4 beautiful slideshow tools to fancy up your website

Chris Self Jan 27, 2011 Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Us Applications, Design, Downloads, Exclusive, Internet, Pictures, Websites

If you want to spice up your website but aren’t sure what to do, adding a slideshow can be a great addition. Whether it’s for a business or personal related website, slideshows can be the ultimate tool to entrance your readers’ eyes. So why not take a look at these four free, open-source website slideshows and pick the one most suited for your needs.

The Infinite Carousel | Download

Constructed by a web developer with over ten years of IT experience, the “Infinite Carousel” is a great option for an open source website slideshow. Using both jQuery and HTML, users can customize the slideshow with many different configurable options. And if you need help, there is a great amount of information about how to get things running smoothly on the website. Although the slideshow is completely customizable, users should be aware that they must have a basic understanding of HTML and how to edit Javascript files. If you’re somewhat “web-savvy,” you should have no problem whatsoever implementing this into your website. And if you like the slideshow, there are more great jQuery plugins that can go to great use. 

Customizable OptionsImage Slideshow HTML Generator | Download

Made using Javascript and HTML, this generator allows less “web-savvy” users to create a slideshow in just a few steps. Users are first prompted to select from a variety of options such as transition, slide order randomization, etc. Note that transitions can only be seen in Internet Explorer. Next, you’re prompted to enter the image addresses assuming they are already stored somewhere online. From there, you press the “Generate” button and your configured code will appear in a box located below it. No HTML or Javascript needs to be messed with and it can be copied and pasted right into your website. Although the slideshow isn’t the most advanced and doesn’t look the greatest, it’s a great option for those who’d like to easily create one.

Visual Slideshow | Download

Instead of messing with HTML or Javascript, Visual Slideshow is a downloadable program that allows you to create gorgeous slideshows with ease. After adding images and captions, choosing from some options and effects, you can publish to a folder on your computer or FTP server. “Flash,” “Ken burns” and “push” are just three of the effects you can choose from. Everything is that simple and requires little to no HTML knowledge depending on your needs. Be aware that at the bottom right of the slideshow there is some subtle branding. To remove this, you can purchase a business version for $50. It seems to be a little to much for something so simple, but if you like the software it’s a good buy. 

Flash Gallery | Download

If you’re looking for a flash website slideshow, Flash Gallery is a great option. Installation is easy and no programming knowledge is required to use. It’s fully resizable and is even compatible with Flickr. The option for full screen and auto-start are also given. To use, you are required to have PHP, but if your using Flickr, you have nothing to worry about. There is some branding in the top right corner but it’s extremely subtle. That’s really all there is to it. This is a great option for those who are more partial to Flash and would like a clean and simple design. Definitely recommended.