Free and open first

Best AI Photo Animation Tools in 2026

Turning a still photo into a moving clip can involve several kinds of animation and different output limits. Compared on animation modes, camera motion, depth or 3D motion, face animation, and lip-sync, the tools can differ in the motion options they specify. HeyGen, Pika, and Animate Photo AI are among the entries to weigh. Maximum clip length and maximum output resolution help you compare stated output bounds. Also check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing, then consider which movement controls and output limits suit the photo animation you want to make.

25 apps
Research read 23 Sept 2026
How the order is worked out

1

Stable Video Diffusion
by Stable Video Diffusion
Free plan Open source APISelf-hosted

Stable Video Diffusion offers local video generation with configurable frame counts and rates.

8.3 Free plan Visit site
2

AnimateDiff

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb

AnimateDiff adds motion controls to community image-generation models and can be run locally through scripts or a Gradio demo.

7.5 Open source Visit site
3

HeyGen
by HeyGen
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1

HeyGen combines several video-generation inputs with avatars, editing and team collaboration features.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $29/mo Visit site
4

Hedra

Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

Hedra brings creative tools and model access together across Studio and its developer API.

7.3 Free plan · paid from $20/mo Visit site
5

Kling AI
by Kling AI
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1

Kling AI combines text-to-video and image-to-video generation with AI avatars and outputs up to 4K.

7.3 Free plan · paid from $10/mo Visit site
6

AnimatePhoto

Free plan Web

Choose AnimatePhoto if you want to animate still images in a web service with text-guided motion, several animation modes, and MP4 output up to 1080p.

7.2 From $9.90/mo Visit site
7

Hailuo AI

Free plan APIWeb

Hailuo AI offers text- and image-based video generation with API access and a free plan. Review the monthly credit amounts and output-length limit when choosing a paid tier.

7.2 Free plan · paid from $14.99/mo Visit site
8

Animate Photo AI

Free plan Web

Animate Photo AI offers several routes from still images to short video, including photo animation, photo editing, and sketch workflows.

7.1 Free plan · paid from $7.90/mo (annual) Visit site
9

LivePortrait

Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2

LivePortrait offers portrait animation with multiple motion inputs and controls, plus an online demo and local interface.

7.0 Open source Visit site
10

PixVerse
by PixVerse
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+2

Choose PixVerse if you need text-to-video or image-to-video generation, or want AI avatars, with plan options extending to 4K output.

7.0 Free plan Visit site
11

Immersity AI
by Immersity AI
Free plan API

Immersity AI offers a free option and paid monthly plans with higher resolution and commercial use.

6.9 Free plan · paid from $4.99/mo Visit site
12

Pika
by Pika
Free plan APIiPhoneWeb

Pika combines video creation with image and audio tools, and offers a free tier alongside paid plans.

6.9 Free plan · paid from $8/mo (annual) Visit site
13

Merge

Free plan iPhone

Choose Merge if you want an iPhone app for animating a still photo from a motion reference, with 300 monthly credits available on Starter.

6.8 Free plan Visit site
14

PicAlive

Free plan iPhone

PicAlive offers a direct way to turn a still photo into a looping clip, with sharing and History built in.

6.7 Free plan Visit site
15

Runway

Free plan API

Choose Runway if you need video generation with text or image input, AI avatars, API access or commercial use.

6.6 Free plan · paid from $12/mo (annual) Visit site
16

Animate Old Photos

Free trial APIExtensionWeb

Animate Old Photos offers short photo animations alongside restoration and compositing tools. Check the image requirements and credit costs, which vary by model and audio, before choosing a package.

6.4 From $29.99 Visit site
17

Vidu

Free plan APIWeb

Vidu provides several generation modes, short audiovisual output, image tools, and an enterprise API.

6.3 Free plan Visit site
18

D-ID
by D-ID
Free trial API

D-ID offers text- and image-based video generation, AI avatars, API access, and commercial use, with a 14-day trial.

6.0 14-day trial Visit site
19

Kaiber

Paid AndroidiPhoneWeb

Kaiber brings AI generation, beat-synced variations, and timeline editing into a shared workflow, with commercial use supported.

5.6 From $8/mo (annual) Visit site
20

Hallo

Paid LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

Choose Hallo if you need to generate an animated portrait from a still image and English audio, and its system requirements fit your setup.

5.4 Open source Visit site
21

Luma AI

Paid iPhoneWeb

Luma combines image creation with a broad set of video tools, including lip sync and motion transfer.

5.3 Visit site
22

Picto.Video

Paid iPhoneWeb

Picto.Video focuses on turning still images into brief, prompted animations, with a dedicated tool for tribute films. Check the five-second output limit and paid credit model before choosing it.

5.2 From $1 Visit site
23

Old Photo AI

Paid Web

Old Photo AI focuses on short image-to-video animations, especially for single portraits. Consider its clip limits and paid credit plans before choosing it for a project.

5.1 From $24.90 Visit site
24

AI Video

Paid iPhone

4.8 Visit site
25

TryMotion

Paid iPhone

Pick TryMotion if you want an iOS photo-animation workflow with motion references, character templates, and credit-based purchasing without a subscription.

4.6 Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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