Because of the excellent cameras in modern smartphones, it’s easier than ever to build a big photo collection of family, friends, and other fond memories. If you’re looking for a way to display your favorite photos in your home, you should consider a digital photo frame. They’re dedicated screens that run slideshows of pictures you either load directly onto the frame or access from the internet. Below are our top picks for the best digital photo frames, as well as some other devices like smart displays and TVs that can also show off your photos. We’ve tested every device on this list, closely examining how they’re designed, how easily you can get pictures on them, and whether or not those pictures actually look good. The Aura Mason is our top pick thanks to its gorgeous matte finish, which gives the impression of a well-lit printed photo rather than a screen. Some of the best digital photo frames can be preloaded for gift-giving and allow for remote photo management if your loved one isn’t particularly tech-savvy. Be sure to read our in-depth reviews of each product for the full details.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Aura Mason
Best Overall Digital Frame
The Aura Mason is a top digital picture frame if you don’t want all of the extra features and privacy concerns of a smart display, or you simply want to show photos in portrait (vertical) orientation. You can preload it with pictures and a message before you give it to a loved one, and it offers unlimited cloud storage so you can fill it with as many photos as you want. Note that it lacks onboard storage, so it needs a Wi-Fi connection to work. Despite this limitation, the Aura Mason is our top pick thanks to its gorgeous display and simple setup process. With 1,600 by 1,200 pixels across a 9-inch screen, it’s very sharp, and it offers vivid colors with little glare. Most importantly, it makes it feel like you’re looking at an actual photo rather than an image on a screen.
PROS
Sharp, colorful screen
Works in landscape and portrait orientations
Unlimited cloud storage
Easy to set up
CONS
No brightness adjustments
No onboard storage
Learn More
Aura Mason Review
Skylight Frame (10-Inch)
Best for Use Without Wi-Fi
The Skylight Frame offers one big advantage over many of the other frames and smart displays we’ve tested: 8GB of local storage. You need a Wi-Fi connection to load it with pictures, but once that’s done it can show photos when offline, so it’s ideal as a gift for loved ones who aren’t always connected. And if they do have Wi-Fi, you can add new photos simply by sending them to an email address for the frame.
PROS
8GB of onboard storage
Doesn’t require Wi-Fi to show pictures
Touch-screen controls
Can be preloaded with photos for gifting
CONS
Screen isn’t particularly sharp or vibrant
Some features require a subscription
Limited photo uploading options
Interface lacks polish
Learn More
Skylight Frame (10-Inch) Review
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023)
Best Overall Smart Display
With an 8-inch screen, the Amazon Echo Show 8 strikes a good balance in size and power between the cheaper and slower Echo Show 5 ($49.99) and the more expensive and specialized Echo Show 10 and Echo Show 15 ($249.99 each). This mid-sized screen has a 1,280-by-800-pixel resolution, which means pictures look sharp. It also has a set of solid stereo speakers and all of the standard Echo functions, including video chat.
PROS
Big sound with automatic acoustic adjustments
Loads of Alexa voice control features
High-resolution, auto-framing camera
Fast performance
Supports Matter, Thread, Zigbee
CONS
Limited bass response
Doesn’t function as an Eero mesh node
Learn More
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023) Review
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
Best Google Smart Display
The Nest Hub is Google’s version of Amazon’s Echo Show 8. It costs about the same but has a slightly smaller 7-inch screen and no camera along with a few interesting extras. It uses Google Assistant instead of Alexa and supports Google Cast, which means you can stream music and videos straight from your Android phone. It also has a sensor that can help analyze your sleep. As a photo frame, it taps into your Google Photos account and works just as well as the aforementioned Amazon equivalent.
PROS
Tracks sleep and breathing
Intuitive interface
Excellent smart home controls
Google Assistant responds quickly
Compact design
CONS
Might attribute co-sleeper’s coughing/snoring to you
No camera for video calls
Learn More
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) Review
Google Nest Hub Max
Best Large-Screen Google Display
The Nest Hub Max is a larger version of the Nest Hub, like the Echo Show 10 is to the Echo Show 5 or the Echo Show 8. It features a 10-inch screen with a higher 1,280-by-800-pixel resolution than the Nest Hub, plus a camera for video calls. The camera also doubles as a security device when you’re out of the house.
PROS
Integrates with Nest and functions as a security camera.
Supports Google Cast.
Fairly loud.
CONS
Sound quality isn’t particularly impressive.
Learn More
Google Nest Hub Max Review
Amazon Echo Show 15
Best Smart Display for Wall Mounting
The Echo Show 15 is one of the biggest smart displays you can buy and is meant to hang on the wall. When it isn’t cycling through art or your pictures, it can serve as a home messaging hub with information dashboards for different members of the family. It features the Fire TV smart TV platform thanks to a recent update, so you can easily stream your favorite content to it as well.
PROS
Attractive design
Large screen displays lots of info
Good for video playback
Fire TV integration
CONS
Pricey
Underwhelming camera quality
Middling audio performance
Learn More
Amazon Echo Show 15 Review
Samsung The Frame
Best TV That Looks Like a Frame
Samsung’s The Frame TV looks just as good when you aren’t watching television as it does when you are. Its Art mode shows off works of art from a collection of over 1,200 pieces or your photo library and requires less power than the TV mode. A modular bezel design lets you customize its look with a variety of frames to suit your decor. As a 4K TV, The Frame is also the highest-resolution display on this list, with a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels.
PROS
Striking, customizable design that resembles a hanging painting
Matte screen reduces glare and adds to the painting effect
Strong color performance
CONS
Poor contrast
Very expensive for the picture quality
Learn More
Samsung The Frame Review
Buying Guide: The Best Digital Picture Frames for 2024
Other Ways to Display Digital Photos
Amazon Echo Show 15 (Credit: Amazon)
Smart DisplaysVoice assistants have come a long way. First, they appeared on smart speakers like the Amazon Echo. Then companies added a screen to the mix, creating smart displays. These countertop, desktop, and tabletop devices provide all of the voice control functionality you get from smart speakers, along with a colorful screen that can display additional media. That media includes photos, so you can turn any smart display into a digital photo frame simply by uploading photos to your favorite service and accessing them from there.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (Credit: Molly Flores)
TabletsYour favorite tablet can serve as an excellent photo frame when it isn’t in your hand. By getting a nice stand (or finding a tablet with a built-in stand), you can simply set it down on a desk to show off your photos when you’re not using it.
Samsung Frame (Credit: Samsung)
TVsTVs don’t need to be dull black rectangles when they’re not in use. Several feature low-power gallery modes that can display works of art or your photos when you aren’t watching anything else. Turning your TV into a digital photo frame is as easy as linking a compatible photo service or plugging in a USB drive with your favorite pictures. Samsung’s The Frame stands out among these choices because its modular bezel design makes it look like a framed painting.
Recommended by Our Editors
The Best Online Photo Printing Services
(Credit: Shutterfly)
Not everyone wants to display photos on a digital screen. We’ve tested, rated, and reviewed the best online photo printing services to see which offer the lowest prices, the best user experience, and the highest-quality prints.
