Human creativity needs help. This is nowhere truer than in the field of social media where even a mediocre video can go viral with the right tweaks and tricks. The good news is that these tweaks and tricks are now up for grabs. What used to be the exclusive domain of a few is now available to all interested in combining videos and pictures. 

Now, there are a ton of free apps you can use to combine videos and pictures on any device.

In this article, we have compiled eight of the best free apps to combine photos and videos along with a step-by-step guide on how to use the best among them. You will also find nifty editing tips and the most common mistakes you want to avoid. So don’t forget to read this blog till the end. 

Top 8 Free Apps to Combine Videos and Pictures

Keevi Video Editor

Keevi Video Editor is one of the best web-based apps to combine your photos and videos. This powerful video editor is ideal for all kinds of multimedia projects. 

Aside from being part of a robust toolset, it is effortless to use and practically intuitive. Furthermore, the editor supports multiple video files, including AVI, MP4, MOV, FLV, and WebM. 

Its slate of features allow: 

• Contextual text
• Searchable emojis and gifs
• Auto generated subtitles
• Audio upload
• Split video files, and
• Different aspect ratios, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube presets.

The intuitive design of the Keevi Video Editor means you don’t need any professional knowledge to take full advantage of its features. And when you finish merging your photos and videos, Keevi allows you to export your newly created video in high-definition resolution.

In short, you should consider using Keevi because:

PROS

Easy to use

Free

Powerful video editor

Available on all web browsers‍

CONS‍

No mobile app

How to Combine Videos and Pictures on Keevi

Ready to give Keevi a try? 

Here is a step-by-step guide on using the free online tool to combine your photos and videos and create content that will take your brand to the next level.

All you have to do is head over here to get your project started.

Steps to Merge Photos and Videos on Keevi:

Step 1: Upload the first video or photo you want to merge.

Step 2: Go to the add media tab and upload the other photos and videos.

To add pictures, or video, click on the ‘add Image’ or ‘add video’ option.

After you have hit the click image option, select the relevant photo from the appropriate folder.

Once you have selected your picture, you can adjust the placement of the photo by arranging the media timeline.

You can also overlay photos and videos by placing the photo on top of the video in the timeline.

Step 3: Use the available features to create your new video.

Use the Sticker tab to add emojis. Use Giphy to add gifs.

For subtitles, you can either manually add them, upload a subtitle file from your computer or have Keevi auto-generate them for you. 

You can also use the Split tool to trim out unnecessary parts.

You can also use text to create a context for a frame or an image in your clip.

With the settings, you can set the aspect ratio to different formats, change the background color, and increase/decrease the output quality.

Step 4: When you are finished editing, click export to download your new video.

You can also publish your video directly to various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Windows Video Editor

Another app worth using to combine photo and video is Windows Video Editor. This feature-rich app is available to anyone with Windows 10 and is downloadable from the Microsoft Store. 

You can think of it as the Microsoft version of Google Photos, only a lot more robust. With it, you can perform all kinds of merging activities, including trimming your video, adding 3D effects, adding music, changing aspect ratio, and more. Other features include:

• Inbuilt storyboard
• Filters
• Contextual Text Addition
• Motion Effects
• High definition input and output compatibility

Not only can you merge videos with the app, but you can also work collaboratively with other creators. By inviting other participants via your OneDrive account, you can combine and create all kinds of videos together.

PROS

In-built, no need for a web browser

Feature-rich

Regular updates

Cloud storage

CONS

Only available on PC

Limited free cloud storage space

Premium features behind a paywall

iMovie

What Windows Video Editor is to Microsoft, iMovie is to Apple. The free video editing app is one of the most-robust free apps available to professional and casual editors. A significant standout feature is templates, which give users an editorial headstart on their projects.

Also, iMovie comes with green screen controls and people detection capabilities. The latter identifies the persons and characters in a movie, making it easier for you to keep track of people in your video. Other iMovie features include:

• Easy to use video trimmer
• Social media sharing
• Individual Audio level adjustment
• Clip splitting
• Supports for multiple video formats
• Transitions and more.

It also offers up to 4K resolution, making it an excellent option for those looking for crystal-clear output from their video.

As for how to combine videos and pictures with the app, iMovie is well-designed enough that you can create decent-looking content with little to zero background video editing knowledge.

PROS

Multiple templates that speed up the editing process

People detection capabilities

Green Screen control

CONS

Exclusive to iOS and macOS

Limited customization of preset effects

Video Joiner

Not everyone wants something robust. Sometimes, when you are looking for how to combine videos and pictures, you want something that does just that. Enter Video Joiner, an Android app available to every Android device that does nothing more than merge videos.

It has an easy to grasp and engaging layout that makes it effortless to use, and as for features, Video Joiner comes packed with all the useful tools to combine your videos. Some of them include auto-scaling, which allows you to resize any frame into the same aspect ratio. Others are:

• Background Audio Change
• Manual Queuing
• Video Cropping
• Video Trimming
• Interactive layout

However, there are notable downsides to Video Joiner, such as the fact it is only available to Android devices, and it has a combinable limit of five videos. However, it remains one of the best apps to combine videos for mobile users.

PROS

Streamlined Purpose

Social sharing

Fast rendering time

‍CONS

Five Videos Merge Limit

Only available on Android

Contains ads

Vidstitch

The developers of Vidstitch explicitly designed the app for people who want to publish their video and photo collages on social apps. It is not as robust in its integration with platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter as Keevi, but it is excellent for on-the-fly editing.

It, too, is easy to use with a relaxed UI design. Its features include multiple collage templates, as well as an adjustable border design. Additional features in the app include - 

• GIF Support
• Video Preview Option
• Social Sharing

What’s more, Vidstich also lets you add your own soundtrack to your merged videos. However, this feature, along with the app’s full range of template options, is part of additional features exclusive to its paid version.

PROS

Comes with the ability to add GIFs to videos

Allows easy sharing to social media

Optimized for Android devices

CONS

Needs payment to unlock additional features

Contains ads

Can only handle short videos

Clideo

Clideo is another web-based tool good for combining your videos and pictures. Through a series of intuitive steps and a friendly user interface, you can perform a myriad of actions while merging your videos.

Among its long list of features is support for multiple video and audio formats and soundtrack addition. It is also suitable for merging lengthy videos because it allows you to combine any number of videos. Other features of the web tool include:

• One-click merging
• Simultaneous file upload 
• Subtitle compatibility

Furthermore, you can perform all kinds of technical actions like changing the aspect ratio, determining output resolution quality, and zooming and cropping singular frames in your video. After completion, you can download your merged file to your PC or preferred cloud storage. There is no social sharing feature.

Lastly, as a free tool, it comes with a watermark, which requires a fee to remove.

PROS

Web-based, no need for app download

Rich in technical features

Can merge multiple videos

CONS

No mobile app

Needs browser compatibility

Merged videos have a watermark

Video Merge

Video Merge is another good tool for mobile users looking to combine videos and pictures. It is easy to use with support for different video formats with different frame rates, same frame sizes, and audio rates. Being a free mobile app, it contains ads, but the features make it a desirable option.

The Android app offers different merging options: side by side, up and down, and sequentially. While it makes it easy to combine photos and videos, it comes with the limitation of merging a maximum of two videos. To join more, you will have to repeat the process for each new video. 

The app’s other features include:

• Social sharing
• High Definition Resolution
• Background Processing

Its background processing feature means you can do other things on your phone while your merged video is rendering. After completion, the app will notify you, and you can proceed to share directly with friends or on social media.

PROS

No Watermark

Videos can be processed in the background

Notification feature

CONS

Contains ads

Limited video merging patterns

Can only merge two videos at once

Kapwing Collage Maker

Finally, you could also try Kapwing’s Collage Maker. It is a simple online tool that makes it easy for you to merge two or more videos into collage form. With it, you can make videos that show multiple perspectives and show your reaction with GIFs and memes.

It is free for casual use. However, professionals might quickly find the free version limiting as it comes with a 250MB file upload limit. It also has a seven minutes limit on exported video and up to three hours of video content a month.

Regardless, the Kapwing Collage Maker comes with useful features like :

• Multiple layout templates
• Text addition
• Background editing
• Aspect ratio sizing, and
• Subtitle compatibility

You can also share your exported video to any social network directly and upload media files with a link. The latter, in particular, is useful for merging personal videos with other pieces of published online content.

PROS

Easy and intuitive UI

Can upload media files with links

Free layout templates

CONS

No mobile app

Free version has limited features

Free or Paid Apps, Which is Better?

There are paid apps that appear to perform the same tasks as free apps, which makes you wonder if they are worth your money. It all comes down to each app and what you want, so it's all subjective.  

For instance, using some free apps, especially on mobile devices, might mean giving third-party access to your private photos and videos. Others have limited features, only providing access to additional and often necessary tools until you pay for the app. A typical annoying example of this is the irremovable watermark.

Paid apps usually don’t have this problem. However, the app still needs to have an extensive and efficient catalog of features to justify paying for it. Not every paid app clears this bar however.

Ultimately, it is a balancing act, which is why we recommend Keevi Video Editor as a great alternative. It is free, has a wide range of useful features, and it only has access to whatever video and photos you upload onto it.

Four Paid Apps to Combine Videos and Pictures

If you still prefer to pay for an app, here are four reliable apps worth buying.

1. Adobe Premiere Rush | $9.99/month

If you are an aspiring professional marketer, video editor, or filmmaker, Adobe Premiere Rush is one of the leading tools by experts in the video editing field. While the app is capable of merging photos and videos, as a complete video editing tool, it goes even further. 

As a single app, Adobe Premiere Rush costs $9.99/month. However, you can also get it as part of Adobe Premiere Pro and Creative Cloud All Apps. Also, there is a free version, albeit with an export limit of three videos and only 2GB of cloud storage space.

Some of the features available on the app include:

• Tailored transitions
• Auto and manual color correction
• Customizable text
• Audio attention
• Interactive tutorial

Furthermore, you can also share your exported videos to social media directly, and it is available on every platform.

PROS

Comprehensive video editing tool

One minute long tutorial for new users

Supports high definition videos

CONS

Desktop and mobile app have minimum hardware requirements

No Green Screen control

2. Movie Director Pro | $1.99

Unlike the Premiere Rush, which is comparatively closer to a full-fledged editing tool, Movie Director Pro is a more streamlined video and photo combiner. At $1.99, users will be able to trim, merge and export their videos through the use of easy-to-use controls.

Additionally, you can choose your own background music for your new video and a range of transitions to give your video that movie feel. As a photo and video combiner, you can also add special effects, borders, and your logo to the videos for that branding effect.

Other notable features of the app include:

• Live video
• Ken Burns Effect
• Special filters

However, the app is exclusive only to iOS users (iPad and iPhone). It may not be the most robust tool to combine photos and videos, but at $1.99, it is effective at what it does.

PROS

Simple and intuitive controls

Has multiple transition effects

No watermark

CONS

Available only on iOS

Infrequent updates

3. LightMV | $29/month

LightMV is one of the most popular products out there. It offers a vast array of video templates with which you can design your videos. These templates, in fixed or flexible categories, allow users to create their videos according to professional settings.

It is also available on all platforms, ensuring access to a maximum number of users. However, at $29 per month, LightMV is pricey. If you can afford to shell out the sum, though, you will have access to a range of features that include - 

• Contextual Text
• Social Sharing
• Audio addition
• Simultaneous Video exporting
• Up to 100 combinable videos

It does have Android and iOS apps and offers a free trial to test out the product before buying. Besides the array of video templates, as a tool to combine pictures and videos, LightMV does not necessarily have something different from free web-based apps like Keevi. 

PROS

Has social sharing

Multiple video templates 

Can produce two videos simultaneously

CONS

Fairly expensive

No collaborative compatibility

4. BeeCut | $29.95/month

BeeCut is another desktop app for Windows and MAC computers. Its entire slate of features is only available on the app, although it offers various features, including video and photo merging in a web-based tool. 

Although it is entirely free, the online editor is not as effective, and there is limited opportunity for customization.

Through the app, however, you can perform extensive customizations while combining pictures and videos with features like:

• Drag-and-drop control
• Collaborative editing
• Text overlay
• High Definition Resolution
• Audio upload
• Multiple timeline layers

Additional features of the BeeCut app include speech recognition, which allows you to convert video speech to text and vice versa with one click. It also allows social sharing, enabling you to publish your newly merged video on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

PROS

Feature-rich editing tool

Has speech recognition technology

CONS

Free online version is very limited

Relatively expensive for casual use

What to Look Out For in a Video and Photo Combiner Software

Regardless of why you need one, it is vital to know the factors that define the best apps out there. It will not only help you make informed choices but also ensure you have the best tool to create great content.

There are many qualities to watch out for. Some of these might seem technical, but there is no need to worry; you only need to know the basics.

• Compression Quality

Each photo or video you add comes with its own quality profile, with things like pixel size, frame rate, etc. When you combine them, they make a bigger file. Not every app has unlimited processing power, which means compressing the final product to meet its capabilities.

It might be automatic or require you to choose the qualities you wish to trade. Either way, you need to know the app’s processing capabilities and be sure it can produce your desired result.

• Image resolution and aspect ratio

You have probably seen video files with 720p or 1080p tags. This is the resolution of your video file. The higher the number, the clearer the video. Similarly, the aspect ratio defines the ratio between the image’s width and height, i.e., how it will appear.

The best apps to combine pictures and videos offer the best result in both categories. For example, Keevi offers up to 1080p (high definition) for its output video quality, and users can choose from different aspect ratios according to their needs.

• Maximum video length

Another quality worth paying attention to is the maximum video length allowed by the app. Some have a maximum length of 10 minutes, some have 60, and others can handle any length. 

This is an important feature to pay attention to because unless you plan to trim a lot of content, you are more likely to end up with a longer video than the individual length of each source file. You don’t want to do a lot of hard work and then discover that the video is too long to export.

• Number of combinable videos

In a similar vein, not every app offers a vast number of combinable materials. The limits might not matter much if you are combining more photos than videos, but if the opposite is the case, you need to be sure your chosen app is fit for purpose.

• Supported Video formats

Lastly, video files come in different formats. There is AVI, MPG, WMV, MOV, WebM, and several others. Different apps provide different levels of support for each format. You are better off knowing if your chosen app supports the source file and can export in your preferred format before you begin editing.

Also, if you are not sure of your files’ video specs, you can access this information by checking the file information on your computer.

Useful Tips When Merging your Photos and Videos

1. Create a storyboard

Before you start cutting and merging, create a sketch of what you want your final video to look like. It will give you a clearer picture of what you want to achieve and the steps that get you there. Also, it will make the merging process more manageable as you have a map already.

2. Keep all your videos in one folder

Outlined steps are not just useful for your story but also for your workflow. Going back and forth searching for the relevant videos will make your work tedious and less efficient. Name each photo or video accordingly and put them in an appropriately named folder, to make it easy to find.

3. Transitions are your friend

You need a bridge that connects each scene or frame to the other. Good video and photo combiner apps like Keevi have these features. Use them to merge your clips to create a cohesive narrative.

4. Use music/sounds to enhance emotional impact

Also, an additional feature you will find in the best apps is the ability to add audio. So, if you want to add music different from the ones in your original clip to provide emotional value, you can always do that. Keevi also provides stock audio that fits whatever mood you are going for. However, don’t forget to keep the volume at an optimal level.

5. Add text to create context

You don’t have to explain every scene or frame because most of them should be self-explanatory. However, if an image lacks implicit contextual information, you can use the ‘add text’ feature to create context. Try not to overuse it, though.

Note that this is different from subtitles, which are necessary if you create videos for social media. For those, the Keevi web tool can auto-generate them for your video.

6. Apply filters where necessary

Filters are image enhancers. If you happen to have a section of your clip with a different look, you can use filters to achieve a uniform look. You can also use it for story elements, such as using black or white filters to represent the past.

What to Avoid When You Combine Photos and Videos

It is not enough to have a great app at your disposal. You also need to know how to use it. In light of this, here are some of the common mistakes you want to avoid when you combine photos and videos.

• Use of different and incompatible themes

There is a tendency to want to explore all the creative options at your disposal when combining your videos and photos. However, avoid the use of multiple ideas that break the narrative cohesion of your project. 

Remember, a video that sticks to a central theme is more professional and more likely to be effective as a persuasive tool.

• Avoid long transitions

The best apps to combine photos and videos offer transitions to bridge pictures and videos into one story. You should, however, avoid long transitions in between files because they can be distracting and kill any momentum you have built.

• Filter Overuse

Narrative cohesion when combining photos and videos not only applies to the arrangement but how each frame in your video looks. Unless it is relevant to the story you are trying to tell, avoid indiscriminate use of filters in random images.

You should pay particular attention to this because overuse can draw attention away from the story and dampen your video’s emotional punch.

Advantages of Using Apps to Combine Videos and Pictures

With everything discussed so far, are video and photo combiner apps even worth the effort? The answer is yes, and here are a few reasons why:

1. It helps you create videos with a better narrative flow

Whether you are working with photos or multiple videos, each file tells a story, and often, it is an incomplete one. Using editing apps to combine multiple pictures and videos, you craft a complete story that provides substantial value to your audience.

It does not matter whether it is a simple slideshow or a YouTube video. Merging each photo and video into one cohesive narrative is a great way to extract maximum value from them.

2. They work with different file formats

Also, apps that combine videos and pictures are technically robust to work with different file formats. They are handy when you have videos or photos taken from different cameras. They can receive source files of varying formats, merge them and produce one whole file.

3. Useful in streamlining storage spaces

Let’s face it. Not every photo is good, and not every part of a video is useful. Rather than letting these unusable frames and pictures clog your storage device, apps like these can help you trim out the digital fat and leave you with something more appealing.

Ideal Users of Video and Photo Combiner Software

Thanks to the computing power in everyday devices like digital cameras, phones, and tablets, everyone produces multimedia content that could benefit from video and photo combiner apps. However, some people need it more than others. They include:

• YouTubers
• Project Managers
• Photographers and Videographers
• Filmmakers
• Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
• Marketers

YouTubers, marketers, and project managers who have filmed different videos for their product or service will benefit by using these apps to craft persuasive stories. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, and partners using multimedia files for a toast or romantic gesture will also benefit significantly from its ability to help them craft a compelling narrative.

Wrapping things Up

Overall, there are many reasons, personal and professional, to combine pictures and videos, and there are many apps capable of carrying out this task to varying degrees. You can try Keevi Video Editor. It is an intuitive app with all the necessary tools you need to create compelling videos for your audience.