lcd photo display screens brands
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.
We don’t think the Skylight Frame does a perfect job of representing images. Its compression software can add visible artifacts, soften images and make certain hues look unnatural. That said, its 1280x800 pixel LCD holds up well against similarly priced rivals, even if its 255-nit brightness is a long way below the Aura Carver.
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.
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.
While a picture is worth a thousand words, you probably have more than one meaningful photo you want to showcase in your home or office. Instead of just placing one or two photos in a frame, a digital photo frame cycles through all of your photos, so you can relive your most memorable moments over and over.
Digital picture frames shuffle your photos into a slideshow, so those wedding photos have a permanent place to live, and you don"t have to choose just one. Although smart displays can do the same thing, you may prefer a digital photo frame because you can set it and forget, and they have more design options available, which is nice if you want a photo frame for its beauty and not just its tech.
These devices have been around for a while, but that just means they"ve had time to get better. Currently, there are plenty of quality digital photo frames to choose from. We"ve rounded up the best digital picture frames (both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi) to help you showcase photos.
The Nixplay Smart Digital picture frame has great features to showcase your memories, and is our pick for the best digital photo frame. You"ll get 50GB of photo and video storage, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a one-year subscription to Nixplay Plus. This subscription gets you up to 80% discount on photo prints, 50 shared playlists, and the ability to add videos up to one minute long.
The digital photo frame also has a motion sensor that wakes up the frame when you are in the room and turns it off when you"re not. In addition, the company promises all your data is encrypted, so your photos and videos are secured.
If you want to forgo uploading photos to a cloud and connecting to your email, the Loop Digital Picture Frame makes it super easy to add photos to the frame. All you have to do is text an image or video to a number, and it automatically adds your photos instantly. In addition, with this frame, you can add video clips up to five minutes long.
For a more budget-friendly price, this digital picture frame still has great features like a built-in clock and calendar, an included remote to control it from afar, and the ability to add music to your photo slideshow. This frame forgoes Wi-Fi and allows you to add photos via a USB flash drive or an SD card.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is the perfect all-in-one display -- it serves as a smart home assistant, a way to make video calls, and, of course, as a digital frame to show off your favorite photos. It has an adaptative color display to show your photos in their true colors, and Amazon Prime members even get unlimited cloud photo storage.
Those that don"t want to mess with a Wi-Fi connection or cloud storage to view photos may want to consider this digital picture frame that doesn"t use Wi-Fi. You just need a USB stick to display your images, so you don"t have to worry about your photos not showing up if your Wi-Fi is spotty.
The frame also has a built-in calendar and clock, a remote, and a programmable motion sensor that turns the frame on and off to save energy. In addition, you can choose from different slideshow transitions and even play both photos and videos in the same slideshow.
The Nixplay Smart Digital picture frame is our pick for the best digital photo frame thanks to its features, photo storage, style, and price range.Digital picture framePriceResolutionStorage
While all of these digital picture frames are great options, it ultimately comes down to how you want to upload your photos, the amount of storage you want, and what you"re willing to spend.Choose this digital photo frame...If you want...
We chose these digital photo frames after extensive research into the product category. We compared factors like pricing, reviews (both good and bad), storage, and photo resolution.
Although most digital picture frames require Wi-Fi to connect to services like Google Photos or Dropbox, there are some products available that don"t need Wi-Fi. Instead, they use a USB or an SD card to showcase photos and videos.
A digital photo frame can display the same photo continuously for about 1,000 hours without causing damage to its LCD screen. But since digital photo frames rotate through photos, you shouldn"t have to worry about any screen burn-out for years.
There are a lot of digital picture frames available on the market today. While we think the above are the best digital photo frames, here are a few other options to look into so you can display photos:Here are a few other options to look into:
The best digital photo frames allow you to share all your favorite images of family and friends in your living room. Instead of just endlessly staring at the same printed photo, you can upload a selection of pictures and enjoy each in turn. Whether you want to show off holiday snaps, photos from your wedding, or even short videos, there"s a frame out there to suit you.
These days, the best digital photo frames are very easy to use. Rather than needing a USB stick or an SD card to display your images, many can sync to the cloud or social media. Another benefit they have over the best picture frames(opens in new tab) is being able to display new shots instantly. There"s no need to wait to get them printed, and you won"t need to buy a new frame either.
Whether you use one of the best mirrorless cameras, DSLRs or camera phones to take photos, a digital photo frame means you don"t have to pick just one image to display - you can choose hundreds or even thousands! And it"s not just photos, some can even display short videos with sound which really bring the memories to life.
So how do you pick the best digital photo frame for your needs? There are plenty of styles to choose from, while other things to consider are how much internal storage you"ll need, whether you want to play sound and video, and if you"ll need Wi-Fi connectivity. Also think about who the digital photo frame is for, especially if it"s a gift. Some can set up with images without you taking it out of the box. Others have large buttons that make thing easy to use, or a touchscreen so that you can swipe through images.
Below, we"ve brought together the best digital photo frames on the market today. In our selection, we"ve included both budget-friendly options and high-end ones that are stylish and feature-rich. In the next few weeks we can expect to see lots of tempting Black Friday deals(opens in new tab) so if you"ve ever wanted to invest in a digital photo frame now could be the perfect time!
Aeezo"s 9-inch digital photo frame has it all. It"s easy to set up, has ample amounts of internal storage, can be quickly loaded with photos and has built-in speakers too.
Within 60 seconds of taking it out of the box I had turned it on and set it up. Photos can be added either via a USB stick, a memory card or by downloading the Frameo app and selecting photos from your phone. In general, I found it easiest to add them straight from the app. That said, if I had lots to transfer in one go, uploading from a memory card was a lot faster.
Another big advantage to the Aeezo is that anyone can send photos to the frame so long as they have its access code. That means family or friends from all over the world can easily share photos: they just need to download the app. The one downside is you can only add up to 10 photos at a time, so if you have lots to add, you might be waiting a while.
The Facebook Portal isn"t just a digital photo frame – it also doubles up as a video calling device that uses your Facebook or WhatsApp contacts. Photos can be displayed on the Portal either directly from Facebook or Instagram, or you can load images onto it from an SD card or USB drive.
Aura makes some of the most stylish digital photo frames around. The Mason Luxe comes in two colors, pebble and sandstone, both of which have a speckled effect. And it"s the perfect gift, because you can add pictures to it without having to open the packaging.
This is an especially handy feature if you"re giving it to someone slightly less tech-savvy. All you need to do is scan a QR code on the box and use an app on your phone to choose which pictures you want it to display, which adds an extra element of surprise.
The new and improved Mason Luxe is able to play videos with sound thanks to its built-in speaker. Its 2K resolution means that both photos and video will be displayed in high quality, and the screen is slightly larger than the standard Mason frame. You can adjust the slideshow speed so that images change as fast or slow as you want or alternatively, you can manually flick through images using the interactive touch bar.
This 10-inch photo frame from Aluratek doesn"t have a lot of bells and whistle,but it does what it needs. Whether you choose to keep it on a surface or mount it to the wall, the 16:9 widescreen LCD display and 1024 x 600 resolution will ensure your favorite memories are shown in high quality.
It supports SD cards up to 32GB, which means you can have thousands of photos ready to view on the device. Additionally, it has ports for a USB stick or a hard drive if you prefer to connect it via those methods.
With its 15.6in screen, the Meural WiFi Photo Frame is bigger than most, making a striking statement on your shelf, desk or mantelpiece. It comes with a stand that allows it to displayed in landscape or portrait format, and there"s a wall mount in the box too, should you want a more permanent fixture in your home.
This looks so much like a traditional frame you almost have to double-take. The stylish, black-rimmed, 15-inch digital photo frame come complete with white mount. It has 2GB of internal storage, built-in speakers and a larger screen than most digital photo frames, which makes it ideal for playing videos.
This clever all-in-one multimedia screen lets you directly send and receive photos via email and the internet, not just cards or USB sticks. This compact, standard 4:3 ratio 10-inch screen device comes with 8GB of built in storage, which should accommodate up to 30,000 photos. Set up is made easy via the provided remote, with peace of mind provided courtesy of a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
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).
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.
One of the best digital photo frames can display your memories with the quality they deserve. While some may view this technology as dated, these gadgets have come leaps and bounds in recent years, advancing to the point that they will stop and impress guests in their tracks. The resolution and colors have sharpened to give substantial detail, while the additional features give more versatility than ever before. For instance, some models will now let you watch videos with sound. Accessibility is imperative in modern designs as well — you should be able to add and remove images from your gallery with ease.
Not every digital photo frame performs to the same standard though, making it tricky to pick one out of the crowd. That’s why we put a range of models to the test — to see which will do your photographs justice. We set up and used each digital photo frame at home, exactly as you would, and assessed everything from the accessibility to the ease of operation. We considered every strength and weakness behind the design; if the screen showed finger marks or the memory was lacking, we made a note. We took the overall quality of the display as well as value for money into consideration as well. Consequently, we can say with confidence that 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 has no touch screen, no built-in memory and no remote control. The 800 x 600 TFT LCD screen resolution offers some basic adjustments for positioning images on screen, how long each image lingers and the screen brightness. You can plug in SD camera cards (up to 32GB) or a USB stick.
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.
The Pix-Star Easy Digital Photo Frame is our "best overall" option because it’s family-friendly and comes with free unlimited cloud storage, allowing you to store and share all of your photos in one place with ease. Plus, you can share memories with friends and friends virtually through multiple channels, including uploading via the coordinating app, email, or online albums such as Google Photos or Instagram. For a more grandparent-friendly option, the Skylight Frame Digital Picture Frame is a great pick because family members can easily send images to the frame and grandparents will get notified of any new additions. Plus, they can view images with or without Wi-Fi, making it a little more accessible, too.
According to international photographer J.Monroe, the display is one of the most important factors to consider, especially in terms of the size, aspect ratio, and resolution. Display features are vital to the quality of a picture frame, but they are also dependent on your personal preference. Larger photo frame screens could be a better option for grandparents, or those looking to mount a frame on the wall. While smaller displays might be the perfect pick for a desktop frame to decorate a workspace, console, or shelf. No matter what size you choose, also consider aspect ratio and resolution. Aspect ratio is a proportion measure that shows the relation between width and height while resolution tells you how crisp an image will appear on screen. Lower resolutions are less crisp compared to higher-resolutions, which is highly recommended for a digital screen.
“The best thing about digital frames is that the variety of options is limitless as long as the size of your photos ranges between 150-300 dots per inch (DPI),” Monroe explains. He also recommends looking at screens with at least 1080-pixel high-definition (HD) resolutions, especially if you want a larger frame that mounts on the wall.
Most digital picture frames with built-in storage have capacities of around 4 to 8 gigabytes, however, some companies have upgrade options through either one-time purchasing or a subscription-based format. “Depending on your image quality, that could allow for up to 30,000 images to be stored on the device,” says Jim Costa, a professional photographer with over 33 years of experience.
According to Costa, customization options are an added perk to consider when purchasing a digital photo frame—however, they aren’t always necessary. “Some devices allow you to change the slideshow effects, transitions, image screen time, and more,” Costa explains. Some additional customizable features include adjustable screen brightness and automatic on/off timers, which Costa says is a great energy-saving feature when people aren’t home. You can also find some frames—such as the PhotoSpring 10in WiFi Digital Picture Frame—that allow you to easily upgrade the look with add-on border frames to match your preferred decor style.
When shopping for a digital picture frame—especially ones with cloud storage—Monroe says it’s important to look at options that offer safe and secure storage, as being “able to ensure that your personal photos and data aren’t owned or shared is always a plus.” Look for a company’s security measures on their website or product page, which can help indicate whether they are reputable and can be trusted. Some companies offer security measures like photo encryption as well as stating not to share or sell customer data for advertising. They might also go as far as to only allow access to photos when helping troubleshoot a concern, so long as you authorize it. Other privacy features found in some digital picture frames include facial recognition (similar to a smartphone) as an added layer of security.
Digital picture frames work in many different ways. Monroe explains: “Some require you to upload photos onto the actual device via a USB port or card [which is common in non-Wi-Fi frames], others have options to upload them using internet access on a site, app, or website, making it easier to manage, store, and change anything needed.” Once photos are uploaded and sent to the device, images will appear on the digital picture frame screen in a slideshow-like manner.
“Smart displays, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant can be use