Use Apple Photos Memories if you want a free, automatic movie of an album, especially one that mixes photos and video clips. Use Fliptastic if you want to decide the order, transitions, length and shape of the video yourself, for example a 9:16 slideshow for Reels or TikTok. Memories is free with no watermark; Fliptastic is free with a watermark that Premium removes.
I make Fliptastic, so read this with that in mind. I have tried to be fair about where Memories is the better choice, because for many people it is.
Side by side
| Apple Photos Memories | Fliptastic | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, built into iOS | Free download; Premium $4.99/month or $29.99/year |
| Watermark | None | Small watermark on free exports; none with Premium |
| Photos and videos | Photos, videos and Live Photos | Still photos and text slides only |
| Choosing photos for you | Yes, automatically, or from a description with Apple Intelligence | AI Auto-Create picks 15 from your 500 most recent photos |
| Order of photos | Set by Photos | Drag to reorder freely |
| Transitions | Set by the visual style you choose | 16 to choose from, for the whole video or between any two photos |
| Overlay effects | No | 24, such as falling stars, hearts and snow |
| Video length | Short, medium or long | Exact time per photo, or 15 seconds to 3 minutes |
| Shape for Reels, TikTok, YouTube | Not selectable | 9:16, 16:9, 8:10 or 1:1, chosen before you edit |
| Title and text slides | Title and subtitle | Text slides with 12 fonts, colours and photo backgrounds |
| Music | Built-in soundtracks; Apple Music for playback only | 26 theme songs, your downloaded songs, or MP3 and M4A files |
| Photo editing | Edit in Photos first | Built-in editor with 13 filters, crop, text and drawing |
Where Apple Photos Memories is better
- It costs nothing and has no watermark. For a video only you and your family will watch, that is hard to beat.
- It handles video clips and Live Photos. Fliptastic works with still photos only.
- It needs no setup. Photos suggests memories on its own, and with Apple Intelligence you can describe one in a sentence.
- Apple Music works in playback. On your own phone, a memory can play any song in your Apple Music library. Those songs cannot be included when you export or share, though.
Where Fliptastic is better
- You choose the shape. Export in 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 16:9 for YouTube, 8:10 for Instagram posts or 1:1. Blur Fill fills the frame when photos don’t match it.
- You control the timing. Set seconds per photo, or pick an exact total length up to 3 minutes. See how long each photo should be.
- You choose every transition. One style for the whole video, or a different one between any two photos.
- You can add words. Title cards, captions and closing slides with a choice of fonts, colours and backgrounds.
- Music you can export. Built-in theme songs, songs you have bought and downloaded, or MP3 and M4A files from the Files app. Your own songs can start from any point.
Which one to use
- A quick movie of last weekend for the family chat: Memories.
- A mix of videos and photos from a holiday: Memories.
- A Reel, TikTok or Short: Fliptastic, for the 9:16 format and pacing control.
- A birthday, wedding or memorial slideshow with titles: Fliptastic, for text slides and timing.
- You want the app to choose, but in a vertical format: Fliptastic’s AI Auto-Create, which sets up a 9:16 slideshow with music and a transition for you.
You don’t have to pick one forever. Many people use Memories for everyday videos and a slideshow app when something needs more care. For the full process with either one, see how to make a slideshow on iPhone.
Common questions
Is Apple Photos Memories free?
Yes. Memories is part of the Photos app on every iPhone and iPad, costs nothing and adds no watermark. Creating a memory from a typed description needs an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.
Can Apple Photos make a vertical slideshow for Instagram Reels?
Memories does not let you choose the shape of the exported video, so it is not designed for a specific Reels or TikTok format. An app that exports in 9:16, such as Fliptastic, gives you a video that fills the vertical screen.
Does Fliptastic upload my photos?
No. Fliptastic builds the video on your device, including the AI Auto-Create photo analysis. Your photos are never uploaded to a server.
Is Fliptastic made by Apple?
No. Fliptastic is an independent app by developer Ting Tze Chuen, available on the App Store since 2013. It is not affiliated with Apple.