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The 8 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives

Professional results for tight budgets

beste powerpoint alternative

  • Swansea University, Staffordshire University

Microsoft PowerPoint is a great tool for creating professional-looking slideshows and presentations. However, the home version requires a Microsoft 365 subscription, and the free mobile app locks some features behind the sub as well. Fortunately, there are plenty of free PowerPoint software alternatives out there. Here's a look at some of the best options and how they compare to PowerPoint. 

Best Direct PowerPoint Replacement: Google Slides

Very similar to PowerPoint.

Free to use. 

Compatible with PowerPoint.

An internet connection is strongly recommended. 

Where there's a need for an app, Google seems to have it covered. Google Slides is its PowerPoint equivalent and it's a lot like Microsoft's app. Very simple to use and offering full compatible with the alternative, you can access Google Slides via your browser and easily create custom presentations with audio and your own images, all entirely for free. It also offers great live collaboration features for teamwork purposes.

The only minor downside is you need an internet connection to at least get started but the service does also work offline with presentations syncing once you're back online.

Best for Designers: Prezi

Video editing included.

Can easily make data visualizations. 

Stylish user interface.

Free option is pretty basic.

No support.

Presentations viewable by all.

Prezi is a great option for designers who have a vision but aren't technically proficient at achieving it. Its simple drag and drop interface makes it a breeze to organize your presentation just how you want it. Backed up with other Prezi apps that mean you can create videos or more stylish data visualizations than simple graphs, it's ideal for industries that are more visual than others. A series of pre-made templates makes it all the more attractive. 

Prezi isn't as free as it seems though. To get the full wealth of features like advanced image editing, offline access, and narration, you'll need to pay a subscription fee.

Best for Quick Results: Zoho Show

A theme for every occasion.

Quick to create something.

Intuitive interface.

Need to be online to use it.

Simple to use yet highly effective is the sweet spot for quick results, and that's certainly the case with Zoho Show. You might need to be online to use it, but it's worth the connection with an intuitive user interface that adapts to what you need to do. You can easily embed videos, tweets, and images into your presentations with some neat transition effects making things more interesting. 

Collaboration tools further sweeten the deal with annotation features meaning you can work together well as a team and fast.

Best for Animations: Powtoon

Great animation tools.

Easy to use.

Can export to social media platforms.

Branding applied on free presentations.

More about animations than slideshows. 

PowToon tackles PowerPoint presentations from a slightly different angle than a lot of its competitors. It's primarily great for creating full animations and videos rather than presentations that you would click through and present yourself. That lends itself perfectly to the internet which is why it's so useful that you can export your presentations to various forms of social media. 

With a drag and drop template, you can create something within about 20 minutes from your browser. The free version bundles in branding logos so viewers will always know you've used PowToon to create them but that's a small price to pay for an otherwise very accessible and simple to use piece of software. 

Best for Mass Branding: Renderforest

Plenty of options for expanding branding.

300MB cloud storage for free.

Unlimited exports.

Exports can be low in quality.

Content is watermarked.

RenderForest thinks of itself as more than just a PowerPoint alternative. It tackles everything you might need from creating logos to designing promo videos, music visualizations, landing pages, and websites. That's on top of its extensive animations and intro creation. That might sound intimidating but the service keeps things simple, so it won't take you long to mock something up and develop it.

Stick to the free version and there are some restrictions such as branding on your videos, lower quality logos, and so forth, but it's a solid start for an otherwise entirely free service. In particular, if you just need to concoct a quick 3-minute video for a presentation, RenderForest has you covered.

Best for Non-Designers: Visme

Plenty of templates to choose from.

Can set up five projects at once.

Charts and widgets support.

Limited cloud storage.

Visme branding on free plan.

Been asked to make a presentation and you don't know where to start? Visme is perfect for those that aren't well versed with graphics as it offers an extensive template library. The free plan limits your options a little but there are still some decent choices here. In addition, the service provides cool ways to make stats and data look exciting thanks to chart and widget support. It's all done through a simple drag and drop interface too that makes it super simple to add video and embed other content. 

Just bear in mind that storage options are a little limited and everything on the free plan will contain Visme branding. 

Best for Office Replacement: LibreOffice Impress

Full program rather than browser-based.

Extensive support. 

Similar experience to Microsoft Office.

Requires installation. 

Not quite as intuitive as alternatives.

LibreOffice is a popular free alternative to Microsoft Office, so it makes sense to use LibreOffice Impress if you want the closest experience to Microsoft's package. Unlike most of the others here, you need to install LibreOffice on your PC or Mac which means it's no good for Chromebooks or moving between different systems. However, in exchange, you get an intuitive experience that makes it simple to create slideshows, whether you're handing them out to a class or conference afterwards, or simply projecting them on screen. 

Bear in mind you have to seek out templates yourself though which may be off-putting for the least technically minded user out there. 

Download for:

Best for Apple Users: Keynote

Simple to use. 

Apple Pencil support. 

Cloud based as well as app based.

App is only on Apple devices.

Keynote is Apple's direct competitor to Microsoft PowerPoint and it's a great alternative, especially if you're a Mac user. With app support for iOS and Mac, it takes seconds to get started. Alternatively, PC users can use Keynote via the iCloud website and easily work across multiple devices. 

One of the best features is the ability to use the Apple Pencil on an iPad to create diagrams or illustrations making it great for skilled artists. As well as that, Apple provides plenty of convenient templates for personal and professional projects. 

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The best presentation software in 2024

These powerpoint alternatives go beyond the basics..

Hero image with logos of the best presentation software

The latest presentation apps have made it easier than ever to format slides and create professional-looking slideshows without giving off a "this is a template" vibe. Even standard PowerPoint alternatives have updated key features to make it easier than ever to collaborate and create presentations quickly, so you can spend more time prepping for your actual presentation.

If, like me, you've used Google Slides unquestioningly for years, it's a whole new world out there. The newest crop of online presentation tools go way beyond the classic slideshow experience, with new features to keep your audience's attention, streamline the creation process with AI, and turn slide decks into videos and interactive conversations.

I've been testing these apps for the past few years, and this time, I spent several days tinkering with 25 of the top presentation software solutions out there to bring you the best of the best.

The best presentation software

What makes the best presentation app, how we evaluate and test apps.

When looking for the best presentation apps, I wanted utility players. After all, slideshows are used for just about everything, from pitch decks and product launches to class lectures and church sermons. With that in mind, here's what I was looking for:

Pre-built templates. The best presentation tools should have attractive, professional-looking templates to build presentations in a hurry.

Sharing and collaboration options. Whether you plan to share your webinar slides later, or you just want to collaborate with a coworker on a presentation, it should be easy to share files and collaborate in real-time.

Flexibility and customization options. Templates are great, but top presentation apps should enable you to customize just about everything—giving you the flexibility to build exactly what you need.

Affordability. Creating compelling presentations is important, but you shouldn't have to bust your budget to make it happen. With capable free tools on the market, affordability is a top consideration.

Standalone functionality. There's no reason to use multiple tools when one can do it all, so I didn't test any apps that require and work on top of another presentation app like PowerPoint or Google Slides.

Familiar, deck-based interface. For our purposes here, I only tested software that uses slides, with the familiar deck-based editor you expect from a "presentation" tool (versus, for example, a video creation app).

Beyond that, I also looked for presentation apps that brought something unique to the table—features above and beyond what you can get for free from a legacy solution like PowerPoint or Google Slides.

Here's what my testing workflow looked like:

I went through any onboarding or guided tutorials.

I created a new deck, scanning through all available templates, noting how well-designed they were (and which were free versus paid).

I added new slides, deleted slides, edited text and images, and played around with other content types.

I changed presentation design settings, like color schemes and background images.

I reviewed and tested the sharing and collaboration options.

I tested out presenter view (when available).

After my first round of testing, I went back into the top performers to test any unique or niche features, like AI, brand settings, and interactive content. With that, these are the best presentation apps I found—each one really brings something different or radically easy to the table.

The best presentation software at a glance

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Canva, our pick for the best free presentation app

Canva pros:

Excellent free plan

Tons of amazing templates for all use cases

Feature-rich

Canva cons:

The AI tools aren't groundbreakingly useful

Canva offers one of the most robust free plans of all the presentation apps I tested. The app delays account creation until after you've created your first design, so you can get started building your presentation in seconds. Choose from an almost overwhelming number of beautiful templates (nearly all available for free), including those designed specifically for education or business use cases.

Anyone who's accidentally scrolled too far and been bumped to the next slide will appreciate Canva's editor interface, which eliminates that problem altogether with a smooth scroll that doesn't jump around. Choose from a handful of preset animations to add life to your presentations, or browse the library of audio and video files available to add. And Canva also has a number of options for sharing your presentation, including adding collaborators to your team, sharing directly to social media, and even via QR code.

Present directly from Canva, and let audience members submit their questions via Canva Live. Once you share a link to invite audience members to your presentation, they can send questions for you to answer. As the presenter, you'll see them pop up in your presenter view window, so you can keep the audience engaged and your presentation clear. Alternatively, record a presentation with a talking head bubble—you can even use an AI presenter here—to share remotely.

Canva pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $120/year for 1 user and include additional features like Brand Kit, premium templates and stock assets, and additional AI-powered design tools.

The best presentation app for AI-powered design

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Beautiful.ai pros:

True AI design

No fussing around with alignment

Still allows for customization

Beautiful.ai cons:

No free plan

If you're like me, editing granular spacing issues is the absolute worst part of building a presentation. Beautiful.ai uses artificial intelligence to take a lot of the hassle and granular design requirements out of the presentation process, so you can focus on the content of a presentation without sacrificing professional design. If I needed to make presentations on a regular basis, this is the app I'd use.

Many apps have recently added AI design features, but Beautiful.ai has been doing it for years—and they've perfected the experience of AI design, ensuring the tool's reign as the most streamlined and user-friendly option for AI design.

The editor is a little different from most presentation apps, but it's still intuitive—and you'll start off with a quick two-minute tutorial. When creating a new slide, scroll through "inspiration slides" to find a layout you like; once you choose, the app will pull the layout and automatically adapt it to match the design of the rest of your presentation.

With 10 themes, several templated slides, over 40 fully-designed templates, and more than 20 different color palettes to choose from, Beautiful.ai strikes a perfect balance between automation and customization.

While Beautiful.ai doesn't offer a free plan, paid plans are reasonably priced and offer sharing and collaboration options that rival collab-focused apps like Google Slides. And speaking of Google, you can connect Beautiful.ai with Google Drive to save all your presentations there.

Note: I re-tested the generative AI feature (called DesignerBot) this year. It's great for adding individual slides to an existing presentation—automatically choosing the best layout and matching the design to the rest of the deck—but as with most other apps, it struggled to pull in relevant images.

Beautiful.ai pricing: Plans start at $12/month for unlimited slides, AI content generation, viewer analytics, and more. Upgrade to a Team plan for $40/user/month to get extra collaboration and workspace features and custom brand controls.

The best presentation app for conversational presentations

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Prezi pros:

Doesn't restrict you to standard presentation structure

Lots of customization options

Prezi Video lets you display a presentation right over your webcam video

Prezi cons:

Steep learning curve

Struggling to squeeze information into a basic, linear presentation? Give Prezi a try. Unlike nearly all other presentation apps on the market, Prezi Present doesn't restrict the structure of your presentation to a straight line. The editor focuses on topics and subtopics and allows you to arrange them any way you want, so you can create a more conversational flow of information.

With the structural flexibility, you still get all the same customization features you expect from top presentation software, including fully-editable templates. There's a learning curve if you're unfamiliar with non-linear presentations, but templates offer a great jumping-off point, and Prezi's editor does a good job of making the process more approachable.

Plus, Prezi comes with two other apps: Prezi Design and Prezi Video. Prezi Video helps you take remote presentations to a new level. You can record a video where the presentation elements are displayed right over your webcam feed. Record and save the video to share later, or connect with your video conferencing tool of choice (including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet) to present live.

Prezi's generative AI feature works ok, but it's more useful as a wireframe. When I asked it to create a presentation about the Stanley Cup Playoffs, for example, the resulting content read a lot like a student writing a term paper in the broadest strokes possible to avoid doing any actual research.

The best presentation app for video presentations

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Powtoon pros:

Timing automatically changes based on the content on the slide

Can toggle between slideshow and video

Can orient presentation as horizontal, vertical, or square

Powtoon cons:

Limited free plan

Powtoon makes it easy to create engaging videos by orienting the editor around a slide deck. Editing a Powtoon feels just like editing a presentation, but by the time you finish, you have a professional video. 

You can edit your slides at any time, and when you hit play, a video plays through your deck—the feel is almost like an animated explainer video. Each slide includes the animations you choose and takes up as much time as is needed based on the content on the slide. Powtoon figures the timing automatically, and you can see in the bottom-right of the editor how much time is used on your current slide versus the total presentation. If you ever want to present as a slide deck, just toggle between Slideshow and Movie.

You'll likely need to subscribe to a paid plan to get the most out of Powtoon—like creating videos longer than three minutes, downloading them as MP4 files, and white-labeling your presentations—but doing so won't break the bank. Plus, you'll unlock tons of templates complete with animations and soundtracks.

One of my favorite Powtoon features is the ability to orient your video: you can choose horizontal orientation (like a normal presentation) or opt for vertical (for mobile) or square (for social media). When your presentation is ready, you can publish straight to YouTube, Wistia, Facebook Ads, and any number of other locations.

The best presentation app for collaborating with your team

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Pitch, our pick for the best presentation software for collaborating with your team

Pitch pros:

Google levels of collaboration

Assign slides to specific team members

Excellent generative AI feature

Pitch cons:

User interface is a little different than you're used to

Need to collaborate on presentations with your team? Pitch is a Google Slides alternative that gets the job done. As far as decks go, Pitch includes all the beautifully-designed templates, customizability, and ease of use you expect from a top-notch presentation tool. But the app really shines when you add your team.

The right-hand sidebar is all about project management and collaboration: you can set and update the status of your deck, assign entire presentations or individual slides to team members, plus comment or add notes. Save custom templates to make future presentations even easier and faster.

You can also invite collaborators from outside your company to work with you on individual decks. And if you opt for a paid plan, Pitch introduces workspace roles, shared private folders, and version history.

Pitch also offers one of the most impressive generative AI features on this list. It still struggles to pull in relevant images, but I found the AI-generated written content and design to be top-notch.

The best presentation app for conversational AI

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Gamma pros:

Creates fully fleshed-out presentations from a prompt

Conversational chatbot-like experience

Can still manually edit the presentation

Gamma cons:

Not as much granular customization

I tested a lot of apps claiming to use AI to up your presentation game, and Gamma's conversational AI features were head and shoulders above the crowd.

Simply give the app a topic—or upload an outline, notes, or any other document or article—approve the outline, and pick a theme. The app will take it from there and create a fully fleshed-out presentation. It's far from perfect, but Gamma produces a very useful jumping-off point. (Last year, it was by far the best, but this year, other apps are catching up.)

Here's the key: Gamma is much more geared toward the iterative, chatbot experience familiar to ChatGPT users. Click on the Edit with AI button at the top of the right-hand menu to open the chat, and you'll see suggested prompts—or you can type in your own requests for how Gamma should alter the presentation.

Once you've done all you can with prompts, simply close the chat box to manually add the finishing touches. While you do sacrifice some granular customizability in exchange for the AI features, you can still choose your visual theme, change slide layouts, format text, and add any images, videos, or even app and web content.

The best presentation app for audience engagement

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Mentimeter, our pick for the best presentation software for audience engagement

Mentimeter pros:

Tons of audience engagement features

Simple for participants to interact

Mentimeter cons:

Less granular customizability

Bit of a learning curve

If you need to engage with an audience during your presentation, Mentimeter makes that easy. The app is designed around interactive elements like quizzes, surveys, Q&As, sliders, and more (even a Miro whiteboard!).

Each of these is included in a number of different, professional-looking templates, so you can build a fully interactive presentation super quickly.

When it's time to present, your audience members can scan the QR code with their phone cameras or type in the URL and access code to participate. There's one code per presentation (so they won't have to do this on every slide), which gives access to each slide as you move through the presentation.

There are two main drawbacks to this one, though. First, there's a bit of a learning curve and less familiar editing interface (but I found it pretty easy to learn with some practice). The other drawback is that you can't get as granular with the visual customization as you can with many other presentation tools.

The best presentation app for generative AI

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Tome, our pick for the best presentation software for generative AI

Top-tier generative AI features

Simple, customizable templates

Intuitive doc-style editor

There's definitely a learning curve

Tome is one of the new additions to this list that I'm most excited about. If you're looking for generative AI that just genuinely works , it's definitely worth a look. The editor is a bit more stripped down than most presentation apps but intuitive nonetheless—it's almost a cross between your standard deck editor and a Notion-style doc.

To generate an AI deck, click Generate with AI in the top right, and either write your own prompt or choose from the example prompts that cover a handful of common use cases, like sales enablement and company pitches. Edit or approve the suggested outline, then generate the full presentation.

From there, you can edit each slide as a doc via the right-hand menu—without limits on how much information you can include. During the presentation, you simply size down any slides that take up more than the standard amount of space. It's super simple but somehow feels revolutionary in a presentation app.

What about the old standbys?

You might notice a few major presentation players aren't on this list, including OGs Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Google Slides. These apps are perfectly adequate for creating basic presentations, and they're free if you have a Windows or Mac device or a Google account.

I didn't include them on the list because the presentation space has really developed in the last several years, and after testing them out, I found these behemoths haven't kept pace. If they weren't made by Microsoft/Apple/Google, I might not even be mentioning them. They're pretty basic tools, they're behind the curve when it comes to templates (both quantity and design), and they don't offer any uniquely valuable features like robust team collaboration, branding controls, video, and so on.

In any case, if you're reading this, you're probably looking for an alternative that allows you to move away from one of the big 3, and as the presentation platforms featured above show, there's a ton to gain—in terms of features, usability, and more—when you do.

What about PowerPoint and Google Slides add-ons?

While I focused my testing on tools with full feature-sets—those that can serve as your sole presentation tool—there are a ton of add-on tools you can use atop big name tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides.

Related reading:

This post was originally published in October 2014 and has since been updated with contributions from Danny Schreiber, Matthew Guay, Andrew Kunesh, and Krystina Martinez. The most recent update was in April 2024.

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Kiera Abbamonte

Kiera’s a content writer who helps SaaS and eCommerce companies connect with customers and reach new audiences. Located in Boston, MA, she loves cinnamon coffee and a good baseball game. Catch up with her on Twitter @Kieraabbamonte.

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12 Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives You Can Use

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Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives (Updated July 2020)

  • LibreOffice Impress
  • Google Slides

Which Presentation App is Better for You?

  • A beautifully-designed template that can invite attention and engage the audience
  • Well-organized layout
  • And more significantly, seamless presentation of ideas 

As to which presentation apps like Microsoft PowerPoint can suit your needs better. Be sure of what you need:  full customization, a wide range of pro tools, seamless collaboration, or a simplified experience . Keeping in mind various demands, I have chosen the best alternatives to PowerPoint.

List of Top Alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint

Prezi Presentation - Top Microsoft PowerPoint Alternative

On the collaboration front, it’s also equally effective, allowing you to work seamlessly with your team. And with the desktop app, you can  work on your presentation even offline . As far as analytics is concerned, Prezi is highly efficient, enabling you to track viewers and have better insight so that you will be able to target the follow-up with clarity. Price-wise, Prezi is slightly cheaper than PowerPoint as it starts at just $5/month (for personal use).

  • Analytics for your online presentations
  • Super handy smart branding feature
  • Great collection of templates 
  • Reuse a presentation
  • Importing files feel a bit slow 

Visit:  Website 

2. LibreOffice Impress

LibreOffice Impress - Best Free Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives

Another feature that makes Impress a worthy rival of PowerPoint is an elegant Slide Show mode that enables you to control how your slides are shown and sequenced. Long story short, it’s got most bases covered to be a notable replacement for PowerPoint. And that too without costing you a single penny.

  • Free and open-source
  • Multiple different view modes
  • Features a range of drawing and diagramming tools
  • Option to stunning 2D and 3D images from text
  • The UI looks a bit dull 
  • Comparatively, fewer tools than PowerPoint 

12. Ludus

  • Best for creative users
  • Impressive Typography
  • Available on Web; Cross-platform
  • Third-party tools integration
  • Supports collaboration
  • No offline support

4. Zoho Show

If PowerPoint boasts a  solid assortment of templates , Show doesn’t look behind in the match up either. So, no what matter your requirement is, chances are high that you will always have a template that can give the right shape and appearance to your ideas.

Zoho Show - Best Overall Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives

  • Offers a competent free version
  • A solid assortment of templates
  • Works reliably in importing PowerPoint files
  • Maintains formatting accuracy
  • At times, file size restriction could become a roadblock for efficient performance.

5. Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck

  • Feature-packed yet easy-to-handle presentation software
  • A wide range of templates
  • Over 40 million creative images
  • It’s priced same as Microsoft PowerPoint (Even offers higher pricing tier options)

Platform Availability:  iOS and web

6. Google Slides

Google Slides - Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives for Collaboration

  • A large collection of predefined templates
  • A good roster of transitions
  • More efficient collaboration 
  • A few transitions don’t work effectively 

Platform Availability: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Chrome OS

Visme

Unlike PowerPoint, Visme has a  clutter-free interface  so that creating a top-quality presentation remains hassle-free. Depending on your need, you can audio, video, charts, maps, and even links to make your creations look more engaging. Talking about  privacy control , it offers multiple options so that you can choose to make your presentation public and fully indexable by a search engine or safeguard it using a password.

  • A massive collection of pro tools
  • Tons of beautiful images, icons, and fonts to experiment 
  • Privacy control
  • Handling multi-media is slightly inconvenient 

Pricing: Free, $14/month 

8. OnlyOffice

OnlyOffice

Being fully  integrated with collaboration platforms  including mail, CRM, projects, and calendar, OnlyOffice keeps the entire team in sync and enables them to work on the presentation with clarity. Though it lacks a plethora of templates that PowerPoint boasts, it has enough pre-defined templates to meet most demand. In terms of customization tools, I think it excels in most aspects and easily leaves its famous counterpart behind.

  • Simplified experience
  • Open-source presentation software
  • Integrated with collaboration platforms

Platform Availability:   Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

iCloud Keynote

  • Impressive animations 
  • Only 30 Apple-designed themes
  • One of the best collaboration experience 
  • Doesn’t offer the app for Windows and Android 

Platform Availability:   iOS, macOS, and web

Canva

For the folks who use attractive images in their presentation, they would really appreciate the  library of millions of images . And with photo filters at the beck and call, you can instantly transform the look of your pics. Besides, it also got some  cool editing tools  to give photographs of some adorable personal touch.

  • A plethora of background images, eye-grabbing templates, and filters
  • Library of millions of images
  • Cool editing tools
  • Takes time to get a full hang of the software 

Pricing:  Free, $12.95/month 

11. SlideDog

SlideDog

SlideDog  keeps all the elements in their original formats  so that they can achieve the expected result. With the live sharing feature, you can easily broadcast your presentation on your channel. All the participants will receive a link and with just a click/tap, they will start watching the presentation.

  • Creating powerful multimedia presentations
  • Effectively combine Prezis, PDFs, PowerPoints
  • Keeps all the elements in their original formats
  • Feels sluggish at times 
  • The pro version doesn’t offer a compelling price-to-value proposition 

Pricing:  Free, $99/year

12. WPS Office Free

WPS Office Free

WPS Office has got more than decent formatting tools that include font styles, colors, shapes and more. Thus, giving a suitable appearance to your presentation won’t be a big ask. If you want to go for a bit more customization,  over 230 fonts and text effects  would come into play really.

  • Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Supports both PPT and PPTX files
  • Over 230 fonts and text effects
  • Lacks the versatility of PowerPoint
  • The interface should be better 

Pricing:  Free 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. which powerpoint alternative is best for your small business, q. what can i use instead of powerpoint, q. is there a better presentation software than powerpoint, q. is prezi better than powerpoint.

While Prezi surely has got new looks and great animations, it’s a tad bit harder to design presentations on Prezi than PowerPoint. In addition, Prezi’s formatting options are really messy, but your experience may vary. I would recommend you to try out Prezi and see if it works for you.

Q. How do I Make a PowerPoint Presentation Without Powerpoint?

Q. are there free microsoft powerpoint alternatives, choose the best microsoft powerpoint alternatives.

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An old school bibliophile who turned a tech nerd out of obsession. When he is not digging into hacks and tracking down stories that are breaking the internet, you may find him reciting poems.

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The 7 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives for Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint is great, but what if you can't afford it? Here are the best free PowerPoint alternatives for presentations.

Microsoft PowerPoint has been around for a long while and so far it has served users well. However, because it's a paid program, not everyone can afford it.

Thankfully, there are many options available for users who want the functionality of Microsoft PowerPoint in a free-to-use package. In fact, some of them don't even require any downloads and are completely web-based.

1. Google Slides

By far the most popular PowerPoint alternative out there, Google Slides shines when it comes to collaboration. Multiple people can work simultaneously on a presentation and add new slides.

This is further strengthened by its availability. Google Slides works on your web browser and has apps for both iOS and Android.

Additionally, Google Slides keeps a record of all the changes users have made to a presentation, and you can easily restore your slideshow to a previous version. While anyone with a Gmail account can use Google Slides, G Suite users get added data protection.

Compared to PowerPoint, the number of templates, animation forms, and fonts is somewhat lacking. However, businesses tend to overlook these shortcomings on a day-to-day basis.

While Canva is primarily known as a photo editor and design tool, it is also a competent MS PowerPoint alternative.

One of Canva's main strengths is its ease of use. There are many beginner tutorial videos on the website if users do not understand something. Complete beginners can easily navigate through the minimalistic interface.

With the free version of Canva, you get access to over 8000+ presentation templates that exponentially speed up your workflow. Additionally, Canva still remains one of the easiest services to create infographics and charts in.

The only limiting thing with Canva is that it offers a basic set of tools and transitions at users' disposal. It's apparent that the company places more focus on photo editing and design aspect than anything else.

The Prezi presentation format is unique in the way that it lets you view slides. Instead of addressing multiple elements at once, Prezi gives viewers a single canvas that allows them to zoom in on different presentation parts. This provides a much more immersive experience.

Similar to Google Slides, Prezi supports the real-time collaboration of up to 10 users. Users can also add comments to indicate changes or report missing information. Prezi works on any modern web browser, and there are Android and iOS apps available as well.

Related: Powerful Google Chrome PDF Extensions and Apps

The Prezi software also has an analytics feature that helps users optimize their presentation by showing them which slides were the most viewed as well as which ones were skipped.

Even though the basic version of Prezi is free to use, it doesn't allow users to control the privacy of their presentation, which could be a dealbreaker for many. Additionally, due to the way Prezi works, there is a steep learning curve associated with it.

4. WPS Office Free

WPS Office is the closest alternative to PowerPoint when it comes to functionality and user interface. Plus, unlike the other web-based services on this list, you don't always need an active internet connection to use it.

With its complete support for PowerPoint files, users can edit existing PowerPoint documents with ease in WPS Office. They can also embed videos and animate individual objects, just like in Microsoft PowerPoint. It also offers many templates, so users can pick their favorite.

However, users should keep in mind that while the software is free, it is supported by ads, which may be a bit intrusive at times. In addition to this, collaboration is less straightforward than with Google Slides.

WPS Office is available across all major platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux. iOS, and Android. There is a web-based version available as well. Alternatively, you can check out this handy guide to smoothen your transition to WPS Office from Microsoft .

Xtensio is one of the best options for business users. It has many templates available regarding various organization sections, such as marketing, UX design, etc.

With Xtensio's easy-to-use interface, even newbies can create professional-looking reports and presentations. Additionally, they offer even greater flexibility in terms of design. You can edit each object in a template to suit your specific needs.

But it does have some shortcomings. For one thing, users cannot export their presentations in PowerPoint format. Additionally, the free version supports only one user at a time with a storage space of 1MB.

6. LibreOffice

LibreOffice is open-source presentation software that does everything PowerPoint can do. Although it lacks functionality such as OneDrive Integration, its PowerPoint-like functionality more than makes up for it.

LibreOffice has its share of useful features, such as the ability to import Keynote files. In addition, LibreOffice has a vast collection of free templates that users can use to create their presentations.

If that's not enough, you can download additional templates from LibreOffice's online repository. LibreOffice is available across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

7. Zoho Show

There are several reasons to use Zoho Show for your next presentation. It's a great presentation tool that's similar to Google Slides, but even better. Users can also import and edit all their PowerPoint files in the online tool.

Users can create tables, infographics, and data charts within Zoho Show itself. In addition to this, the service also has in-built Google Image Search functionality that lets you search and insert images quickly.

Related: Tools to Give an Online Presentation From Anywhere

Additionally, Zoho Show supports collaboration in real-time and multiple users can edit presentations. Although there's not much to complain about in Zoho Show, many users would like to have more options when it comes to templates and animations.

Worthy PowerPoint Alternatives

Essentially, all these tools and services function the same way as PowerPoint without the cost. Furthermore, the web-based alternatives are more advanced such as automatic saving and cloud storage.

Despite this, PowerPoint remains the front-runner when it comes to presentation software. As such, it is important for users to know how to make the best out of its features.

Blog > Best PowerPoint Alternatives in 2022

Best PowerPoint Alternatives in 2022

02.26.20   •  #presentation #powerpoint #alternatives.

Whatever the reason why you're looking for an alternative for PowerPoint may be, we're here to show you 7 great programs to use instead. Here's a quick overview - you'll find more detailed information below:

Overview video

Slides is amazing! The software is extremely intuitive to use and while there are design pre-sets, it still allows artistic freedom and adjustments. You will be left with wonderful slide decks. There is a free version, and the basic plan for 5$ a month is totally affordable as well. Presenting offline is only possible in the Lite and Pro version.

beste powerpoint alternative

Who is it for?

Slides is for everyone who wants professional looking slides while not giving up creating your own creative slide deck. Its easy interface makes it perfect for anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time learning to use a new program.

  • intuitive and easy to use
  • integration of code or math formulas
  • directly insert images from Unsplash or GIFs from giphy
  • design your own themes
  • slide decks in the free version are publicly viewable and may include ads

Pricing and Features

Free, Lite and Pro Version for single users, Team Version; Click here to see details

2. beautiful.ai

beautiful.ai (as suggested in the name) is a presentation software that uses artificial intelligence to get the best possible slides. And the results are - well - beautiful. After a short tutorial and some time to get used to the program, playing around with slides, elements and texts and seeing how the AI assistant transforms them is actually a lot of fun! In the Pro version, there's a desktop player included. The free version is for online use only.

beste powerpoint alternative

beautiful.ai might not be the easiest tool to use on this list, but it is definitely one of the most interesting ones! We recommend it to anyone who wants to try out something new and to people who are thrilled about AI and tech innovations.

  • really fun to use and play around with
  • design is always amazing due to AI
  • beautiful templates
  • lots of functions and slide pre-sets even in the free version
  • Limit of 60 slides in the free version
  • Logo branding in the free version
  • takes a little time to get used to

There is a basic plan and a Pro plan. Click here to get more information .

3. SlideLizard LIVE

SlideLizard is a PowerPoint Add-on that extends its features and makes it so much better. You’ll get everything you’ve ever missed in PowerPoint in just one software – poll creation, a live Q&A feature, slide sharing, audience feedback and presentation analytics. You won’t need a PowerPoint alternative anymore – because PowerPoint will have everything you need.

beste powerpoint alternative

Everyone who wants to engage their audience and improve their presentation skills – especially people who do presentations often.

  • get anonymous Feedback easily
  • create polls
  • analyse your held presentations
  • answer questions as they arrive
  • seamless integration into PowerPoint
  • PowerPoint is required

Free and PRO versions for single users, Enterprise and single event plan on request. Click here to see details .

4. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is a free tool for creating presentations. It resembles PowerPoint in use. Even though it's completely free, it contains lots of features and has everything you need to hold a basic presentation. Again, it is pretty easy to use. You do need an internet connection to create and present you presentation via Zoho Show, but it can be downloaded and opened in PowerPoint or as a PDF as well.

beste powerpoint alternative

Since it is completely free, Zoho Show is especially perfect for students or anyone who doesn't want to spend money on a new presentation software. For free software, Zoho Show does a very good job.

  • completely free
  • similar to PowerPoint in function
  • animation of objects and transitions
  • easy to use
  • collaborate with colleagues
  • not that many templates available
  • creating presentations may take a while

Zoho Show can be used for free with all features.

Canva offers lots of design templates and makes it possible to create visually stunning presentations within a short amount of time. It is not just a platform for creating presentations, but also for designing graphics for other purposes (eg. Social Media, Flyers,…) , so if you find also need to create content of that kind, Canva might be the perfect tool for you. You need an internet connection to create the slides, which you can download afterwards.

beste powerpoint alternative

Canva is great for students, as the basic plan is free and completely sufficient for non-business purposes. It is great software for anyone who is looking for an easy and quick way to create professional-looking presentations and other types of content.

  • huge selection of high-quality design templates
  • choose from a variety of free and low-priced images, backgrounds and music
  • slides can be downloaded and opened with PowerPoint
  • limited storage space in basic plan
  • no animation of objects (except for predefined illustrations)

There is a free basic plan, a Pro plan and an Enterprise plan for companies. Click here to see details .

Crello is similar to Canva. It is not only for creating presentations, but also Social Media posts, banners, prints and more. As for presentations, you can choose from a huge variety of templates. You basically only have to exchange the pictures and add text to finish your presentation. Internet connection is required.

beste powerpoint alternative

Crello is the perfect tool for all designers, whether you're a beginner or already advanced. The free version offers a good deal of features, so it is definitely an option for people who do not want to spend money on software.

  • lots of beautiful templates
  • many features in the free version
  • no animations
  • no transitions

Crello offers a free basic plan and a pro plan. Click here to see details .

7. Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a well-known alternative for PowerPoint. People like it for its user-friendly interface and for how easily you can create amazing, professional presentations. An internet connection is required while creating, Pro users can download their slides for offline viewing.

beste powerpoint alternative

Due to the fact that you basically have to pay in order to use Haiku Deck, it might not be the best option for everyone. Presenters who don’t mind spending some dollars per month for good presentation software are likely to be satisfied.

  • professional and widely used software for creating presentations
  • user-friendly with lots of options for editing
  • no real free version (you can only have one deck in the free one and the features are very limited)
  • no Pro trial without entering payment information

Haiku Deck offers a Pro and a Premium plan. Students, teachers and non-profit organizations only pay half the price. Click here for details .

...or stick with PowerPoint instead?

While playing around with tools and alternatives is without a doubt fun, we are still huge fans of PowerPoint. It is the all-time allrounder for presentations, works offline and has so much to offer! As with most of the presented software, you can download the created slides and open them in PowerPoint as well. For anything you might miss in PowerPoint, there's probably already a great Plugin to help you. Click here to see the 5 best PowerPoint Plugins in 2020 .

beste powerpoint alternative

What is the best PowerPoint alternative?

Unfortunately there is not THE best alternative. It depends very much on your application, which alternative is best suited for you. Our blog entry gives a good overview which software fits for whom.

Are there free PowerPoint alternatives?

Yes, there are free alternatives. These are free, for example: Canva, beautiful.ai or Crello. Our blog gives a good overview of the respective prices and features.

Related articles

About the author.

beste powerpoint alternative

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

beste powerpoint alternative

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The Top PowerPoint Alternatives in 2023

The Top PowerPoint Alternatives in 2023

Picture the last PowerPoint presentation you created. You probably spent way too long only to get a mediocre result. Are we close? Don’t worry, you’re in good company. If you aren’t a PowerPoint power-user, it can be an efficiency nightmare. One that fuels much of the dread associated with presentations. 

It’s no wonder why so many people are seeking PowerPoint-alternative presentation software options. Tools like Beautiful.ai, Visme and Pitch do more in less time, eliminating the frustrations that come with creating a deck. 

With so many PowerPoint-alternative software options available, how can you choose the best one for your team? It can be hard to know which one will solve your pain points better than the others. To help inspire your research, we’ve combined another list of PowerPoint alternatives for 2023. 

We rounded up some basic information about the top 10 PowerPoint alternatives— which one will you try?

1. Beautiful.ai 

We’re biased, but our presentation software is one of the best to help you work faster and smarter. By choosing advanced presentation software like Beautiful.ai, users are handing over the bulk of the design work to artificial intelligence. With powerful features like DesignerBot and Smart Slides, Beautiful.ai automates a lot of the presentation design process for you so you can create something brilliant in half the time. 

The new DesignerBot makes it easier than ever for non-designers to create a new presentation from scratch, regardless of the content. Users can opt to create a new deck with DesignerBot by entering a short description (or prompt) based on what they need. Teams have the liberty to add as many keywords as they see fit to generate a fully built, totally customized presentation draft populated with appropriate text, layouts, photos, icons and design. Then, our powerful Smart Slides technology can be used to quickly edit slides by adding or removing content and automatically adapting, resizing and laying out the slides, all while maintaining corporate brand guidelines. With Beautiful.ai, businesses can generate entire decks in one click while Smart Slides and Team controls work together to preserve the integrity of the brand. It’s truly an automated zero-to-finish experience.

Prezi’s presentation software is a true alternative to PowerPoint. Rather than design standard slide decks, Prezi users create animated, non-sequential presentations that highlight topics and uncover subtopics with an engaging zoom feature. The PowerPoint-alternative software is an enticing alternative for creating visual presentations, but it’s probably better suited for experienced presentation designers thanks to its unique design. Still, Prezi is a perfect choice for presenters seeking a more creative way to capture an audience's attention.

Visme’s PowerPoint-alternative presentation software helps users design slide decks, infographics, interactive charts and other visual content. The easy-to-use cloud-based tool allows users to move elements around the workspace, and new content can be added by dragging and dropping it into place. Visme users can build presentations from scratch by starting with a blank canvas, or they can customize a variety of templates. The presentation software also features a collection of thousands of icons, images and data visualizations, and users can even choose to boost engagement by adding elements like video, audio and GIF files.

No sooner did the PowerPoint-alternative presentation software launch in 2020, than it was already called a “PowerPoint killer” within the sector. It shouldn’t be any surprise, since Pitch was created as a tool for non-designers to build powerful and attractive pitch decks. The presentation software features a vast library of presentation templates and plenty of options for collaboration. Plus, Pitch’s customizable presentation styles allow users to easily stay on brand throughout their entire pitch decks. Plus, Pitch presentations can be integrated with Google Sheets, Google Analytics and other productivity programs.

Powtoon— a British company that got their name by combining “PowerPoint” and “cartoon”— launched in 2012 as a more animated approach to otherwise stale presentations. They offer a wide variety of visual communication features like videos, doodles, presentations, animations, and screen recordings. However they’re most known for their ability to turn slides into video animations in an effort to make them more engaging and interactive for audiences. 

6. Wonderslide

While there are plenty of presentation softwares available, there are few that will allow you to upload a draft and have the software finesse it for you. Like Beautiful.ai, Wonderslide enables you to upload a PowerPoint presentation and generate a new design based on your branded selections. Their claim to fame is to take a simple slide and add a design flare in seconds. This is a good feature for users wanting to add a more creative spin to their corporate presentations. 

7. Slidebean

Similar to Beautiful.ai, Slide Bean’s user-friendly PowerPoint alternative software uses artificial intelligence to assist in creating a professional-level visual presentation design. The free program similar to PowerPoint features customizable templates, or users can design their slide deck from scratch. While presentations can be edited in outline or design modes, users are limited to the structure of the content blocks, so they can’t customize as much as they can with other alternative programs to PowerPoint.

8. Presentations.ai

One of the newer softwares in the presentation space is Presentations.ai. Similar to Beautiful.ai,  Presentations.ai offers an array of presentation templates to get users started, enabling collaboration from anywhere. With hundreds of presentation templates to choose from, Presentations.ai is appealing to beginners who don’t have the skills (or time) to start a professional-grade presentation from scratch. It can also be a useful asset for avid designers looking to increase or automate output for their team.

Tiled is a microapp platform that takes users' static content and transforms it into engaging interactive experiences, which then allows viewers to select their own path of how they’ll view your content. To start, you’ll import your own design assets— things like images, video, and audio— and their software will assign interactive elements to each slide. Users can then save and publish the slide(s) to share with teams. 

With the recent buzz around AI, you’ve likely heard of Tome. Tome is a presentation app that generates your presentation for you with the help of AI. Simply type in a prompt and get a basic presentation to work with, edit, and customize in return. Tome also offers a few select templates for users to choose from if they don’t want to enter a prompt, which acts as a good jumping off point to get the bones of a presentation. While Tome leans heavily on technology and AI, users will still need some design skills to customize their decks once it’s generated. 

Did we miss any? Check out the best presentation software for 2022 , 2021 , and 2019 .

Beautiful.AI Team

Beautiful.AI Team

Beautiful is an AI-powered presentation tool that makes it fast and easy for anyone to build clean, modern and professionally designed slides that they can be proud of.

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The ULTIMATE Guide to PowerPoint Alternatives

  • Written by: Olivia Kippax Jones
  • Categories: Presentation technology

beste powerpoint alternative

There’s an astounding number of PowerPoint alternatives out there claiming to be the solution to your most pressing presentation problems. But it can be tricky to see through the pretty branding and weigh up the functionality that lies beneath. Luckily for you, BrightCarbon is here to separate the wheat from the chaff, and the decent presentation programs from the rubbish PowerPoint knock-offs.

What is a PowerPoint alternative?

For the sake of this article, a PowerPoint alternative is software you can access from your computer or tablet that allows you to create presentations from beginning to end.

Why use PowerPoint Alternatives?

The number of PowerPoint alternatives available shows that people are willing to invest time and money in creating effective, attractive presentations and it’s clear that PowerPoint is not everyone’s first choice.

We at BrightCarbon think PowerPoint is great and use it for loads of incredible creation projects – check out our portfolio for examples . We also have lots of free resources to help you create gorgeous content in PowerPoint. However, we’re well aware of the horrors of “Death by PowerPoint” and are lucky enough to have a team of brilliant designers to help make our stuff look lovely. Maybe one of these PowerPoint alternatives is a better option if you don’t have a team of PowerPoint experts on hand. There are a lot of free PowerPoint alternatives here too – so if you’re looking to save some money you might be in luck!

Let’s see if the grass is greener over the proverbial fence. Feel free to skip ahead if you’re curious about one particular PowerPoint alternative.

Beautiful.ai

Custom show, google slides, libre office impress.

logo for beautiful.ai

What is Beautiful.ai?

Beautiful.ai is an online presentation tool that automatically enforces presentation design ‘best practices’ using artificial intelligence.

Basic (free)

Pro ($12/month): All Basic features plus unlimited slides, no Beautiful.ai branding, analytics, revision history, PowerPoint export.

Organization (Coming soon): All Pro features and shared slide and asset library, single sign-on, brand control.

First impressions

Beautiful.ai looks good and it was easy to get started. Compared to other PowerPoint alternatives, Beautiful.ai has a smaller selection of templates/themes to choose from. Though they may look plain, things improve once you start adding content!

PowerPoint alternative beautiful.ai screenshot

Creating slides

Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can edit the style by selecting a font, setting a colour palette, adding a logo and/or footer, and adding slide numbers. You can select how you want decorative elements, like headers and icons, to look and this is automatically applied to every slide in your deck meaning everything is consistent and you don’t have to edit each slide individually.

Within each theme a bunch of slide layouts are available, including charts, visualisations, and image-based slides. Once you’ve chosen a layout, clicking Variations brings up other design options for that layout.

PowerPoint alternative beautiful.ai screenshot

The AI element comes in when you add or change elements – other parts of the slide automatically adjust. For example, if you change the background colour the text colour will automatically change so it remains visible.

There are no alignment tools, which would usually be a disaster because they help make sure all the objects on your slides are lined up properly. However, with Beautiful.ai, the AI does it all for you. You can easily switch elements around on a slide e.g. if you’ve got three icons and the labels are in the wrong place you can just drag and drop the text boxes and they will snap into place. In fact, it’s almost impossible to mess up (famous last words!).

Customisation

There’s a decent library of images and icons, but you can also import images from your computer or pull from other presentations you’ve created with Beautiful.ai. When you add an image, you can customise it in a few ways, such as adjusting the zoom, setting filters, and adding blur. You can also add audio from your own computer.

Text editing is limited. Because of the AI capabilities, increasing the font size in one text box changes the font size of every text box on the slide.

There are surprisingly detailed animation options for a program that does the design work for you – no complaints here! If you don’t want to deal with animations, Beautiful.ai will add simple transitions for you. However if you want to go further, you can set each object to appear on a click – great for live presenting – and you can change animation order and animation speed, as well as set the timings (overlapping, simultaneous or sequential).

You can’t choose what the animation effects (e.g. wipe, fade, fly in) actually are, they seem to be pre-set. Most objects animate in on a simple fade, although some graphs have specific animations.

Annoying things

  • The AI doesn’t always get the design right. Sometimes objects are pushed too close to the edge of the slide and look odd.
  • Widows and orphans are common and there’s no control over text wrapping.

If you have simple content, not much time, and want something that looks good then Beautiful.ai might be right up your street. It’s pleasant to use once you give up any idea of creative control and, if you know what you want on each slide, you can quickly pull together a deck that looks professional and modern.

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Logo for Canva

What is Canva?

Canva is an online content creation powerhouse enabling you to create everything from WhatsApp and Instagram stories, to Facebook covers, to presentations, to letters, flyers, invitations and more. We’re just testing out the presentation creation capabilities.

Free (free!)

Pro ($9.95 per month): Access to photo and element library, fonts, and priority support. Use unlimited folders, the brand kit, and create animations and GIFs.

Enterprise (~$30 per team member per month or custom):  All previous and storage, multiple brand kits, single sign-on, team folders, comments, templates, account manager.

With Canva you get access to a huge amount of assets: 2 million photos, 500,000 illustrations and icons, 20,000+ templates, 500+ fonts and so on. It’s a bit overwhelming!

Canva is template-based and there are lots of different styles to choose from. Each template contains a selection of slide layouts which you add to your deck using + Add a new page . You can also add blank slides to a presentation.

PowerPoint alternative Canva screenshot

Editing these layouts is easy. Clicking on an element brings up a toolbar at the top of the screen showing the options for that object. The left-hand side menu shows the types of content you can add, this includes images, icons and shapes, and text. You can drag and drop content into your layout: when you do this with images, they are automatically resized and edited to fit the layout.

Smart guides help position elements accurately but there are also alignment tools if you want to get really precise. You can group objects which is handy for arranging and rearranging slides. There’s a bunch of grid layouts for adding photography, but you can’t overlay a grid on the slide. Read our grids and guides blog post to see why grids are so important to good design.

Like many PowerPoint alternatives, Canva is template-based which could be restrictive but these templates are very editable. If you have brand guidelines to follow you can create something on-brand by uploading custom fonts and logos and saving colour palettes and templates.

There are good text editing options – line spacing, letter spacing, font, font size – as well as pre-designed text templates you can pop right into your deck. Canva also has basic image editing options and swapping out images is super easy with the drag and drop function. However, graph editing is limited. For example, you can’t get rid of graph labels, titles etc. If you’re determined to jazz up your graphs there’s probably a workaround, but it’s not ideal.

Animation is available with Canva Animator – this is part of the Canva Pro option. The animations available are Rise, Bounce, Slide, and Fade. They are tricky to find; you have to start the process of downloading your presentation and then choose to download it as an Animation (MP4/GIF). You then get the option to add animations.

PowerPoint alternative Canva screenshot

If you do animate your presentation you can only download it as a GIF or video file, not a click-through presentation. The animations are basic and inflexible and once you’ve chosen Bounce or Rise, that animation is applied to every slide – this gets very repetitive.

The animation options feel like they’re not designed for full length presentations but for bringing an essentially static web or social media graphic to life.

Nice things

  • Collaborative working features
  • Plenty of attractive charts
  • Huge selection of background images, but not always very high quality
  • Icon/illustration styles are mixed together, so achieving visual consistency is difficult. It would be great to filter by style.
  • Slow to download – a four-slide presentation took seven or eight minutes!

We say you can use PowerPoint to create different types of content , and you definitely can, but if you’re not a designer and want to create party invitations, business cards or flyers – then Canva is your best bet. In terms of presentation creation, though Canva’s templates are attractive and editable, the lack of control over animation means Canva presentations are not viable for live presenting.

Logo for Custom Show

What is Custom Show?

Custom Show claims to be the only sales and marketing software that combines both slide storing and sharing options with a design-focused presentation builder. It’s a cloud app specifically designed for organizations of 10 or more employees and allows you to make instant companywide updates to your slide library, collaborate in real time, and present in person, on the web, or on an iPad. Custom Show offer training and support and will help design, organize, pilot and roll out content across your organisation.

Full disclosure – we haven’t had the opportunity to test out Custom Show. However, as it’s specifically aimed at the corporate community, whereas many PowerPoint alternatives are set up for individual users, we thought it should be included. If you’re looking for a presentation creation solution that’s specifically designed for businesses, it might be worth requesting a demo.

decktopus logo

decktopus is an online presentation tool that claims to help users create great looking decks ‘in the shortest time’. Articles on the decktopus blog talk about simplicity as a key tenet of all good presentations. To help their users create simple slides, they provide a rapid creation tool with ‘restrictions that bring perfection’.

There are three decktopus  pricing tiers .

Pro (£9.90/mo): 1000s of design options, media libraries, online sharing and collaboration, export and share presentation options, embedding tool, voice recording, rehearsal mode and presentation tips.

Business (£19.90/mo): Everything in Pro, plus; embedded forms, custom domain connection, custom colours and font types, custom footer and analytics platform including email capture, dashboard and lead mail notification.

Enterprise (Contact for pricing): This option is for corporate plans with over 100 users. decktopus will find the right deal for you and your team.

When we first reviewed decktopus, there was a free version. However, today they have a 7 day no questions asked money back guarantee if you try it out and it’s not for you.

Decktopus has a similar set up to many PowerPoint alternatives I’ve tried out, you select a template from a bunch of predesigned options or start from scratch by picking a design style, then adding layouts.

In the main editing view, you can see all the slides in your deck. To edit a slide, you click on the ‘card’ (a preview of the slide plus an editor section), then edit the text and/or graphics. The changes are immediately reflected in the preview.

screenshot of a card in decktopus showing a preview of the slide.

decktopus auto-adjusts the size and placement of text as you edit. There are a limited number of components and text permitted on each slide to ensure users don’t stuff the slides with content.

To get a better view of the slide preview, you can enter Focus Mode.

screenshot of the Focus Mode in decktopus

You can upload images from your computer or search the free stock image sites Unsplash and Pixabay from within decktopus.

As you can see in the video clip below, it’s really easy to swap the icons out, you simply search the bank and all the relevant icons pop up. All the icons are in the same design style which is great for making sure your slides stay consistent.

To create a new slide, you click Add Slide then select a slide layout. There are a good selection of visual slide layouts including a timeline, icons, and a statement number slide. They’ve also added some new layouts including diagrams, charts, graphs and tables.

You can also add your own images into mock-ups of different digital devices, which is great for showcasing things like websites, apps or e-learning modules. Unfortunately, you can’t use the in-built stock media search in these mock-up slides, the images have to be uploaded from your own PC.

You can drag and drop slides to rearrange the order of your deck and you can also drag and drop slide content in the editor section to change the order of icons or text points.

The customisation options in decktopus are pretty limited as the tool purposefully imposes restrictions to help users create well-designed decks. However, there are a few things you can play around with. In the Pro plan, you have the option to choose from a range of pre-selected colour schemes and fonts. This gives you the ability to switch up your deck without worrying about clashing colours or fonts that don’t fit well together. In the Business plan, you have access to this feature as well as the option to upload your own fonts and colours, allowing you to easily stick to your brand guidelines. You can also add notes and logos in the footer of your slides as part of the Business plan.

When you’re editing a slide, you can swipe left or right on the card to view alternative layouts and click Swap Colours to see alternative colour options within that design style. There isn’t a huge amount of variation on offer, but it helps to mix up the style of your slides a little whilst maintaining a cohesive colour scheme.

With both the Pro and Business plans you can also add voice over to your slides which is great for sending out a presentation for your clients to watch without you having to present directly to them. Recordings are only available when you present online or share your presentation as a link.

There’s no image editing, but you can zoom in and out of an image and select which bit to show which is a useful feature.

screenshot of decktopus showing the image crop options

Sadly, there are no built-in animation or slide transition options in decktopus but you can export your presentation as either a PDF or a PPT file. This means it could be possible to add animation in PowerPoint after creating your initial deck in decktopus.

  • The slide layouts have very little text and lots of white space, encouraging users to create easily digestible slides.
  • You can view, play and create presentations on mobile.
  • There’s a bank of videos on presenting ideal for nervous presenters.
  • Undoing actions is not intuitive. You have to go to History and revert the action.

Decktopus is all about helping people create decks really quickly, without producing a messy, poorly designed collection of slides. The interface is intuitive and, if you already have your content planned out, you really could produce a visually appealing deck in a matter of minutes. It’s biggest limitation is the lack of animation, which reduces presentability. Decktopus are actively developing their offering and there are some exciting features in the works such as hyperlinking the ability to embed your deck on a web page and more!

Logo for eMaze

What is eMaze?

eMaze is an online, template-based tool that helps users create presentations, websites, e-cards, blogs and more. It has 3D presentation building capabilities. There are 75 templates to choose from, collaboration options, and advanced editing tools.

There’s a confusing number of pricing options. Here are a few of them…

Pro Plan ($13 per month): Premium templates, multiple download options, custom effects, branding tools.

Edu Class ($40 per month for max 30 users): All Pro features plus lesson templates, custom templates, collaboration, control privacy settings.

Enterprise Plan ($452 per year max 20 users): All other features plus premium templates, branding, support.

eMaze uses a drag-and-drop editor and navigating the dashboard is simple. However, once you start to work with a template, eMaze isn’t super intuitive. The interface is okay, but tools aren’t where you might expect. It can be difficult to tell how big the slides are and whether objects are hanging off the edge as you can see in this clip.

You select a template or a blank presentation to start, and then add slides that have the layouts you want to use. eMaze templates come in two forms, 3D and 2D. The 2D templates look and feel like PowerPoint templates but with slightly fresher design. There are plenty of options and each template has lots of different slide layouts with a good selection of charts, timelines etc. (though there’s also a lot of space for text encouraging “Death by eMaze”!).

PowerPoint alternative eMaze screenshot

The 3D templates place the slides in a 3D space e.g. a gallery. The 3D templates might look cool, but you have little control over the movement of the deck and the transitions might give you motion sickness.

There are a few positive points, including good object alignment tools and the ability to lock and unlock elements. Currently, you can only lock and unlock elements in PowerPoint with the help of an add-in like our free design and productivity add-in BrightSlide .

eMaze has good text effects, for example, you can make text scrollable. Though not useful for a live presentation, this is great for a kiosk-style deck. There’s also decent text formatting and you can hyperlink both within and outside of the presentation.

You can alter the opacity of image and shapes, add custom colours and custom fonts and, under Brand in Settings , you can set theme colours, font and font styles, and formatting for charts and tables. This last feature helps ensure consistency if yo are creating more than one deck with this PowerPoint alternative. eMaze presentations can be translated into over 100 languages.

The animation options allow you to have animations play on a click, loop, hover, or timed. There are some fun transitions depending which template you choose.

The animation options are hard to find and, oddly, are under the same Fx menu as other special effects, like shadow or 3D. The real issue with grouping animation options and other effects together is that you can’t apply multiple Fx options to the same object. So, if your line is dashed or your image blurred you can’t apply any animation effects to it. This is a real oversight. There’s also no animation pane, so it’s hard to see what you’ve got happening on a slide.

Good things

  • Can present offline
  • Well set up for sharing content online e.g. users can add SEO information
  • A potentially cool feature, the ability to upload and eMaze-ify your PowerPoint files, didn’t work with the animated deck or the simple bullets point deck we tested.

Looking at the eMaze Shared tab, what’s being produced by other users looks very much like PowerPoint with just a hint of Prezi. Both PowerPoint and Prezi are easier to use than eMaze and if what you end up with looks no different, why you would you use eMaze?

Logo for Focusky

What is Focusky?

Focusky is desktop presentation software with a free cloud hosting service. They apply mobile friendly HTML5 technologies to help you create animated presentations. Focusky provides you with an unlimited canvas to add frames to and zoom and pan around.

Standard ($9.90 per month): All free functionality plus 100G storage, no watermark, premium templates, 720P export, limited offline viewing, custom templates, publishing in multiple formats, premium animation editor.

Professional ($99 per year): All previous and unlimited storage and uploads, HD export, unlimited offline viewing, animated and vector resources, 2 users.

Enterprise ($399 permanent): All previous plus more backgrounds, animated and vector resources, 10 users.

Focusky has a clunky interface and many of the templates look old fashioned. Similar to eMaze, Focusky has a few 3D layouts with less traditional transitions. The interface has everything on show and was very busy compared to some of the more pared back PowerPoint alternatives.

PowerPoint alternative Focusky screenshot

Focusky has a mixed bag of templates, some dated, some modern, so do a bit of digging before settling on a style. Loading up themes and fonts can take a while; though the software is stored on your computer, the templates are online, so bear in mind that you need an internet connection to get started.

The way Focusky works is that each slide is ‘slide-sized’ but you can zoom round the canvas in a nonlinear way. There are different frame layouts to choose from or you can start from scratch.

Focusky has some useful tools for creating slides, such as a grid you can toggle on and off, a ruler, alignment tools and group tools. The layouts have a pretty 90s feel and the assets in general are not as modern or impressive as some PowerPoint alternatives. There’s a variety of chart and smart art options, as well as 5000+ online royalty-free vector resources.

PowerPoint alternative Focusky screenshot

The templates and slides are highly customisable, very similar to PowerPoint but with the added 3D/Prezi-like zoom and pan functionality. You can record narration, change the screen ratio, add videos, images, and audio. You can also add interactions, such as clickable objects, triggers, and hyperlinks using the interactions designer.

There are lots of animation options, though many are similar to the worst of PowerPoint’s animations. Stick to Fade in, Fly in, and Bounce in, or use the Action Paths, Focusky’s answer to Motion Paths (get to grips with Motion Paths here ). Focusky’s Animation Painter is a great feature, you can copy animations from one object to another quickly.

  • You can hide/show sections in show mode
  • Screen recording capability
  • Focusky uses Comic Sans font for its help tips. Need we say more?
  • There were spelling errors in some of the help tips which doesn’t fill you with confidence.

PowerPoint alternative Focusky screenshot spelling error

  • At some points Focusky was downright glitchy. For example, the animation options below.

PowerPoint alternative Focusky screenshot glitch

Final thoughts

It would take a fair amount of work to create something spectacular in Focusky. It has lots of functionality true, but there are lots of sleeker PowerPoint alternatives out there.

Logo for Genially

What is Genially?

Genially helps people create digital resources with built-in interactivity including quizzes, games, and polls.

Pro (€7.49 per month): All free resources and offline viewing, premium templates, PowerPoint import, PDF and JPG download.

Master (€20.82 per month): All previous and brand personalisation, training, resource management, collaborative tools.

Team (€79.15 per month): All previous plus 5 Master users, training, design support.

An attractive interface with lots of different templates to play with. There are a few nice touches, like the animations playing when you hover your cursor over them.

PowerPoint alternative Genially screenshot

There are lots of themed templates and, if you scroll to the bottom, the option to start with a blank deck. The layouts are similar to many PowerPoint alternatives, but the templates do come pre-animated which is great if you’re lacking animation confidence. (If you’re a PowerPoint user needing some animation tips, check out this blog post ).

Some of Genially’s suggested layouts have room for improvement – they leave loads of space to write text and, not to blow our own trumpet, our editable world map is better!

Alongside templates, there are lots of other resources like illustrations, icons, figures, maps, as well as predesigned elements like titles and subtitles that you can pop right onto your slide. There are also interactive elements, like buttons, that you can drag and drop.

PowerPoint alternative Genially screenshot

The Interactive elements tab lets you add interactivity to your slides. You can link to another page/slide, add a link to a window in your browser, or add a text pop up. These features could be handy for creating more self-guided slides.

Though there’s no grid, there are smart guides and basic alignment tools – you can align to the slide (though only with the edges and centre not the middle) but not to other objects.

There are different levels of design control with Genially. For example, you can drag and drop pre-made interactive elements on to your slide or create your own from shapes. There’s also a specific designer mode. It takes a while to find (under the main settings menu) but allows you to precisely edit the size and position of objects, as well as the layers on a slide. Tucking these controls away works well, as the general user is not overwhelmed but those that want a little more control and information can access it.

In terms of customisation, you can change canvas size, there’s good text editing with customisable letter spacing, line height, fonts, font size, and more. You can also copy and paste text formatting which is super handy. The native icons and illustrations are fun but not editable, so are less useful for branded presentations. However, the paid version offers various brand personalisation options, so this issue can be resolved.

The image bank isn’t as good as some PowerPoint alternatives, but you can upload your own imagery (though you can’t crop them to shape). Content can be added from Twitter, Instagram, Google Docs, Pinterest, Instagram, Wikipedia and more. You can’t yet insert video files from your computer – but can embed videos from Vimeo and YouTube. There are no graphs – you might be able to insert graphs from one of the many plug-in options but there’s nothing in Genially itself.

A handy option is the ability to choose how your audience navigates through the slides: standard (clicking or pressing left and right), video (playing the whole presentation), or Microsite (all navigation through internal linking).

The templates come with pre-set animations which are fine if you don’t want to use animation to help tell a story. There are customisable animation options, though they’re limited compared to PowerPoint. There’s no animation timeline or way of easily seeing which elements are animated and which are not. Animations can be triggered by hovering your cursor over an object but not with a click which is what you want when you’re presenting in person.

Looks lovely, smooth transitions and animations, fun to play with, plenty of customisation and interactivity options – give Genially a go!

Logo for Google Slides

BrightCarbon does lots of work in Google Slides and, over the years, we’ve found there are definitely pros and cons to working with it.

For a really detailed look at Google Slides, head to our ULTIMATE guide to Google Slides .

What is Google Slides?

Google Slides is Google’s version of PowerPoint. It’s a cloud-based presentation tool that allows people to collaboratively work on a project and either present online or download a presentation to use offline.

When purchased under G Suite subscription, Business $10 per month: unlimited cloud storage, smart search, data loss prevention.

Google Slides has a bright, clean and intuitive interface. There are a few templates and though they’re simple, they’re easy to edit.

When designing slides, you can add grids and guides, can group and ungroup objects and use alignment tools to place objects precisely. If you want tips on creating presentations with Google Slides check out out this blog post on interactivity or this one on fonts !

Collaboration is super easy with Google Slides. Google Slides offers a variety of sharing options meaning you decide who gets full access. You can also tag people in comments, so they get an alert. You can sync slides across multiple decks meaning if you make updates to a specific slide in a specific deck, the changes will be implemented across other synced slides that sit in different decks. This is particularly handy if, for example, you have a slide containing data that you need to update regularly. This is all more stable and more comprehensive than the collaboration options offered by PowerPoint – so if working closely with your team is something you need to do regularly, then Google Slides could be perfect for you.

Slides has most of the same formatting options as PowerPoint. There are lots of shape editing tools – fill and line colour, border colour – you can add shadows and reflections and fine tune these effects. You can crop images to shape – an option missing from many PowerPoint alternatives. You can view and edit the slide master which means it’s easier to get consistent slide layouts and consistent design over multiple decks, and you can easily create templates. You can add hyperlinks to create interactive decks – check out our example here .

Options for editing GIFs are more advanced in Google Slides than PowerPoint. You can crop a GIF, recolour it, resize it, and much more without losing quality meaning you can create some really fun slides pretty easily. You also have access to hundreds of fonts through the Google Fonts library and it’s easy to insert content from your computer, the web, Google Drive, by URL etc. However, adding and editing custom graphics, such as vectors, is more difficult in Google Slides.

Google Slides’ animation features are fairly restricted (there are about 15 options). Though there’s no equivalent of the morph transition (a really cool animation option in PowerPoint 365) simple animations can still do a lot of heavy lifting. With Google Slides animation can be applied to text, shapes, objects, and slides. We recommend sticking to the more basic Google Slides animations, such as Fly in and Fade in, for a polished professional look.

  • Very intuitive
  • Easy collaboration
  • Charts are difficult to edit as they are always live – which means they use data pulled from a Google Sheets document. This means that though they are super easy to create charts appear in Google as a non-editable image, which makes them difficult to customise.

Google Slides does lack some of PowerPoint’s more complex functionality but it is this learning curve that puts many people off PowerPoint in the first place. Slides is easy to use and really shines in the arena of collaborative working, so it’s no surprise that it’s a very popular tool for both businesses and individuals. If you want to learn more about Google Slides, we have loads of resources like these image editing hacks and this blog post on making the most of Google Slide’s animation features .

Logo for Haiku Deck

What is Haiku Deck?

Haiku Deck is a web-based presentation tool that focuses on helping users create simple slides accompanied by images. We have a full review of Haiku Deck on our blog too.

Haiku Deck feels pretty dated compared to many other PowerPoint alternatives. The default setting for slides is 4.3 which is a red flag – these days 16.9 is standard. Of course, if you’re using an older projector where 4.3 is required then this won’t be an issue, but it would be great to have the flexibility of multiple aspect ratios.

PowerPoint alternative Haiku Deck screenshot

Pro ($19.99 per month or $119.88 per year): The Basic version plus unlimited decks, offline viewing, privacy controls, add audio, embed YouTube, branding, Zuru.

Premium ($359.88 per year): All previous plus analytics, live web playback, priority support.

Haiku Deck is incredible easy to use, it’s clear why it’s popular with educators and students. There are a handful of restrictive layouts; text and image placement is pre-set and not editable. You can choose from a selection of templates (templates set font and colours).

Zuru – available on Premium – is a tool which automatically creates presentations. We’re not sold on the idea of automatic presentation creation; a good presentation is all about story and over-reliance on AI is likely to result in a deck that’s just pretty images and bullet points which is rarely an effective strategy – read our blog post about this here .

That sums up the issue with Haiku Deck, regardless of whether you use Zuru or create slides yourself, you end up with some variation on full bleed images and short text points or statements. This isn’t necessarily bad slide design, but we find this type of slide tends to be just decorative and not do any of the heavy lifting with your story.

If you need to create slideshows with hyperlinks, videos, specific images, large amounts of information, etc. then this is not the platform for you. The decks are barely customisable. You just enter text and add images. The graph and statistic layouts look ok but are too restrictive – you can only have so much text or it gets cut off.

PowerPoint alternative Haiku Deck screenshot

You can’t control font size or choose where text boxes are positioned. Typographic controls are non-existent, there are no kerning options, you can’t sub- or super-script text. You can record and add narration, add media and basic charts, and zoom in and out of images.

You can chose your background and font colours easily.

Haiku Deck are very proud of their access to 40M+ royalty free images. Keywords from your text content are used to pull images from this bank and you can easily insert them into your deck.

There are no animation options.

Nice Things

  • Live Presentation mode – teachers can broadcast to student screens in their classroom or anywhere in the world.

Annoying Things

  • It took a long time to load to view a small presentation.

There are glowing reviews for Haiku Deck online, but beautiful images do not an effective presentation make. It could be brilliant for school projects, but for your next sales pitch you might prefer something with a little more oompf.

Logo for Keynote

What is Keynote?

Keynote is a presentation tool and forms part of Apple’s iWork suite. It can be used on Macs as well as iPads, iPhones and iPod touches.

Keynote is super streamlined and intuitive. There are around 30 themes you can pick from that are nice and clean.

The process of creating slides in Keynote is fairly similar to creating slides in PowerPoint. If you pick a theme, you can simply replace the placeholder text and graphics with your own words and images. Or you can start from scratch and add tables, charts, shapes, images, narration and video. You can ensure precise design with the rulers and alignment guides, drag and drop objects, create groups, lock objects and see a list of your objects in the Object List.

One criticism is that is can be hard to find some features in Keynote. In Keynote instead of having a ribbon – like in PowerPoint – you have a toolbar. You can customise it with the features you use most to make slide creation easier. Wish this was available in PowerPoint? Download our Quick Access Toolbar and customise it with your favourite PowerPoint tools.

Though it’s true that Keynote has fewer features overall than PowerPoint, you might not be able to create super complex sequences for example, the features that Keynote does have are realised to a polished level and bugs and glitches are rare.

You can export presentations to Microsoft PowerPoint and as PDF, QuickTime, HTML and image files.

Keynote has lots of the same customisation options as PowerPoint. A fun touch is that you can add illustrations and handwritten notes to your slides using Apple Pencil on your iPad. If you’re not artistically inclined, Keynote has over 700 customisable shapes, and you can easily edit them by tapping a shape and choosing Format then Style . You can also create Freeform shapes. You can add interactive charts, and Keynote has fully functional text and paragraph editing. You can import a variety of media files to make your slides more engaging.

You can save Keynote documents as PowerPoint files. Or import and edit PowerPoint documents directly in Keynote with most popular PowerPoint features supported. So, if you’re working on the same project as a PowerPoint user, it isn’t too tricky to collaborate.

Keynote’s animation engine is simple to use, though slightly more restrictive than PowerPoint – you can’t stack animations for example. Having said that, it has some really useful animation effects that you’re actually likely to use and fewer over-the-top options than PowerPoint. There are over 30 transitions and effects for objects and text. You can animate objects along a path using Apple Pencil or your finger on your iPhone or iPad.  Everyone has access to Magic Move, which is similar to PowerPoint’s Morph transition (only available in PowerPoint 2016). You can see a demonstration of Magic Move below:

  • Real time collaboration; decks can be accessed on a Mac, iPad or iPhone
  • With Keynote Live, audiences in many locations can watch you presentation in real time on a Mac, iPad, iPhone or the web
  • Converting to Google Slides is not as easy as converting to PowerPoint
  • There’s no scroll-wheel based zoom in/out shortcut
  • You can’t hide objects

Keynote users really love this program, it’s easy to use and reliable. If you’re an Apple user Keynote is a great free PowerPoint alternative.

Logo for Libre Office Impress

What is Libre Office Impress?

Libre Office is a free open source suite, compatible with Microsoft Office. Impress is its free PowerPoint alternative. LibreOffice is community-driven and developed software, and is a project of the not-for-profit organisation The Document Foundation .

Impress is very similar to PowerPoint in look and feel. If you’re a PowerPoint user, getting started will be very easy.

The process of creating slides is also similar to PowerPoint. Impress’s assets aren’t as sleek and modern as other PowerPoint alternatives; it all feels very 90s (but sadly not in a cool way)!

The templates on offer are fairly limited, even more so than PowerPoint, so if you’re looking for PowerPoint alternatives because you want nice templates then Impress isn’t for you. However, Impress slides are very customisable. Like with PowerPoint, a designer’s eye might be needed to make something that looks contemporary and professional.

You can import video and images, set your own custom colour palette. The graph options are great and can be edited within the file.

PowerPoint alternatives Libre screenshot

Though some of the animation options are dated there are plenty that are super useful, like motion paths, meaning you can create great animated slides. Animations can be triggered by clicks and you can add animations to individual elements. There’s no animation timeline, so it’s hard to know exactly what you’re doing with multiple animations on one slide.

  • It’s free with no watermarks or Impress branding.
  • Supports macros. This might not matter to the casual user but it’s great news for those a little more into their tech. Click here to learn more about the magic of macros in PowerPoint.
  • PowerPoint files are (generally) compatible with Impress.
  • You have to download the entire Libre Office suite to get Impress.
  • It was a bit glitchy, for example when previewing animations.
  • Conversion from a PowerPoint file to Impress wasn’t perfect. E.g. animations went awry and images looked less sharp.

If you want to use PowerPoint but don’t want to pay, Impress is an ideal free alternative.

Logo for Ludus

What is Ludus?

Ludus describes itself as an advanced presentation tool for creative professionals.

Ludus has a clean, dark interface. They state on their website that they ‘don’t want to spend all [their] energy on providing the most advanced text editing tool, the most powerful image filters, or the most amazing transitions’, which suggests that the functionality of Ludus is limited. However, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Solo ($14.99 per month): All features and unlimited storage, unlimited presentations, one user maximum.

Team ($19.98 per month): All previous and minimum 2 users.

Special: Custom needs, custom price.

Ludus has fewer templates than many PowerPoint alternatives. Not a problem if you’re happy to create something from scratch, however, if you’re looking for PowerPoint alternatives with snazzy templates, this might not be for you.

Creating from scratch is made easier by smart guides and alignment tools. You can lock objects – a really handy feature meaning you don’t keep accidentally selecting a background image when you’re editing objects on top.  Ludus also lets you work with things in layers.

Almost everything has a keyboard shortcut clearly displayed at the bottom of the screen, so if you use Ludus regularly you could really build up speed.

There are a bunch of great features for customising your slides including text editing tools, adjusting letter spacing, line height, font size etc.

PowerPoint alternatives Ludus screenshot

You can make icons editable objects meaning you can change the colour and outline. If you create elements that you’re particularly proud of, you can save them as Smart Blocks to your own searchable library which you can access when you’re creating presentations in the future.

A slight negative is that there are limited shape types and, though you can crop images, you can’t crop images to a shape. However, there are some really great image editing tools that set Ludus apart from other PowerPoint alternatives, and PowerPoint itself.

You can add hyperlinks to skip to different slides or external sites. There are a bunch of integrations with Unsplash, GIFy, Flickr, the Noun Project and more. Ludus is also linked to Google fonts giving you 800+ fonts at your fingertips.

11 slide transitions are available, and you can set the duration of the transition. However, you can’t animate individual objects. Ludus suggest using GIFs to add animated elements and say they are working on providing this functionality in the future. You can only view transition animations online, as presentations are exported as PDFs.

  • Good collaboration options: sharable Smart Blocks, password protection, and custom URLS for sharing.
  • Ludus can export to PDF, HTML, JPG, and PNG formats.
  • You can only present an animated Ludus presentation online.
  • Though you can choose e.g. font size you have to type in a number. There are no bigger/smaller arrows, so editing text was a bit time consuming.

It’s worth keeping an eye on Ludus. It’s being updated all the time in response to user requests, it has a few unique features and is pleasant to use. There is a 30-day free trial if you fancy giving it a go.

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Paste by WeTransfer

What is Paste?

Paste was first launched in 2015 but has been recently acquired by WeTransfer who have just launched Paste 2.0. Paste 2.0 is billed as a reactive slide creator allowing users to drop content on the slides without having to fuss with formatting or layouts.

Free: 3 slide decks, custom branding, unlimited sharing.

Pro ($10 per month paid annually): Up to four members, unlimited slide decks, private slide decks, remove Paste branding.

Team ($30 per month paid annually): Everything with Pro plus up to 25 members and priority customer support.

Paste has special prices for education and NGOs on application.

First Impressions

If you sign up to Paste with a work email address, Paste automatically scans your company website to extract brand details. You can then choose to start your deck using a template or a blank project. Paste does its best to extract your brand colours and logo – it worked pretty well for me, but the colours are easily adjusted in the Brand Settings if it isn’t quite right.

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There are only three templates to pick from – this was refreshing as some PowerPoint alternatives have what feels like hundreds of templates! Whichever you chose, Paste provides a short, guided tour through the various features which was helpful.

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Overall, Paste was smooth, clean and nice to work in.

Creating Slides

The reason there are so few templates in Paste is that, rather than plugging your content into an existing structure, the slide reacts to your content to create a suitable layout. It’s easy to add and remove content such as text and images from slides and the slides themselves are split into columns which you can add or remove.

You can insert images from Unsplash and GIFs from Giphy – Paste will predict the type of images you need based on the content you already have.

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You can also upload images from your computer and media can be pulled in from a huge variety of websites and apps. You can then move slides to adjust the layout; text and media resizes automatically.

You can’t add tables, graphs or charts which is a shame. Obviously, you can save these as images and add them that way but using images means editing the data is a huge faff.

Paste has ‘Power Layouts’ which let you select a simply layout to add your content to. You can then add and drag content around until you’re happy with it. This is an example of a 3 column power layout:

Alternatively, you don’t have to pick a layout, you can just drag files to Paste from your computer and it will arrange them in a grid.

A feature I can see being used very heavily is the media holders. These allow you to add images or video into really lovely phone or tablet holders. They look great and you can even add a 3D effect, so they react to your mouse when you’re presenting. These are great for showing websites, YouTube videos, app mock-ups and more.

One feature that needs a little work is auto colours. With this setting on, the background is meant to react to the colour of images you add. This didn’t work as automatically for me as I expect – I had to go and select auto colour again each time.

You can export Paste presentations as PDFs or embed them into web pages.

Paste will automatically add your branding to each slide preventing your team from using the wrong colours or fonts. There is some text formatting; bold, italic, bullets, numbers, and a checklist. You can set text size to small, medium and large – not as much range as I’d like but it keeps things simple and helps ensure consistency across slides. You can set the style and font for each of these levels (small, medium and large) in Brand Settings.

You can also add a logo and text watermark.

A good feature Paste has is that you can edit all slides at once. If you want to change background colour or slide layout on every slide or a selection of slides you can. This is a time saver and will help you update decks quickly.

Sadly, there is no animation in Paste. Even the ability to make each column fade in on a click would add a lot of value. You could ‘hack’ this by duplicating slides then deleting content, so it looks like a slide is building in but this would be quite time consuming.

  • Good collaboration features, you can leave comments, assign slides to team members and respond to content with reactions.
  • It was hard to delete the media holders

Paste could be great for very media rich decks that are mainly images, screenshots, or video.  It allows users to quickly create brand complaint good-looking content for swish follow ups to an online meeting or training session. There are also some great portfolio examples on the Paste Explore page. The lack of animation means that there are better options than Paste for creating in-person or face-to-face presentations.

Logo for Powtoon

What is Powtoon?

Powtoon is a video and presentation tool that comes with lots of ready-made templates. Though there are lots of video options, let’s stick to exploring the presentation creation tools. We’ve reviewed Powtoon before, check it out here .

Pro ($19 per month): 5 premium exports per month, access to pro and free content, 2 GB storage.

Pro+ ($59 per month): Unlimited premium exports, unlimited access to content, 10 GB storage.

Agency ($99 per month): All previous and 3 rd -party reseller rights, 100 GB storage, upload custom fonts.

Powtoon’s interface is a bit overwhelming. There are lots of moving parts, it’s very bright and quite distracting. However, Powtoon’s focus on animation, movement, and storytelling is missing from many other PowerPoint alternatives and is great to see.

It might take you a while to get started, there’s definitely a learning curve with Powtoon. Though a designer – or at least a Powtoon expert – could create stunning presentations, the rest of us might struggle if we decided to go it alone without using one of the pre-made templates.

Using Powtoon’s templates can help you get professional looking results. There’s a large selection of media, templates, and animation effects to choose from.

PowerPoint alternative Powtoon screenshot

Once you’ve chosen a template, you can choose different ‘looks’ – infographic, cartoon, real – then Powtoon shows you assets that are consistent with that style. This helps you create something that looks cohesive. There are some really great assets you can pick from to give slides a bit of flair.

There are a few frustrating quirks, for example, it’s difficult to select objects if they overlap. However, there is a handy grid you can toggle on and off to help with object placement.

There are two levels of editing, edit and create . The former is more basic, allowing you to edit text and colours, swap out illustrations etc. The latter is a more detailed editor where you can access extended functionality like the animation timeline.

When changing the size of objects, both the width and height change proportionately which isn’t always what you want. The charts are a bit rubbish.

You can supposedly import PowerPoints into Powtoon. Adding some of Powtoon’s animated assets to a PowerPoint deck could be great, but this feature needs more work. You have to do a lot of editing to deal with the fact Powtoon can’t really cope with a PowerPoint file – particularly with layers as you can see in the clip below!

There are 12 animation options. It was a bit fiddly to work out how to add and place animations on the timeline. Though Powtoon says this is presentation creation, you can’t trigger animations with a click – you have to set timings instead. This is great if you want to share a copy of your deck as a video but it would be difficult to present a Powtoon live. You can see the timeline below.

  • Regularly refreshed assets, for example the range of ethnicities of the cartoon figures has been recently updated.
  • Powtoon is a heavy product and might make your computer work hard.
  • Uploading images and videos is slow and once you’ve got the files uploaded you can’t name them, so if you put a lot of content on Powtoon it can be difficult to put your hands on what you need.

Powtoon presentations can have a cartoony feel which is difficult to achieve in PowerPoint. Their pre-animated assets – like characters – make it easy to achieve effects which would take a long time to create elsewhere. If that’s the look you’re going for Powtoon is great, otherwise it might not be worth learning how to use it.

Logo for Prezi

Full disclosure , we’ve not always been huge fans of Prezi . However, one thing we can get behind is their passion for storytelling and Prezi certainly talks the talk when it comes to visual design. They claim that Prezis are more effective than PowerPoint . Let’s see how they measure up.

What is Prezi?

Like many PowerPoint alternatives, Prezi is designed for people who aren’t designers. The major differentiator is that instead of slides organised linearly, every part of a Prezi exists in a single space – on a huge blank canvas – which can be explored in a different sequence every time. Prezi call this ‘conversational presenting’.

Prezi Classic presented its users with a complete blank canvas. Prezi Next, launched in 2017, is more structured, limiting the ways users can organize their presentation by automatically programming the path taken from section to section. This path progresses by the pans and zooms that are characteristic of a Prezi presentation. For a more detailed introduction to Prezi, watch this video from the Presentation Guild .

There are pricing options for individuals, business users, and educators. Here is a selection:

Standard (£7 per month): Unlimited presentations, import PowerPoint slides, advanced privacy options.

Plus (£19 per month): All previous and premium images and icons, PDF export, offline presenting.

Premium (£59 per month): All previous plus analytics and online training.

Teams: Custom needs, custom pricing

Prezi Next is template-based and there are lots of modern and attractive templates available. If the reason you’re considering ditching PowerPoint is that the templates leave a lot to be desired, then Prezi’s templates are a real bonus.

One problem with Prezi being so template based is that once you start trying to change things it is quite easy to mess a template up. You can build a Prezi presentation from scratch though, as with PowerPoint, a little practise is needed.

It’s pretty easy to get started with a template, you just type into the text boxes, drag and drop elements, and all the movement/transitions are set up for you.

There are two ways to organise your presentation, planet or stack, narrowing down the ways you can move around the presentation. This is useful, making it less likely you’ll get confused or lose your place when presenting. The path is set and zooms from the overview to the topic, then to any subtopics then back out again. The topics add structure which is helpful for both presenter and audience.

In general, the functionality of Prezi is quite limited. Here are a few examples:

  • Image editing – can’t crop and if you chose a background image, you can’t move it around.
  • Lack of information about your slides e.g. what font size the text is or what the line thickness is. It’s difficult to ensure consistency.
  • Can’t hyperlink
  • No alignment tools.
  • Can’t swap out one object for another easily e.g. if you want to change a straight line to an arrow or swap an image with a different one, you have to manually switch them out, meaning your layout could be ruined.
  • Video playback – can’t edit the thumbnail or play without going full screen.
  • No colour picker options.

It’s difficult to create branded content though you can send Prezi brand guidelines and they’ll create templates for you.

On the positive side, because of the canvas approach, it’s possible to create something that stands out and doesn’t feel like a typical PowerPoint. It may also encourage people to think more creatively about how they lay out and present their content. There are also some great assets, such as these lovely shape options.

PowerPoint alternative Prezi screenshot

A recent addition to Prezi Next is the animations tab. Though the options are still fairly limited – you can fade in and out and zoom – being able to stagger content makes Prezis much easier to present and helps the presenter tell their story more effectively. Then you have the famous Prezi pan/zoom transitions as you move around your content.

If you want the pan and zoom effects without switching to Prezi, check out SlideRide .  

  • Great features for business users: smart branding, offline access, presenter view, voice over, PDF export, Prezi analytics, real-time collaboration.
  • Mobile app for sharing Prezis via tablet.
  • Non-linear presentations can be difficult to navigate.

We always recommend practising your presentation, but this is even truer with Prezi. You need to know the path you want to take through your content and the different options available to make the most of the conversational presenting options.

If you’re looking for a simple PowerPoint alternative, then Prezi might not be the answer. There is a learning curve, especially if you want to branch out from the pre-made templates.

You may want more functionality than Prezi offers but there’s no doubt people do create visually engaging and attractive Prezis and it’s certainly worth giving it a go to see if it suits you.

Logo for Slidebean

What is Slidebean?

Slidebean is presentation software powered by artificial intelligence. The system analyses your content, then makes design decisions without human intervention. Slidebean claims to be “The first truly AI-powered presentation software”.

Starter ($96 per year): 15+ starter templates, collaboration options, privacy setting, export to PDF and HTML.

Premium ($228 per year): All previous and 120+ premium templates, analytics, branding options, 2 people max, priority support.

Slidebean’s UI has two separate sections, one for design ( Design ) and one for content ( Outline ). Design should be influenced by content, so this separation could be bad news.

You can pick a template or start from scratch and content can be added in either the Outline or the Design panels. Slidebean will design the deck around the content if you chose ‘arrange with AI’. You can cycle through different layout options or move elements around the slide yourself.

PowerPoint alternative Slidebean screenshot

Slides are built by adding Content blocks. These include text, quotes, photos, video, audio, charts and graphs and more. There is also a native image bank.

PowerPoint alternative Slidebean screenshot

Depending on how much you care about design, you can have a completely hands-off approach or use the design panel to change images, icons, text size and style. You can add and remove content blocks, and when you move content blocks around the slide a grid appears to help you place them neatly.

You can’t alter the colour of individual objects, but you can change the colour palette. Restricting users’ use of colour is a good way of making sure the design stays looking good. However, it is frustrating that you can’t alter the colours on a chart. Apart from this, the chart and graph options in general are good and it’s easy to edit the data.

PowerPoint alternative Slidebean screenshot

Lots of customisation options common in other PowerPoint alternatives – like typography or detailed image editing – are not available in Slidebean but the whole point of the app is that you don’t have to do any designing, so it makes sense that options are limited.

You can alter the animation order really easily by dragging and dropping under the animation tab. Each block is numbered on the slide so you can easily see what the current order is. Objects animate in on clicks which is great for live presenting – however, you can have the whole slide animate automatically. The animation options themselves are super limited, basically everything has the same animation.

  • Slidebean is linked to Unsplash, the Noun Project, and GIPHY so you can use content from these sites on your slides.
  • Limited colour editing options with icons.

Out of the many PowerPoint alternatives we tested, Slidebean is one of the only ones that really doesn’t require any design expertise to use but still turns out modern, sleek slides that could actually be used in an effective presentation. You can try it out for free, then upgrade to share and present.

Logo for Slide Magic

What is SlideMagic?

SlideMagic is a web app aimed at the business community that allows users to make presentations in their web browser. Presentations can be delivered from the browser or converted to PDF or PPT files.

We first reviewed SlideMagic back in its beta phrase, now SlideMagic 2.0 is in beta.

SlideMagic has a pared back interface. The ‘Getting started with SlideMagic’ deck shows that super simple slides and large images are the name of the game.

SlideMagic is built around grids. You can change the number of columns and rows, but content can only be added within the confines of the grid. We’ve talked elsewhere on the blog about the importance of creating a good grid , and though it is restrictive, the emphasis on the grid means that SlideMagic decks are well balanced.

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This emphasis on simplicity is felt throughout the application. Each presentation has just one accent colour paired with black and white. You can colour pick an accent colour from an uploaded image or enter RGB values. You can create your own layout from the grid or select a pre-made layout.

It would be great if you could drag and drop elements on the slide to easily edit the layouts. As it stands, the process of creating slides is a bit laborious.

SlideMagic is one of the most restrictive PowerPoint alternatives we looked at. On one hand, there’s less chance of messing up but on the other there’s little opportunity for creativity. A slight negative is the 4:3 slide size – this can look dated on more modern projectors or screens, though it looks like SlideMagic 2.0 has a 16:9 option.

There are basic image editing tools, such as black and white and blur, but it would be nice to have more control over, for example, how much blur is applied to an image.

There are serious colour restrictions. The background must be either black, white or the accent colour – though you can upload a background image so there are ways to bring more colour to your slides. You can’t edit graph colours. There’s no image/symbol/icon library, everything has to be pulled in as an image file.

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There are a few useful editing tools, for example, you can select multiple objects and make simultaneous edits, and there’s a nice little button called Harmonise format  which standardises all text boxes to the same sized font and text placement. Great time saving tools.

There are no animation or transition options.

  • Convenient speaker note/handout options
  • Uploaded images saved into a library
  • Presenter view
  • No animation options!

Though SlideMagic’s strict grid format takes a bit of getting used to, it could be useful for non-designers. Hopefully its somewhat dated layouts are addressed in version 2.0.

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What is Slides.com?

Slides is a suite of modern presentation tools, available in your browser. It prioritises collaborative working and is the only PowerPoint alternative we saw that has offerings for developers.

Lite ($5 per month): Unlimited private decks, present offline, export to PDF.

Pro ($10 per month): All Lite features and unlimited storage, 3 collaborators, custom CSS, Google analytics.

Team ($20 per month): All previous plus unlimited collaborators, custom branding, theme editor, shared media library and slide templates, clone decks, priority support.

The Slides interface is nice and simple, it’s easy to get started and the menus are arranged logically.

The default for Slides.com is to start your deck from scratch rather than using a ready-made template. The slide layout options are pretty basic, though once you’ve created your own slides, you can save these as layouts and use them again. The main menu shows everything you can put on your slides: Text, Image, Video, Shape, Line, iFrame, Table, Code and Math.

Creating slides is made easier with a grid and smart guides you can turn on or off. Not being able to zoom in or out whilst editing is a bit irritating.

Slides has lots of customisation tools, click on an object to bring up a menu of options showing how it can be edited. For a shape this includes colour, size, hyperlinking, animation, depth on the slide. For text, customisation options include line height, letter spacing, colour, opacity, padding, rotation linking, animation – you can also directly edit the HTML.

There is a customisable editor you can load with your company’s assets and colour themes to pull from again and again – a real timesaver. You can also build up your own media library with images, videos and slide templates. You can save any slide as a template and your team can have access to a shared library of slide templates.

Slides doesn’t have as many assets as some other PowerPoint alternatives. There are tables but no charts or graphs. However, you can embed content from YouTube, Vimeo, Maps, Unsplash and GIPHY and upload your own media and video content.

There are several slide transitions and you can break a slide into multiple “fragments” to reveal it step-by-step. You can control how each step animates and you can set the duration and delay of animations. You can animate individual objects, but you can’t add multiple animations to the same object. Animations can be triggered automatically, with a click on a specific object or with a hover over. This works great for kiosk-style or online presenting, but not so much for live presenting.

The animation options are certainly not the worst, and it looks like they’re being developed as we speak.

  • Version history and roll back
  • Collaboration options: comments, feedback and notifications
  • Slides is the only presentation tool with a fully open source format. Your presentations are HTML, CSS and JavaScript. You can gain access to your presentation’s full source code and there are rich customisation options using CSS.
  • No pre-made slide layouts to help create slides.

Slides.com would be great for kiosk-style presentations and for those wanting coding options. It is thoroughly inoffensive.

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What is Microsoft Sway?

Microsoft Sway is another piece of presentation software from Microsoft – it’s aimed at those wanting to produce interactive presentations and content that doesn’t need a presenter. Sway is more streamlined than PowerPoint – a lightweight, cloud-only, storytelling application.

Free for anyone with a Microsoft account, premium features enabled with an Office 365 work or school account.

Sway is easy to use – it’s set up for non-designers, helping you put your content front and centre. It offers three different layout options: vertical, where the slides scroll through like a webpage; horizontal, where slides scroll sideways; and Slideshow, which is most like PowerPoint.

Though there are not many templates, those that exist come with nice built-in transitions which help presentations flow well. They feel more like a single piece of content than a series of slides. This effect would be hard to produce without a good understanding of PowerPoint animations.

Similarly to Slidebean, there are two views in Microsoft Sway. The Storyline panel, where you can add written content, and Design view, where you can see what your Sway looks like. Edits can be made in either view, and extra content added via easy drag and drop content cards.

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The editing set up is very different to PowerPoint. Sway offers design and content suggestions based on what is already on your slides. For example, if you enter a topic, Sway will generate a presentation with images, definitions etc. related to this topic already inserted. Time will tell how useful this actually is. Technology like this is found in many PowerPoint alternatives and will only get more powerful in the future.

Because of the Storyline/Design split you can’t see your edits in real time. If you’re used to PowerPoint, or even one of the PowerPoint alternatives mentioned in this article, you might not like having to constantly click through to the preview mode to see what’s your end product will look like.

Sway is designed primarily for simplicity. But it’s just too simple. The colour options for the built-in layouts are a bit naff.

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When you add text, it’s just displayed on a white background, very dull. Complex layouts, animations, and sequences are not possible. In fact, you have very little control over slide design at all, instead you relinquish it into the hands of algorithms. You can’t edit images within Sway or choose where text and images are placed on the slides.

You can easily embed web content, such as tweets, maps, and videos. You can’t create charts or other types of data visualisation directly within Microsoft Sway, but you can embed charts, documents, and more from other sources. This seems more effort than it’s worth when many other programs offer native graph and chart capabilities.

You can make minor changes to the way text and images appear. For example, you can choose the focus of an image so Sway knows which bits it should ensure the viewer can see.

Headings can be emphasized and accented. Large blocks of text can be bulleted or numbered (death by PowerPoint anyone?). All can be linked to external URLs.

Transitions are automatically generated within the templates. Individual objects cannot be animated.

  • The layout automatically changes depending what device is being used.
  • Online only.
  • Sway’s can’t be shared as a file, so collaboration requires people to have access to the same account if they want to make edits.

To a presentation expert, Microsoft Sway doesn’t really appeal. It could be a great option for personal projects, like a photography portfolio or jazzing up a report or newsletter. But it’s too simple for much else. The end products are more like online magazine articles than engaging presentations.

What is Venngage?

Venngage is an information design platform that provides a range of customisable templates to help people communicate information easily and clearly, without the need for a graphic designer.

Free – a restricted selection of templates, charts, icons and export options.

Premium (USD 19 per month per user) – a few more features, including unlimited designs, additional templates, charts, icons and export options, as well as email and chat support.

Business (USD 49 per month per user) – additional features, including specific brand customisation, more templates, charts, icons and export options, as well as the ability for team members to collaborate on projects in real time.

Enterprise (custom pricing) – further options, including custom templates and account support.

Venngage seems to be predominantly geared towards creating infographics but also offers a huge library of templates for other formats, including presentations, newsletters, social media and brochures. You can filter formats according to the type of content you want to create. So, within the presentation category, you can choose between ‘pitch deck’, ‘keynote’, ‘business’, ‘creative’ or ‘engaging’ templates. There aren’t lots of templates to choose from if you’re using the Free plan, but many more are included if you upgrade.

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Creating a presentation using Venngage is fairly intuitive. Once you’ve chosen a template, a tutorial pops up providing a basic walk-through of the tool’s features. This is useful if you’re not a designer, or if you haven’t used Venngage before.

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Editing your template is straight-forward. It’s easy to toggle between pages in your presentation, add, duplicate and delete pages, and add speaker notes using the page manager and toolbar on the right-hand side. And you can use grids, margins, smart guides, grouping and alignment tools to help you set out, layer and distribute content neatly – yay!

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Changing your slide background is also simple: you can either choose a colour from the template’s theme swatches, use a different colour, or add an image.

Navigating Venngage’s extensive photo library is straightforward thanks to the keyword search function. You can also upload your own image and drag and drop it onto the slide. (It isn’t possible to copy and paste an image from a website or another program, though – you have to upload it first, which is a bit cumbersome.)

Imaging editing is super easy and more extensive than some other PowerPoint alternatives – you can crop, resize, apply a shape, rotate and adjust the opacity using the editing toolbar. There aren’t any options to blur images or add filters, though. This functionality would be useful if you want to use images as a slide background.

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Venngage’s icon library is also extensive and includes flat and outline icons (these can be edited) and multicolour icons (these can’t). A great feature is that you can add icons to your favourites, which makes finding them again faster.

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Pre-designed text placeholders are available in Venngage’s library, ready to be customised. Updating the font, colour, size and line spacing with the editing toolbar is quick but harmonising font styles across multiple slides is time-consuming as there is no format painter tool , which means each font change has to be made manually.

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There are lots of chart options to choose from, including line charts, bar charts, scatterplots and pie charts. You can use the editing pane to customise your data, adjust your chart’s colours, and toggle between settings to choose which chart elements you’d like to include. There are way more chart and graph features available than in many similar tools we’ve reviewed – impressive!

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Adding interactive content such as YouTube videos, polls and forms is also possible, although there are no voiceover or audio options available.

Lastly, Venngage’s new My Brand Kit feature offers Business members the option to customise templates using their own brand style. You just enter your website address and Venngage extracts your company’s brand colours, logo and fonts. You can also do this manually. This would be valuable if you want to make sure your branding is consistent across multiple projects.

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Venngage has no animation options, which means content remains static – this is fine for infographics, but not ideal for presentations. This is such a shame as we love some of the other features!

A user-friendly and intuitive interface and loads of template options!

The free version of Venngage doesn’t have an export function – you can’t download your presentation unless you upgrade to Premium. Premium users can export files as PNGs or PDFs, and Business users can export files as interactive PDFs, or to PowerPoint.

Venngage is best suited to static content such as infographics or handouts and has plenty of easy-to-edit templates to help you freshen up your content. It’s less suited to dynamic content like visual presentations as it doesn’t have any animation options. These would help a presenter keep their audience engaged by breaking slide content down into manageable chunks and pacing the flow of information.

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What is Visme?

Visme is an online tool that allows its users to produce presentations, infographics and more. Its purpose is to help people create beautiful visuals without having to tackle complicated design software.

Visme have individual, business and education pricing options. This is the business pricing structure:

Basic (free): 5 projects, 100MB storage, JPG download, public projects.

Single ($25 per month): Unlimited projects, 10 GB storage, HTML5 download, slide library, privacy controls, folders, brand kit, record audio.

Team ($75 per month): All previous and 3 users, 10 GB storage per user, share projects and folders, set permissions.

Enterprise: Custom

Visme has a library of good-looking templates – a handful come with the free version and there are loads more available if you upgrade. Within each template you can select from a bunch of slide layouts – agenda slides, timelines, maps, charts and graphs and more.

To start you select a template and then chose which slide layouts you want to use. There are plenty of graphics to choose from, you don’t have to create your own graphics, icons, or charts. Their map slide is great – each country is named, and you can show or hide countries and change the colour.

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Show object list brings up a selection pane. Here all the objects on a slide are listed, you can show, hide, and lock objects. You can also re-name them, a super handy feature if you have lots of elements of the page.

Clicking on the burger menu in the top left, gives a range of options. If you click view options, you can turn on a grid and even customize it to your own measurements. Also under the burger menu are options to change canvas size and add presentation notes. The presentation note feature could do with a bit of work: you get a pop-up window to type your notes and you can drag this around the screen but there is nowhere easy for it to pop up and down from. You have to exit and go through the burger menu to get it back, which seem a bit of a faff.

Visme has way more functionality than PowerPoint alternatives like Prezi Next. There’s all the align tools you need, the ability to change font size, swap out icons, and more. There are good customisation tools, such as text kerning and line spacing to help you create something really personalised.

Shape and image formatting are locked when you first add an object but can be unlocked. This is a great way of making the program accessible to people with less design confidence (if you don’t unlock objects it’s much harder to mess up your template) whilst allowing those who want it, more granular control. Image editing is available with a selection of filters and cropping.

Visme has some useful and simple data visualisation tools you can use in combination with their icon library. You can’t represent really complex data but it’s fine for simple facts and figures – check it out here .

If you want to make sure your presentation is on-brand you can save fonts and colour palettes within Visme.

The animations available are limited; objects can fly in and out from various places, pop, and fade. Though you can set what times objects enter, there’s no option to have them triggered by a click. This restricts live presentations but would work fine for self-running presentations.

Under the Show objects list, you can click show timeline and up pops an animation pane – hallelujah! Here you can see all the animation timings and drag things around to edit animation order. This functionality is great, why it is so hidden!?

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  • Handy intro videos help you get to grips with Visme
  • Some features are difficult to find.
  • You have to ungroup groups to edit individual objects within that group.
  • 30-slide maximum

Visme slides look like PowerPoint slides. This isn’t a bad thing at all, but if you’re looking to break away from the PowerPoint look, then Visme isn’t it. Visme does offer modern, sleek layouts, easy drag and drop slide creation and some lovely templates.

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What is Xtensio?

Xtensio is a cloud-based platform designed to help people create sales, marketing and strategy content. Xtensio began as a tool for start-ups but has evolved into a larger ‘toolbox’ with interactive templates intended to be of use during all stages of a company’s growth.

Free: 3 Folios. You have to pay to download Folios with the free plan but can share live web links.

There are a bunch of pricing options grouped under Individual, Business and Education. Here’s a selection:

Individual Plus ($15 per month paid yearly): 20 Folios, one user, download as PDFs and PNGs, link privacy control, create and share custom templates.

Business Team ($120 per month paid yearly): Unlimited Folios, 4-10 users, password protected links, customised links, Folio stats, 6 month data retention, collaboration and team management options, brand management options.

Agency ($500 per month paid yearly): Everything in Team plus 20 users, 12 month data retention, upload custom fonts, dedicated custom success manager and some advanced admin features.

Education Students and Educators ($40 per semester): 20 Folios, private links, PDF and PNG exports, one user, create and share custom templates.

Xtensio is a bit similar to programs like Sway (but with more features) as you build your project – called a Folio – using content blocks. It’s easy to get going and there are video tutorials and How-to guides if you’re not sure where to start.

The content blocks seem fairly comprehensive. They include text, a couple of charts, images, and videos alongside more web-friendly features like an email form and social media links.

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There are lots of well-structured templates tailored to business communication e.g. customer profile, case study, proposal and more.

The templates immediately reveal one downside of Xtensio presentations, they are not at all animated. The finished product feels more like a scrollable website than a presentation – something to bear in mind when deciding which PowerPoint alternative is best for you.

In Xtensio you can create a custom template from scratch by selecting a blank Folio. When you’re happy with what you’ve done you can save it as a custom template. Alternatively, pick from one of the many templates on offer.

If you’re using the blank template, expect to spend a fair amount of time working out what you can and can’t do. It’s easy to add and remove content blocks (or modules) but getting them to sit where you want takes a bit more time. The drag and drop didn’t function in the way I expected as it only allows you to swap one module’s position with another rather than drag and drop the module to where you want it to sit on the canvas.

However, a slight learning curve is to be expected.

You can add images and video from your PC or from an URL and those images can be hyperlinked. You can insert tables and use some basic formatting features. There aren’t any alignment features, but these aren’t really necessary as all the content blocks sit on a vertical grid.

Opening up a pre-made template and editing it is very easy. You can simply type in your content, swap out the images and delete any parts of the template you don’t need.

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One of the content block options are called canvases. These are clickable modules that open full-screen and are made up of other modules. You can use these to have more control over the grid/layout of modules Xtensio has pre-made canvases for user personas and business models.

Side note: You can view some sections of your Folio in Code View – if that’s your jam.

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Folios can be exported as PDFs or PNGs or shared with clients and colleagues as responsive, live web pages.

There’s a decent amount of text formatting (font size, bold/italics/underlined, font, heading styles etc.) and if you’re creative you can use it to create something that looks good and is consistent across different projects. With a paid subscription you can add and manage fonts and chose your own colours (either with an eyedropper or using HEX codes) then lock these to create a consistent style guide.

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You can set a background image or colour to visually break up the content. It would be great to have some basic image editing options e.g. transparency or colour editing to help bring images into line with your chosen style. At the moment image editing is non-existent but you can edit the colours and values of tables, charts and graphs.

There are great collaboration features and you can customise access levels to suit your needs.

There are no animation features. You can’t “present” Folio’s as much as scroll through them.

  • Changes automatically save and sync across all devices and you can view revision history and revert to older versions.

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  • Password protection
  • Xtensio reviewers like the fact that the templates – user personas, business models etc. – encourage them to think through their business plans/goals and organise their thoughts effectively. We know that knowing your business’s story and fully understanding what you offer over your competitors is key to a successful pitch so it’s great to see Xtensio helping their users work through these important questions.
  • The undo feature doesn’t always undo actions in the way you’d expect.

I can see Xtensio being useful for non-designers who want to quickly and confidently create brand-compliant collateral such as one pagers, visually appealing reports, business plans, employee handbooks etc. The kind of content audiences consume at their own pace. Xtensio Folios could also make impressive leave-behinds or follow up documents to send out after a presentation. However, they are less appropriate for an in-person (or online) presentation as they are not designed to be presented by a presenter.

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What is Zoho Show?

Zoho Show is part of a web-based online office suite containing word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking, wikis, web conferencing, and more.

For the Zoho Suite:

Individual (free)

Zoho Workplace (from £2.40 per month)

Zoho Show has a similar feel to PowerPoint. If you want new, sexy templates then the small selection on offer might disappoint. The layouts are pretty basic, but you can select from a range of fonts and colour schemes.

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The process of creating slides is very similar to creating slides in PowerPoint. You can turn on grids or create your own guides (if you can figure out how to duplicate the guide line). You can align to slide and shapes. You can hide slides and lock slides from editing. All useful. There are also some useful editing tools that are missing in many PowerPoint alternatives, such as ‘find and replace’ and spell check.

You can find smart elements under the Shape tab. These are editable but automatically animate at a level that would be hard to replicate – really useful. However, the icon library is limited.

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Zoho Show has good text editing options including spacing, indent, fonts, superscript and subscript. There are also lots of image editing options e.g. crop to shape, apply filters, set transparent colour, alter brightness and contrast, and more. Zoho Show has good chart and graph options which are more editable than you see in many other PowerPoint alternatives (add/remove title, data labels, etc.). You can create freeform shapes which is really cool! Boolean tools would be a great addition to help users make the most of the freeform shapes.

You can insert content from Twitter and YouTube and hyperlink elements.

Zoho Show has slide masters, like in PowerPoint, giving you more control over what is happening on your slides and helping you create slides with consistent layouts.

There are lots of animation options: motion paths, emphasis, entrance and exit animations as in PowerPoint. And like, in PowerPoint, some of the animations are a little rubbish so tread carefully. Objects can animate in on click, after previous, or with previous.

You can change the animation order, add delays and extend the duration of animations but the animation timeline is not super useful as you can’t see whether animations overlap.

The bar graphic below has a built-in animation.

  • Export/import PowerPoint files
  • Version history
  • Collaborative work: multiple users, real-time feedback, comments
  • Small comment, but the shadow effect is rubbish!

If PowerPoint is not for you, then Zoho might not be either. It offers almost the same thing with a slightly different interface, fewer tools, and a few more web integrations. If PowerPoint is too complex, Zoho is only slight less complicated – you still have to start from scratch.

Does your PowerPoint alternative play nicely?

If all you need to do is create a nice looking presentation, most of these PowerPoint alternatives will do just fine. However, with decent slide software you can do a few different things; author, collaborate, present, distribute etc. The thing is, there are huge network effects when it comes to collaborating and distributing. You’ve created a beautiful presentation, but can you send the file to a colleague? Can they open it? Edit it? Can you present offline? Where is the file stored? If dealing with the presentation is a total headache it’s unlikely you’ll convince other people to switch to a PowerPoint alternative.

The ULTIMATE guide to PowerPoint alternatives: Conclusion

One final point to make is that you can create pretty complex interactivity in PowerPoint and though some PowerPoint alternatives, like Google Slides, do have interactivity options, many do not. Just something to consider!

And that is that! Though we’ve probably missed some PowerPoint alternatives, and new options will have hit the market by the time this is published, we’ve covered the big hitters out there. Let us know if we’ve missed one of your favourites in the comments below.

It’s been a momentous journey. We’ve learnt that sometimes you don’t get on with programs that look promising and that you can be surprised by the most unlikely ones.

If you think we’ve been too harsh, don’t worry, we hold PowerPoint to a high standard too! We want our clients to have slides that work best for them and help them achieve their goals, that means we expect a lot of the software we use to create presentations.

A lot of these programs rely on the fact that people want easy to use, good looking templates. But…

It ain’t what you use it’s the way that you use it, and that’s what gets results!

beste powerpoint alternative

Olivia Kippax Jones

Managing consultant; content marketing lead, related articles, review: power-user.

  • PowerPoint design / Presentation technology

Power-user is a PowerPoint add on that provides lots of little features every regular PowerPoint user has had day dreams about. I’m going to take you through a few of the features that I’ve found most helpful, and some that will be more helpful to those who haven’t been able to devote as much time to getting well versed in PowerPoint. Let's begin!

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Review: Adobe Spark

  • Presentation technology

Adobe Spark is an online and mobile design app developed to help people with no design expertise create social graphics, web pages, and short videos with impact. We decided to check it out.

beste powerpoint alternative

Review: PowerPoint for Android

  • Comments: 14

Should we all be creating presentations from trendy cafes on our mobiles? We review Microsoft's PowerPoint for Android and find out!

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13 Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Awesome Presentations in 2023 👩‍🏫

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13 PowerPoint Alternatives to Create Awesome Presentations in 2023 👩‍🏫

  • Alternatives
  • 25 mins read time

In this roundup, we are going to take a look at some powerful presentation software that can become the perfect Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives for you and your team.

People often use Microsoft PowerPoint software to communicate important information through a simply designed slide presentation. It is popular with most people because it is common and a classic tool, but that doesn’t mean it makes it the best presentation design software.

Making a PowerPoint presentation takes up a lot of time, and the average presenter will spend two minutes presenting a single slide.

Microsoft PowerPoint has chosen to remain simple through all of its iterations, upgrades, and updates, but it sometimes lacks intuitiveness presenters need to visualize and present information.

Key Features Missing in Microsoft PowerPoint

Unfortunately, Microsoft PowerPoint is missing some essential features which are listed below:

  • The keyboard features in PowerPoint are limited and users cannot use the command key shortcuts on most of the platforms.
  • PowerPoint doesn’t give you the auto-save feature unless you have the latest version of the software.
  • Collaboration isn’t always possible on PowerPoint, which means you cannot chat with your team, edit in real-time, etc.
  • PowerPoint has special effects and other advanced features only available on the desktop version.
  • PowerPoint only uses locally installed fonts, therefore, you have limitations when you are designing your presentation using only the installed fonts.
  • Other than for PowerPoint for PCs, there are no animation slide triggers feature that amplifies the smoothness of slide showcase design

We decided to take a look at some of the best presentation software and share detailed reviews of the best PowerPoint alternatives. We think you might find some of them easier to use with added functionality.

Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives in 2023

1. google slides.

Download: Android | iOS

google slides presentation software

Google Slides is one of the best PowerPoint alternatives. It lets you collaborate with your teammates by letting you; chat with them, comment on the work, edit in real-time, and you can share the presentation with anyone.

It is also one of the free Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives, which you can start using immediately since you don’t have to download, install, or take a tutorial to use it. However, you need to have a Google Account.

If you have a Google account, you can not only collaborate with others, but you can quickly create slideshows and present just as easily. The slides can also generate a unique URL, which lets the audience ask you questions as you present the slideshow.

This is a great interactive presenting tool.

Key Features

  • Has a variety of free presentation themes, hundreds of fonts, embedded video, animations, and much more.
  • Choose from a wide variety of pitches, portfolios, and other pre-made presentations.
  • Use your phone, tablet, or computer to access, create, and edit your presentations anywhere at any time. You don’t even need a connection.
  • It has an auto-save feature, in which everything you edit is automatically saved as you type. You can use the revision history to see older versions of the same presentation.
  • It works well with PowerPoint, which allows you to; open, edit, and save Microsoft PowerPoint files with the Chrome extension or app.
  • You can present your stories with ease, Google Slides allows presenting to Chromecast Hangouts, and AirPlay.
  • You can create a presentation through your browser or from the mobile app.
  • There is a free version and users are offered a free trial. The general features it has are; Gmail business email, a conference for voice and video, messaging for teams, shared calendar, documents, spreadsheets, presentations.
  • Basic : The cost is $5/user per month. The features it has are; 30GB Google Drive storage, 24/7 support via phone, email, and online, Security and admin controls, G Suite alert center.
  • Business : The cost is $10/user per month. It has all of the Basic features, including; low-code app development environment, unlimited google drive cloud storage, smart search, e-discovery, audit reports, retention policies, and data regions.
  • Enterprise: The cost is $25/user per month. It has all features of the Business, including; data loss prevention for Gmail and Google Drive, S/MIME hosting, Gmail integrations, enterprise-grade access control, and BigQuery.

2. Apple Keynote

Download: iOS | Android app not available

apple keynote presentation software

Keynote is one of the free Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives. It is one of the top Microsoft PowerPoint competitors because of various reasons. Firstly, it has effects that create presentations with the right amount of sparkle, with its intuitive interface.

It also lets you collaborate with team members, edits photos, and add charts/cinematic effects.

It is most effective to use with Apple devices, however, you can use a PC as well. You can use Apple Pencil on your iPad to create diagrams or illustrations to give your presentation that extra dazzle. It also allows you and your team to collaborate in real-time and it doesn’t matter which device they are using.

  • You are given tools that benefit both the user and the audience, such as; voice-over narration and a presenter-only view with notes and annotations.
  • Users are provided with a pre-built library of useable slide templates, which they can customize.
  • It is great for users to use on-the-go since they can access Keynote from their mobile devices.
  • You can use your iPhone, and Continuity Camera to take a photo or scan a document and send it straight to Keynote on your Mac.
  • You are given access to a variety of chart and graph options, which can be edited within the presentation.
  • Keynote also gives its users a variety of slide design tools, such as animations, icons, and transitions.
  • File losses are prevented with the auto-save feature.

Apple Keynote is free to use and is available as part of the macOS.

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Canva is a software program like Microsoft PowerPoint, which provides a very simple yet intuitive design platform that lets you create high quality, professional graphic designs.

This is one of the best PowerPoint alternatives that is user-friendly and is great for individual use, businesses, and organizations.

As an online design solution, it gives you a multitude of features, which include a simple drag-and-drop design tool and a large collection of over 1 million photographs, graphics, and fonts.

Canva can even give you graphics for your presentations, visual charts to go with your blog content, and posters for marketing campaigns.

  • Canva has a wonderful collection of symbols and abstractions that can be placed into any design, and they’re vector images that look great at any size.
  • You can edit on the platform without any coding or design knowledge.
  • It is easy to drag and drop speech bubbles into your designs, and quickly create your dialog.
  • There is design flexibility from the web, iOS, or Android devices because they have plenty of trendy photo filters to choose from to give your photos a signature look.
  • You can make soft, beautiful designs that have adjustable transparency for images.
  • For the elaborate design aesthetics, you can make photo grids and even mood boards for the foundation of the project presentation.
  • If you want to add a little pizazz to the presentation, you can add stickers to any design by searching stickers through the search pane and scrolling through the pages.
  • Free: It is for individuals and small groups working on quick projects. The features it includes are 8,000+ free templates, 100+ design types (social media posts, presentations, letters, etc), and many free photos and graphics.
  • Pro: The cost is $9.95 per user/month and is billed annually. Includes one-click design resizing, 60,000+ templates, 60+ million premium stock images, photos, videos, and graphics, custom templates, and more.
  • Enterprise: The cost is $ 30.00/user per month and is billed annually. Includes unlimited storage, custom branding, access management, built-in approval workflows, advanced template locking, Single Sign-On (SSO), and more.

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Since Prezi calls themselves a worldwide leader for visual communication tools, and after using them we think that it might just be one of the best PowerPoint alternatives.

It works well with both individuals and teams and lets them share their ideas in a more meaningful and hard-hitting way.

It’s great for those presentations that don’t necessarily flow in a particular order. For example; you may be pitching to a prospective client, and you want to be able to modify the presentation on the spot to what they might be interested in.

  • You can directly upload an image to use for your graphic on the platform.
  • The stock image library has to be pre-loaded to choose from images to use for your banner.
  • You can export files as different file types to save your image as different types of files.
  • There are ad sets that can duplicate and save your design as an ad set.
  • There is a large font selection to choose from to layer over your graphic.
  • Prezi gives you tools to help the presentation experience by including features such as voice-over narration and a presenter-only view with notes and annotations.
  • There is also a cloud-based version of the platform and an Open Source PowerPoint alternative.

Prezi has various pricing plans for individual and business needs, and they are listed below.

  • Basic : Free of cost. In this plan, you can create, share, and store beautiful visual content online that anyone can see.
  • Plus : Costs $15 per month. This is great for more visual content power.*
  • Standard : Costs $5 per month and it is for personal use.
  • Plus : The cost is $15 per month and it is for expert visual communicators.*
  • Premium : Costs $59 per month and it is for business professionals. It has all the features of Plus, including; powerful analytics and advanced online training.

Students & Educators

  • Plus : Costs $3 per month and it is for students and educators.*
  • Teams : The cost is customized and it is for educators and administrators. It has all the features of EDU Plus, along with powerful analytics and collaboration tools.
  • Plus : Costs $15 per month and it’s for business individuals. You can create beautiful visual content.*
  • Premium : Cost is $59 per month and it is for business professionals. It has all the features of Plus, including; powerful analytics and advanced online training.
  • Teams : The cost is customized and it is for teams and enterprises. The features it gives allow; to get your team up and running fast.

*Note: The Plus Plan is available for all needs and the features it provides are; import your existing PowerPoint slides, get access to premium images and icons, PDF export, and offline access. And privacy control, advanced presenter features, and offline access.

5. Beautiful.ai

Download: Mobile apps not available

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If you want one of the best alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint that creates a fast AI-powered presentation, then Beautiful.ai is the software for you.

This is by far one of the best PowerPoint alternatives, which helps you build a clean, modern, and professionally designed presentation with ease.

The purpose of this software similar to Microsoft PowerPoint is that Beautiful.ai does all the work for you. It is known as a pioneering Design AI and building applications that enable everyone to do consistently beautiful work.

Beautiful.ai turns your ideas into visual presentations with just a few clicks.

  • An experience-first approach to UI which makes your creating job so much easier.
  • The presentations can be made beautifully with great pre-installed animations.
  • It is easy to adapt and reformat the presentation with many predefined color schemes or you can add your own.
  • It is a real time-saver that there are pre-made slides that are available, such as; team pages, timelines, etc.
  • Once you load the content and the software configures and formats the content. It automatically “beautifies” your presentations and you can share them.
  • The pre-formatting tool allows you to be more visual when presenting and keep your audience’s attention.
  • However, once your free trial ends you have a limited number of slides left to use.

Beautiful.ai has the following price plans:

  • Basic : Is cost-free and it has just the basics. The features it includes are; 100 slide limit, 60+ smart slide templates, free image library, rich icon library, the collaboration between multiple users, export to PDF/PowerPoint, and integrations.
  • Pro : The cost is $15 per month and $12 per month billed annually, with a 14-day free trial. It has all the features of Basic, including; unlimited slides, remove beautiful.ai branding, custom fonts, notifications, and integrations.
  • Teams : Launching in August. The cost is customized. Has all the features of Basic and Pro, along with SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) integration, audit logging, and gives its customers centralized billing.

6. Renderforest

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Renderforest is a software similar to Microsoft PowerPoint that also provides you with free Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives.  This software similar to Microsoft PowerPoint is great for both personal and business use.

It helps create different types of videos in minutes, with the help of a large video template catalog.

You can even start editing your videos online, using the tools and cloud storage. Since there is a large gallery of Video Production and Animation Templates, you can upload images, videos and play with text and color pallet however you want.

This is great for making videos for clients, marketing, and PR departments.

  • It has a very easy and self-explanatory GUI.
  • It has a vast variety of templates and toolkits at your disposal.
  • Renderforest has market competitive pricing and storage options, which we found better than what is available in the market.
  • It also has commercial music available as a feature.
  • This software works great with helping develop workflows and IT systems to pitch ideas to investors.
  • Many organizations use Renderforest Video in different functional departments throughout the company.
  • It also helps create visual portfolio maps and growth paths for departments.
  • Free : It is cost-free. The features it has are; 300 MB storage, Video features: unlimited 360p video exports, up to 1 -minute videos, a limited number of music tracks, and watermarks on everything.
  • Amateur : The cost is $39 per month and $9.99 per month billed annually. The features it has are; 10 GB storage, video features: 7 HD720 videos per month, up to 5 -minute videos, 30+ commercial music tracks, and no watermarks on HD videos.
  • Pro : Is cost is $69 per month and $19.99 per month billed annually. Has the same features as Amateur it has are; 20 GB storage, video features: 20 HD720 videos per month, up to 15 -minute videos, and 60+ commercial music tracks.
  • Popular : The cost is $99 per month and $39.99 per month billed annually. Has the same features as Pro, including; 40 GB storage, audio and video features: 100+ commercial music tracks, and no watermark on anything.
  • Agency : The cost is not available in a monthly plan and it is $49.99 per month billed annually. It has all the features of Popular, including various audio and video features.

7. Zoho Show – Free PowerPoint Alternative

zoho show presentation software

Zoho Show is one of the free Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives that is cloud-based presentation software that brings slide creation, collaboration, broadcasting, and publishing in one place.

It is great for individual use, SMB’s, non-profit organizations, and mid-market enterprise. You and your team can collaborate in real-time all while creating slides with enticing visuals (including charts, tables, and videos).

This has everything you will need even as a web-based application, and the app is simple to use with a great interface and wonderful customer service that assists when required.

  • It works and edits your presentations well (the finishing touches) on Android, Android Wear, iOS, Apple TV & Apple Watch (for viewing content).
  • Publish slides online and share the link across social media.
  • Share/embed your presentations on your website or blog (as an Iframe) to attract more viewership.
  • Complement data with visually appealing charts, by choosing a pre-defined layout that amplifies your data, style every element, and animate parts of your charts to bring out the information.
  • Format and edit images to make them reflect your ideas, and use the filter option to add a touch of color.
  • Amplify your content by adding strokes to text, fill titles or key points with solid colors and patterns or add reflections, etc.
  • Zoho Show also lets you give a clean and clutter-free interface design, which helps decrease distractions immensely.

Zoho Show is a free product.

8. Haiku Deck

haiku deck presentation software

Haiku Deck is the best PowerPoint alternatives and is one of the Microsoft PowerPoint competitors. It lets you create presentations on the web, iPad, or iPhone with ease.

Mashable calls it Instagram for pitch decks, and even the most design-challenged person can create amazing presentations.

This platform is best for teachers, trainers, keynote speakers, sales/marketing, small businesses, and anyone who has a story to tell or an idea to share.

Haiku has a large library of free photos, a variety of designed templates and they are all royalty-free. This is one of the Apps similar to PowerPoint.

  • All you have to do is tap “+” to create your first slide, choose a theme, search for images to use, insert text, use graphs or charts, and change the layout.
  • The pitch decks can be shared via a web browser, email, and social media, or publicly on Haiku Deck’s gallery.
  • You can insert private notes that only the presenter can see.
  • Since Haiku Deck plays heavily on the visual impact, it has sparse word use and likes focusing on creating presentations with a visual album.
  • Haiku Deck is extremely easy to use, no one needs a tutorial or any help in making an engaging and creative presentation.
  • Presentations can be smoother with the option of including private notes that act as a teleprompter for the presenter.
  • It is easy to share the presentation via email and social media, private viewing or public sharing, and more.
  • Pro : Is cost is $19.99 per month and $9.99 per month billed annually. It has all the basic features, including; unlimited deck creation, download files for offline viewing, printing, and editing, privacy control for your presentations.
  • Premium : The cost is $29.99 per month billed annually. It has all the features of Pro, including; in-depth analytics and lead tracking, presentation view notifications, live web playback and priority technical support.

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Glisser is one of the software programs like Microsoft PowerPoint that engages with the audience. It also gathers valuable data from live and virtual meetings and events.

It is ingenious the way it does that, by sharing the presentation slide to the audience via smart-devices, they then give electronic feedback.

This feature, in particular, plays the tangent of enabling the interactive communication lines between the presenter and the audience. Attendees can also make electronic mark-up with the slide notes and refer to them later on.

It also allows live polling, Twitter feeds and other live interactions to take place while presenting.

  • It is easy to make an interactive presentation and receive answers and feedback immediately.
  • Glisser helps keeps the audience engaged and highlights areas of information that need to be spoken about.
  • You can add in polls and documents easily, which helps build interactive learning.
  • It has a great UI that was easy to navigate and read, however, it has no integration with Google slides or keynote.
  • You can use the lecture theatre format to package together learning objects and build interaction into sessions.
  • Glisser takes up to 100 people in a room for a lively conference presentation.
  • The audience can use the mobile interface and it works well with them.
  • Starting from $500. Offers its customers a freemium package that includes all interaction features, however, there are limitations on the features.  The features include are limited by several presentations, a handful of features, and access to data.
  • Expert and Enterprise: more presentations, features, full data access, and Glisser’s advanced event management features for larger events with multiple sessions.
  • Customization can be done for one-off events, specific packages.

visme presentation software

Visme is one of the best PowerPoint alternatives. It helps you completely transform how you choose to create and share your presentations. You can use infographics, visual reports, and other visual formats with complete ease.

The whole purpose is to turn your data and create content that tells stories visually.

You can work individually or as a team to collaborate. It is also easy for you to use Visme to publish online, embed the presentation on your website, or download it to use offline.

It helps you organize your data in folders and also gives role-based permissions, which depends if it is team-based or individually.

  • The user-friendly project creation dashboard helps the user to choose from various designing options.
  • There are a vast number of premade templates that make the overall designing process easier.
  • The presentations look far more business-ready than from any of the features of Microsoft PowerPoint.
  • Since it is an interactive platform, it makes sure that the customers are engaged in displaying the product or content in various ways.
  • The time and cost are reduced considerably when using Visme instead of a graphics program such as Adobe Illustrator.
  • They have installed the new animated graphics, which are amazing.
  • Visme helps you create infographics, presentations, social media posts, and headers, for printable documents
  • Basic : Is the cost is completely free. The features it has are; up to 5 projects, 100 MB storage, limited templates, download as JPG, some charts & widgets, and public projects.
  • Standard : The cost is $25 per month and $14 per month billed annually. It has all the features of Basic, including; up to 15 projects, 250 MB storage, all premium assets & templates, no Visme brand on projects, download as pdf, all charts & widgets, and create color palettes.
  • Complete : The cost is $39 per month and $25 per month billed annually. It has all the features of Standard, including; unlimited projects, 10 GB storage, download as HTML5, slide library, privacy controls, collect and store leads, organize with folders, and record audio.
  • Single : The cost is $39 per month and $25 per month billed annually. The features are; unlimited projects, 10 GB storage, download as HTML5, slide library, privacy controls, collect & store leads, organize with folders, brand kit, and record audio.
  • Team : The cost is $117 per month and $75 per month billed annually. It has all the features of Single, including; add and manage users, 10 GB storage per user, share projects & folders, and set permissions.
  • Enterprise : The cost is customized. It has all of the features of Team, including; unlimited projects, 25 GB storage per user, Single Sign-on (SSO), additional security, custom sub-domain, dynamic fields, and premium support.

11. Slidebean

slidebean presentation software

Slidebean is one of the free Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives that are best for startups, marketers, and small and medium-sized businesses.

In their pitch deck, we used both the writing and design service, which comes essentially handy when making a product detail slide professionally and it may require a lot of time.

The whole purpose of Slidebean is to separate content from design, which then in return helps you focus on what is important.

With the help of an AI, the first slide is then automatically designed and all you have to do is add the content as the slides are converted into a beautiful design.

  • It has the best tool to create slides without design expertise.
  • It gives you ready to use templates and AI-based templates.
  • With this AI tool, you receive suggestions and customization based on the subject.
  • To increase client receptivity you can create attractive graphics.
  • Save template customization in the library for future reference.
  • Extract the presentation to any common format, such as PPT, PDF, etc.
  • Customize URLs, which can be generated and used directly to share across for accessing the deck.
  • Free : Is cost-free. The features it has are; access our free templates, try our AI-powered editor, access all our media galleries, and try our pre-built templates.
  • Starter : The cost is $8 per month billed annually. It has the same features as Free, including; access to 15+ starter templates, easy collaboration, share presentations with others, privacy settings, and export copies to PDF & HTML.
  • Premium : Is cost is $19 per month billed annually. It has the same features as Starter, including; enjoy +120 premium templates, track presentation analytics, apply your logo & brand kit, and enjoy priority support.
  • Founder’s Edition : The cost is customized. Has the same features as Premium, including; a direct access line to our company founders, proofreading and design tune-up to your slides, dozens of startup deals: the platforms our team uses, legal and business document templates, and A list of +8,000 investor contacts.

12. Microsoft Sway

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If you want one of the free Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives, then Sway is the simple tool for you that produces impeccable results. It has an array of vast features that help you tackle the most difficult designs so you can focus on content.  And because it’s free, it is amazing.

If you already have a Microsoft account, you can use Sway for free, and if you don’t you can make one and still use it for free.

However, there are still some kinks as to how much content you can fit in a single Sway. Nonetheless, the free version still gives you more than you need as an average user to get the job done.

  • It is user friendly and adapts easily on laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.
  • You can embed something else into Sway and share it through a visual share link.
  • Collaboration is done with ease since it is cloud-based software.
  • It has interactive features, which lets you add multiple elements, such as images, documents, videos.
  • You can present your data with three different layout options: vertical (like scrolling through a webpage), horizontal, and a slideshow format.
  • Even though it has a limited selection of available templates, you can save an entire Sway presentation as a template.
  • Sway does support OneDrive, which allows you to insert content from there.

Sway is free to use if you have a Microsoft Account (Hotmail, Live, or Outlook.com).

13. FlowVella

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We thought that as a simple yet engaging software, FlowVella takes the cake. It also happens to work seamlessly on the mobile and PDF embed support.

Even though the app is designed specifically for iOS users, it lets individuals and teams work together to create stellar presentations.

FlowVella supports videos, animated GIFs, navigation links, galleries, and PDFs. It is a stress-free software to use since users can add-in elements using the drag-and-drop feature. That way they don’t need any heavy technical knowledge to create amazing presentations.

  • You can make more media-rich presentations with FlowVella, using music and sounds that they can play in the background as an element.
  • FlowVella is designed to keep presentations even if there is a loss of connection and the presentation has to go offline.
  • This is great for individuals and small and large teams as well.
  • You can include links and other navigation tools in your presentation.
  • Embedded documents such as PDFs can be added to the presentation.
  • You can use your iPad devices as a presentation tool in public places.
  • FlowVella supports BCC CRM integration.

FlowVella has the following pricing plans:

  • Free : The cost is free. The features it has are; four public presentations, flows (presentations) limited to 10 screens/slides, flows say ‘Created in FlowVella’, and it has the best presentation apps for iPhone, iPad & Mac.
  • Premium : The cost is $10 per month and $60 per year billed annually. It has the same features as Free, including; unlimited flows, more than 10 screens/slides, password protection, more privacy options, premium analytics, large file uploads (500MB), it also removes the FlowVella logo from iPad/iPhone presenting screen.
  • Pro : The cost is $20 per month and $200 per year billed annually. Has the same features as Premium, including; new kiosk mode, professional web player, presentation alerts when viewed, BCC CRM integration, shared analytics.
  • Enterprise : Comes with a custom quote. It has the same features as Pro, including; branded web player, a custom domain name for web player, branded apps, custom pricing for volume purchase, and integrated content and training (optional).

Creating the best presentation to captivate your audience isn’t always easy, however, you know for a fact the right software can make it not just easy but fun as well.

Have you ever used a particular software to create fabulous presentations to wow your audience? Other than PowerPoint? If so, tell us which one in the comments below so we can give you a better analysis and recommendations.

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8 Alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint You Need to Try

Megan Glosson

Microsoft PowerPoint carved out a niche for itself in the sphere of presentation. However, many people now see PowerPoint as outdated and expensive, especially given that the platform hasn’t really evolved with the times. As more people look for ways to engage audiences with narrative storytelling over boring slide presentations, they seek alternatives to PowerPoint that let them have greater control over their presentations. After all, shouldn’t we all be looking for cost-effective solutions as we choose value over dogma? Then look no further than these great alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint.

1. Google Slides

3. libreoffice impress, 5. slidebean, 7. beautiful.ai, 8. zoho show, frequently asked questions.

Also read: 14 Useful PowerPoint Templates to Set Up a Digital Planner

Google Slides helps you tell stories that matter while enabling synchronization. It’s an incredible PowerPoint alternative that costs absolutely nothing to use.

Powerpoint Alternatives Google Slides Basic View

You can create easy-to-use visual presentations on Google Slides with its simple user interface. The PowerPoint-like design makes it a breezy transition for experienced PowerPoint users, but it’s also easy to navigate through the menus if you are new to making presentations.

With Google Slides, you have complete control over the page size and formatting. Although the text options are limited, there are many other standout design features included. You can choose from the preformatted slide themes or import your own backgrounds, then add slide transitions or object animations to enhance your presentation.

Powerpoint Alternatives Google Slides Format Options

You’re free to work from anywhere, as Google syncs all of your work to Google Drive, and you can gain access to your presentations from any device. Easily share presentations on the Web through the custom link or via email. You can even set the presentation up to allow multiple users editing privileges that sync in real time, which means you never have to worry about which version is the most recent.

The best part? Google Slides is a completely free-to-use app – all you need is a Google account .

If you want something a little less traditional than PowerPoint, Prezi is a great option. Many claim Prezi is more engaging and persuasive.

Powerpoint Alternatives Prezi Options View

Prezi takes a completely different approach to digital presentations. For instance, you can build a complete presentation structure on a single canvas, zooming in and out as you emphasize and de-emphasize facts. This way, you are controlling and guiding what your audience sees.

Unlike most other presentation software tools, Prezi gives you the option to make video presentations, interactive reports, infographics, and more.

Powerpoint Alternatives Prezi Design Options

Prezi is cloud-based presentation software, so you can access your presentations across many platforms. You can try Prezi for free, but it is extremely limited. For instance, you won’t be able to download your work or save it as a PDF. You can, however, create a presentation from scratch and use your laptop to quickly present it to your team. If you need more, you’ll have to upgrade. Prezi has three different pricing tiers for individuals: Standard ($5/mo), Plus ($15/mo), and Premium ($59/mo).

LibreOffice Impress is a part of the LibreOffice suite, an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. When considering alternatives to PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress is right up there with Google Slides, as it lets you open and save files in PowerPoint format or convert them to the OpenOffice extension.

Powerpoint Alternatives Libreoffice Design

On the surface, LibreOffice looks very similar to PowerPoint. It offers many of the same tools, and even the menu options and ribbon appear very similar to the well-known Microsoft product.

Powerpoint Alternatives Libreoffice Transitions

Format text, add images, set slide transitions and more with LibreOffice. You can also select from different aspect ratios, which can be important when using a different projector. Best of all, LibreOffice Impress is free to use!

Also read: 11 of the Best Journaling Apps for Windows

Keynote , Apple’s alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint, offers a sleek, sophisticated approach to presentation design. Keynote users agree that it’s intuitive and easy to use.

Powerpoint Alternatives Keynote Opening

You can create beautiful presentations in Keynote without wasting time surfing for unique templates. This presentation tool has many eye-popping templates to choose from and offers most of the same features as PowerPoint, making it a great alternative.

Unlike PowerPoint, though, Keynote provides much more control over the text, images, and objects you insert into your presentations. Furthermore, you can save completed presentations in a variety of formats or export the files into images or a PDF.

Powerpoint Alternatives Keynote Design

The only drawback to Keynote is its exclusivity, as it’s only available on Apple devices. However, it is native to macOS, meaning it is free for Mac users who need presentation software.

If you only have a little time on your hands to design eye-popping PowerPoint slides, then Slidebean will be a good fit for you!

Powerpoint Alternatives Sidebeam Design View

With Slidebean, you only input content, while the software helps you design and format your content. You can also choose from hundreds of preformatted templates or start your own presentation from scratch.

Once in the design platform, everything is fairly straightforward. After the software preformats slides for you, click the text boxes to input your data. After you’ve typed everything in, click the AI tool to have it format everything for you or move objects manually.

Powerpoint Alternatives Sidebean Preview Testing

Sidebean does offer a free, basic version of their Web-based presentation tool. However, if you decide to upgrade to use some of the more advanced features, it will cost $299/year for the all-access version.

Also read: 9 of the Best LMS Alternatives to Google Classroom

If you design social media graphics , you may have already heard of Canva , a highly recommended app in terms of entry-level graphic design. Even e-learning platforms like Skillshare offer classes that utilize Canva for social media marketing. However, this Web-based design suite isn’t just for creating social media posts – it can also be used to create presentations.

Powerpoint Alternatives Canva Home Page View

Within the “Presentation” section of Canva, you have the option to select different types of presentations, including widescreen (16:9), fullscreen (4:3), mobile-friendly, or game-like presentations. Then choose from the hundreds of predesigned templates or create your own presentation from scratch.

As far as the interface goes, the presentation creator works similarly to the rest of the Canva platform. You can add images or graphics, format text, and even insert audio or video. Furthermore, you can add animations, slide transitions, and even set the presentation to run automatically with timed slides.

Powerpoint Alternatives Canva Design View

Since Canva is Web-based, you can present your creations from anywhere as long as there’s an Internet connection. Unfortunately, Canva does not let you download your presentations as PowerPoint files – only image files or PDFs.

Canva does offer a free version with some limitations. If you decide you need more than that, upgrade to the Pro plan for $12.99/month.

Like Slidebean, Beautiful.ai is an alternative to PowerPoint that is designed to make your presentation design process take minutes, not hours.

Powerpoint Alternatives Beautifulai Starting

Unlike most presentation programs, Beautiful.ai is a tool that streamlines your design process. Set all of the formatting upfront, then put in your text while the tool helps you determine the best design. It adjusts your design in real time as you add elements to each slide so that you don’t have to ever worry about making everything fit.

Of course, Beautiful.ai’s primary goal is to help you create outstanding, appealing presentations that capture your target audience’s attention. Unfortunately, all of this comes at a premium. Beautiful.ai doesn’t offer anything more than a 14-day free trial. After that, pricing starts at $12/month (billed annually).

Also read: What Is Microsoft Lists and How to Get Started with It?

Zoho is a leader in software solutions, and their PowerPoint alternative, Zoho Show , is no different.

Powerpoint Alternatives Zoho Start

Zoho Show is a Web-based alternative to PowerPoint that lets you create stunning presentations your way. Its setup is much the same as PowerPoint itself, and it offers all of the same features.

Unlike PowerPoint, Zoho Show lets you import a variety of file types, including .PPT, .PPTX, .PPS, .PPSX, .ODP and .SXI. Also, the embed options are much more robust with Zoho Show – you can even add tweets, YouTube videos, and images directly from Flickr.

Powerpoint Alternatives Zoho Design

Zoho Show is free to use, but you can upgrade to a more advanced plan for as little as $3/month.

Also read: 10 Free Microsoft SharePoint Alternatives

Can I open .ppt files in any programs besides PowerPoint?

Several of the PowerPoint alternatives listed in this article, such as Google Slides, Keynote, LibreOffice Impress, and Zoho Show, will open PowerPoint files (.ppt) files and allow you to edit them. However, you may run into formatting issues that you have to correct.

Do any PowerPoint alternatives work on mobile devices?

Several PowerPoint alternatives are mobile friendly. Google Slides ( Android | iOS ), Canva ( Android | iOS ), Zoho Show ( Android | iOS ), and LibreOffice Impress ( Android | iOS ) are all available as mobile apps. However, the experience of creating a presentation will be far superior on PC.

Is there a way to use PowerPoint for free?

Although Microsoft Office requires a subscription, you can use Office online or on your mobile device for free. There are also other workarounds that grant you free access to Microsoft Office .

Image credit: Canva Studio via Pexels . All screenshots by Megan Glosson.

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Megan Glosson

Megan Glosson is a freelance technology writer based in Nashville, TN. She has extensive experience working with everything from printers to smart home systems, and serves as the go-to “tech guru” for a small business that sells digital products. Megan has created thousands of articles for online publications and company blogs, including How-To Geek, Clean Email, and Review Geek. When she’s not writing, you will probably find Megan playing board games with her partner and two children or swimming in the pool. You can check out Megan’s entire portfolio on her website, https://www.meganglosson.com/.

Featured image depicting PayPal Business. Source: Pixabay.

Storydoc

15 PowerPoint Alternatives for High-Stakes Presentations

Learn what the best PowerPoint alternatives are and discover slides tools to create cool presentations that are way better than PowerPoint.

beste powerpoint alternative

Dominika Krukowska

14 minute read

Best PowerPoint alternatives

Short answer

What are the best alternatives to PowerPoint?

The best alternatives to PowerPoint are:

  • Beautiful.ai
  • Microsoft Sway

Your presentations deserve more than just PowerPoint

Remember the last time a PowerPoint presentation truly wowed you? Hard to recall, right? That's because most slide decks, no matter how well-intentioned, tend to blur together after a while.

As a result, your message goes unnoticed, your efforts wasted, and those high-impact opportunities? They slip right through your fingers.

But here's some good news: a new era of interactive presentation tools is here, ready to transform the way we share ideas. By choosing these dynamic alternatives to PowerPoint, you can truly engage your audience, make your message resonate, and achieve your goals.

Let’s dive in!

What’s wrong with PowerPoint?

PowerPoint has long been the presentation tool of choice, but it's starting to show its age. Here's why:

Standardized slide set with a 16:9 aspect ratio

PowerPoint's 16:9 aspect ratio is familiar, but it can limit creativity. When every presentation looks the same, it's hard to stand out.

No mechanisms to keep you from breaking the design

While PowerPoint offers design freedom, it lacks safeguards. This can lead to cluttered slides that confuse rather than clarify.

Generic templates

Relying on the same templates can make your content feel stale. Freshness matters, and predictability can lead to disinterest.

Limited interactivity options

Modern audiences expect to interact with content. PowerPoint's limited interactive features can't match today's dynamic tools.

Passive engagement

PowerPoint often results in a one-way flow of information. Without deeper engagement, your message might just skim the surface.

If you want to learn more, check out our article on why PowerPoint is bad for the job .

What makes modern alternatives better than PowerPoint?

The world of presentation platforms is evolving, and modern tools are stepping up in ways PowerPoint can't match.

Here are the main features that make these PowerPoint alternatives a better choice:

Rich library of pre-built templates: Dive into diverse designs, ready to customize and make your own.

Data visualization options: Turn complex data into clear, compelling visuals with ease.

Multimedia: Embed videos, audio, and more for a multi-sensory experience.

Interactive elements: Engage your audience with clickable features and dynamic content.

Narrated design (Scrollytelling): Guide viewers through a visual journey and let them explore at their own pace.

Collaboration options: Team up in real-time, making content creation a collective effort.

Optimized for mobile: Make sure your content shines, whether on a desktop or a smartphone.

Software integrations: Seamlessly connect with other tools and optimize your workflow.

Content analytics: Gain insights into viewer engagement and adjust for maximum impact.

AI-guided content: Let artificial intelligence steer your content strategy for optimal results.

AI-guided design: Benefit from AI-driven design suggestions, enhancing visual appeal.

Personalization with dynamic variables: Connect to your CRM and tailor content to individual viewers with just a few clicks.

Centralized content management: Keep all your materials in one organized, accessible place.

Web-based content: Access and share your content from anywhere, anytime.

Version control: Maintain authority over your final version and keep the design consistent.

Access control: Set parameters like gated access, time limits, or location-based viewing.

Here's what a static PPT and an interactive deck look like side by side:

beste powerpoint alternative

Is there a free alternative to PowerPoint?

Absolutely! While some presentation tools like Storydoc or Visme offer free trials or basic plans, there are platforms like Zoho Show that are entirely free to use. Exploring these PowerPoint alternatives can provide fresh, dynamic ways to present without breaking the bank.

In a world where innovation drives success and audiences crave novelty, relying solely on traditional tools like PowerPoint may not cut it anymore. The landscape of presentation software has evolved, offering diverse alternatives that cater to different needs, styles, and functionalities.

These alternatives not only challenge the status quo but also redefine the way we present and engage with our audience.

If you're looking to step up your presentation game and explore beyond the limitations of PowerPoint , let's dive into the top alternatives:

Jump ahead to page section:

1. Storydoc

Storydoc interactive presentation maker

Storydoc is reshaping how we create presentations, all thanks to AI. This interactive presentation maker turns your usual slides into engaging, interactive stories.

With its unique approach to narrated design, or "scrollytelling," it breaks away from the constraints of conventional presentations, letting your audience dive into the content at their own speed.

And with AI by your side, Storydoc helps fine-tune your brand's appearance and offers content suggestions, making sure you have a top-notch presentation ready quickly.

Once done, you can integrate it with your CRM and use dynamic variables to create countless personalized versions in just a few clicks. And the cherry on top? After sharing, you can peek into the analytics to gain insights on what's clicking with your viewers and what's missing the mark.

  • AI-backed design suggestions
  • Personalize presentations at scale
  • Perfect for any device
  • Integrates with tools like calendars and live chats
  • Dive deep into presentation analytics
  • The charm of interactivity might not translate well in printed versions
  • Might take a minute for those used to traditional tools
  • 14-day free trial
  • Starter: $30/month per user (billed annually)
  • Pro: $45/month per user (billed annually)
  • For teams: Reach out to sales

2. Mentimeter

Mentimeter presentation maker

Mentimeter is all about transforming passive listeners into active contributors. It's not just about presenting; it's about conversing. With tools like real-time word clouds, polls, and quizzes, it makes sure that everyone's voice is heard, making sessions more interactive and memorable.

Whether you're conducting a business meeting, teaching a class, or running a workshop, Mentimeter adds that spark to make it lively, inclusive, and productive.

  • Tools like word clouds and live polls keep the audience engaged
  • Creates a sense of inclusivity and participation
  • Versatile for various settings: work, education, or workshops
  • Seamless integration with platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams
  • There's a learning curve for those new to interactive presentation tools
  • Some might wish for more customization in templates
  • Free plan available
  • Basic plan: $11.99 per presenter/month
  • Pro plan: $24.99 per presenter/month
  • Campus plan: Reach out to sales
  • Discounts for teachers and students

Canva presentation maker

Canva is more than just a presentation tool; it's a one-stop-shop for all your creative projects. Whether you've been designing for years or you're just dipping your toes, Canva's user-friendly interface makes the process a breeze.

From social media graphics to business cards, Canva has a template for almost everything, but presentations remain one of its strongest assets. Thanks to the drag-and-drop feature and a rich library of elements, there’s no fumbling around; just pick, place, and voila! Your design is ready.

Beyond just design, Canva promotes collaboration. Teams can come together, working on a project at the same time. And since it's cloud-based, you can access your designs anytime, anywhere.

  • Wide range of design options for various needs
  • Simple to use, great for both beginners and seasoned designers
  • Work on your designs from any device with Internet access
  • Solid free version to get you started
  • Premium design elements are reserved for Pro users
  • With so many design choices, it might feel a bit much for some
  • Pro plan: $14.99 billed monthly or $119.99 billed annually
  • Canva for Teams: Talk to sales
  • Free for education and NGOs

4. Beautiful.ai

Beautiful.ai presentation maker

Beautiful.ai is a presentation tool that takes the guesswork out of presentation design. It starts you off with smart templates, so you're never faced with the scary blank slide.

As you add content, the platform’s AI adjusts everything – from layout spacing to color choices. It's like having a designer by your side, making sure your slides always look polished.

Need to collaborate? Share slides with your team and get everyone on the same page. Want to keep your brand consistent? The brand control feature guarantees your slides always match your company's look.

Beautiful.ai does most of the work for you, but you’re always in the driver’s seat.

  • AI-driven design that simplifies slide creation
  • Templates that adapt, making design intuitive
  • Collaborate seamlessly with shared slides
  • If you're a design purist, the automation might feel limiting
  • Customization has its limits, so ultra-specific designs might need more tweaks
  • Might not be the fit for super-detailed slide decks
  • Free 14-day trial
  • Pro plan: $12/month (billed annually)
  • Team plan: $40/user/month (billed annually)
  • For a single project: $45
  • Enterprise plan: Talk to sales

5. Slidebean

Slidebean presentation maker

Slidebean is a game-changer for those diving into the world of startups. It's an AI-driven platform that makes the process of crafting pitches easy.

Start with a basic outline using its user-friendly editor, and watch as Slidebean turns your content into slides that resonate.

While AI does the initial setup, you're always in control, tweaking slides or using their templates to shape your presentation just right.

  • Tailored for startup challenges
  • Perfect blend of AI automation and user customization
  • Collaborate with experts to refine your pitch
  • Might be too much for basic presentation needs
  • Some design elements could use an update
  • Basic plan: Free
  • All-Access plan: $199 annually
  • Accelerate plan: $499 annually

6. Zoho Show

Zoho Show presentation maker

Zoho Show is a presentation tool that effortlessly blends functionality with flair. Its intuitive interface lets you easily craft slides, and with a collection of over 100 templates, you're set for any occasion, be it a startup pitch or a business proposal.

Collaboration is a standout feature in Zoho Show. Work on slides in real-time, receive instant updates, and exchange feedback. Want to add a touch of creativity? There are animations, custom shapes, and multimedia options to explore.

Got an existing presentation? No worries. Slidebean smoothly imports PPTX, PPT, and other popular formats, making sure your transition is seamless.

  • Simplified design for easy slide creation
  • Real-time collaboration tools to keep teams in sync
  • Compatible with popular presentation formats
  • A price tag that's hard to beat: Free
  • Template variety might feel limited to some
  • There are tools with more advanced features out there

Visme presentation maker

Visme is a go-to tool for building presentations from scratch using an extensive collection of industry-specific templates, which means that your content always feels fresh.

If visuals are your thing, Visme's got you covered with over 1.5 million crisp images, vibrant charts, and engaging data widgets. And, if you want to add a touch of your brand's essence, you can customize decks with your unique fonts and colors.

Plus, with handy tools like presenter notes and a special mode for presenting, you're all set to win over your audience, whether they're right in front of you or tuning in online.

Just a heads-up: while there's a sea of design choices, a few templates lean more towards style than clarity. But with a bit of tweaking, you'll find the sweet spot.

  • Intuitive with a wide range of templates
  • Team collaboration made easy
  • Branding tools for that consistent look and feel
  • Might be overwhelming for newcomers due to the variety of design choices
  • Some designs prioritize style over clarity
  • Premium features require a paid subscription
  • Starter plan: $12.25/month (billed annually)
  • Pro plan: $24.75/month (billed annually)
  • Visme for Teams: Talk to sales

8. Microsoft Sway

Microsoft Sway presentation maker

Microsoft Sway is where creativity meets simplicity. This digital storytelling app is designed to help you craft interactive reports, presentations, newsletters, and more.

Its built-in design engine makes your content look professional, whether you're using images, text, videos, or other multimedia. The best part? Sway makes sure your creations are optimized for any screen size.

Plus, with seamless integration with Office 365, you can easily transform content from Word or OneNote into a dynamic Sway presentation.

  • Easily integrates with Office 365 tools
  • Adapts to any screen for optimal viewing
  • Share or co-edit with just a URL
  • Requires a Microsoft account to use
  • Limited customization options
  • Cannot be used offline
  • Available with Office 365 subscriptions; the price depends on your plan
  • Specific details can be found on the Microsoft Office website

9. DesignCap

DesignCap presentation maker

DesignCap is a versatile platform that brings your visual ideas to life. Need a captivating presentation? Or perhaps an infographic that speaks volumes? DesignCap's got you covered.

Explore its template library, and you'll find designs tailored for every occasion. But it's not just about templates. With a variety of stock images, icons, and customizable modules, you have all the tools at your fingertips to craft unique visuals.

The best part? Its intuitive interface means you spend less time figuring things out and more time designing.

  • Variety of resources: stock images, icons, and customizable modules
  • Intuitive drag-and-drop design experience
  • Affordable pricing makes it perfect for beginners
  • Better suited for beginners, as it lacks more advanced features
  • It’s more geared towards creating flyers than presentations
  • Limited image bank
  • Basic plan: $4.99/month (or $59.88 billed annually)
  • Plus plan: $5.99/month (or $71.88 billed annually)

Ludus presentation maker

Ludus is a presentation tool that focuses on teamwork. Whether you're collaborating in real-time or sharing resources among teams, Ludus makes the process easier.

Dive into their platform, and you'll find a range of features, from templates to start with or the option to create from the ground up. Ludus comes with a rich set of tools, including the ability to integrate content from platforms like YouTube, Unsplash, and design apps like Figma.

Want to add a personal touch? Record your voice over your slides. Plus, with live collaboration and custom blocks, Ludus gives you the flexibility to design the perfect presentation.

  • Real-time collaboration for team projects
  • Integrations with platforms like YouTube, Unsplash, and Figma
  • Custom domains for a branded presentation experience
  • Advanced design tools for creative freedom
  • Slight learning curve for those new to the platform
  • Extensive feature set could be overwhelming for those seeking basics
  • Some users might experience performance issues with content-heavy presentations
  • 30-day free trial
  • Teams of 1-15 people: $149.99/year
  • Teams of 16 people and over: Talk to sales

Vyond presentation maker

Vyond is your go-to platform for making animated videos that turn complex messages into relatable tales. With a wide collection of templates, it's a breeze to create anything, from a corporate presentation to an explainer video or an educational clip.

But, Vyond doesn't just stop at animations; it lets you enhance your stories with a blend of photos, videos, and even 3D elements. And if you've got a unique voice to share? You can use their voice-over tools and create customizable characters to match your narrative.

  • A variety of templates for every story you want to tell
  • Enrich animations thanks to content integrations
  • Voice-over tools and character customization to make your story truly yours
  • Premium features might stretch your budget
  • There's a learning curve, especially if you're new to video editing
  • Basic plans are limited to single users
  • Essential plan: $25/month for 1 user (billed annually)
  • Premium plan: $54/month for 1 user (billed annually)
  • Professional plan: $92/month per user (billed annually)
  • Enterprise plan: Contact sales for details

12. Powtoon

Powtoon presentation maker

Powtoon is where creativity meets animation. This platform lets you create lively presentations and videos, blending your messages with vibrant animations.

With Powtoon's intuitive drag-and-drop interface, even those without a design background can whip up eye-catching animations in no time. For a personal touch, you can also integrate voice-overs, embed videos, or even play around with customizable characters to make your content pop.

And if you're aiming for a unique look, Powtoon lets you tweak characters down to their outfits. Once you're set, exporting your creations as videos means your story can reach audiences far and wide.

  • Customize characters to resonate with your narrative
  • More cost-effective than hiring a professional video agency
  • Versatile enough for various industries and purposes
  • No free version on offer
  • Custom character features exclusive to the Business plan
  • Seasoned designers might need more advanced animation options
  • Lite plan: $15/month (billed annually)
  • Professional plan: $40/month (billed annually)
  • Business plan: $125/month (billed annually)
  • Enterprise plans: Reach out to sales

13. FlowVella

FlowVella presentation maker

FlowVella offers a fresh approach to slide design, allowing you to stitch together text, images, and videos into a cohesive narrative.

But it doesn't stop there. You can also embed interactive links and galleries, giving your audience the opportunity to be a part of the journey. Need to share detailed data? No worries, as you can easily incorporate PDFs.

And for those looking to transform public spaces like museums or exhibitions, FlowVella's feature to turn iPads into interactive kiosks is a game-changer.

  • Intuitive editor that's easy to use
  • Functions both offline and online for flexibility
  • The option to share presentations with custom URLs
  • The free tier includes FlowVella's branding
  • Might leave design pros wanting a bit more
  • Premium plan: $60/year (billed annually)
  • Pro plan: $200/year (billed annually)

14. SlideDog

SlideDog presentation maker

SlideDog is a presentation tool that blends various presentation elements for a smooth delivery. Think about merging PowerPoints, Prezis, PDFs, and other media without the awkwardness of toggling between programs.

It lets you curate a playlist of all your presentation elements, with a smooth transition between each. No more awkward pauses or switching between apps. Plus, its live sharing feature means your audience can tune in from their devices in real-time.

And if you're looking to set up continuous slideshows in public spaces, SlideDog doubles up as a digital signage solution.

  • Combine diverse file types into a single presentation
  • Boost engagement with real-time sharing
  • Manage your presentation from any device with web access
  • On-the-fly edits can be a bit challenging
  • Available exclusively for Windows users
  • Monthly plan: $19 for 2 seats
  • Annual plan: $99 for 2 seats (first year, with a 20% renewal discount)
  • Lifetime plan: $299 for 2 seats

Pitch presentation maker

Pitch is a presentation platform that's all about efficiency, collaboration, and aesthetics. Whether you're starting with a template or crafting from scratch, Pitch offers smart editing features to guide your creative process. Each slide becomes a visual journey, enriched with photos, icons, and videos.

Teamwork is a breeze with real-time editing and feedback loops. And once you're ready to share? Just send a link and tap into the power of real-time analytics to understand how your content resonates with your audience.

  • Collaborate in real-time with ease
  • Affordable, making it a top pick for individuals or small businesses
  • Analytics panel offers insights into how your presentation is received
  • Limited range of templates
  • Lacks AI assistance
  • Advanced analytics require a plan upgrade
  • Starter plan: Free
  • Pro plan: $8/member per month
  • Enterprise plan: Contact sales

How to choose the best PowerPoint alternative for your needs?

Navigating the world of presentation tools can be a bit overwhelming, especially with so many great options out there. But don't worry, here's a simple guide to help you pinpoint the best fit based on your specific needs:

For personal use

When it's just you, or perhaps a small group, you'll want a tool that's straightforward, yet versatile. Look for platforms that offer a range of templates, are user-friendly, and won’t break the bank.

Tools like DesignCap and Canva shine here. They come with intuitive interfaces and a variety of design options, making it easy to craft presentations, even if you're not a design pro.

For business

In the business world, presentations often serve as a bridge between you and potential clients, investors, or stakeholders. You'll need a platform that's not only visually appealing but also offers features like analytics, real-time edits, and integration options.

Storydoc is a front-runner here. Its AI-powered design capabilities and focus on storytelling make sure that your presentations are not only informative but also unforgettable. Plus, with features like CRM integrations and robust analytics, you're always a step ahead.

For education

Engagement is the cornerstone of effective learning. Tools that offer multimedia embeds, interactive quizzes, and dynamic animations are essential.

Mentimeter shines in this space, offering a range of education templates, the option to host Q&A sessions, brainstorm ideas, and gather immediate feedback from students.

Interactive presentation templates

Ditching PowerPoint doesn't mean you're diving into the unknown. Interactive presentation templates are your safety net, making your shift seamless and straightforward.

These templates are designed to feel familiar right off the bat, so you won't spend ages trying to figure things out. They're not your typical PowerPoint slides either. They come packed with stylish designs, captivating interactive features, and a flow that naturally steers your storytelling.

Grab one and see for yourself.

beste powerpoint alternative

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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Top 13 Popular PowerPoint Alternatives in 2024 

Top 13 Popular PowerPoint Alternatives in 2024 

Table of Contents

In the world of presentations, PowerPoint has been a popular choice for a long time. However, its limitations are becoming more noticeable as both presenters and audiences seek more advanced options. There’s a growing demand for presentation tools that are engaging, dynamic, and easy to use. Many people have experienced the boredom of static slides and too much information on one screen, which can make presentations feel overwhelming.

Luckily, there are now many other presentation software options available, each with its own unique features. These alternatives offer things like better design, interaction with the audience in real-time, and the ability to include multimedia seamlessly. They’re changing the way presentations are done.

This article will look at a selection of these PowerPoint alternatives, each with its own strengths. Whether you’re looking for a sleek design, collaboration features, or exciting animations, there’s presentation software out there to suit your needs. Let’s explore the world beyond PowerPoint together.

PowerPoint Alternatives: Finding The Best Option For Beautiful And Engaging Presentations 

Choosing the right PowerPoint alternative can be a bit overwhelming with so many options out there. To find the best presentation software for you, it’s important to compare features like templates, design elements, collaboration tools, and mobile support. By looking into these features, you can find a PowerPoint alternative that suits your needs and improves your presentations. Let’s dive in and take a look at some options. 

1. Google Slides

Google Slides is a web-based presentation tool included in the Google Workspace suite, enabling seamless collaboration and creation of presentations.

Key Features: Notable features include real-time collaboration, integration with Google Workspace, accessibility from any device, diverse template selection, and the ability to import PowerPoint presentations.

Advantages: It’s free to use, integrates smoothly with Google Workspace, supports multiple users editing at once, and works on all devices.

Limitations: Despite its strengths, Google Slides may lack some advanced animation and design functionalities present in other presentation software options.

Cost: Google Slides is available for free with a Google account.

Ideal Users: It is particularly suitable for teams seeking a straightforward and collaborative presentation tool that seamlessly integrates with Google Workspace.

While Google Slides is a great tool, SlidesAI can add some helpful features. Our extension uses artificial intelligence to automate tasks, suggest creative content, and recommend design improvements. With SlidesAI, you can create presentations faster and explore design options that might not have occurred to you before. It can be a valuable tool to take your Google Slides presentations to the next level.

2. Mentimeter 

Mentimeter is a platform designed to engage audiences through live polls, quizzes, and real-time feedback accessible on their mobile devices. It operates on the cloud, eliminating the need for participants to download additional apps.

Key Features:

Mentimeter offers live polls, quizzes, word clouds, Q&A sessions, and real-time feedback, and integrates seamlessly with PowerPoint presentations.

Advantages:

This platform excels in interactivity, user-friendliness, and enhancing audience engagement, making it suitable for both in-person and virtual gatherings.

Limitations:

While Mentimeter offers a free plan, customization options are limited, and consistent internet access is required for both presenters and participants.

Mentimeter offers a free plan with paid options starting at $9.99 per month. Paid plans unlock additional features such as diverse question types and enhanced customization capabilities.

Ideal Usage:

Mentimeter is ideal for interactive meetings, workshops, conferences, and classrooms where audience engagement and immediate feedback are essential.

Keynote is Apple’s well-regarded presentation software, known for its impressive graphic features and smooth animations. It’s available for Mac and iOS devices and comes with a variety of useful features including cinematic transitions, object animations, real-time collaboration via iCloud, and a range of templates.

Keynote offers high-quality animations and design options with an easy-to-use interface. It seamlessly integrates with other Apple devices, enhancing user experience.

Weaknesses:

One downside is its exclusivity to Apple devices, limiting access for users on other platforms.

Keynote is free for users of Apple devices, making it an appealing choice for those already invested in the Apple ecosystem.

Ideal Users:

Best suited for Apple users who want to create visually appealing presentations with sophisticated design and animation features.

Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software that moves beyond traditional slide-by-slide presentations. Instead, it utilizes a single canvas that zooms in and out on various parts of the content.

Features: Prezi offers non-linear presentations, a zoomable user interface, collaboration tools, and Prezi Video for incorporating video content into presentations.

Strengths: Prezi allows for dynamic and visually engaging presentations, seamlessly integrating big-picture concepts with detailed information.

Weaknesses: For first-time users, Prezi may pose a learning challenge, and some viewers may experience motion sickness due to its zooming motion.

Price: Prezi provides a free basic plan, with paid plans starting at $7 per month. Paid plans include additional features like privacy controls and offline access.

Best for: Prezi is ideal for presentations that require a more dynamic and visually engaging approach compared to traditional slide presentations.

Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool with built-in presentation features, offering a wide range of professional templates.

Key Features : It includes thousands of customizable templates, a simple drag-and-drop editor, collaboration tools for team projects, and an option for more advanced needs with Canva for Work.

Strengths : Canva provides an extensive selection of design options, making it accessible to users with varying levels of design experience. It supports different types of content, such as images and videos, allowing for creative versatility.

Weaknesses: While the free version offers many features, some advanced functionalities require a Pro subscription. Additionally, Canva’s animation and transition capabilities may not be as robust as those found in dedicated presentation software.

Pricing : Canva offers a free basic version, with the Pro subscription priced at $119.99 per year, offering additional features like the Brand Kit and premium templates.

Ideal Users: Canva is suitable for users who prioritize ease of use and professional-looking designs. It caters to individuals and organizations in marketing, education, and small businesses seeking visually appealing presentations.

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6. Beautiful.AI

Beautiful.AI is a presentation tool driven by artificial intelligence, designed to simplify the process of creating professional-looking slides quickly.

Key Features : The platform offers smart templates that adjust as you add content, along with AI-powered design for automated layout adjustments and collaboration tools.

Strengths : Users benefit from significant time savings thanks to the AI-powered features, making it easy to create polished and consistent presentations.

Weaknesses : Some users may find that they have less control over specific design elements compared to manual design tools, and there is a limited variety of templates available.

Pricing : Starting at $12 per month for the basic plan, users get unlimited slides and AI content generation.

Ideal User : Beautiful.ai is best suited for professionals and teams who need to create impressive presentations quickly, even if they lack extensive design skills.

Vyond is a cloud-based platform that lets users create animated video presentations. It allows you to tell stories using customizable characters, props, and scenes.

Features : Vyond offers customizable characters, a wide range of animations, voice-over capabilities, a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, and the ability to integrate with other tools.

Strengths: Vyond makes it easy to create engaging animated video presentations. It provides a variety of assets and templates, and its user-friendly interface means you don’t need animation skills to use it.

Weaknesses: Compared to basic presentation software, Vyond comes with a higher price point. Creating animations may also take more time than traditional slide-based presentations.

Price : Vyond’s Essentials plan starts at $299/year, with more advanced features available in the Premium and Professional plans.

Best for: Vyond is suitable for marketing professionals, educators, and businesses looking to create engaging animated videos for training, promotions, or explanations.

8. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is an online tool for creating, editing, and delivering presentations collaboratively.

Features: It allows real-time collaboration, works well with Zoho’s suite and other platforms, provides various themes and templates, and enables live presentation broadcasting.

Strengths : Zoho Show supports team collaboration, is accessible from anywhere, offers an easy-to-use interface, and integrates smoothly with other Zoho apps.

Weaknesses : It may lack some advanced features compared to competitors, and its range of templates might be limited.

Price : It’s free to use with a Zoho account, and additional features are available through premium plans.

Best for : Zoho Show is suitable for teams and individuals already using Zoho’s products or anyone in need of a straightforward, collaborative presentation tool.

Emaze is an online presentation software designed to help users create visually captivating presentations. It offers a diverse selection of design templates and animated effects to enhance the overall appeal of presentations.

Emaze boasts an extensive library of templates, including options for 3D designs and video backgrounds. The use of HTML5 technology ensures compatibility across various platforms. Additionally, the platform provides automatic translation capabilities and analytics tools for monitoring presentation views.

One of Emaze’s standout features is its collection of unique and creative templates, setting it apart from other presentation tools. The platform emphasizes user-friendly design, making it accessible to individuals with varying levels of technical expertise.

While Emaze offers a range of templates, some users may find the platform less intuitive compared to other presentation software. Additionally, customization options may be limited for certain templates, restricting users’ ability to tailor presentations to their exact specifications.

Emaze offers a basic free plan for users, with paid subscription options starting at $13 per month. Paid plans include additional features such as privacy settings, offline viewing capabilities, and advanced analytics tools.

Emaze is well-suited for individuals seeking to create visually striking presentations with minimal effort. It caters to a wide range of users, including those in education, business, and creative fields.

10 .  Focusky

Focusky is a versatile tool for creating presentations and animated videos, offering a dynamic platform for sharing ideas. It features unique zooming and panning effects, enhancing the visual appeal of presentations.

  • 3D transition effects
  • Video backgrounds
  • Built-in word art
  • Recording narration
  • Extensive library of templates and characters

Focusky’s standout feature is its engaging zooming and panning effects, which make presentations memorable. It also offers a variety of visual assets and supports multimedia content integration.

Users who are new to non-linear presentation styles may find Focusky challenging to navigate initially. Some users may also feel overwhelmed by the abundance of features.

Focusky offers a free version with basic features. Paid plans start at $99 per year, providing access to more advanced functionalities and assets.

Focusky is suitable for educators, marketers, and creative professionals seeking a more dynamic alternative to traditional slide presentations.

11. SlideDog

SlideDog offers a distinct feature by enabling users to effortlessly combine different types of media into a single multimedia presentation.

Features:  It supports a variety of file formats, including PowerPoint, Prezi, PDFs, videos, and web pages. SlideDog also includes features for live sharing and audience interaction, along with playlist functionality for organizing presentation content.

Strengths:  SlideDog excels in its ability to integrate multiple formats into a cohesive presentation. It allows for real-time sharing with audiences and offers interactive features to enhance viewer engagement.

Weaknesses:  One drawback is that SlideDog relies on external applications for content creation and lacks built-in design tools. Additionally, managing multiple file types may pose some challenges for users.

Price:  SlideDog provides a free version, with the option to upgrade to the Pro version for $99 per year. The Pro version offers additional features such as offline playback and enhanced audience engagement tools.

Best for:  SlideDog is ideal for presenters who need to seamlessly integrate various types of content into their presentations. It is particularly suited for conferences, meetings, and educational settings.

Visme is a versatile tool designed for creating presentations, infographics, reports, and other visual content, with a focus on design and interactivity.

Key Features:  Visme offers a variety of templates and design elements, interactive features like pop-ups and rollover effects, analytics, content access control, and collaboration tools.

Strengths:  Visme stands out for its customization options, ability to create different types of content, and its emphasis on visual appeal and interactivity.

Weaknesses:  Some of the more advanced features require a paid plan, and users may find it challenging to fully utilize all of its capabilities.

Pricing:  Visme has a free basic plan, with paid options starting at $15 per month. Paid plans include access to more templates, assets, and features such as analytics and a brand kit.

Best for: Businesses

Loom provides a user-friendly platform for creating instant video recordings of screen activity, optionally incorporating webcam footage. It’s particularly useful for delivering presentations that require a personal touch or detailed explanations.

Loom offers simple screen recording, webcam integration, easy sharing via links, basic video editing tools, engagement metrics (views, reactions), and a comments section.

It simplifies the process of creating and sharing concise video explanations or presentations. Moreover, it enhances communication by adding a personal touch through video, supports asynchronous communication, and facilitates feedback collection directly on the video page.

While Loom is great for asynchronous video messaging, its interactive features for live presentations are limited. The platform is primarily designed for asynchronous communication rather than traditional interactive presentations.

Loom offers a free version with basic recording and sharing functionalities. The Pro version is available at $8 per user per month, offering additional features such as engagement insights, unlimited video length, and drawing tools.

Educators, team leaders, and professionals looking to convey concepts, provide feedback, or make announcements in a more engaging manner than text-based or traditional slide presentations. Loom is especially suited for tutorials, quick updates, and feedback sessions that benefit from visual and personalized communication.

  • No design skills required
  • 3 presentations/month free
  • Don’t need to learn a new software

slidesai

Closing Thoughts

Presentation software has come a long way. Gone are the days of dull slides. These days, there are many tools available to help you create presentations that are both informative and engaging for your audience. Whether you’re looking for something simple and easy to use, or a platform with more advanced features, there’s an option out there for you. So explore what’s available and ditch the outdated slides for a more dynamic presentation style!

Save Time and Effortlessly Create Presentations with SlidesAI

App screenshot

Best Microsoft Office alternative of 2024

We look at the best Microsoft Office alternatives for all budgets

Best overall

Best similar, best for features, best open source, best for tools, best for formats, best for experts, best all-in-one, best for small teams, best browser-based, how we test.

The best Microsoft Office alternatives make it simple and easy to use office apps for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, without needing a Microsoft subscription.

Person using a laptop in a coffeeshop

1. Best overall 2. Best similar 3. Best for features 4. Best open source 5. Best for tools 6. Best for formats 7. Best for experts 8. Best all-in-one 9. Best for small teams 10. Best browser-based 11. FAQs 12. How we test

Microsoft Office remains the most popular productivity suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more - whether as a download software package, or as the cloud-based Microsoft 365 suite - through powerful apps such as Word , Excel , PowerPoint , Publisher , Access , Outlook , and more.

However, a range of alternative competitors have become increasingly attractive, especially because their licensing fees are more competitive - some are even free to use. And yet that doesn't necessarily mean that the software is of lower quality, as the open source community can testify.

Even still, there can be issues with sharing documents between different office suite platforms, which can be a real concern. This is why you need to be certain of any shortfalls that might occur, especially if you need to share or collaborative on documents with other users who have one or more different office suites.

That said, the best Microsoft Office alternatives are generally strong programs with full functionality, and little problem sharing files with other platforms, though few come close to the full functionality of Microsoft 365, let alone its massive 2TB cloud storage through OneDrive. 

We compared the Microsoft office alternatives across various aspects, like the pricing models, the platforms they supported, the interface and performance, and the number of tools they came with. We also assessed their collaboration capabilities and the file formats they could run, among other aspects.

Below we'll list the best currently available.

We've also featured the best free office software .

Google Apps

Google Workspace : Collaboration + productivity apps There are many different office software suites but Google Workspace formerly known as G Suite remains the original cloud one and one of the best business office suites, offering a huge range of features and functionality that rivals can't match. Try it free for 14 days .

The best Microsoft Office alternatives of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

LibreOffice website screenshot.

1. LibreOffice

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

LibreOffice is the offspring of The Document Foundation and split from OpenOffice in 2010. The suite itself is free and open source, and is made up of a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software, and is available in 110 languages.

While LibreOffice uses the ODF (OpenDocument) format it still supports a range of other format types such as those used in Microsoft Office. LibreOffice is the default suite for most Linux distros and it is also available for use on Windows and macOS. There's also a LibreOffice viewer for Android.

As with most open source software all your technical support comes from online, but seeing how easy this is to use, support will be rarely needed. The platform also offers the option to export your files into PDF format amongst others.

You can add extra features to LibreOffice via extensions from its website. These include extra templates for documents.

Read our full LibreOffice review .

  • ^ Back to the top

FreeOffice website screenshot.

2. FreeOffice

If you are looking for a free and easy alternative to Microsoft Office, then FreeOffice is the suite for you. The company, SoftMaker, has been developing office software since 1987 and its office suite is their flagship product.

FreeOffice is a complete office suite that is free to use for both home and in the workplace. It is developed for both Windows and Linux, and offers a basic version for Android users.

The suite itself is fully compatible with all Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. This means that you can not only view but save files in formats such as DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX. It also supports older file types such as PPT and XLS.

The new interface that was launched this year gives you the option of either working with modern or classic menus and toolbars. This makes switching from Microsoft Office easy to do as the interface is eerily similar.

For those users who have the luxury of a touchscreen PC you can use touch mode with larger icons. This mode is available for both the newer version look and the classic menu-based interface.

Read our full FreeOffice review .

WPS Office website screenshot.

3. WPS Office

WPS Office was released in 2016 by Chinese software developer Kingsoft. It is an office suite that is available for Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. The suite is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Russian.

It offers a free and a premium tier. The free tier allows you to use Writer, Presentation and Spreadsheets, which are alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite which it also resembles closely. WPS offers a PDF to Word converter which is fast and easy to use. It supports bulk exportation and can also split-merge PDF files if needed.

The suite offers 1GB of free cloud storage for iOS and PC users, but this service is not yet available for Android.

The 'Premium' tier allows the user to connect up 9 devices at once. It also gets rids of all those annoying adverts that are commonplace on the free tier. 

WPS has been criticized for not allowing collaboration beyond those that track changes and allow users to insert comments. Users have also said that the interface can be quite slow at times when it comes to loading documents. Linux users have mentioned that not all fonts are automatically included and that they have to be installed separately.

For Android users installation is quite large and criticism has been levelled imploring the developer to make it more lightweight.

Read our full WPS Office review .

Calligra website screenshot.

4. Calligra

Calligra Office suite was initially released in October 2000 as part of KOffice. It is an office suite developed by KDE as well as being suitable to use for graphic art design. It is available on Linux, macOS, Windows and Android.

Calligra is a free and open source software suite and can be downloaded directly from its own website or from KDE's downloads page. It is completely distinct from LibreOffice.

While LibreOffice has the familiar look and feel of MS Office, Calligra does not. A lot of the useable features tabs are set on the right-hand side of the screen and not on the top like MS Office and other office suites. This means that the page you are currently editing does not take up the full screen.

One of the extra features that makes Calligra stand out is that it offers a mind-mapping and project managing tool. Usually these cost extra.

Calligra allows you to read DOCX and DOX formats but you cannot edit them. This can cause difficulties if your contacts send you Microsoft Office documents, so ask them to use a different format such as ODT (Open Document Text) instead.

OfficeSuite website screenshot.

5. OfficeSuite

OfficeSuite is an application that was developed by MobiSystems and is available for Android, iOS and Windows. Devices that are made by Amazon , Toshiba, Sony and Alcatel often come with OfficeSuite pre-installed. The Android app has been named among the top applications for business.

You can synchronize between devices using your OfficeSuite account and only one license is needed for all your devices.

It has several tiers to choose from. The 'Basic' tier is free and allows users to view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. The suite has full compatibility with most formats such as ODT, RTF, CSV, DOC, and ZIP. The free tier also enables users to view PDF documents and offers cloud support via services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive.

The 'Personal' tier enables the suite on one desktop, one tablet and one phone. It has all the free tier has to offer along with the ability to track changes, export PDF's to other editable formats and advanced PDF features such as digital signatures and passwords. 

Read our full OfficeSuite review .

Polaris Office website screenshot.

6. Polaris Office

Polaris Office is developed by Intraware and was initially released in March 2014. It is a free office suite that is available for Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. It appears to be a popular suite amongst businesses and is used by the likes of Amazon and Samsung .

While the free version is very generous there is a business version to which you can upgrade. Their cheapest plan is the Polaris Office Smart which you can use on any of your devices for about $40 per year. Alternatively you can purchase a lifetime fee limited to one PC at around $80.

With this powerful suite you can edit many different file formats including PPT, XLS, DOCX and HWP. As your account synchronizes amongst your devices you will be able to edit and create from wherever you are. All your data is secured by AWS (Amazon Web Services).

With the latest edition of Polaris you can now convert and edit PDF documents. Users can also convert voice and image files to documents if the need arises.

The suite supports several different languages such as French, German, Korean, English and Russian.

The only real criticism there is of Polaris is that while the free edition offers a huge range of features the ads can be a little distracting at times.

Read our full Polaris Office review .

OnlyOffice website screenshot.

7. OnlyOffice

OnlyOffice is an open source office suite developed by Ascensio Systems SIA. It is available in over 22 languages and boasts of Oracle being one of their leading clients.

The completely free version, known as the 'Community Edition' is most suited for small business and allows up to 20 connections at once. This suite does not just offer the usual features such as word processing or spreadsheets but is very useful in relation to order fulfilment and for documenting sales.

The handy calendar feature allows user to keep up to date with personal and work-related tasks as well as keeping an eye on deadlines. Third party integration is also supported. You can create your own Mailboxes with the 'Mail' tool.

As with other office suites there is the ability to create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Users can collaborate on projects and make comments in files where necessary.

Read our full OnlyOffice review .

WordPerfect website screenshot.

8. WordPerfect

WordPerfect has had a number of owners over the years since it was developed in the late 1970s. Fast forward to 1996, it was purchased by Corel who, back then wanted to build a business capable of competing with Microsoft and Adobe . WordPerfect was most popular in the 80's where it was known for its DOS and Microsoft Windows versions. It was soon eclipsed by Microsoft Office upon its release.

It is an all-in-one office suite. It offers its own word processor, spreadsheet program and a slideshow creator.  The latest version now includes improved photo-editing and management. WordPerfect offer a free trial version which you can download from the main site.

Like other suites it can save to many different formats such as DOCX, PDF and HTML. The common file extensions for WordPerfect files is WPD. It also offers ebooks publishing and macro management.

The PDF feature gives users the ability to edit and fill in forms via PDF, as well as change the form's appearance e.g. font/color. WordPerfect supports opening multiple documents at one time.

While WordPerfect is a perfectly reasonable program, and many early Windows adopters may remember it fondly, the pricing just isn't very competitive when compared to the rest of the market.

Read our full WordPerfect review .

Zoho Workplace website screenshot.

9. Zoho Workplace

While Google Docs is, thanks to the strength of its brand, probably more widely used, Zoho Workplace is very good in its own right. It's certainly closer to a desktop office package, and it's strong enough to have attracted businesses like the BBC and Nike as regular users.

Zoho's new-look word processor (which ditches the classic Word-style interface in favour of a formatting sidebar) is very well-presented and capable of producing professional-looking docs, and it has a sterling spreadsheet and reasonable presentation package alongside it.

They're just the tip of the iceberg, however – Zoho Workplace includes a powerful site creation tool, a file management solution and many collaborative tools. Some are on the simplistic side, so they'll likely not replace anything you might already have in place, but if you're starting out as a small business Zoho is probably a good jumping-off point.

If you want to signup for the free version of Zoho Workplace you need to search the pricing page for the "Forever free" plan. However, there's no one-click set up or access, and instead you have to go through a sign up process that begins by providing details of an existing business domain.

Read our full Zoho Workplace review .

Google Workspace website screenshot.

10. Google Workspace

Google Workspace is another Microsoft Office alternative worth considering, as it's development by the internet behemoth Google specifically for collaborative and group work. The three key tools run happily in any web browser, and are available as mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.

Google's free office suite doesn't offer the advanced tools you'll find in Microsoft 365 or many rivals, but everything is laid out in a clear, logical way and all your files will be saved and synced automatically so you don't have to worry about transfers and backups.

The chief disadvantage of Workspace is that opening files created using other office software is a cumbersome process and file formatting isn't is always converted properly. This is partly because Google's office tools use web fonts rather than ones stored locally on your device, and partly because Microsoft documents sometimes contain features not supported by Google. 

Additionally, there are some quirks with Google Docs that make it less user-friendly than other office software. As free software it does the job fine, but as a paid product it still lags behind the features and functionality of Microsoft Office.

Read our full Google workspace review .

Also check out our feature on the best free word processor .

How to choose the best Microsoft Office alternatives for you?

When choosing the best Microsoft Office alternatives for yourself, consider your work requirements: how large is your team size, what operating systems do you use (Windows, macOS, or Linux), and is your work collaborative? 

You'll then want to assess your budget. If you're on a tight budget, free options will be quite handy, but if you have a substantial budget, paid plans with advanced features could be more suitable

To test the best Microsoft Office alternatives, we first looked at the pricing plans: is the office suite free, freemium, or paid?

We considered what platforms the office suites ran on, whether they had a simple and appealing interface, how many apps they came with, and how smoothly they performed. Importantly, we looked at whether the Microsoft Office alternatives could open Microsoft file formats, like DOX and DOCX, and if there was an option to edit these files. 

We also used the different suites to assess how easy the collaboration was with them and whether the tools could be run on web browsers, among other things.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .  

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Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing, technology, and marketing titles. He has been interviewed multiple times for the BBC and been a speaker at international conferences. His specialty on techradar is Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, covering everything from office suites to IT service tools. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, published as Brian G Turner.

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beste powerpoint alternative

COMMENTS

  1. The 8 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives

    Best for Apple Users: Keynote. What We Like. Simple to use. Apple Pencil support. Cloud based as well as app based. What We Don't Like. App is only on Apple devices. Keynote is Apple's direct competitor to Microsoft PowerPoint and it's a great alternative, especially if you're a Mac user. With app support for iOS and Mac, it takes seconds to ...

  2. Top 10 PowerPoint Alternatives in 2024 (Comparison Guide)

    The top 10 PowerPoint alternatives are Visme, Prezi, Keynote, Slides, Slidebean, Zoho Show, Google Slides, Canva, Beautiful.ai, and Microsoft Sway. Visme is the ultimate alternative to PowerPoint that gives you complete control over your presentation's design, layout and message flow. Access 500+ presentation templates and customize them using ...

  3. 9 Best PowerPoint Alternatives in 2024 (Powered by AI)

    🥈Best PowerPoint Alternative For AI-powered Content Creation. SlidesAI is an innovative tool that uses AI to streamline the presentation creation process. It is specialized for creating attractive presentations efficiently. Unlike PowerPoint, which often involves tedious formatting and design work, SlidesAI focuses on automation and ease of use.

  4. The best presentation software in 2024

    The best presentation software. Canva for a free presentation app. Beautiful.ai for AI-powered design. Prezi for non-linear, conversational presentations. Powtoon for video presentations. Pitch for collaborating with your team on presentations. Gamma for conversational AI features.

  5. 15 Popular PowerPoint Alternatives (Full Comparison Guide)

    3. Apple Keynote. For Mac users, Apple Keynote is this developer's alternative to PowerPoint. And just like PowerPoint, it allows you to create impactful presentations to bring your ideas to life. One of its main advantages is its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy and intuitive to use.

  6. Best free presentation software of 2024

    Best free presentation software of 2024. The best free presentation software makes it simple and easy to create presentations as an alternative to subscribing to Microsoft PowerPoint. 1. Best ...

  7. Presentation Software for 2022: 10 Best PowerPoint Alternatives

    1. Beautiful.ai. We hate to brag, but our PowerPoint-alternative software is perfect for designing professional-level presentations in a fraction of the time it takes to create a mediocre PowerPoint slide deck. By choosing to advanced presentation software like Beautiful.ai, users are handing over the bulk of the design work to artificial ...

  8. 12 Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives You Can Use

    1. Prezi. When it comes to full-on customization, " Prezi " has a clear edge over Microsoft Powerpoint. Featuring an ever-growing collection of a variety of templates from business and education to sales and marketing, the online presentation platform ensures you have plenty of options available all the time.

  9. 9 Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives: Top Presentation Makers in

    Microsoft PowerPoint is described as 'Part of the Microsoft 365 (Office), enables users to create high-impact, dynamic presentations, while integrating workflow and ways to easily share information' and is a very popular presentation maker in the office & productivity category.There are more than 50 alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Web-based ...

  10. The 7 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives for Presentations

    Additionally, the free version supports only one user at a time with a storage space of 1MB. 6. LibreOffice. LibreOffice is open-source presentation software that does everything PowerPoint can do. Although it lacks functionality such as OneDrive Integration, its PowerPoint-like functionality more than makes up for it.

  11. 9 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives| The Beautiful Blog

    PROS: Genuine free PowerPoint alternative - great features included in the free Basic plan! Create presentations in 3 easy steps: choose a design theme, add a template and then the content. Presentation design is optimized in real-time. Good design principles ensure your audience learns effectively.

  12. Best PowerPoint Alternatives in 2022

    2. beautiful.ai. beautiful.ai (as suggested in the name) is a presentation software that uses artificial intelligence to get the best possible slides. And the results are - well - beautiful. After a short tutorial and some time to get used to the program, playing around with slides, elements and texts and seeing how the AI assistant transforms them is actually a lot of fun!

  13. The Top PowerPoint Alternatives in 2023

    7. Slidebean. Similar to Beautiful.ai, Slide Bean's user-friendly PowerPoint alternative software uses artificial intelligence to assist in creating a professional-level visual presentation design. The free program similar to PowerPoint features customizable templates, or users can design their slide deck from scratch.

  14. The ULTIMATE Guide to PowerPoint Alternatives

    Customisation. Visme has way more functionality than PowerPoint alternatives like Prezi Next. There's all the align tools you need, the ability to change font size, swap out icons, and more. There are good customisation tools, such as text kerning and line spacing to help you create something really personalised.

  15. 13 Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Awesome Presentations in 2023

    Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives in 2023. 1. Google Slides. Download: Android | iOS. Google Slides is one of the best PowerPoint alternatives. It lets you collaborate with your teammates by letting you; chat with them, comment on the work, edit in real-time, and you can share the presentation with anyone.

  16. 8 Alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint You Need to Try

    3. LibreOffice Impress. LibreOffice Impress is a part of the LibreOffice suite, an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. When considering alternatives to PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress is right up there with Google Slides, as it lets you open and save files in PowerPoint format or convert them to the OpenOffice extension.

  17. 15 PowerPoint Alternatives for High-Stakes Presentations

    Here are the main features that make these PowerPoint alternatives a better choice: Rich library of pre-built templates: Dive into diverse designs, ready to customize and make your own. Data visualization options: Turn complex data into clear, compelling visuals with ease. Multimedia: Embed videos, audio, and more for a multi-sensory experience ...

  18. The 6 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives in 2023

    Google Slides. Google Slides is the one-size-fits-all inheritor of the PowerPoint mantle. If you have used PowerPoint, you'll already be pretty familiar with Google Slides. There's nothing fancy, nothing unexpected. It's just a reliable web-based presentation platform that's greatest strength lies in the familiarity of its capabilities ...

  19. Best free office software of 2024

    For most users, Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Microsoft Office and Office 365) remains the original and best office suite. Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint remain key office apps. However ...

  20. Top 13 Powerpoint Alternatives for Your Presentation

    Best for: Prezi is ideal for presentations that require a more dynamic and visually engaging approach compared to traditional slide presentations. 5. Canva. Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool with built-in presentation features, offering a wide range of professional templates.

  21. 15 Easy-to-Use PowerPoint Alternatives

    Canva (software, web) Canva is one of the best PowerPoint alternatives full of color and creativity, modern style, and easier interface. It offers a large number of free and paid gorgeous templates that you can edit and download at any time. Every function is visible and easy to reach with just one click.

  22. 7 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives For Your Business

    Here are the seven best PowerPoint alternatives (listed alphabetically) they identified. See the full list of Microsoft Powerpoint alternatives. take me there. 1. Apache OpenOffice. Apache OpenOffice is an open-source software suite that offers a presentation tool to design multimedia slides.

  23. Best Microsoft Office alternative of 2024

    The best Microsoft Office alternatives make it simple and easy to use office apps for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, without needing a Microsoft subscription. Best Microsoft ...

  24. 11 Best Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives and Comparisons

    What is the Best Alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint. When stepping up your presentation game, these 11 alternatives are the superheroes you need in your corner. Each one brings its unique powers to the table, transforming mundane slides into captivating experiences that keep your audience on the edge of their seats: