Do you find yourself making a lot of slideshows? Perhaps you like using them to share holiday snaps with friends and family, or maybe you just want to create something exceptionally slick for a wedding or work presentation.

Of course, you could just use PowerPoint or one of the myriad office productivity suites – but they all tend to look a bit amateurish. They just don't feel professional.

One of the most popular apps for turning images and video clips into a high-quality presentation is Animoto – but it'll set you back $8 per month.

Luckily, there are some excellent alternatives available. Here are five of the best.

1. FlowVella

Available On: Mac, iOS

FlowVella is arguably the best app if you're working on Apple products.

There are almost 50 professional templates to get you started. You can add as much media as you want into your slideshow, including text, images, video clips, GIFs, links, galleries, and even PDFs.

When you've finished, your new show is saved in the cloud. From there, you can give it a custom URL, share it with other people, and download it to the app for offline access. There are also tools for tracking analytics – perfect if you've made a sales presentation.

The free account lets you make four shows. If you need to make lots of presentations, you'll have to pay. The cheapest subscription is $5 per month, but it'll let you make an unlimited number of shows.

2. SlideIdea

Available On: Windows, iOS

Although SlideIdea is available on Windows and Mac, it's specifically designed for using on touchscreen devices. Thus, it's a great app if you're working on a Surface tablet or an iPad.

The entire app is based around "sliding"; you slide elements of your presentation into place on each individual slide.

It has four key features:

• Express Creation: If you're short of time, you just give the app your content and it will automatically transform it into an interactive slide show. You can tweak the finished product.
• SlideCasts: See what other people have made and use them as inspiration (or even templates) for your own slides.
• Digital Whiteboard: The built-in whiteboard lets you annotate your presentations on-the-fly. If you're trying to explain something in a classroom environment, it's a must-have tool.
• Playmode: SlideIdea offers a whole range of unique and customizable slide transitions.

3. Slidely

Available On: Web App, Android, iOS

Slidely advertises itself as a social video creation platform. Rather than focusing on the professional aspect like FlowVella and SlideIdea, it wants your slideshows to be fun and entertaining.

The premise means it's much more suitable for home usage; for example, when you're sharing the events of the year with all your family at Christmas.

As you'd expect, you can add a variety of content and overlay your own music. Once you've finished your creation, you can share it with the whole world using the app's library function.

The app also includes tools for photo collages and photo galleries.

You can see an example of what's possible in the slideshow below: [NO LONGER AVAILABLE]

4. Stupeflix Studio

Available On: Web App

Stupeflix is a suite of video products. If you want to create a slideshow, you need to head to Stupeflix Studio.

Once you've made an account, you'll land on the Studio homepage. It's not very intuitive for first-time users, but with a bit of playing around you'll soon get the hang of it.

In the top-left hand corner, you can click the + icon to import content from your computer, your webcam, or a range of social media platforms. Click Add a Soundtrack to insert some music.

On the right-hand side, you'll find a list of templates and themes – they're an excellent way to get started if graphic design isn't your strong suit.

5. Muvee Reveal

Available On: Windows, Mac

Muvee Reveal is the successor to the very popular Muvee Auto-Producer.

It's a holistic editing suite that lets you bring together photos and video clips. The final output is the most professional-looking of all the apps on this list.

Adding content to your show is as simple as dragging and dropping the necessary files into the app. If you need to save time, there are tools to that'll automatically zoom in where appropriate, crop your content, and set it to music. It also includes plenty of ready-made themes if you want to add a specific sparkle to your creation.

It's easy to share your finished article; there are tools to post it to YouTube and Facebook automatically. Sharing via email is also a breeze.

Unfortunately, the software isn't completely free. A 15-day free trial is on offer, but the full software will set you back $75. If you make a lot of presentations for work, it's well worth the outlay; it's second-to-none in terms of features and usability.

If you want a discount, check the site during the various holiday seasons – price reductions of as much as 70 percent are not uncommon. If you purchase a new HP laptop or a Sony or Nikon camera, you can usually get the software for free.

How Do You Make Awesome Slideshows?

To summarize, the app you use depends on want impression you want to give to your viewers. There are tools specializing in social sharing, tools specializing in professional presentations, and everything in between.

Now it's time for you to share your favorite apps and software. How do you turn a mundane series of photos and video clips into something engaging? Have you found a wonderful app you can share with your fellow readers, or do you stick to traditional tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides?

Leave all your suggestions, tips, and recommendations in the comments below and see if everyone else agrees with your thoughts.

Image Credit: f9photos via Shutterstock.com