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Head-to-head · Photo Slideshow Makers

Icecream Slideshow Maker vs ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Icecream Slideshow Maker #3 in Photo Slideshow Makers 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Icecream Apps
ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker #14 in Photo Slideshow Makers 7.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit ThunderSoft

Icecream Slideshow Maker leads on 0 checks, ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreIcecream Slideshow Maker · 8.4/10
  • Free planboth

Icecream Slideshow Maker scores higher on our rubric for photo slideshow makers: 8.4 against 7.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #14.

Icecream Slideshow Maker is the better fit for free Windows slideshow creation with cloud sharing. ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker is the better fit for free Windows users making large photo albums.

  • Icecream Slideshow Maker fits best

    Free Windows slideshow creation with cloud sharing

  • ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker fits best

    Free Windows users making large photo albums

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Side by side

Feature Icecream Slideshow Maker 8.4/10 Visit ↗ ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker 7.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.4 7.0
Ranking #3 in Photo Slideshow Makers #14 in Photo Slideshow Makers
Best for Free Windows slideshow creation with cloud sharing Free Windows users making large photo albums
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $49.94 one-time Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows Windows
Support Docs, Tickets Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Icecream Slideshow Maker 2/2 · ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker 2/2
Caption tools ✓ ✓
Audio upload ✓ ✓
Specs
Maximum photos Not checked yet 500 photos
Export formats WebM, MOV, AVI, MP4 SWF, HTML, EXE, screensaver, video, HTML5 video
Playback options download to device, YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, DVD browser playback, iPad playback, iPhone playback, YouTube upload
Supported platforms Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Windows Server 2008 Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan offers unlimited use and no watermark
  • Adds music, captions, 25-plus transitions, and slide timing
  • Supports 4K output, DVD burning, and three cloud destinations
  • Supports albums with more than 500 images and thumbnail index pages
  • Includes more than 70 transitions and more than 70 animated templates
  • Publishes to video, HTML5, EXE, screensaver, Flash, and HTML formats
Cons
  • Available for Windows rather than multiple desktop platforms
  • Cloud uploads and DVD burning require paid access
  • Not open source and focused on slideshow creation
  • Windows desktop software is not designed for cross-platform editing
  • No AI-assisted slideshow features are included
  • Its focus is slideshow creation rather than broader photo editing
Our verdict

Icecream Slideshow Maker is a Windows desktop application for turning photos into video slideshows. It suits personal projects such as weddings, travel, graduations, and birthdays, as well as promotional album use for work. Users can add…

Read the review →

ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker is Windows desktop software for building slideshows from photos and video clips. It suits individuals and small teams that want an offline workflow for turning large photo collections into presentations,…

Read the review →
  1. Icecream Slideshow MakerPhoto Slideshow Makers 8.4Free plan
  2. ThunderSoft Free Slideshow MakerPhoto Slideshow Makers 7.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Icecream Slideshow Maker — where it wins

    • Free plan offers unlimited use and no watermark
    • Adds music, captions, 25-plus transitions, and slide timing
    • Supports 4K output, DVD burning, and three cloud destinations

    Where it doesn't

    • Available for Windows rather than multiple desktop platforms
    • Cloud uploads and DVD burning require paid access
    • Not open source and focused on slideshow creation

  • ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker — where it wins

    • Supports albums with more than 500 images and thumbnail index pages
    • Includes more than 70 transitions and more than 70 animated templates
    • Publishes to video, HTML5, EXE, screensaver, Flash, and HTML formats

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows desktop software is not designed for cross-platform editing
    • No AI-assisted slideshow features are included
    • Its focus is slideshow creation rather than broader photo editing

More comparisons

All photo slideshow makers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update