Liveify is our first recommendation on iOS 17 or later if you want to convert a video, choose its still cover and edit the result in one app. You can trim a longer clip to the moment you want, select a cover frame, then add captions, stickers or transitions in the Live editor. You can also import and edit an existing Live Photo rather than start from a video. We make Liveify; we prioritize this combination of conversion and editing, not the lowest price or a claim that it won a speed or image-quality test. Liveify's App Store listing and version history document its conversion and editor features; as its publisher, we also confirm support for importing existing Live Photos.
Choose a different app when your priority is more specific:
- Music and multi-clip video editing: consider intoLive.
- Combining clips or image sequences into a Live Photo: consider VideoToLive by Thomas Yoon.
- Offline conversion plus a sequence of up to 10 photos: consider Video to Live Wallpaper.
- Burst-photo input: consider Video to Live by Anish Modan.
- An existing Live Photo that you want as a video or GIF: use Apple Photos for video, or consider Lively for GIFs. These are reverse conversions.
What this comparison is based on
We reviewed six US App Store listings and their published version histories on October 27, 2026. We compared the workflows they describe, editing controls, purchase models and minimum iOS versions. We also draw on our own product knowledge as Liveify's publisher to confirm that it can import and edit existing Live Photos. Apple Support provides the instructions for exporting a Live Photo as video and setting a Live Photo wallpaper.
We did not run side-by-side tests of these apps. App Store feature descriptions are developer statements, not independent proof of export quality or reliability. Our recommendations are editorial judgments about fit for a task. We do not rank conversion speed, image quality or wallpaper success rates.
Prices and offers vary by country and can change. All six apps are free to download with in-app purchases; that does not establish whether the export you want is free. Where a listing does not explain the free allowance, we leave it unconfirmed rather than assume unlimited free exports.
Live Photo converters compared
The links in the first column are the official sources for each row. The last row covers the reverse direction, so Lively should not be mistaken for a video-to-Live-Photo converter.
| App | Why consider it | Documented controls or inputs | Listed purchase model | Minimum iOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liveify | Video conversion and Live Photo editing in one app | On-device video conversion, trim, cover selection; captions, stickers and transitions in its Live editor; AI still-photo animation | Starter, Plus or Pro subscription; Lifetime also listed; AI uses credits separately from unlimited ordinary conversion | 17.0 |
| intoLive | Music and multi-clip editing before conversion | Combines photos, videos, Live Photos and GIFs; text, music and transitions | Weekly, monthly or annual subscription; Lifetime also listed | 15.0 |
| VideoToLive, Thomas Yoon | Combining video clips or image sequences | Multiple clips, single images and image sequences to Live Photo | Remove Ads purchase listed; full free-export allowance unconfirmed | 15.0 |
| Video to Live Wallpaper | Offline conversion and photo sequences | On-device video conversion; up to 10 photos in a Live Photo | Premium and Monthly purchases listed; Premium duration unconfirmed | 15.6 |
| Video to Live, Anish Modan | Burst-photo and GIF input | GIFs, bursts, existing Live Photo edits and key-photo changes | Yearly and Lifetime premium purchases listed | 13.0 |
| Lively | Live Photo to GIF or movie, not the reverse | Trim, reverse, auto-reverse and speed controls | Free exports with a watermark; one purchase removes it | 13.0 |
Why Liveify is our first recommendation
We recommend Liveify for a specific job: you already have a video or Live Photo, and you want to shape it into something worth keeping or sharing without moving between a converter and a separate editor. Its official description names trimming, cover-frame selection and saving to Photos. Its version history documents captions, stickers and transitions in the Live editor.
Those controls solve different parts of that job. Trimming removes the lead-in before the moment you care about. Cover selection lets you avoid an awkward still frame. The editor lets you add a caption or sticker when the image needs context, and existing Live Photo import means you can work with something already in your library. That combination is our reason to start with Liveify; we are not claiming each feature is exclusive to it.
If you only need to convert one clip and do not want editing tools, those extras may not justify paying. Check the free-export allowance first. If your main task is assembling several clips with music, intoLive's documented montage workflow is a more relevant reason to choose an app.
Choose the moment and the cover
A clip may contain the motion you want but start on an awkward frame. Liveify lets you trim the moment and choose the cover frame before saving. That makes the still image part of the decision, not just the moving portion.
The ordinary video converter is not limited to a fixed three-second input window: Liveify's version 1.13 notes explicitly say its Video to Live mode can use a clip longer than three seconds. That is a conversion capability, not a promise that iOS will play the entire result on the Lock Screen. Source: Liveify version history.
Edit without switching to another app
Liveify's version 1.9 release notes describe a Live editor with captions, stickers and transitions. You can also import an existing Live Photo from your library and edit it, a capability we confirm as Liveify's publisher. This makes Liveify useful beyond the first conversion: you can work on Live Photos you already have without finding a separate editor. Source for editor tools: Liveify version history.
The current App Store subtitle also advertises "Video & GIF to Live Wallpaper." The listing does not explain the full GIF workflow or its limits, so this guide does not use it to claim that Liveify replaces every GIF tool.
Keep ordinary video conversion on your iPhone
Liveify's listing states that video conversion runs on your device. That is a useful reason to consider it for personal videos. It is not an exclusive advantage: Video to Live Wallpaper also advertises offline processing. Nor should it be read as a promise about every Liveify feature. AI photo animation is a separate workflow. Sources: Liveify, Video to Live Wallpaper.
Start from a still photo when you do not have a video
Liveify also offers AI animation of still photos and packages the result as a Live Photo. This gives you another starting point when the moment you want to use exists only as a photograph. AI generation uses credits; unlimited ordinary video conversion does not mean unlimited AI generation. Source: Liveify description and Plus release notes.
Subscription or Lifetime
Liveify Plus includes unlimited on-device video-to-Live-Photo conversion and editor exports during membership. The version 1.15 notes also document a Lifetime purchase with unlimited video conversion and editor exports, plus 80 AI credits. Those credits are not a promise of unlimited AI or a recurring monthly allowance. Source: Liveify version history.
We have not quoted a subscription price because the descriptive text and in-app purchase entries on the US listing show different amounts. Check the purchase screen for the current price, billing period and included credits. The public listing also does not establish a current free-export allowance.
Liveify requires iOS 17 or later. If your phone runs an older version, choose an app with a compatible requirement from the table. If music or multi-clip montage editing is your main requirement, intoLive's listing gives more explicit detail about that workflow.
Get Liveify for iPhone, or follow our video-to-Live-Photo walkthrough.
intoLive: consider it for music and multi-clip editing
intoLive by ImgBase describes merging multiple video clips and combining photos, videos, Live Photos and GIFs. Its listing also names text styles, music, effects and transitions. That makes it a relevant alternative when constructing the video is a large part of the task, such as a montage with music.
The listing advertises video export up to 4K on supported devices. That is a video-output claim, not evidence that every Live Photo export is 4K.
intoLive requires iOS 15 or later. Its US purchase list includes weekly, monthly and annual subscriptions, plus Lifetime. The latest listed update at our check was September 30, 2026. We did not verify its current free-export limits in the app.
Our take: choose intoLive when its documented music and montage tools match your project. For a video you already have, Liveify's trimming, cover selection and local conversion are the reasons we would start there. See our intoLive alternative guide for a more focused comparison.
VideoToLive: consider it for combining clips and image sequences
VideoToLive by Thomas Yoon explicitly describes combining clips from multiple videos into a Live Photo. It also lists Live Photo creation from single images or image sequences, video collages, and exports from Live Photos to videos or GIFs.
Its US listing includes a Remove Ads purchase. That tells us there is a paid ad-removal option; it does not establish that every conversion or export is free.
VideoToLive requires iOS 15 or later. The latest listed update was March 16, 2025. An older update date does not prove an app is broken, but we would check one export on the intended iOS version before relying on it for a larger project. Check the developer name when downloading because several apps have similar names.
Video to Live Wallpaper: consider it for offline photo sequences
Video to Live Wallpaper, by Arthur Eduardo Skaetta Alvarez Desenvolvimento de Software, advertises offline video conversion using the device's processing power. It also lets you select up to 10 pictures to make a Live Photo.
Its "no 5 seconds limit" description refers to conversion. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee about how long the Lock Screen will animate.
The app requires iOS 15.6 or later, with October 12, 2026 as its latest listed update. Its US purchase list includes Premium and Monthly options. The Premium label alone does not tell us whether that purchase is permanent.
Our take: consider it if combining a short sequence of photos is your main task. Offline processing is a documented feature here, but it is not a distinction from Liveify's ordinary video converter, which also runs on the device.
Video to Live by Anish Modan: consider it for bursts and GIFs
Video to Live by Anish Modan explicitly names GIF and burst-photo input, editing an existing Live Photo, and changing its key photo. Those details make it worth considering when your starting material is a burst rather than a normal video.
It requires iOS 13 or later. Its US purchase list includes yearly and lifetime premium options. The latest listed update was December 11, 2022; we have not tested its compatibility with current iOS releases. Check a sample export before committing to this workflow.
Going the other way: Live Photo to video or GIF
If you already have a Live Photo and need a video, start with Apple Photos. Apple's instructions are to select the Live Photo, tap the More button in the upper-right corner, and choose Save as Video. The original remains in the Live Photos album. Source: Apple Support. Our illustrated walkthrough covers this direction separately.
For GIF output, Lively by Tiny Whale describes trim, reverse, auto-reverse and speed controls. Its listing explicitly says exports are free with a watermark and that one in-app purchase removes the watermark. It requires iOS 13 or later; the latest listed update was September 2, 2026.
Lively belongs in this guide as an option for exporting an existing Live Photo. Its listing does not support recommending it for turning a video into a new Live Photo.
Check the result before paying for a longer project
Use a short clip that represents what you actually want to make. After saving, open it in Photos and check that it is recognized as a Live Photo and that the motion and still frame look right. This is a suggested check, not a test result from our comparison.
If your goal is a moving Lock Screen, check that separately. Apple documents Live Photo wallpapers in iOS 17 or later and says to enable the play button for automatic playback when the phone wakes. A successful save to Photos does not by itself establish that your chosen clip will animate as expected as wallpaper. Source: Apple Support.
Before purchasing, check the app's current export allowance, any watermark, the billing period and whether you are buying a subscription or permanent access. The price of an AI credit pack may cover a different feature from ordinary video conversion.
FAQ
Which Live Photo converter should I try first?
On iOS 17 or later, try Liveify if you want to convert an existing video, choose its cover and add edits in the same app, or import a Live Photo you already have for editing. We are Liveify's publisher; we recommend it for that workflow, not because we measured it as faster, cheaper or better-looking than the alternatives. For music and montage work, consider intoLive; for burst-photo input, consider Video to Live by Anish Modan. If you only need one basic conversion, check the free-export allowance before paying for tools you may not use.
Is there a completely free Live Photo converter?
A free download does not establish free conversion. We have not verified unlimited free video-to-Live-Photo exports for the apps in this guide. In the reverse direction, Apple Photos has Save as Video built in, and Lively explicitly offers free Live Photo exports with a watermark. Check the intended export before choosing a paid plan.
Can Liveify edit a Live Photo, or is it only a converter?
Yes. You can import an existing Live Photo from your library and edit it in Liveify; you do not have to start by converting a video. We confirm this capability as Liveify's publisher. The Live editor includes captions, stickers and transitions, as documented in its version 1.9 release notes. Its video converter also offers trimming and cover-frame selection. Source for editor and converter tools: Liveify listing and version history.
Does Lifetime mean unlimited AI generation?
No. Liveify's version 1.15 notes describe Lifetime as unlimited video-to-Live-Photo conversion and editor exports, with 80 AI credits included. AI credits and ordinary conversion access are different benefits. Check the current purchase screen for the terms of the offer. Source: Liveify version history.
Will every converted Live Photo work as a moving wallpaper?
Do not assume that saving a Live Photo guarantees the wallpaper result. Apple documents Live Photo Lock Screen playback on iOS 17 or later with the play button enabled, but its instructions do not guarantee the playback length of every converted clip. Try the result as wallpaper on the phone where you intend to use it. Source: Apple Support.
Which converters process videos on the device?
Liveify and Video to Live Wallpaper explicitly describe on-device video conversion in their App Store listings. We have not established the processing location of the other apps from the sources used here. This answer concerns ordinary video conversion, not AI photo animation. Sources: Liveify, Video to Live Wallpaper.
Our recommendation
For iOS 17 or later, start with Liveify if you want video conversion, cover selection and Live Photo editing in one app. It suits an existing clip that needs trimming and a better still frame, or an existing Live Photo you want to edit. We publish Liveify, and this recommendation reflects that workflow rather than comparative performance testing. Choose intoLive when music and multi-clip assembly are the main job, or another option when its inputs better match your material. For a one-off conversion, confirm the export allowance before deciding whether paid editing tools are worth it.
Download Liveify for iPhone. For the steps, see how to turn a video into a Live Photo.
Sources and verification date
App facts were checked against the US storefront on October 27, 2026. These are official product descriptions, not independent reviews. Version references identify the published notes supporting a claim, not a hands-on test of that version.
- Liveify: description, in-app purchases and version history. Version 1.18, October 26, 2026; editor, duration and Lifetime details also appear in versions 1.9, 1.13 and 1.15.
- intoLive by ImgBase. Version 4.4.2, September 30, 2026.
- VideoToLive by Thomas Yoon. Version 1.32.0, March 16, 2025.
- Video to Live Wallpaper. Version 1.0.303, October 12, 2026.
- Video to Live by Anish Modan. Version 1.4, December 11, 2022.
- Lively by Tiny Whale. Version 3.4, September 2, 2026.
- Apple: how to turn a Live Photo into a video.
- Apple: set a Live Photo as your Lock Screen wallpaper.