# A Magic Hour alternative for photo head swaps

> Magic Hour is an all-in-one AI video and image suite. SwapShoot does one thing: whole-head photo swaps, hair included. 5 free swaps, no subscription.

- **URL**: https://swapshoot.com/alternatives/magic-hour
- **Last Updated**: 2026-11-04

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Pick Magic Hour if you want a few free head swaps a day without an account, video and GIF face swaps, or a head swap API. Pick SwapShoot if you only need photo head swaps and want a simple per-swap price, with no subscription and no auto-charge.

[Try it free](https://swapshoot.com/app)

## SwapShoot and Magic Hour side by side

Magic Hour and SwapShoot can both change a head in a photo, but they are different kinds of product. Magic Hour is an all-in-one AI video and image suite. It offers head swap, body swap, and single and multiple face swap for photo, video and GIF, plus a large set of other video, image and audio tools. SwapShoot does one thing: it swaps the whole head in a still photo, hair included, and keeps the rest of the picture.

The table below sticks to facts we could check on Magic Hour's own head swap and pricing pages. Its pricing page localises currency, so we do not quote its prices, and we could not confirm how many credits a head swap uses.

**SwapShoot vs Magic Hour at a glance**

| Feature | SwapShoot | Magic Hour |
|---|---|---|
| What it swaps | The whole head, hair included | Head swap, body swap, and single and multiple face swap |
| Media | Photos only | Photos, video and GIFs |
| Faces per photo | One clear face works best | Single and multiple face swap tools |
| Free to try | 5 free swaps per account; the first is clean, the next four carry a small watermark | 3 free head swaps a day, no account and no watermark |
| How you pay | $0.14 a swap as you go (never expire), or a 30-day pass at $9, $19 or $39; no auto-charge, paid in crypto | Monthly or yearly subscriptions, or one-time credit packs; unused credits never expire |
| Uploads used for training | No | No, according to its site |

Magic Hour facts checked 4 Nov 2026 from magichour.ai. Anything we couldn't confirm is left out.

## Why people look for a Magic Hour alternative

The usual reason is scope. An all-in-one suite covers video, images and audio, which is useful when you need all of them. If you only ever change heads in still photos, you may want a tool that does only that.

The other reason is how you pay. Magic Hour sells monthly and yearly subscriptions and also one-time credit packs, and you do not need a subscription to buy credits. SwapShoot has no subscription at all: you pay per swap, or buy a pass that ends after 30 days and never charges you again by itself.

An [AI head swap](https://swapshoot.com/head-swap) on SwapShoot replaces the face and the hair together, so the new person arrives with their own hairstyle. The pose, clothes, hands, background and light stay as photographed. The [face swap vs head swap comparison](https://swapshoot.com/face-swap-vs-head-swap) explains how that differs from changing the face alone.

## Where Magic Hour is stronger

If you want to try a head swap with no account, Magic Hour's head swap page offers 3 free head swaps a day with no sign-up and no watermark. SwapShoot needs an account, gives you 5 free swaps in total, and four of those carry a small watermark.

Magic Hour also does far more. It has multi-face and video and GIF face swaps, a head swap API, and a large set of other video, image and audio tools. SwapShoot does not do video or GIFs and does not swap several faces in one go.

Its credits never expire, and its paid plans and packs give watermark-free exports and commercial use. Its head swap accepts PNG, JPG, JPEG and WebP, and it says it does not use uploads or outputs to train AI models. If your work moves between video, images and audio, keep Magic Hour for it and use SwapShoot for the photos where you only need the head changed.

## Who SwapShoot is for

SwapShoot is for creators and individuals who work with still photos and want a new head in the same shot: social posts, cosplay and outfit photos, thumbnails, a blinked shot fixed with a head from another frame, and AI-model photos.

It works best with one person whose face is clearly visible. You bring two photos, the shot to change and the new head, and you get the same shot back in about a minute. Hair, hands or objects over the face and extreme angles may need another try, so choose a clear photo first.

It also suits people who want the price to be simple. There is one price per swap as you go, three 30-day passes if you swap often, and nothing that renews.

## How to switch

The fairest test is a photo you have already swapped somewhere else. Run it again here and compare the two results side by side.

1. Upload the photo to change. Open SwapShoot in your browser and add the photo whose pose, clothes and background you want to keep. It should show one person with a clearly visible face.
2. Add the new head and swap. Upload a clear photo of the new head, with the face and hair visible, then press Swap head. Sign in with Google or any email address when you do. Use your own photos or photos where everyone shown has agreed.
3. Check and download. About a minute later the result appears next to the original. Look at the face, then the hairline, then where the neck meets the clothes. Download what you want to keep: results are deleted within 24 hours.

## What a head swap looks like

Each row is one swap: the original photo, the head photo used, and the result. The face and the hair change; the pose, clothes, background and light stay as photographed.

### Skateboard sunset

- Original: ![Original: woman with long brown hair holding a red skateboard behind her shoulders in low sun with lens flare](https://swapshoot.com/img/skateboard-sunset-target.jpg)
- New head: ![New head: woman with straight black hair and bangs on a plain grey background](https://swapshoot.com/img/skateboard-sunset-head.jpg)
- Swapped: ![Swapped: the same skateboard shot with straight black hair and bangs; the skateboard, black top, pose and sun flare are unchanged](https://swapshoot.com/img/skateboard-sunset-result.jpg)

Long brown hair becomes straight black hair with bangs. The skateboard across the shoulders, the black top and the low sun and lens flare stay unchanged.

### Shore at dusk

- Original: ![Original: woman with shoulder-length auburn hair in a black turtleneck by the sea at dusk, eyes lowered](https://swapshoot.com/img/shore-flare-target.jpg)
- New head: ![New head: woman with straight ash-blonde hair facing the camera on a plain grey background](https://swapshoot.com/img/shore-flare-head.jpg)
- Swapped: ![Swapped: the same dusk shoreline shot with straight ash-blonde hair; the turtleneck, sea and warm light are unchanged](https://swapshoot.com/img/shore-flare-result.jpg)

Shoulder-length auburn hair becomes straight ash-blonde hair. The black turtleneck, the sea at dusk and the warm light at the bottom of the frame stay unchanged.

[Try it free](https://swapshoot.com/app)

## What it costs

Each account gets 5 free swaps. The first is clean and the next four carry a small SwapShoot watermark. After that, pay as you go at $0.14 a swap, bought 20 or more at a time, and they never expire. Or buy a 30-day pass: Starter, Basic or Pro. Basic is the one we recommend.

Passes are paid once, up front, and never charge you again automatically. A yearly pass gets you one month free. Paid swaps have no watermark, and you pay in crypto (USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH and other coins). The full details are on the [pricing page](https://swapshoot.com/pricing).

**SwapShoot prices in US dollars**

| Option | Price | Swaps | Per swap | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $0.14 a swap | 20 or more | $0.14 | Never expire, no plan needed |
| Starter | $9 for 30 days | 82 | About $0.11 | No watermark, no auto-charge |
| Basic (recommended) | $19 for 30 days | 190 | $0.10 | No watermark, no auto-charge |
| Pro | $39 for 30 days | 435 | About $0.09 | No watermark, no auto-charge |

## Questions

### Is Magic Hour's head swap free?

Magic Hour's head swap page says you get 3 free head swaps a day, with no account and no watermark. SwapShoot gives every account 5 free swaps: the first is clean and the next four have a small watermark.

### Do I need a subscription for either?

No. Magic Hour sells monthly and yearly subscriptions as well as one-time credit packs. SwapShoot has no subscription: pay-as-you-go swaps never expire, and 30-day passes never auto-charge.

### Does SwapShoot do video?

No. SwapShoot works with still photos only, while Magic Hour offers video and GIF face swaps.

### How do I pay for SwapShoot?

Prices are in US dollars, and you pay in crypto.

## Related guides

- [All alternatives and comparisons](https://swapshoot.com/alternatives)
- [A DeepSwap alternative for photos](https://swapshoot.com/alternatives/deepswap)
- [A Remaker alternative for photos](https://swapshoot.com/alternatives/remaker)
- [How we handle your photos](https://swapshoot.com/privacy)
- [Responsible use policy](https://swapshoot.com/responsible-use)

[Try it free](https://swapshoot.com/app)

Read the [Terms](https://swapshoot.com/terms), [Privacy Policy](https://swapshoot.com/privacy) and [Responsible use policy](https://swapshoot.com/responsible-use) before uploading photos.