Complete Review on Animoto: Key Features & Alternatives

The Animoto is a free,online slideshow software that turns your photographs into entertaining slideshows in minutes. The many Animoto reviews cover the versatility of this remarkable system that lets you arrange and edit your photos into a slideshow while also adding music and even a logo.

Keep in mind that you can use the program for a free, 14-day trial, but afterwards you must sign up for their Pro system if you want to continue using the software.

Key Features

There are several features that help make this one of the best, free slideshow software programs around, especially for beginners.

• 720p HD Video Quality
• Social Media Sharing
• Custom Branding Options
• Commercial License
• Large Music Library
• Dozens of Templates
• Easy-to-Use System

Some of the benefits include being easy to install, saving projects that are unfinished, the large music library that offers so many choices, and the nearly 50 templates. However, there are a couple of issues with the system that might have you looking for an Animoto alternative, such as the fact that the free trial does not include HD-quality video and a watermark is placed on the slideshow that you create.

How to Make Photo Slideshow with Animoto

Creating a slideshow is simple and easy thanks to the Animoto system that lets you build what you want step-by-step.

• Select Images: Upload the images you want to use in the slideshow. The images are automatically synced with social media sites like Facebook, Photobucket, SmugMug, Flickr, and Picasa.

• Music: Upload the music file if you want to use your own or choose one of the many files that Animoto offers.

• Custom Text: Here, you add the text you want for the images.

• Create & Publish: With everything ready, all you need to do is select the Create Video button and Animoto does all the rest. You can watch the video on the site, share it on social media sites, or create a DVD if you want.

Of course, the quality of the slideshow you create will depend on the Animoto plan that you choose to use. There are three types, Lite, Plus, and Pro. Each one has a certain number of features that you can access.

Lite

This is the free plan that allows you to create a slideshow of no more than 30 seconds. You can access the over 300 tracks in the music library and the overall quality of the video will be for the web only.

Plus

For $5 per month or $30 per year, you can create slideshows that last up to 10 minutes, the video quality will not change, but you can access up to 44 different style and the same number of music tracks as the Lite version.

Pro

For $39 per month or $249 per year, you can create a 20-minute slideshow with multiple music tracks. The video will be HD quality with upwards of 60 different styles with 16 exclusive to the Pro level. Plus, you can access up to 2000 tracks from the music library which are all licensed for commercial use.

Best Alternatives to Animoto

While Animoto is a fine system, it’s not without issues and many Animoto reviews have pointed out where the software could be improved.

• Solid Internet Connection Needed
• No Control over Edit Style
• Limited Number of Text Effects and Transitions
• No Ability to Edit a Section of the Video

All the limitations put together means that Animoto is simply not the best system for the needs of most people. Fortunately, there two excellent Animoto alternative software programs that allow you to do the even more.

1. DVD Slideshow Builder

The DVD Slideshow Builder by Wondershare is compatible with Windows 10 and offers a considerable number of advantages over the Animoto system. You can build a slideshow quickly and with more options compared to the Animoto system. The three-step process lets you upload the photos, organize them the way you want, and create a DVD with just one click.

Plus, you can create movie-like styles for your slideshow even if you have never used this type of program before.

2. Filmora Video Editor

The Filmora Video Editor offers plenty of great effects and is really a full-blown video editor as opposed to just a slideshow creator. This means that you get an easy-to-use editor with lots of effects, transitions, and editing capabilities all while being intuitive to use.

You can learn how to use the Filmora Video Editor when you go to this video and discover its capabilities that even first-timers can use.

Pros

• Easy and intuitive to use thanks to the simple interfaces
• Full feature modes or suits for different kinds of slideshows
• Large number of texts and transitions
• Wide variety of motion-elements, filters, and overlays
• Supports all popular formats
• Easy to upload to social media platforms

Cons

• Free versions come with watermarks
• Not many pre-set templates
• No 3D effects

If you are looking for the Animoto alternative, the DVD Slideshow Burner and Filmora Video Editor are two excellent products offer more features while being easy to use.