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The 9 Very Best Digital Picture Frames

The perfect complement to your digital camera or your smartphone’s photo library.

Photo: Marcus McDonald, Getty Images
Photo: Marcus McDonald, Getty Images

In this article

When I lived in a smaller apartment, I didn’t put much thought into hanging up family photos, mostly because I didn’t have the wall space. Once I moved into a larger home, though, the art I had accumulated didn’t fill up all my walls anymore and I’d grown more homesick than when I first moved out of state. Since placing a digital picture frame on my kitchen countertop, though, I’ve been able to grace my home with pictures of my sister and her kids who live states away, plus photos she and my mom upload, without having to deal with choosing, printing, and framing individual prints.

A digital frame makes it so much easier to view the many photos on our phones or hard drives or in the cloud. 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 all day.

To find the best digital picture frame for you, I tested five models with my own photo library, let some family members send their photos to my frames, and spoke with Strategist editors and writers who love their digital frames. Stylewise, digital picture frames trend toward the minimal and simple; you won’t find any gilt rococo options on the market. Probably the best-known maker of digital frames is Aura (all the podcast advertising probably doesn’t hurt), while Netgear, which is mainly known for networking products, has begun to make its own frames, and companies like Google make smart displays that double as digital picture frames. We looked for attractive options that could match a variety of décor styles, with clean lines in classic colors or simple decorative bezels.

Read on to find out what to look for and which frames we recommend.

What we’re looking for

Photo-sharing method

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, you’ll want to choose one that is usable without Wi-Fi. On the flip side, if you want 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 album in your camera roll. And if you want to display photos that are not originally digital — whether they were taken recently or years ago — the dedicated apps of some frames offer scanning options that make it easier to upload vintage 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. In any case, if you plan on having friends or family send you photos for your frame, you’ll want one that’s easy enough for them to send to without being an inconvenience.

Storage

Some digital picture frames have built-in storage to save photos locally on the frame or access them from a MicroSD card that you insert into it and that can be expanded using 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 or send via MMS; those images will be uploaded directly, though the frames may require a subscription to their cloud service, which usually costs about $5 per month.

Screen size and resolution

Some brands offer smaller digital frames, but the most common screen size is around nine or ten inches. You can find larger ones if you want to display photos in a larger space. For screen resolution, look for 720p or higher; anything lower and your photos may look grainy or blurry owing to fewer pixels. Resolution measures pixels per inch, or PPI, and the fewer PPI, the grainier the image (this is especially important when you’re 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.

Photo orientation

Most of us take photos in both landscape and portrait orientation, so the best frames will be able to adequately handle a mix of both no matter the device’s physical orientation in your home.

Video and sound

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

Best digital picture frame overall

Photo-sharing method: Unlimited cloud storage | Storage: No onboard storage | Screen size and resolution: 9-inch screen, 1200p resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape or portrait | Video and sound: Yes

No frame I’ve tested has as straightforward a setup as Aura’s. In just a few minutes, I managed to sync an album of about 200 photos straight to my new frame, plus adding my sister, mom, and dad, so they can add photos as well. Doing so is as simple as tapping a link that opens right in Aura’s dedicated app. The company’s frames are the ones my family and several Strategist writers and editors all swear by.

From the frame’s app, you can set the frequency at which photos alternate, the order photos are played in (shuffled or chronological), the speaker volume for video playback, and whether you want the photo borders to be black or white. You can even scan printed photos straight from inside the app, no additional hardware necessary. It lets you upload photos remotely, and you can invite multiple people to add photos to the same frame (users can even add comments and likes in the app). The frame 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 doesn’t have built-in storage, but you can upload unlimited photos using its dedicated app. You can also link the frame to a Google Photos or Apple iCloud account, send photos to the frame’s unique email address, or use Aura’s web uploader. This means you’ll need to keep your frame on a strong Wi-Fi connection, but that shouldn’t be a problem in most households.

When the frame is synced with iCloud Photos or Google Photos, you can sync entire albums, so all you have to do is add select shots to that album, rather than syncing directly within Aura’s app.

The Mason has a resolution of 1600p x 1200p and can show images in landscape or portrait orientation; its nine-inch screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio that is perfectly proportioned for smartphone-camera photos, while the frame will automatically adjust photos when you rotate it from one orientation to the other. A discreet touch bar on the edge of the frame lets you swipe through photos and videos. It also has an ambient sensor that can adjust the brightness of the display or put it to sleep depending on the light levels in the surrounding area. And if you’re planning to give the frame as a gift, Aura makes it super-simple to preload with photos so all your recipient has to do is plug it in and connect it to Wi-Fi.

Lauren Ragan, director of ad operations at Vox Media, gifted a Mason to her in-laws and says the simplicity and convenience are a huge plus. “It’s funny because they’re the opposite of tech savvy. They still used paper maps until a few years ago, but they figured out the frame right away,” she says.

Aura also sells the Buddy, which is basically an Aura Carver (see below) with a neutral “biscuit” color and displays “likes” as paw prints (instead of the hearts seen on Aura’s other frames) for pet parents with dedicated Instagrams for their furry friends.

Best (less expensive) digital picture frame

Photo-sharing method: Unlimited cloud storage | Storage: No onboard storage | Screen size and resolution: 10.1-inch screen, 1200p resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Yes

The Aura Carver’s specs, design, and functionality are similar to those of the brand’s Mason for a somewhat lower price. The main differences are that the Carver has a slightly larger screen with a lower resolution of 1280p x 800p and a 16:10 aspect ratio (compared with the Mason’s 4:3, which better accommodates photos taken with a smartphone camera), and it can be displayed only in landscape orientation (an “intelligent pairing” feature can match up related vertical shots to display them side by side). This reduced versatility, plus a slightly less crisp display, will save you a few bucks, but it’s still an excellent frame.

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

Best digital picture frame for use without Wi-Fi

Photo-sharing method: USB port and SD slot | Storage: No onboard storage | Screen size and resolution: 10.1-inch screen, 1080p resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Yes

The Atatat is a budget-friendly digital frame best suited for someone without easy access to an internet connection or who just prefers not to have yet another connected device. Its 1080p resolution is in line with the Skylight and notably higher than the Nixplay’s 720p resolution (see both below). You display photos or videos using a 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 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. Photos can be displayed only in landscape orientation, and it comes with a simple stand to prop it up on a desk or shelf or can be mounted on a wall.

Do note that its 1080p resolution is a bit lower than most of those you can get from Aura, but it’s higher than a few others we recommend.

Best large-screen digital picture frame

Photo-sharing method: Cloud storage | Storage: 8 GB onboard storage | Screen size and resolution: 15-inch screen, 1920x1080 resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape or portrait | Video and sound: Yes

Skylight’s Frame, which comes in ten- and 15-inch models, has a bright screen that’s easy to see from across the room. The 15-inch model I’ve been testing is notably larger than every frame I’ve tried other than the Meural (see below) and makes it easy to see pictures from farther away with more detail than a smaller nine-inch frame like the Mason. It even has enough space to clearly show two portrait images side by side (just be sure to enable randomization in settings to avoid duplicates pairing up) and an automatic brightness setting that can toggle depending on the lighting in your home.

Syncing is straightforward: You can email photos to your frame’s designated address or upload them directly from the company’s app. The app works well, but you can upload only 50 photos at a time. This won’t matter once you’ve gotten things set up, but the initial transfer can be tedious. You can also share the email address with other people. There’s a gifting mode, which lets you pre-upload photos to the frame without opening it so you can surprise a loved one with a fully stocked digital photo album, no setup necessary.

This frame can be hung on a wall, and Skylight includes a three-piece metal mount that can be installed to support either portrait or landscape mode — but not both. It’s easy enough to switch, though, should you decide to rearrange your room or move to a new space.

Best digital picture frame for multiple syncing options

Photo-sharing method: 10 GB cloud storage (expandable to 50 GB with paid subscription) | Storage: 8 GB onboard storage | Screen size and resolution: 10-inch screen, 720p resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape or portrait | Video and sound: Yes

Touchscreen capabilities help this ten-inch Nixplay frame stand out from frames like the Familink (see below), though the Nest Hub and Aura’s frames have touchscreens too. It allows you to do things like pause slideshows, toggle settings, and even “like” photos that spark 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.

This frame has 8 GB of internal storage plus 10 GB of cloud storage; you can upgrade to 50 GB of cloud storage by subscribing to the Nixplay Plus service for $50 annually or $15 quarterly. Membership also upgrades the frame’s warranty to a lifetime (the free warranty is only one year) and allows you to upload longer videos. That’s not as good a deal as Aura’s unlimited cloud storage, but the Nixplay has more options for syncing photos.

Although Wi-Fi is required to upload photos (there’s no USB port or microSD slot), the Nixplay will continue to 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 up the frame when you’re in the room and puts it to sleep when no motion is detected if you’re worried about your electric bill.

Best smart-display digital picture frame

Photo-sharing method: Cloud storage | Storage: No onboard storage for photos | Screen size and resolution: 7-inch screen, 600p resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Yes

The ultracompact, freestanding Google Nest Hub is the digital frame I keep in my kitchen. It’s marketed as a smart display, but that just means it can easily go from a slideshow of my family photo album to playing a YouTube video while I cook or showing me what’s playing on Spotify. It’s especially useful if you have limited space in your home for an extra gadget.

Even without all that functionality, the Hub’s crisp, vibrant display just makes photos look great. My kitchen gets a lot of natural light, but even on a bright, sunny day, the Hub’s display (which automatically adjusts brightness and color temperature) never gets too washed out.

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 a smart hub, you can use it to check the weather, set timers, pull up your calendar, and control lights or other connected devices in your home.

In addition to its impressive capabilities as a picture frame, its speaker sounds great for jamming to a playlist while you cook dinner or kick back and relax. It won’t compete with a more audio-focused smart device like Apple’s HomePod or Amazon’s Echo Studio, but if you want a speaker that can show all your favorite photos while you listen to your favorite playlist, the Nest Hub can’t be beat.

Do note, though, that since it doubles as a smart display/speaker, it’s always listening for its “wake word.” If you’re particular about your home’s privacy, it’s probably best to stick with a dedicated frame.

Best cellular-network digital picture frame

Photo-sharing method: Unlimited cloud storage | Storage: Not listed | Screen size and resolution: 10-inch screen, 800p resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: No

For the non-tech-savvy loved one who doesn’t have access to Wi-Fi, Familink’s 4G-powered photo frame is a good way to 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. It does support Wi-Fi, so you don’t have to pay for the 4G service, but if you or your recipient has access to Wi-Fi, another similarly priced frame with a higher resolution may be a better option. Familink also limits uploads over 4G to ten photos per day, so if you’re sending a ton of photos, that’s another reason to connect it over Wi-Fi, which allows for unlimited uploads.

Photos look great on this frame’s 800p display despite the PPI being lower than some other models we recommend. In my testing, even from a distance of around ten feet I could easily see the photos of my friends and family I’d uploaded and recognize everything in them.

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 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 provides a more curated feed of images for the recipient and lets them easily add photos without much fuss.

It’s not without its caveats: It does require some form of connection for the initial photo transfer, its landscape-only kickstand props out at just one angle, and it doesn’t support video or audio playback so it’s strictly for viewing photos. It comes in one light-wood finish, though in addition to the ten-inch version, there’s a smaller seven-inch model if your space is limited.

Best digital picture frame for ease of use

Loop Digital Picture Frame
$160
$160

Photo-sharing method: Text message, Wi-Fi upload | Storage: 16 GB | Screen size and resolution: 10-inch screen, resolution not listed | Photo orientation: Landscape | Video and sound: Yes

While most digital frames receive photos via email or cloud upload (usually in an app), the Loop’s key feature is the ability to receive them via text message, something no other picture frame I’ve tested offers. This gives your tech-averse family members a simpler way to send pictures than via email. They’ll have to store your Loop frame’s designated phone number, but they add it to their contacts just once.

The Loop has a touchscreen, which lets you complete the entire signup process directly from the frame. That’s not as simple as doing it from the app, however, which takes only a couple of minutes, upload included. Although the company doesn’t list the frame’s resolution, it’s high enough to produce crisp images that look great even from afar. I placed my review unit on my kitchen bar during testing and could see pictures from my living room ten feet away.

The Loop’s only shortcoming is that, unlike the Nixplay or Mason, it works only in landscape mode. You can set it up to display two portrait images side by side, but you can’t prop it up vertically to better showcase them.

Best digital picture frame for art and photography

Photo-sharing method: Cloud storage | Storage: 8 GB | Screen size and resolution: 21.5-inch screen, 1920x1080 resolution | Photo orientation: Landscape and portrait | Video and sound: Yes

The Meural Canvas is about as close as you can get to making large prints of your favorite smartphone photos without having to run and get them printed. The 21.5-inch screen, which has a gesture-friendly panel right below it, is bright, colorful, and easy to see from distances of even 20 feet. The Skylight’s 15-inch display is the only one that comes close to the Meural’s size, and the extra screen space is especially noticeable when you’re farther away.

Given its size, there’s no option to prop the Canvas on your desk or coffee table: This one’s strictly for your walls. Everything you need, including a level, comes in the box, though, no trips to the hardware store required.

As with most other frames, you can send photos to this one via the app, but it doesn’t have a designated email address. That makes it a little less family friendly, as you’ll need to manually upload photos loved ones send you.

In place of that convenience, however, is the Canvas’s main strength: It’s a great display for art. It comes with a few art packs preinstalled: a collection of modern art, another of classical art, and one of various waterfalls. There are a ton of other options, but they all include an additional purchase. That’s a bummer as the Canvas costs quite a bit more already, but if you have limited wall space and want to blend in art with your family photos, no frame does it better.

Our experts

• Stephen Galamb, software engineer at Vox Media
• Lauren Ragan, director of ad operations at Vox Media
Dan Seifert, Verge deputy editor
• Jen Trolio, Strategist senior editor

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The 9 Very Best Digital Picture Frames