Wave bland wall spaces goodbye: I tested two of my fave digital photo frames head-to-head, and this option is perfect for giving gloomy winter rooms a glow-up

After two years of testing digital photo frames, I've had the privilege of trying out many fantastic options, from budget bangers to extravagant displays. But the two that have stuck in my head recently for sheer design panache and stunning performance are the Aura Aspen and the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch. So I've decided to pit them against each other to see which comes out on top.

Despite both being gorgeously designed, they have plenty to distinguish them from each other. The Aspen has a 4:3 aspect ratio and a 1600 x 1200 resolution, while the Starlight 15.6-inch features 16:9 with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Perhaps the most noticeable difference in their specs, though, is screen size – Pexar's frame measures 15.6 inches while Aura's reaches just 11.8 inches.

But while the Starlight is larger, it also costs a fair bit more. The Pexar will set you back $349.99 / £259, compared to the Aspen's $229 / £219, so you're definitely paying for that extra screen estate. While these prices sit in the premium end of the best digital photo frames out there, they're nowhere near as expensive as something like the mammoth 27-inch Netgear Meural Canvas II, which retails for a colossal $699.99 / £822.99.

Despite these divergent specs, I was surprised by how little air there was between the two in a lot of key areas. So let me break down for you how each stacks up.

Aura Aspen vs Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch: features

Setting up either frame for the first time is hassle-free. Aura has its own dedicated app – once you've downloaded it, you just need to tap +New Frame, enter the numbers shown on screen in the app, and it'll connect to your home network. Meanwhile, the Pexar uses the third-party Frameo app, and setup merely requires you to tap Add Friend on the frame, then input the generated code.

Once I was linked up to both frames, I found sending photos to either of them to be absolutely painless. Essentially, both work in similar ways, allowing you to select and send a range of photos from your device's photo library.

There are only a few points of difference in the way each app works. First, the Aura app lets you send an unlimited number at once, while you can only send a maximum of 10 at a time using Frameo without upgrading to Frameo+ for $1.99 / £0.99 a month or $16.99 / £7.99 a year. Still, for the most part, I found 10 to be plenty, as I rarely uploaded huge photo dumps all at once.

Another, and potentially more significant, difference is in how each frame handles photo cropping. The Aura app allows you to manually tweak the crop and fit of each image during the upload, but you can only set the alignment for one orientation, either landscape or portrait. Conversely, the Frameo app allows you to set the fit for each orientation individually – and if you find you've set it wrong, you can easily tweak it again directly from the Pexar's screen, which is far more convenient.

To give the Aspen its due, it's absolutely crammed with features to a degree I've not seen in most of its rivals. Unfortunately, many of these fall just on the wrong side of gimmicky for my tastes.

Case in point: its Colorization Magic feature feels like a neat idea on paper, offering you the opportunity to add the hues back to your monochrome photography. Sadly, it often defaults to the lowest common denominator in its color choices, for example, rendering the azure seas and golden sands of the Canary Islands in blue-gray and beige. And its 'digitize' feature for scanning photos just allows you to snap old photos on your phone camera and add keystone correction, which seems like a novelty users will try out a couple of times before entirely forgetting that it exists.

Fundamentally, I can't fault either of these frames for usability – I found connecting to and uploading photos to each of them a breeze. But while the Aura comes with more features on paper, I find those included with the Pexar to be just a little more practical. They're both a dream to use, though, so I honestly don't think you'd regret either choice.

Aura Aspen vs Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch: performance

On paper, the 1920 x 1080 resolution of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch definitely sounds more impressive than the 11.8-inch Aura Aspen's 1600 x 1200. But as I've remarked before: when it comes to photo frame screen sizes, bigger isn’t always better.

Instead, you need to consider pixel density, which takes into account the comparative screen sizes those resolutions are stretched over. And with a pixel density of 170ppi compared to the Starlight's 141ppi, the Aspen definitely comes out on top here.

Both frames can produce staggeringly crisp images, but the Aura definitely has the upper hand. For example, it renders the wispy hairs matting around a Scottish thistle with exquisite precision. And while both can occasionally prove unforgiving of the artificial bokeh generated by my iPhone 16 Pro, the Starlight struggles more with this, occasionally looking a touch grainy or introducing artifacts that make it look over-sharpened.

One area where both frames excel, though, is brightness. When I loaded up the same black & white photo of the Puente Romano bridge in Córdoba, there was very little difference, although the Aspen might just take it. Both reflection-free screens made short work of any reflections in the TechRadar offices, but I went a step further and shone my iPhone torch on its brightest setting across them – while I could still see a point of light on the Aspen, the Starlight almost entirely diffused it, which is truly wild.

Unfortunately, while the Pexar frame's monochrome performance is pretty much unimpeachable, it is less impressive when it comes to color. Hues feel largely accurate, with shots of foliage in fall showing the full spectrum of dappled reds, peaches and greens, but the frame sometimes feels like it pulls its punches as far as saturation is concerned. In comparison, the Aura is stunningly rich and vibrant, whether it's rendering an exploding firework in a shower of magenta sparks or displaying a macro photo of a bee resting on a bright, buttery-yellow rhododendron.

Fundamentally, the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch performs well enough that I doubt you'd be disappointed displaying it in your living room. But unless you need truly unbelievable reflection control, the Aura Aspen literally outshines it in every other measure. It's bright, vibrant, and even if it doesn't have the absolute highest pixel density I've ever seen, impressively faithful.

Aura Aspen vs Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch: design

One factor that has earned these frames such a huge plot of real estate in my brain is how well-designed they are. Their looks are definitely luxe, meaning either of them will look an absolute treat in your living room.

Not only is each frame solidly built, but they also have steadfast stands that are easy to affix yet don’t wobble like some of the rod-style stands that prop up cheaper frames. The Aura Aspen comes with a chunky, metallic arrowhead that slots into place in either orientation. Meanwhile, the Pexar Starlight is accompanied by a magnetic, rectangular loop that jumps into place along either the short or long side of the frame. These both work well, but the Pexar’s has a particularly satisfying clunk to it that pleases some small, obsessive part of my brain.

Both frames have taken a similar approach when it comes to their mounting-board-style bezels, pursuing a textured effect that more closely resembles real cardboard. I’ve gotta give the Aspen the edge here, though: while the Starlight’s mount still has a distinctly plasticky feel, Aura’s frame feels pretty convincing, thanks to its tactile paper-like effect.

And yet when it comes to the frames themselves, my sentiment is completely turned on its head. Don’t get me wrong: the Aspen’s slim black or alabaster frame looks seriously classy and cuts a more attractive shape than many of the cheaper options I’ve tested. But I do marginally prefer the Starlight here: its slightly chunkier wood frame just feels a little more subtle and means it would blend in more easily with a warmly decorated home.

If we called the race here, we’d likely be looking at a photo finish, as the Pexar and the Aura are pretty much neck and neck through most of these points. However, the Pexar has something in reserve to help it in the final furlong: its eponymous Starlight rear-facing wall light.

Lighting up a small section of the wall behind the Pexar, this gives the frame a glowing, gallery-like effect you can’t currently find anywhere else. There are absolutely ways this can be improved upon – I honestly expected it to be a bit more diffuse, and I’d like to see the option to shift the warmth of the light over time to better match the coziness of evening lighting. But it’s effective all the same, and there’s no denying that Pexar has taken a swing here by introducing a truly innovative feature.

In light of this, the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch takes the win for me. It’s the perfect mix of classic design and innovative flourishes, with just enough to give it a clear edge over the still sharp-looking Aura Aspen.

Aura Aspen vs Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch: verdict

This is genuinely a really difficult call. If I were going for sheer performance alone, the Aura Aspen would win hands down, thanks to its vibrant color and wonderful brightness – even if it can't quite match the Starlight's absurd ability to swallow up all incidental light.

But that's not the only pertinent factor here. For sheer design panache, the Pexar Starlight can't be beat – I love that wood-effect frame and the rear light is a genuinely innovative addition I've not seen anywhere else. The Aspen is also gorgeous, but there's only room for one babyface in the ring, and that role definitely goes to the Starlight.

Meanwhile, the two frames take radically different approaches in terms of feature set. The Aspen is crammed with innovative features and fun touches like those touch-capacitive sliding bars – but some of its features feel like gimmicks rather than useful additions. Whereas the Starlight focuses on making framing your photos as easy as possible, which it absolutely nails.

So, honestly, the Pexar just about takes it for me. Yes, I'd like future iterations to focus on improving the richness of its hues, and a little pixel-density boost wouldn't go amiss. But as an all-round package, it's a deeply pleasing gadget and would be a welcome addition to most living rooms.