there. And with colors so vibrant and vivid, you may have to double-take what you see. Digital photo frames are offering more features and add-ons than ever before as well. Some can play video footage accompanied by sound, while others offer useful utilities such as calendars, alarms and even the weather forecast.

But, while all of this sounds impressive, there’s still a significant difference in performance when you compare model to model. So it can be tricky to decide which to choose, especially when all of these extra features can add to the price tag. That’s why we tested a range of digital photo frames to help out. We considered everything from the quality of the picture produced, to the ease of operation, including accessibility when uploading and removing images from the library.

We set up and used each digital photo frame at home, exactly as you would, and determined every strength and weakness behind the design. As a result, we’ve found the best options to suit every budget and situation. These are the best digital photo frames.

The best thing about the Pix-Star 15-inch Wi-Fi Cloud Digital Photo Frame is its stunning photo quality. With the 4:3 aspect ratio on a 1024 x 768-pixel screen, images look crisp, bright and clear. You can make adjustments to the LED backlit screen for brightness, hue and contrast depending on ambient lighting.

This gadget lets you link up to 25 frames from a single account, where you can send and receive images and audio messages directly to and from connected frames. You can also view pictures from web albums, including Google Photos and Facebook. The frame has 4GB of onboard memory and supports USB thumb drives and SDHC/SDXC camera cards.

The Atatat Digital Photo Frame impressed us with its visual quality, offering a vibrant display without artificially punching up the colors. While it’s a small screen, the widescreen format gives the impression of shots being bigger than they actually are. It’s quite a versatile design too, with calendar utilities and the ability to play images, movies and music over a slideshow.

If image quality means more to you than anything, the Aura Mason Luxe Frame is the one to beat. With a resolution of 2048 x 1536 on its 2k screen sealed within a 9.7-inch frame, its quality can only be described as outstanding. That"s why it"s earned the Tom"s Guide 2022 Award for Best digital photo frame. Colors couldn’t be more vibrant or realistic and coupled with its two touch bar controls, the operation of this frame is as intuitive as it gets. True, there’s no touchscreen, but that only saves the screen from oily fingerprints obstructing the view in our opinion.

The Nixplay Smart Photo Frame 10.1 Inch Touch is the latest addition to company"s range of digital frames. It offers a compact midsize design which will fit in to most rooms and the display is bright enough to add character to your images and really make the landscapes "pop". It won"t waste electricity, thanks to the voice and motion activated sensors, and it couldn"t be more easy to use with the touch screen navigation. Because of this, it would suit those who are new or experienced with this kind of product.

Friends and family can easily upload photos to this frame from their own Nixplay account or email them in directly. There"s great social media image access as well, including Facebook, Google Photos, Instagram, Dropbox, Flickr, and Verison. There"s very little to complain about this frame, other than the lack of onboard SD cards or memory sticks. There"s no remote to lose, it"s intuitive to operate and design is simple, yet sophisticated.

PhotoSpring 10 has the unique advantage of two different visual frame modes: a traditional matted look with a black, gallery style outer frame or a streamlined modern look. After removing the top black frame, it’s easy to see how superior the plain white frame looks and how nicely it sets off your images, but it’s your choice and switching modes is easy. This frame is for tabletops only for now — no wall mounting unless you purchase a power cable with a 90-degree magnetic connector, which the company says will be available as an accessory.

PhotoSpring’s flexibility extends to its mode of input. You can send up to 30MB of photos directly to the frame via email, proprietary app, text, photos app share button, or from a browser. All media uploaded to the frame is automatically stored on the device. High-resolution videos of up to five minutes in length (or 1GB file size) play automatically in an integrated slideshow, though the frame does not recognize Apple’s Live Photos as videos, only stills.

Various onscreen controls are accessible via a subtle green dot at the upper right corner. It’s hard to discern at first — you may have to consult the instructions unless you find it by chance while poking around the screen — but once you discover and tap it, the current image zooms out to reveal on-screen controls that let you delete, hide, favorite, alter rotation, add to an existing album, adjust formatting, or mail images to or from the frame. A settings menu facilitates the management of cloud accounts like Google Photos for sync or backup or Flickr for sync.

Nixplay"s 10.1 inch Smart Digital Picture Frame, with its 1280 x 800 pixel display, and wide 16:10 aspect ratio, makes your photos and videos pop with dazzling color and detail. Watch photos and videos a part of a playlist and set up slideshows with multiple timed transitions for endless entertainment in either portrait or landscape orientation.

The Netgear Meural WiFi Photo Frame is a more compact, photo-focused version of the museum-worthy Netgear Meural Canvas II. While the Canvas II excels at bringing art from the louvre to your living room, the charcoal grey WiFi Photo Frame drops the mat framing for a homier look.

Of course, to maintain a gorgeous 1920 x 1080-pixel display the WiFi Photo Frame is rather large compared to many of the best digital photo frames. As a result, it might not fit well on some side tables or desks. But if you have the space for this 15.6-inch full HD display, you won"t be disappointed.

The Facebook Portal displays your photos from Facebook and Instagram on a 10-inch touchscreen that"s easy to use. But you can also use this device to make video calls using Facebook or WhatsApp. The Portal"s smart camera is smart enough to follow you around (by panning and zooming) as you move. Plus, you can apply fun filters to add some personality to your chats.

The Portal also has Alexa built in, so you can can ask the assistant anything you would ask one of Amazon"s smart speakers or use the Portal to check who"s at the front door. When you"re not viewing photos, making calls or chatting with Alexa, the Portal can stream music from several services, including Pandora and Spotify.

The OurPhoto app is the easiest way to upload photos to the frame. You can also add remote users to the frame to let friends and family upload images via the app.

The Feelcare is a compact, handy picture frame that displays your images beautifully. Its black matte plastic exterior is low key and subtle so it looks nice in any room. With a 1024 x 600, 16:9 picture, image quality is crisp and clear, and you can use the touch screen to adjust brightness.

The frame operates via a proprietary app for iOS or Android, or you can manually load images via a micro SD card directly into the frame, which has 8GB of internal storage. The frame saves the photos and videos to the built-in memory and you can use the touch screen to delete, hide, and adjust photos. Note that videos play for only 15 seconds.

There"s not much to the Aluratek 8 inch Digital Photo Frame except extreme simplicity, which is why it"s still one of the best digital photo frames for some users who just want to display some photos and not mess with networks.

The unit features a generic plastic frame that comes with a screw-in plastic stand, but there is no hole for wall hanging. Normal-size USB drives stick out of the frame"s side. You can choose from 11 transition styles and display photos from 3 seconds to 1 hour.

First of all, you need to consider what you want from your digital photo frame. Regardless of how much you"re looking to spend, the images should look realistic and appear of a high quality on your display. You should be aiming for a high resolution (we recommend 1024 x 768 as a minimum), vibrant colors and a sharp focus. Be cautious of frames which display dull colors, low contrast and soft images.

You should also take account of how technical you are and where your photos are stored. Non-connected frames tend to be the easiest to use because you don’t have to set up accounts or networks to transfer the images. Instead, you can insert camera cards or USB thumb drives directly into the frame and load up to 32GB of footage.

However, if you do opt for a connected frame, these offer much more flexibility in sourcing and sorting your images, whether from social media sites or directly from your phone. If your images are scattered on social media rather than concentrated on thumb drives, you will be better off with a connected digital photo frame.

We test the best digital photo frames on a variety of criteria. First, we assess at image quality and aspect ratio. The digital recreations of photos must look sharp and realistic, while maintaining a natural-looking crop.

Ease of use is another element we consider while reviewing the best digital photo frames. If a frame is simple to set up and navigate, it often has more value. However, an expansive offering of connected features is important, too. We think most of the photo frames on this list strike a solid balance.

Additional specs we look at are storage and sensors. Some digital photo frames feature onboard memory, while others rely on Wi-Fi streaming, USB thumb drives or camera SD cards. If you must use a camera card or a USB stick, be sure that the frame"s body adequately keeps them out of sight.

Meanwhile, a motion sensor is practically a must. Digital photo frames do not need to waste energy by playing all day long if no one is in the room to view them.

You might not think that photos count as sensitive information, compared to a bank account statement or your Social Security number. But it can be devastating to find photos of loved ones used for nefarious or unsavory purposes.

This is why we prefer frames from reputable companies like Aura and Nixplay over cheaper ones with less clearly defined privacy and security practices. Nixplay offers reasonable security measures, like encrypting your photos during transmission, and Aura offers the option to delete metadata, like the location where a photo was captured. However, both say they may disclose personal information if court-ordered or subpoenaed, and neither provides safety guarantees against hacking.

Some digital frames can connect to voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. By doing so, you give these companies more access to search through your entire photo album. For example, you can connect an Aura frame to Google Assistant and ask it to find a photo from a specific event; the Aura app will search your camera roll for what you’ve specified.

If you"re concerned about security, you can avoid connecting to third-party services, but your most secure option is to just download several photos on a tablet and disable all internet connectivity.

When was the last time you actually printed one of your photos and had it framed? If you’re anything like us, it’s been years – which is why digital photo frames are a great way to make the most of your pictures. Instead of your best shots and your happiest memories languishing on your phone or in the cloud, they can be displayed in HD on your bookshelf or bedside table.

Another reason to buy is aesthetic appeal: they don’t have as many features as a smart display from Amazon or Google, but in most cases, they are much more attractive, styled like classic photo frames rather than functional screens.

Some frames allow you to upload photos from the cloud, your phone or your socials, while others are simpler and use USB sticks or SD cards to move files over. We explain in our reviews how each one works and how easy it is to use. We’ll also give you a full rundown of the pros and cons of each, so you can pick the one that’s best for you.

The Aura Carver has a large, 10.1 inch display and 1,920 x 1,200 screen resolution, showing photos in crisp detail. If you usually view your pictures on your phone camera, you’ll enjoy seeing your best shots scaled up.

You can add an unlimited number of pictures and there are no subscription or storage fees. You can also invite friends or family members to send photos directly to your frame, in a simple and nearly instantaneous process. There’s unfortunately no option to automatically sync with social media accounts.

The Carver is a landscape format frame and portrait pictures will be displayed either centred with a black bar on either side, or ‘intelligently paired’ via an algorithm. The latter can be a bit hit and miss but it throws up some interesting combinations.

Nixplay’s Smart Photo Frames are well designed and come in a number of sizes. They’re user friendly as well, with the option to control the screen via the included remote or the app (as a remote).

Plus, you can easily add photos from your Google Photos, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, or Verizon Cloud accounts. And you can store up to 8GB of pictures on the frame itself.

No, they don’t do as much as a Google or Amazon smart display – and yes, they cost more than those despite that fact. But they’re simpler to use than either once you’ve got past initial setup, and on the 2K 9.7in model the display quality is unmatched.

Just note that the larger models use lower resolution screens, so there will be a drop in quality as you move up sizes. The FHD 13.3in and 15.6in models should still make your photos look pretty good, but we’d steer clear of the lower resolution 10.1in variant – it’s cheaper, but you likely lose too much quality for that price.

The Classic 10 is a decent, budget-friendly digital photo frame. Ithas 16GB of photo and video storage, which is apparently enough to hold 40,000 photos at 30KBs each.

You can upload photos via email or FTP. The screen also has a USB port and an SD slot, but photos can only be played, not uploaded, from these removable devices. Other people can also email pics straight to your frame, although the process could be faster and more user-friendly.

The Meural Canvas II is a little different to the other frames on this list. It’s larger, with a choice between 21.5in and 27in displays, and is correspondingly more expensive.

If you buy the frame on its own you can use it to display your own photos or choose from a small selection of free artworks, but for $8.95 per month you can access more than 30,000 other paintings and photographs to show off from your wall.

As with any tech, not all digital photo frames are created equal, and there’s a bit of variation in what features you can expect. Here’s what to look out for.

The first thing to check is how the frame accesses and stores photos. Older or cheaper frames tend to rely on physical storage, with ports for USB sticks or SD cards, which it plays the photos from. Make sure to check if the frame has its own internal storage to transfer the photos to, or if you’ll need to leave the USB stick or SD card connected to access your images.

More recent frames often have Wi-Fi support, which means they can access images directly from the cloud. That might mean emailing photos directly to your frame, or (more conveniently) linking your account up to your Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Google Photos, or similar to play images directly from those accounts. You’ll also want to check if you can manage those services through a dedicated smartphone app, or if you’re limited to a web interface or the frame itself.

If you’re already adding your photos to social media or cloud storage accounts anyway, this means you can add them to your photo frame at the same time, making it pretty painless to keep it updated with your latest snaps. Just make sure that you don’t accidentally send something to the frame that you’d rather keep private…

The best digital photo frames may include an activity sensor, which detects whether anyone is in the room, only turning on when there’s someone around, which is a great way of saving power. Just bear in mind that if you have pets roaming the house, they may be enough to trigger the sensor, turning the frame on unnecessarily.

One last note: set your expectations accordingly when it comes to display quality. Even though they’re essentially just screens with photo storage, screen quality is only slowly becoming a priority across the digital photo frame market.

Look out for screens that are at least Full HD (as some still aren’t that) and even better 2K, although these are few and far between. And don’t expect to see 4K yet. Note that the lower resolution screens will typically have fewer pixels than your phone, and in turn lower resolution than your photos were taken at.

Still, for most people that won’t be a problem, and the displays tend to be bright and crisp enough to make photos look good, with decent viewing angles so you can enjoy photos from across the room. Still, it might frustrate serious photographers hoping to see their photos at their absolute best.

The best digital picture frames can store thousands of images in just one frame, replacing the clutter that comes with traditional frames and photo albums. Better yet, unlike their tactile cousins, the electronic versions can also play videos, so not only can you think back fondly on your memories, you can literally see them being played out on screen.

Images are quick to load onto the frame, and once the slideshow turns on, those images are crisp and vibrant on screen. That’s no small task for a frame that solely depends on Wi-Fi to work; there is no way to physically upload content. Unlike most other frames, Nixplay users can also upload and display HEIC files, aka iPhone photos. As for videos, we think movement comes across a little choppy and the audio is a tiny bit tinny, but the images themselves are still impressively clear.

Finally, the app and the frame are both user-friendly. It’s not an issue to upload photos through the app (or email, for that matter). The Nixplay app even includes integration with Google Photos, which is crucial for those who have more in the cloud than on their phone. Videos uploaded through the app are trimmed down to 15 seconds, unless you subscribe for Nixplay Plus (around $50 a year), which gives you a full minute, along with other ancillary bonuses like 50GB cloud storage and discounts on prints.

Out of the box, the most impressive thing about the Bsimb digital picture frame is its design. With a faux white matte surrounding the display, it actually looks like a classic picture frame. That’s symbolic of the product itself, because while it costs less than many electronic frames on the market, its features allow it to stand up to more expensive models.

Images have surprising depth and vibrancy, on par with a frame that costs twice as much. And that isn’t even the best part of the display. Videos are incredibly sharp and sound clear, even when uploaded via email. The Bsimb video playback performed the best of all the frames we found.

Don’t let that deter you from buying this product, though. The Bsimb is impressive for its price point. The display is top notch, and the app isn’t difficult to navigate. If all else fails, it’s easy to upload pictures and videos with a microSD card in the back.

Users can upload photos, but not videos, through the SD card slot in the back. The Frameo app can upload videos, but they’re limited to 15 seconds. Aeezo also doesn’t support HEIC files.

The display on the Aura Mason is drop-dead gorgeous, easily the most photo-realistic of the ones we found. We’re willing to bet if you were to put it alongside other regular frames, most people wouldn’t even be able to tell it’s digital. Images are acutely detailed and the darks stunningly deep.

A nice touch: Gifters have the option of using a “gift mode” so they can upload photos for the recipient before the box is even opened for the first time.

The frame doesn’t have a touchscreen, but it has touch bars on the top and side of the frame. To get through the slide show, swipe left or right, which is cumbersome if you want to get to a certain photo. Also, you can only make photo adjustments, like cropping, in the app or a computer browser.

Finally, we think the biggest drawback is that the Aura Mason cannot play videos. While it fulfills the company’s goal of creating a “quiet, ambient display,” we think that eliminates half the purpose of a digital picture frame. On the bright side, Aura does incorporate Live Photos into their product, as it supports HEIC.

This frame falls solidly in the middle of the pack in terms of design and function. Images are surprisingly sharp and colorful, while black-and-white photos have wonderful contrast and clarity. We like the use of the Frameo app, but it’s disappointing that there’s no way to email content to the frame.

Because it depends on the Frameo app, there isn’t really much inside the frame’s user interface. Touching the photo on the screen will bring up a few buttons that can bring you back to the main gallery, and that’s about it.

If you want to change the settings, say to adjust the brightness, you’ll have to go digging. The good news is this product has auto-rotation, so if you want to change the orientation for a portrait photo, turn the frame on its side (just make sure to move the stand rod first).

The Aluratek app is tricky to use. When uploading content, the phone’s camera reel is the default option. If the images you want are in Google Photos, you’ll need to download them to your phone and then try to find the subdirectory for that in the app. On the other hand, it"s very easy to upload from a flash drive behind the frame.

To send photos from an email, Facebook, or Twitter message requires “binding” like the Bsimb, which we’re still uneasy about. At least this frame’s email address can be customized for easier sending.

With a realistic-looking white matte surrounding the display, the frame is attractive. It’s also the only frame we found with the option to connect to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network. Every other frame connects to 2.4 GHz, which is plenty for a digital picture frame, but it’s nice to have the option for something even quicker.

Manually uploading content through the USB port in the back proves difficult if not impossible, and the app has similar issues. Uploading photos isn’t a problem, but if you want to add videos or an entire album, that’ll cost you extra. Almost from the start, Skylight Plus is pushed on you. It’s $40 a year, or $4 a month, which feels exorbitant for a picture frame.

That membership gives you the ability to upload videos, add photo captions, remotely manage the frame, view the slideshow on your phone, and have unlimited cloud storage. All of those features are free on most of the other frames, so we’re left scratching our heads on why that’s an upcharge on Skylight.

It does feel precarious on its stand, however. The stand is L-shaped and the device rests on the bottom lip while leaning against the upright part of the stand. That makes it easier to pick up if you want to look closer at a photo or use the frame’s auto-rotation, but that also makes it easier to fall and get damaged.

The display itself is just OK. Color photos appear fairly balanced and deep, but black-and-white photos seem a bit washed out and blue-hued. It"s also tough