Is Slidebox Free? Prices, Ads and the Free-Tier Limit

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Slidebox is a free-to-download iPhone photo organiser that shows ads and sells upgrades from $1.99 a week to a $49.99 lifetime unlock, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25. Since about September 2025, App Store reviewers report that the free tier covers only the most recent year of photos, with older months behind the paywall. The listing states it does not offer free trials.

This page is written by the Pixtide team (we make Pixtide). We name where the other app wins.

Slidebox at a glance

Slidebox is a swipe photo organiser from Slidebox LLC in Seattle, launched on 2015-06-16 and an Apple Editors' Choice pick. All figures below were checked on the Slidebox App Store page on 2026-09-25.

What the Slidebox price list says

The Slidebox price list mixes two generations of plans. The in-app purchase list on the US App Store, checked on 2026-09-25, shows three current tiers, each at two price points: 1 Week at $1.99 or $2.99, 1 Year at $19.99 or $29.99, and Lifetime at $29.99 or $49.99. Two more items are simply named "Slidebox", at $4.99 and $49.99. The listing's own description still quotes a monthly plan at $4.99 and an annual plan at $49.99, and still mentions album cloud storage, retired on 2026-02-01. Where they disagree, the purchase list is what the App Store charges. The listing also says plainly that "Slidebox does not offer free trials for these subscriptions", so the free tier with ads is the only way to try the app before paying.

How the free tier changed

The free tier of Slidebox has narrowed over time, according to its own reviewers. Reviews from 2025-09-21 and 2025-09-27 report that the free version now sorts only the most recent year, and in 2024 video sorting already needed premium. Reviewers also say premium went from $9.99 to $19.99 around October 2024. From the US App Store:

• "locked previously FREE features behind a $20 paywall" (1 star, 2025-11-08)
• "whenever they do a big update they'll make you pay again" (2 stars, 2026-08-30)
• "Easily the simplest and cleanest photo organizer and I'm so happy it doesn't have a monthly subscription." (5 stars, 2026-07-06)

The third quote is fair: many long-time users paid once and are happy. The ads are the other free-tier cost. Slidebox does not publish how often they appear, and reviewers report anything from one ad per swipe to one per 50 swipes.

Where Slidebox is strong

Slidebox is the stronger pick if you want to file photos into albums while you sort. You tap an album to move a photo into it, and those are real iOS albums that sync with Photos and iCloud. It carries Apple's Editors' Choice badge, a 4.81 average from 16,547 US ratings, 15 languages, and it runs on iOS 15 or later, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro and Android. For a full side-by-side with Pixtide, see the Slidebox alternative page.

Free alternatives to Slidebox

The cheapest option is Apple's own Photos app, which has no ads, no limit and no price. Open Albums, then Media Types or Duplicates, and delete in batches; everything goes to Recently Deleted for 30 days, as Apple's support page on deleting photos explains. Apple also documents deleting or hiding photos and videos step by step.

For swiping without a paywall, Pixtide is free with no ads, no in-app purchases and no swipe limit across every year of your library. Its limits: it does not file photos into albums, it does not detect duplicates, it shows only the representative photo of a burst, and it needs an iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later. It launched in 2026, so it is newer than Slidebox and has far fewer ratings. For the wider field, see which photo cleaner apps are free.

Pixtide at a glance

• Free, no subscription, no in-app purchases, no premium tier.
• No ads.
• No AI: you decide every photo.
• Works entirely on your phone, no account, no photo ever uploaded.
• Swiping only marks a photo; review everything before confirming, and deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
• Photos and videos, sorted by month, year, category or recent shots.
• iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later.

Pixtide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Slidebox. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This comparison reflects publicly available information as of September 2026; pricing and features change, so please check each app's App Store listing for the latest details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Slidebox free?

Slidebox is free to download, but the free version shows ads (the App Store listing states Contains Advertising) and reviewers since about September 2025 say it only covers your most recent year of photos. Older months need a paid unlock. Its purchases run from $1.99 a week to a $49.99 lifetime unlock, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25.

Is Slidebox still free in 2026?

Partly. In September 2026 Slidebox is still a free download on the App Store with ads, but reviewers report that the free tier stopped covering older years around September 2025, and a 2025 reviewer said it locked previously free features behind a $20 paywall. Full access needs a weekly, yearly or lifetime purchase, checked on the App Store on 2026-09-25.

How much does Slidebox cost?

The Slidebox App Store in-app purchase list, checked on 2026-09-25 in the US, shows 1 Week at $1.99 or $2.99, 1 Year at $19.99 or $29.99, Lifetime at $29.99 or $49.99, and two items named Slidebox at $4.99 and $49.99. The listing text still describes a $4.99 monthly and a $49.99 annual plan.

Does Slidebox have a free trial?

No. The Slidebox App Store listing states that Slidebox does not offer free trials for its subscriptions, checked on 2026-09-25. You can use the ad-supported free tier, which reviewers say covers only the most recent year of photos, and pay if you want older months. Pixtide has no trial because it has nothing to buy: it is free with no in-app purchases.