17 Best Slideshow Makers for a Mac [2024]
To create a slideshow on a Mac, follow these simple steps:
1. Download Movavi Slideshow Maker.
2. Choose your working mode.
3. Add photos and music.
4. Make a slideshow and save the result.
Looking for the best slideshow software for Mac? You’ve come to the right place. Learn about 17 Mac-compatible slideshow makers, what makes each stand out, and get the lowdown on pricing, licensing, and key features so you can choose the software that’s right for you and your budget.
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List of the best slideshow software for a Mac
The best slideshow maker for Mac depends on the user. We’ve gone through and determined the best slideshow apps for Mac devices, paying particular attention to their cost, pros, cons, and key features, to help you test out and ultimately choose the best program for you to use on your Macintosh.
1. Movavi Slideshow Maker
Best for: Beginners who want to create slideshows beyond the basics, as well as users who enjoy visual features like filters, transitions, and stickers
OS: macOS (also support for legacy versions for Mac and Microsoft Windows), Windows 7/8/10
Licensing: Free 7-day trial, subscription, or lifetime license
File size: 74 MB
Rating: 9.5/10
Movavi Slideshow Maker is a well-balanced tool for beginners and advanced users alike.
For instance, Movavi’s “Easy Mode” lets novices build a professional-looking slideshow in minutes without much of a learning curve. They just need to upload the necessary media files (image / images, videos, etc.) and then select slide transitions. Adding music is also straightforward, and Movavi provides guides in case any step isn’t 100% clear.
And for anyone who needs more advanced features, the “Full Feature” mode provides options like native recording, extra photo editing options, animated transitions, and even in-app video editing. Best of all, most of these features only require you to click and drag the desired elements.
After your slideshow is complete, Movavi makes it easy to save your presentation in any major file format (and some less common ones), and you can even adjust the file size – making it easier to put on a flash drive.
Key features:
Pros:
Easy to use
Effective tool for amateurs and professionals
Cons:
A free trial is available for 7 days only
2. Keynote
Best for: People who own the full line of Apple products (iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks) for convenient cross-device usage
OS: iOS, macOS
Licensing: Free (for new Mac laptops and desktops), or one-time purchase
File size: 345.2 MB
Rating: 9/10
Keynote is Apple’s native slideshow maker. Usable on iPhones, iPads, and accessible via the iCloud, Keynote is a versatile and free slideshow maker for Mac computers made in 2013 or later.
The current version of Keynote lets Mac users collaborate on presentations, tweak slides from their iPhone with the Keynote mobile application, and even transform handwriting into text on your computer. If you’re an Apple fanatic, Keynote is an effective way to develop slideshows and present visual, video, and text information in informal and professional settings.
Key features:
Pros:
Handy phone app makes it possible to edit presentations anywhere
Can easily embed videos into your presentation
Already installed on your Mac computer (unless your rig is a decade old)
Cons:
Takes time to master
Not usable on Android, so you can’t bounce between Keynote on your laptop and your cellphone unless you have an iPhone (however, Keynote can now run on Windows OS)
3. Microsoft PowerPoint
Best for: Anyone who grew up using PowerPoint and feel most comfortable using a tool they’re familiar with
OS: macOS, Windows
Licensing: 1-month free trial, subscription
File size: 700 MB
Our rating: 8/10
Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the oldest examples of slideshow maker software. It’s so well known that the phrase “I need to make a PowerPoint” is more common than “I need to make a slideshow” in the United States.
PowerPoint is a straightforward presentation tool that most people don’t use to its full potential. The software, in addition to standard slide making and templates, offers useful yet less-known features like self-running presentations and audio fading, bookmarking, and trimming.
Making a basic slideshow is as easy as choosing a theme, filling in the blanks, and adding media wherever you need it. Presenting visual elements like images and video as well as audio, text, and linking slides with smooth transitions with PowerPoint is no problem, and there are countless tutorials online if you want to take your PPT skills to the next level.
Key features:
Pros:
YouTube tutorials and online writing guides for additional support
You’ve probably used it before, so the UI should be familiar
Usable on every all major operating systems and device
Cons:
Lack of imagination when it comes to templates
Some users have encountered bugs using PowerPoint on macOS
4. LibreOffice Impress
Best for: People looking for a basic, free slideshow maker usable on any major device and operating system
OS: macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS
Licensing: Open-source software
File size: 252 MB (for LibreOffice productivity suite)
Our rating: 7.5/10
LibreOffice Impress is part of LibreOffice’s open-source suite of productivity software. Impress provides five different modes of viewing your in-progress presentation, and even gives you access to tools like The Fontworks to create dynamic 2D and 3D text for your slideshows.
If you’re new to Impress, simply begin with its outline mode and you’ll soon be on your way to creating a great slideshow. Does your presentation need an injection of creativity? Download any of the free LibreOffice Impress templates available online for some help.
Key features:
Pros:
Multiple viewing modes for easy step-by-step presentation making
Basic setup that’s easy to use for anyone familiar with PowerPoint
Cons:
Not online, so it’s harder to instantly collaborate on an Impress file
Some of the features and UI seem a bit out of date
5. Prezi
Best for: Users interested in approaching presentation-making in a new way
OS: Windows 7, 8, 10, Mac OS X or higher
Licensing: Monthly subscription
File size: 650 MB
Our rating: 8.5/10
At first glance, Prezi appears to be a response to slide-by-slide presentation tools such as Keynote and PowerPoint. While Prezi involves many of the same concepts as a standard slideshow application (offering templates, audio and video customization, etc.), the way information moves from section to section makes Prezi stand out from the crowd.
Each Prezi presentation is displayed on a large canvas. Instead of moving slide by slide, the presentation zooms in and out of sections and helps keep the user engaged when transitioning between topics. Additionally, you can bounce between audio and video with help from Prezi’s recording software, letting you create dynamic presentations that many people haven’t experienced before.
Prezi started out as solely a web app, but you can now download Prezi Next if you prefer (or require) an offline solution to building professional presentations.
Key features:
Pros:
Doesn’t feel like a standard presentation, focuses on “the path” (transitions)
Can mix in audio and video into your canvas, and provides options to create talking-head videos
Lots of customizability
Cons:
In-app collaboration is limited
Pricing is multi-tiered, may confuse users looking for a straightforward pricing model
6. Slidebean
Best for: Entrepreneurs looking to pitch projects or startups
OS: Web application
Licensing: Subscription
File size: N/A
Our rating: 9/10
Slidebean was born out of a need for building aesthetic presentations without an actual graphic designer at hand. The product is specifically designed for creating professional pitch decks for businesses and marketers, and they even have a “Book Project” function if you want direct support using their tool.
This slideshow program for Mac isn’t ideal for putting together casual presentations. However if you’re looking to turn your slideshow into a pitch that lands you investors and grows your business, Slidebean is a service to investigate.
Key features:
Pros:
Designed with professionals in mind (visuals are buttoned up)
Customer support services readily available for its users
Cons:
Narrow in scope, built to pitch ideas and create formal presentations
Minor bugs reported (like uploading an image turns the entire slide 100% black)
7. CustomShow
Best for: Businesses looking to set a standard for presentations across teams or the entire company
OS: Cloud-based application
Licensing: Subscription
File size: N/A
Our rating: 8/10
CustomShow is enterprise software as a service built to help companies develop consistently branded presentations. After you’ve uploaded the requisite media files for your slideshow, you can further customize details like image shading, backgrounds for your video, and other visual effects.
From a technological standpoint, CustomShow also excels at connecting teams – providing the ability to simultaneously cast presentations to different devices. Such a feature is especially handy for the remote teams many of us find ourselves working on today. Plus with CustomShow’s mobile app and analytics tools, there’s plenty of features for enterprises serious about getting taking their business presentations to a new level.
Key features:
Pros:
Ability to easily collaborate makes it great for large companies and remote teams
Feature rich
Cons:
Not for the slideshow hobbyist / individual user
Has a bit of a learning curve
8. FlowVella
Best for: Businesses presenting at events or conferences, users who want to incorporate a range of elements into their presentations
OS: OS X and iOS
Licensing: Free trial, subscription
File size: N/A
Our rating: 8.5/10
FlowVella presentations sometimes look a bit like the page of a website because of all the interactive elements built into them. FlowVella allows the presenter to seamlessly move between image files, slides, videos, and other media dynamically – breaking from the linear nature of standard Mac slideshow apps.
The FlowVella app even provides a “kiosk mode” for iPads, easily letting users (like museum goers or tradeshow attendees) interact with a presentation you made without accidentally changing its elements.
Key features:
Pros:
Built for businesses and amateurs alike
Plenty of features for users who like to mix media into their presentations
Cons:
Minor bugs in the app
Not extremely intuitive
9. Focusky
Best for: Users looking for a dynamic presentation generator that takes slideshows to another level
OS: macOS, Windows 10/8/7Vista/XP
Licensing: Free trial, subscription, lifetime purchase
File size: 372 MB
Our rating: 8/10
Focusky is a feature-filled slideshow maker that operates in many ways like PowerPoint. However, it goes beyond PowerPoint in terms of customization, with hundreds of templates, dynamic transitions that zoom in and out (similar to Prezi), and plenty of design assets to play around with.
Key features:
Pros:
Customization is a huge emphasis, with 5,000+ open-source vector icons and diagrams and 600+ templates for pro users
Cloud hosting for publishing presentations online, great for the current remote-work world
Cons:
Free version has watermarks
Content across the site seems like it hasn’t been updated in years, so support seems questionable
10. Preview in Finder
Best for: Mac users looking to create a slideshow fast with few bells and whistles
OS: macOS (Big Sur)
Licensing: Free for Mac users
File size: N/A
Our rating: 6.5/10
Most macOS users have opened up Preview before without realizing it because it comes preinstalled on your device. If you’ve ever opened an image on your Mac computer, Preview is the default image reader so it likely opened it for you (unless someone changed the settings). However, Preview can do other things as well – including making slideshow presentations.
Simply open the files you want (JPEGs, PNGs, PDFs, etc.) to begin. The fastest way to turn these into a presentation is to arrange them in any order you want, click “View”, and then “Slideshow”.
Key features:
Pros:
Simple, on-the-fly concept
User familiarity
Cons:
No customization except for how you arrange your image and text files
11. iMovie
Best for: Apple users making movie-like presentations
OS: iOS, macOS
Licensing: Free for Mac users
File size: 2.2 GB
Our rating: 7/10
While iMovie wasn’t created for slideshows, it still operates well in this secondary capacity. Created for Mac users who enjoy all Apple devices, iMovie has quickly evolved into a tool popular for developing more compelling slideshows and visual presentations.
With iMovie, your primary customization features for a slideshow are titles and transitions (elements that are useful in actual movies). However, you can still handle some of your image editing needs within the tool as well.
After your media files are imported into the app, you can add text, music, and other stylistic elements to build a dynamic experience for your audience. Try applying filters and playing around with iMovie’s green screen function to add some unique finishing touches to your presentation.
Key features:
Pros:
Strong video-editing capabilities
Integrates easily across all Apple operating systems
Cons:
Not built with slideshows in mind
Minor image editing capabilities (cropping / color adjustments only)
12. Apple Photos
Best for: Mac users looking for a native app that’s more customizable than Preview
OS: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
Licensing: Free for Mac users
File size: N/A
Our rating: 8/10
The Photos app on Mac might already be on your computer (or iPhone or iPad), but do you know how to use it to make a slideshow presentation?
Apple Photos lets you create a slideshow in two different ways. The first way is to build your presentation by simply selecting a few photos, a theme, and some music. The second way is to make an actual slideshow project with text overlays and transitions (in addition to your images and musical selection(s)). Both methods can help you quickly create an aesthetic, heavily-visual presentation.
Key features:
Pros:
More dynamic than Preview
Decent photo slideshow editing capabilities
Cons:
Lacking in the customization department
13. FotoMagico
Best for: Both amateur and professional photographers looking to highlight their work
OS: macOS, iPadOS
Licensing: one-time purchase
File size: 371.5 MB
Our rating: 8/10
If you want to put down a little money and take your presentation game to another level, FotoMagico is an intriguing, feature-heavy option. FotoMagico, in addition to powerful image and video editing capabilities, also lets you tweak audio files and align specific musical moments with points in your presentation, making it great for people with a bit more technical know-how.
Similar to video-editing software, you can view each panel of your FotoMagico presentation at the bottom of the application. This timeline vantage makes it a simple matter to seamlessly edit and adjust minute details in your photographs and develop a presentation that meets your exact specifications.
Key features:
Pros:
Feature-rich tool
One-time purchase
Cons:
Bugs have been noted in some of their customer reviews
14. HyperEngine-AV
Best for: Users interested in social media integration features
OS: Mac OS X
Licensing: Open-source
File size: 11 MB
Our rating: 6.5/10
HyperEngine-AV leans further into the video-creation side of presentations than it does slideshows, but it can still handle both tasks effectively.
If you’re looking to make short product videos, YouTube shorts, or video-heavy slideshow presentations, HyperEngine has the features and UI to simplify the job. And with HyperEngine’s "trackless" workspace giving you a bird’s eye view of your various media files, you’re able to edit and drag images, audio, video, and transitions wherever you want them with ease.
Key features:
Pros:
UI is fairly intuitive
Light program (fast and free to download)
Cons:
Issues with exporting and even opening the app reported
No developer updates for a decade
15. iDVD
Best for: Mac users looking to burn their videos or presentations onto DVDs
OS: macOS (pre-Catalina)
Licensing: Free with Mac
File size: 36.12 MB
Our rating: 7.5/10
Although iDVD is an older piece of Apple software, it can still get the job done and works especially well for people looking to create hard copies of their creations (presentations, wedding video, or otherwise). If your goal is to make a widescreen presentation complete with audio and menu options, iDVD is worth a try.
Making a video-heavy slideshow on iDVD is fairly straightforward. Once you’ve added your title and selected a theme template, you can move around your video files and adjust them as necessary.
Key features:
Pros:
Wide range of video-editing functions (can be used by professionals)
Cons:
Not usable on Apple’s newest operating systems
Doesn’t support footage from digital cameras
16. 4K Slideshow Maker
Best for: Users who want high-quality export options for their presentation
OS: macOS 10.13 and later, Linux, Windows
Licensing: Open-source software
File size: 29.7 MB
Our rating: 8.5/10
4K Slideshow Maker states it all in its name: it’s a compact piece of software that helps you create and export a 4K slideshow (or in resolutions anywhere from the lower ends of the quality spectrum to Ultra 4K HD).
Quickly edit your images, mix in some music, and even import files directly from social media channels like Instagram into your slides with 4K Slideshow Maker. Done and ready to share your work? Move your finished presentation directly back to those social media channels (like Instagram and YouTube) to share with friends, family, and followers.
Key features:
Pros:
Learning curve isn’t too bad for amateurs
Lets you zoom in and out of images (the “Ken Burns effect”)
Currently supports 13 languages
Cons:
Lacking in the customization features (templates, icons, etc)
17. LightMV
Best for: Newer users who want to mix more video content into their presentations
OS: Android, Windows, iOS, macOS
Licensing: Subscription
File size: 5.8 MB
Our rating: 7.5/10
LightMV is a video-focused presentation app that lets you personalize your media files in various ways to ultimately create cohesive presentations. The app provides a variety of video templates to simplify things and lower the barrier for beginners, and if you go this route then you only need to import the desired media and add transitions and text.
Key features:
Pros:
Modern UI that’s easy for beginners to operate
Advanced features for video-editing professionals
Free 7-day trial version available
Cons:
Freemium model means you can download the app but not your presentation
Trial version includes watermarking
Still wondering what’s the best slideshow program for you personally? Now that you’ve read about some of the top slideshow creators for Mac, you should have a better idea of what program best meets your needs. But just in case you’re on the fence between a few options, here are the main things to consider first.
Ease of use: Are you looking for something easy to use that’s a bit basic, or would you prefer a more complicated tool offering more customization? Choose software that lets you get the job done at your particular pace.
Features: The features you need in your presentations will help determine which software you end up choosing. Is audio and video critical, or do you only need compelling transitions for your linear slideshow?
Pricing / licensing: Some software is free, and others have freemium offerings. Other platforms cost a flat rate or a subscription fee, but they often make it worth your time. Think about whether investing in slideshow software is something that would bring you more value in return.
Guides & support: Some tools are written about extensively online (by the creators, users, and reviewers), while others are a bit harder to dig up details on. If you’re someone who often asks questions, consider choosing slideshow software that has support options at your disposal.
Device compatibility: Although all of the tools listed in this article are usable on Mac, you may want to consider choosing an app that also works on your smartphone. Being able to knock out a presentation (or even practice) while on the go is definitely a nice option for many of us.
Movavi Slideshow Maker
An easy-to-use, yet efficient slideshow making program
* The trial version of Movavi Slideshow Maker has the following restrictions: 7-day trial period, watermark on the output slideshows, and an ability to save only half the audio length.
Frequently asked questions
Here are the top five apps we’ve outlined in this article in no particular order:
Movavi Slideshow Maker
FotoMagico 5
FlowVella
CustomShow
Slidebean
However, each software comes with its own strengths and weaknesses, and targets different user groups. To find the best program for you as a Mac user, please review each tool to form your own thoughts before selecting your ideal slideshow maker software.
Making a slideshow on your Mac is easy with Movavi Slideshow Maker. Simply follow these five steps:
Click the link below and follow installation instructions to get started.
Although you can adjust your settings and make manual edits feasible, for the sake of making an easy slideshow simply let the Slideshow Wizard guide you through the process.
Click File then Add Files to track down the images you plan to add to your slides.
Each Movavi theme has transitions and captions with music built into them, so preview a few, find one you like, and click Next.
View your slideshow by clicking Preview in the menu and double-check that everything is just how you want it before exporting your finished presentation on your Macbook.
Apple’s native Photos app works fine for creating a basic slideshow on your Mac or iOS device. However, if you’re looking to create a more professional and dynamic slideshow, try out Movavi Slideshow Maker. It’s compatible with current and legacy versions of macOS, has a ton of features for customizing your slideshow presentation, and a sleek UI that is frequently updated to best meet the needs of users in 2024.
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