other term for presentation software

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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Blog Graphic Design 12 Best Presentation Software for 2024

12 Best Presentation Software for 2024

Written by: Krystle Wong Jan 12, 2024

Whether you’re a student, professional or entrepreneur, having access to the right presentation tools can make all the difference.

When you craft a well-executed presentation , your message becomes more memorable. You’re not just sharing information; you’re weaving a story, painting a picture and leaving a lasting impact on your audience’s minds.

We’re living in the age of information overload, where attention spans are shorter than ever. A good presentation slide takes this into account, breaking down complex information into bite-sized chunks. It guides your audience through a logical flow, allowing them to digest information effortlessly and retain key points without feeling overwhelmed.

To help you stay ahead of the game, I’ve compiled a list of the 12 best software for presentations. These PowerPoint alternatives offer a combination of user-friendly interfaces, stunning visuals, collaboration features and innovative functionalities that will take your presentations to the next level.

Let’s dive in and explore these top presentation software picks!

1. Venngage

Allow me to be a little bit biased here but my top pick is none other than, you guessed it — Venngage! Venngage goes beyond just presentations to focus on data visualization and transforming complex information into visually appealing and engaging visuals.

One of the standout features of Venngage as a presentation software is the extensive library of infographic elements. Gain access to a wide range of pre-designed elements such as icons, charts, maps as well as illustrations to simplify the process of creating data-driven and visually appealing presentations.

You don’t have to be a pro when designing with Venngage. Venngage’s drag-and-drop interface allows you to customize your presentations by simply dragging and dropping elements onto the canvas. You can tweak sizes, colors and layouts with ease, making your presentations visually cohesive and personalized, even if you’re not a design wizard.

Just so you know, some of our features and templates are free to use and some require a small monthly fee. Sign-up is completely free, as is access to Venngage’s online drag-and-drop editor. Here’s how Venngage’s presentation maker can become your secret weapon in the quest for presentation success.

Vast selection of templates

Venngage boasts an extensive library of professionally designed templates, catering to a wide range of industries and presentation purposes. Whether you’re creating a marketing report, educational presentation or business pitch, Venngage’s presentation tool offers templates that provide a solid foundation for your designs.

Save 20+ hours of designing with Venngage’s fully customizable, pre-designed infographic templates. Thes e presentation templates provide a good foundation with well-structured layouts and visually appealing aesthetics.

Data visualization made easy

Venngage simplifies the process of data visualization, making it accessible to users of all backgrounds. With a few clicks, you can transform dull statistics into visually engaging charts and graphs that tell a compelling story.

Seamless real-time in-editor collaboration tools

Venngage brings teamwork to the next level with our seamless collaboration tools designed to foster collaboration across teams, departments and the entire organization. Whether you’re in the same room or across the globe, Venngage enables real-time collaboration that makes working together becomes a breeze.

Consistently brand your designs with smart Autobrand features

Effortlessly infuse your presentation slides with your brand’s colors, fonts and logos with Venngage’s My Brand Kit . Upload your brand assets and create engaging presentations by applying your branding to any template you create on Venngage.

Who is it for

Marketers, designers, educators and businesses that require data-driven and visually appealing presentations.

Key features

Infographic elements, data visualization tools, collaboration options, customizable templates.

Create your first 5 designs with Venngage for free and upgrade to a premium or business plan for $10 USD/month per user and $24 USD/month per user to enjoy premium features. For larger teams who need extra support, controls and security, the enterprise plan starts from $499 USD/month for 10+ seats.

Additionally, there are also plans available for classrooms priced at $99 USD/year for up to 35 students per instructor. Non profit organizations can also apply for a nonprofit discount to any Venngage plan.

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

Source: Screenshot from Microsoft PowerPoint

Even with dozens of presentation software and tools out there, PowerPoint presentations have stood the test of time as one of the best presentation software. In fact, 89% of people still use PowerPoint presentations over competitor services .

Whether you’re a student, teacher, business professional or just a creative soul, PowerPoint’s user-friendly interface allows both beginners and experienced users to create presentations with ease.

PowerPoint delivers captivating and engaging presentations through its advanced animation and transition effects. You can create interactive PowerPoint presentations by captivating your audience and guiding them through your content with seamless transitions and eye-catching animations.

Seamless integration with other Microsoft Office tools is another significant advantage of PowerPoint as a presentation software. As part of the Microsoft Office suite, PowerPoint effortlessly integrates with other familiar applications such as Word and Excel. This integration allows you to incorporate charts, graphs and written content from these tools directly into your presentation.

However, collaboration features in PowerPoint can be somewhat limited compared to dedicated collaboration platforms. While you can share and co-edit presentations with others, the collaboration options may not be as robust as those offered by specialized presentation tools.

Suitable for individuals, students, educators and businesses of all sizes.

Customizable templates, multimedia support, extensive slide editing options, robust animations and transitions.

You can subscribe to PowerPoint as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription with various plans tailored for businesses, ranging from $6 to $22 USD/month. Additionally, there is also the option to purchase an unbundled PowerPoint account separately, priced at $159.99 USD.

3. Google Slides

Source: Screenshot from Google Slides

Unlike PowerPoint which requires file sharing and manual syncing for teamwork, Google Slides enables real-time collaboration and easy access from any device with an internet connection.

Google Slides shines in its seamless collaboration capabilities. Multiple users can work on the same presentation simultaneously, enabling real-time editing and fostering efficient teamwork. The integrated commenting feature on Google Slides allows for shared feedback and discussions, enhancing collaboration even further.

Google Slides’ cloud-based storage and auto-saving feature ensures that your work is constantly saved, minimizing the risk of losing progress or important changes. No more panicking over unsaved slides and changes.

But that also means that Google Slides heavily relies on an internet connection for full functionality and access is more limited compared to desktop-based software. Although an offline mode is available, Google Slides has certain limitations and may not provide the same level of functionality as when connected to the internet.

Templates and customization features-wise, Google Slides also have fewer design options compared to other presentation tools. This may limit the level of visual creativity and flexibility for those seeking intricate designs or specialized effects.

Ideal for remote teams, educators, students and anyone looking for easy collaboration and access from any device.

Real-time collaboration, shared commenting, offline mode and built-in sharing options.

Google Slides is accessible to all individuals with a Google account at no cost, providing all users with access to its full range of features. However, for businesses and teams looking for additional organizational capabilities, there are subscription plans available ranging from $6 to $18 USD/month.

4. Keynote (for Mac users)

Source: Screenshot from Keynote

For Apple users, Keynote is a presentation tool designed exclusively for your Apple devices and is available on macOS, iOS and iPadOS. Keynote is known for its sleek and intuitive interface, reflecting Apple’s design aesthetics.

It offers visually appealing templates, animations, and transitions, allowing users to create polished and modern-looking presentations. Keynote users can seamlessly incorporate images, videos, audio files and interactive elements into their presentations. The presentation software also includes a wide range of animations and transitions, enabling smooth and cinematic effects that bring slides to life.

Keynote presentations is known for its seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem. It works effortlessly with other Apple applications, allowing users to combine different elements and data from various sources. Presentations created in Keynote can be easily shared and accessed across Apple devices, ensuring a consistent experience for both the presenter and the audience.

Additionally, Keynote as a presentation software offers collaborative editing capabilities, enabling multiple users to work on the same presentation simultaneously. Users can share their presentations with others, who can then provide feedback, make edits and contribute to the project in real-time.

That said, since Keynote is exclusively designed for Apple devices, it may not be accessible or fully compatible with non-Apple platforms. Hence, sharing presentations created in Keynote with users on different platforms may require exporting or converting the files to a compatible format, which can lead to potential formatting issues or loss of certain features.

Mac users, creatives, professionals, educators and anyone who wants visually stunning presentations.

Elegant templates, advanced multimedia options, cinematic transitions and collaborative editing.

Keynote is available for free on Apple devices, including macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. As it comes pre-installed with these devices, users can access and use Keynote without any additional cost.

Source: Screenshot from Prezi

Known for its distinctive zooming presentation style, Prezi revolutionizes the way you create presentations by offering a visually engaging and non-linear approach.

One of Prezi’s renowned features is its unique zooming and transition effects, allowing presenters to navigate through a virtual canvas seamlessly. This dynamic presentation style enhances engagement by creating a sense of movement and spatial relationship between ideas.

Moreover, Prezi offers cloud-based collaboration, making it easy for multiple users to collaborate on a presentation in real-time. This feature facilitates seamless teamwork, enabling users to collectively develop and refine their presentations regardless of their physical locations.

Prezi presentations also include interactive elements, such as embedded videos, images and hyperlinks. Utilizing these elements would allow presenters to create interactive presentations and engage their audience on a deeper level.

However, Prezi has a steeper learning curve compared to more traditional presentation tools. Users may require some time and practice to become proficient in navigating the canvas, creating smooth transitions and effectively utilizing all of Prezi’s features.

Creative professionals, educators and individuals who want to create visually captivating and non-linear presentations.

Zooming presentation style, interactive elements, cloud-based collaboration and reusable templates.

For individuals & business professionals

Basics: Create and share up to 5 visual projects for free

Standard: Starting at $5 USD/month

Plus: Starting at $12 USD/month

Premium: Starting at $16 USD/month

Teams: Starting at $19 USD/month per user (billed annually)

For Students & Educators

EDU Plus: Starting at $3/month

EDU Pro: Starting at $4/month

EDU Teams: Enquiry required with Prezi sales team

Source: Screenshot from Canva

One of the great things about Canva as a presentation tool is its user-friendly interface, which makes it super easy to use even if you’re not a design pro. You can simply drag and drop elements to create your presentation slides without breaking a sweat.

Canva’s vast collection of pre-designed templates caters to various purposes and occasions. The availability of these templates allows users to jumpstart their design projects with professional-looking layouts, saving valuable time and effort.

For businesses or educational institutions working on group projects or marketing campaigns, Canva also offers collaboration features that enhance teamwork and co-creation. Users can invite team members or clients to collaborate on a design project, enabling real-time feedback and efficient design processes.

While Canva does offer some basic slide transition effects, the range and customization options for transitions may be limited compared to dedicated presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote.

Individuals, students, small businesses and startups seeking professional-looking marketing materials and presentations.

Extensive template options, intuitive drag-and-drop interface, ability to share presentations as downloadable files or online links and built-in multimedia support for adding videos , images, and audio to slides.

The free version of Canva provides a wide range of features and resources, with the only limitations being the use of premium resources that can be acquired either through separate purchases or by subscribing to the Canva Pro plan. The Canva Pro plan is available for $12.99 USD per month or $119.99 USD per year.

For collaborative purposes, Canva Teams is available at a price of $14.99 USD per month, with an additional charge of $14.99 USD per month for every team member beyond the initial five.

7. Adobe Express

Source: Screenshot from Adobe Express

As part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Adobe Express is a presentation software that offers a simplified and user-friendly interface. With its intuitive interface, Adobe Express allows users to create visually stunning presentations with ease. Users can access both design professionals and individuals without extensive design experience.

One of the notable advantages of Adobe Express is its seamless integration with other Adobe products, such as Photoshop and Illustrator. This integration enables users to leverage the power of these industry-standard design tools within their presentations, providing access to advanced design features and a vast library of high-quality assets.

Adobe Express is also great for creating interactive presentations. Its extensive multimedia support, allowing users to incorporate videos, audio files and interactive elements to keep your audience engaged.

That being said, some of its advanced features may require familiarity with other Adobe tools, which can be challenging for beginners who are not already familiar with the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem.

Designers, creative professionals, individuals and businesses seeking professional-grade presentation design.

Professional design options, multimedia support, easy integration with other Adobe products and cloud-based collaboration.

While the free version for Adobe Express includes all the core features, users can gain access to premium templates and features when they upgrade to the Premium subscription for $9.99 USD/month.

For businesses and teams, Adobe provides tailored plans that include additional features like collaboration tools, centralized license management and enterprise-level support. The pricing for these plans depends on the number of licenses and the specific needs of the organization. It’s best to consult with Adobe or their authorized resellers to get accurate pricing information for business plans.

8. Haiku Deck

Source: Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is all about visual storytelling, offering a simple and minimalist approach to designing presentations. With its clean and minimalist templates, Haiku Deck makes it a breeze to create presentations that focus on eye-catching images.

Haiku Deck is a user-friendly presentation software that offers a straightforward and intuitive interface. It’s designed to be easily accessible on both computers and mobile devices, giving you the flexibility to create quick and practical presentations on the go.

Plus, the presentation tool seamlessly integrates with image search engines, making it a piece of cake to find and add high-quality visuals that enhance the overall look and feel of your presentation.

However,if you’re looking for advanced features like complex animations or interactive elements, you might not find them here. While the clean and minimalist templates are gorgeous, they don’t offer as much flexibility for customization.

Educators, individuals and professionals who appreciate the power of visual storytelling and minimalist design.

Image-focused templates, easy-to-use interface, cloud-based collaboration and seamless image search integration.

Haiku Deck offers a free trial that allows you to experience the software with one presentation. If you decide to upgrade, they have different pricing plans available. Additionally, Haiku Deck also offers special pricing to qualifying nonprofit organizations, students and educators.

The Pro plans are available at $9.99 per month with annual billing or $19.99 per month with monthly billing. For those seeking advanced features, the Premium plans are priced at $29.99 per month.

Source: Screenshot from Ludus

Ludus brings together the best of both worlds by offering the traditional slide deck format along with interactive and multimedia elements that take presentations to a whole new level.

The presentation software is rich in multimedia capabilities, allowing users to seamlessly integrate videos, audio and elements to create interactive presentations that captivate the audience.

Ludus offers unique presentation tools that enable users to incorporate interactive elements like clickable buttons, hover effects and embedded web content, enabling a more dynamic and engaging presentation experience.

This makes Ludus a great choice for designers, creatives, marketing professionals, and anyone who wants to create interactive and visually appealing presentations that leave a lasting impression. Collaboration is another area where Ludus excels. The software offers collaborative editing, allowing multiple users to edit presentations simultaneously.

However, it’s worth mentioning that Ludus has relatively limited templates compared to some other presentation software options. While the customization options are vast, users might find themselves starting from scratch or investing more time in creating the initial design. Additionally, for individuals new to the platform, there might be a learning curve involved in fully harnessing all of Ludus’ features and capabilities.

Designers, creatives, marketing professionals and anyone looking for interactive and visually appealing presentations.

Interactive and multimedia elements, collaborative editing, extensive design customization, real-time comments and feedback.

Ludus offers a starting price of $14.99 USD/month per user for teams consisting of 1-15 members with all features included. For larger teams requiring additional licenses, Ludus encourages reaching out for more information on pricing. It’s worth noting that Ludus provides a 30-day free trial, allowing users to explore the platform and its features before committing to a subscription.

10. Slidebean

Source: Screenshot from Slidebean

Slidebean offers a unique approach to slide design by automating the process and simplifying the creation of well-designed presentations. With its automation features, Slidebean streamlines the design process, saving users valuable time and effort.

The highlight of Slidebean is its automated slide design functionality. Using artificial intelligence (AI), the software generates visually appealing slide layouts based on the content provided. Slidebean also offers collaboration options, allowing multiple team members to work on a presentation simultaneously.

Another advantage of Slidebean is its AI-powered content suggestions. The software intelligently analyzes the presentation content and provides helpful suggestions for improving the messaging and overall flow. This feature ensures that users can effectively communicate their ideas and engage their audience.

Unlike Ludus, Slidebean may not cater to users who prefer extensive customization and control over their slide layouts. Certain advanced features are only available in premium plans, which may require an upgrade for those seeking more advanced functionality.

Startups, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and individuals who want to create polished presentations quickly.

Automated design, content suggestions, collaboration tools and pitch deck-specific templates.

The free version offers limited functionalities, but it provides a sufficient opportunity to experience Slidebean’s capabilities and understand its workflow. However, to export your presentation and access advanced features, upgrading to a higher plan is necessary.

The all-access plan is available at $228 USD/year, while additional services such as startup expert consultations and pitch deck and financial model services are available for separate purchase.

11. Beautiful.ai

Source: Screenshot from Beautiful.ai

Beautiful.ai aims to simplify the process of creating visually stunning and professional-looking slides with minimal effort. One of the notable strengths of the presentation software is its collection of smart templates and design suggestions.

Their templates are intelligently designed to provide visually appealing layouts, saving users valuable time and effort in creating presentations. Unlike other types of presentation software, the platform leverages AI-powered technology to offer layout optimization, ensuring that slide elements are positioned optimally for maximum impact.

Beautiful.ai also offers time-saving features that streamline the presentation creation process. The software automatically adjusts the layout and formatting as users add or modify content, eliminating the need for manual adjustments.

As the software provides smart templates and design suggestions, customization options may be somewhat limited. Users may find that certain design elements or layout adjustments are not as flexible as they would like.

Individuals, startups and professionals who want visually impressive presentations without extensive design skills.

Smart templates, automated design suggestions, AI-powered layout optimization and easy slide customization.

Beautiful.ai provides two subscription options for users. The Pro plan is available at a monthly cost of $12 USD /month, while the Team plan is priced at $40 USD/month. Both plans are billed annually. You can also subscribe to the monthly subscription for ad hoc projects and gain access to all pro features for $45 USD/month (billed monthly).

There is a 14-day free trial period that allows users to thoroughly test and explore the features and capabilities of the tool before committing to a subscription.

Source: Screenshot from Pitch

Pitch is a modern video presentation maker that stands out with its collaborative and iterative approach to presentation creation.

One of the key strengths of Pitch lies in its collaborative features. The presentation software provides robust collaboration tools that allow team members to work together in real-time. This makes it easy for users to collaborate on presentation content, provide feedback and make revisions collectively.

Pitch boasts an extensive slide library, offering a wide range of professionally designed templates to choose from. These templates serve as a foundation for creating visually stunning presentations while providing a starting point that saves time and ensures a polished look.

The availability of diverse templates caters to different industries, topics and presentation styles, allowing users to create presentations for their needs.

Seamless integration with project management tools is another advantage of Pitch. The software integrates well with popular project management platforms, enabling users to streamline their workflow by syncing tasks, deadlines and other project-related information with their presentations.

For teams, startups and businesses that value collaboration, feedback and the ability to iterate on their presentations

Collaboration tools, version control, project management integration and template library.

Users can create unlimited presentations and enjoy the starter plan for free or upgrade to Pro for $8 USD/month, billed annually.

There you have it — the top 12 best presentation tools for the year! Whether you value simplicity, collaboration, automation, design versatility or data visualization, these presentation software examples have a solution out there for your future presentations.

Got your mind set on your to-go presentation software? Great! Now it’s time to start creating your slides and ace that presentation.

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15 Best Presentation Software for 2021

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By Bilyana Nikolaeva

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On average a presentation takes up to 20 minutes and experts say we make an impression within the first 30 seconds. That is why it’s important to “dress” our great product/idea with an equally exciting design. Most often, presentations are cooked up by non-designers, which creates a specific need – for powerful presentation software, which can help communicate a message beautifully, effectively, and to suit any user’s skill level. We hand-picked 15 of the best presentation software for 2021 , which will help you create presentations online, share them, while shining in your best light. In the meanwhile, check out some useful ideas tips to spice up your presentations .

A web-based presentation tool, which means you can access your presentations wherever you are, with an internet connection. It is known for its animations, cartoons, and infographics, which help the user to create more interactive presentations and explainer-style videos.

Example by Focusky

Best Features: Very interactive; you can create a unique to your story by combining different “frames” (slides); create your own animations within the presentation Price: Free, but heavily subscription-based Learning curve: Very intuitive, nicely organized by categories, but it would require some time to learn the animation controls Available for: Online Perfect for: Marketing and education

To summarize, this presentation tool is best for marketers and education, where the creator can get the most out of the cool animation and cartoons available. In the last years, there is an increased interest in Powtoon and RenderForest and we expect that more and more people will use them in 2021. No surprise – if you look at our article about Graphic Design Trends in 2022 , everything is moving towards animation, cool 3D-s, cartoons, and illustrations – and these are all things that this software can offer for your presentation.

Prezi is an online presentation software, which resembles a mind map. In comparison, PowerPoint offers a linear way of presenting, whereas Prezi allows you to better show relationships between different elements of your presentation, show details, zoom in and zoom out and show an overall view of your topic. Compared to PowerPoint is more interactive, but with fewer functionalities and a choice of templates.

Example by PreziBase

Best Features: Interactive presentations and interesting transitions, zoom in/out details Price: The very basic features are free, but most of the interesting ones are paid, starting from $3/month and reaching up to $59/month. They offer a free trial. Learning curve: it requires learning and going through a lot of menus and functionalities, similar to PowerPoint Available for: Online / Limited use for iOS and Android (only viewing, not creating and editing) Perfect for: teachers, businesses, more experienced designers, and specific presentations needs, but not recommended for newbies

Prezi is best in showing relationships between different parts of your presentations. There are some challenges in editing, and viewing across devices and its best features are paid for. We recommend it for quick, mind-map-like presentations without the need for ultra-special design.

3. RenderForest Presentation Maker

RenderForest is an online presentation tool, which is famous for its explainer style and whiteboard animations. The presentation templates often offer various motion/video backgrounds, which helps to grab your audience’s attention. Currently, the company is working on releasing its Graphic Design Software, which will allow users to create printables and beautiful designs for social media. This shows that RenderForest’s team knows the market well and does its best to cater to its needs!

Example by Renderforest

Best Features: Video holders with text on shapes, cool transitions Price: There is a free version, the paid ones start at $20.34 per user/month Learning curve: Relatively easy to use, the simple interface helps the user Available for: Online / iOS / Android Perfect for: Education and business

Although not one of the cheapest solutions, it allows you to create engaging and interactive presentations with lots of cool animations. That makes RenderForest a great choice for more educational and marketing explainer-type videos/presentations.

4. Mentimeter

Mentimeter is a very interesting online presentation software. It allows your audience to engage with your presentation in real-time and you can create polls, ask questions, which are then displayed to your presentation. The answers from the audience remain anonymous so people are even more encouraged to participate.

Example by Mentimeter

Best Features: Launch live, interactive polls, surveys, quizzes and create things like word clouds in real-time Price: It has a free version, but the paid plans offer most of the attractive features – the basic plan costs $9.99 per user/month and the more advanced plan is $24.99 per user/month Learning curve: Easy to use; might need to explain to a less tech-savvy audience how to connect to your presentation Available for: Online / Android / iOS Perfect for: Educators, speakers, business and competitions

An excellent choice for educators, speakers, and businesses who want to engage the audience in real-time and display the results immediately. Clean, simple designs, that help you focus on the content.

5. Libre Office Impress

Libre Office is free presentation software, an open-source alternative to PowerPoint. As you can expect from a free product, it offers only the main features of its “big brother”, but it’s a good solution for people used to Microsoft’s productivity suite. The interface is very similar to PowerPoint, which again makes it comfortable to use for a certain audience. Users who need collaboration on presentations, clean interface, and more creative design solutions should steer away from this free presentation software because it will simply not cover their needs.

Example by Theodoros Bousios

Best Features: Free, compatible with older versions (Windows XP for example) Price: Free Learning curve: It will take some time to go through all the options and to get familiar with the interface; Available for: Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS. Perfect for: people who want to use a free product and people with older operation systems

To summarize, Libre is free, compatible with older versions, it can cover your basic needs for a presentation, but the options are too many and available templates too little.

6. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is also an online presentation software, which has a very friendly user interface and great collaboration features. There are many functionalities, which help you create a beautiful design, but require some time and design knowledge to get it right. The premade templates are limited and this presentation software needs an internet connection to be able to edit and present.

Image by Zoho

Best Features: Live broadcasting a presentation with live chat and commenting Price: Zoho Show is free for personal use. For business users, Zoho Show is included in the Zoho Docs enterprise pricing packages – €5 or €8 per user/month Learning curve: Available for: Online / Android / iOS Perfect for: non-profits, start-ups, personal use, teachers

To summarize, Zoho offers great collaboration features, but you need a connection to edit and present. It is suitable for quick, non-pretentious presentations, where you need some kind of collaboration.

7. ClearSlide Presenter

ClearSlide is a sales engagement platform, including an online presentation tool. Another online tool – SlideRocket, was acquired by ClearSlide and one of the differences is that ClearSlide is more costly and targeted at larger businesses. It’s a great platform for very specific needs – collaborating between sales and marketing teams, to achieve the company’s goals. It’s clear even by the interface:

Image by ClearSlide

Best Features: Analytics for costumers’ engagement, video conferencing, screen sharing Price: They offer a free trial and you can see more about the payment plans here. Learning curve: Clear and simple interface, but it requires some time to get used to the tools Available for: Online Perfect for: Sales/business, managers (for coaching); not suitable for newbies, teachers, students

To summarize, ClearSide is perfect for presenting sales pitch , graphics, collaborate in larger teams. It is somehow restrictive for a non-designer because the templates are specific.

8. Piktochart

Piktochart allows you to make infographics, presentations, and printables quickly. Primarily known for its easy customizable infographics, Piktochart also has simple presentation templates and the company is constantly trying to update its library.

Example by Piktochart Knowledge Base

Best Features: Turning data-heavy content into simple visuals; nice transitions between slides Price: There is a free version and a paid one, starting at $29 per user/month. They offer a free trial. Learning curve: It requires time to get used to the options available and to navigate through Available for: Online Perfect for: Designers, teachers; it does not offer collaboration options, which might be needed by teams, students, etc.

Compared to other online presentation software is a bit costly and we could still ask a bit more from the presentation templates. We’d recommend it to someone who often uses infographics and wants to use a single platform to combine the infographics with a presentation. But why not check our free infographics as well?

Slides is online presentation software, initially aimed at developers and covering their presentation needs. Thus said, it does not offer offline editing, but you can present offline, after exporting your presentation.

Best Features: It allows you to use your phone as a remote control; Live Present Mode allows you to control what your audience sees; drop in code, iframes, and SVGs with ease. Price: Free, with paid plans starting at $7.00/month and $14-$18/month for pro and team packages. They offer a free trial. Learning curve: friendly interface, but too many functions and options, which might overwhelm the average user and beginner Available for: Online Perfect for: developers, designers, a little bit too specific for newbies

To summarize, it’s a very cool tool, giving you complete design freedom, but that is also why we do not recommend it to teachers, non-designers, or marketers. Developers and design gurus will love it.

Canva is a web-based solution that started with a mission – to make beautiful designed content available to everyone. The whole platform is organized so that a person without any prior design knowledge can easily create graphs, images, and presentations to impress. Although it is not the best tool for data visualization, it scores high in any other category. Needless to say, it has become a popular choice amongst non-designers.

Image by Iconfinder

Best Features: Plenty of beautiful templates to choose from and Canva school has plenty of tutorials and tips for free. It offers more free functionalities compared to other competitors. Price: Free, the offer different subscription plans, starting at $9.95 per user/month Learning curve: Very easy to use, most of the actions can be performed by drag-and-drop Available for: Online / iOS / Android Perfect for: newbies, marketers (who need a unified look across all their social media), non-profits, and teachers

Canva is becoming one of the most popular tools amongst non-designers for creating beautiful unified content. You can create entire presentations, flyers, and other materials with a single drag and drop.

11. Slidebean

Slidebean is the go-to online presentation software for last-minute projects, that look original and professional. Slidebean offers clean and easy-to-use templates and keeps track of your audience’s engagement.

Source Slidebean

Best Features: It allows you to arrange your content with the help of AI, which saves time creating a beautiful layout. You just pick a template, upload content, and let the AI offer you a nice layout. Premade animations, effects, and alignments are automatically applied to your content and create a cohesive look. Price: Free, paid versions starting from $8/month Learning curve: very easy to use since everything is made to fit the premade templates Available for: Windows / Mac / Android / iOS Perfect for: financial, academic, pitch, marketing, sales; everything quick with a clear structure

To summarize, if you are in a hurry, Slidebean will offer several layouts for your slides and speed up the process of creation. The platform targets primarily sales, marketing, and financial fields, and the available templates reflect that.

12. Google Slides

Google Slides is part of the G Suite business application. Its popularity has increased in the last years since it’s a web-based platform, allowing you to store, edit, and share your presentation, without the need of installing presentation software on your computer. All you need is a Google account and you are good to go.

Image by G Suite Updates blog

Best Features: It’s free for personal use, and offers great paid features for business – for example, seamless collaboration and commenting on a presentation, converting other presentations to Google Slides. Some other great features are the wide variety of fonts available (GoogleFonts, not need installing), easy embedding, plus it’s super intuitive and easy to use! Price: It’s free for individual use. For business use, the price starts at $5/user/month and plans of $10 and $25/user/month, for unlimited cloud storage and extra features Learning curve: Simple interface, but it will require some time to pick up. Similar to PowerPoint, only a bit lighter. Available for: Windows / Mac / Online Perfect for: businesses, freelancers, who need a user-friendly app with elementary features; great for collaborating teams, not so perfect for complex designs and tools, required by big enterprises

Perfect for personal use, well synchronized across different devices, similar to PowerPoint. Maybe you are a teacher and you like GoogleSlides because it is free and easy to use? Well, we’ve gathered some awesome FREE GoogleSlides and PowerPoint templates , specially made for education needs.

If you need something along the lines of PowerPoint but need the option for collaboration – a paid plan for GoogleSlides is your go-to choice.

13. Keynote

Keynote is an Apple product, very similar to Google Slides. All you need to do is create an iCloud account (similar to a Google account) and start using Keynote from there. Running Keynote on Windows also requires an internet connection and a modern browser. The latest version can also import and export PowerPoint formats if needed. All this sends Keynote higher in the list regarding the accessibility and shareability of this presentation software.

Image by Envato tuts+

Best Features: Simplicity of design, great drag and drop functions, polished transitions and animations, easy image editing/cropping; works great with multimedia; design templates with better aesthetic than an average slide deck; Price: Free for macOS and iOS Learning curve: Pretty easy to use for Mac users, a bit of learning curve for users, having experience with other software. Available for: Mac / Windows / Online Perfect for: businesses, marketers, people with not much of a design experience

Bottom line, if you are a Mac user, you love the sleek design and you are looking for cool aesthetics – Keynote is simple to use and free, why not use it?

14. Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is a web and mobile-based media creation application, which helps you create social graphics, short videos, and web pages. What is immediately noticeable is the clean, crisp, simple, and modern designs, which focus you on the content. If you are looking for a funky, ornate design – Adobe Spark is not the right pick for you.

Example by Cikeys

Best Features: Beautiful templates, user-friendly interface, step-by-step creation, you can add audio to your slides (narrating) Price: There is a free version, the paid on starts at $9.79. The best templates, as with the competitors, are paid. They do not offer a free trial. Learning curve: Easy to use Available for: Online / iOS / Android Perfect for: quick presentations, teachers, basic presentations without jamming them with too much cool stuff.

Adobe Spark eliminates the cluster of design options and leads you step-by-step in creating elegant, simple presentations. Ideal for basic presentations, not the best for sales and marketing.

15. PowerPoint

PowerPoint certainly is a “classic” – it’s has been the most popular tool for creating presentations so far. What first started as a component of the Microsoft Office suite, now has improved shareability and accessibility. It can be used on the web (as part of Office on the web), works with Android, and iOS, and there is a Mobile app, as well as presentation software for mac.

Example by Abris DC

Best Features: Many people are familiar with the software, a wide variety of templates; improved accessibility across platforms; extensive tools and options Price: If you want to enjoy the full features of PowerPoint, you’ll need to subscribe to Microsoft 365 – they have payment plans for personal or business use. The price for personal use starts at $5.99/month or $59.99/year, and business plans start at $12.50 per user/month with an annual commitment. You can find more information here . The mobile applications are completely free to use, of course with some limitations. You can compare the available features across different platforms here. Learning curve: Due to the variety of options and the complexity of the menus, it might take some time to master all of its features. Something that could take a lot of time is editing the text, arranging the visuals, and picking the right transitions – overall, is time-consuming. Still, the interface remained easy to navigate over time and if you trust your design sense, you can achieve satisfying results. Available for: Windows / Mac / Online Perfect for: business, medical, accounting and students; creating concise presentations; but not so suitable for teachers, educators, start-ups and marketers who want to create more interactive and story-based presentations.

To this date, PowerPoint is keeping the lead as the most popular tool for creating presentations. Some of the downsides are that sometimes it can be time-consuming to come up with a good design and PP doesn’t offer collaboration tools and compared to other platforms. But we have a solution for at least one of your problems – we’ve selected 31 Modern PowerPoint templates to set the right tone for your presentation.

We made a quick summary for you…

Ok, not that we’ve looked at the 15 best presentation software for 2021, we decided to go one step further and compare them by price and popularity. Let’s have a look first at the new-comers:

As you can see, the leaders from the uprising platforms are Canva and Mentimeter, with relatively low prices and with huge success amongst users . Powtoon, Piktochart, and Renderforest are a bit costly , but they are popular since they offer a lot of animation and interactive elements. Hey, but maybe some of the other tools are right for you? We encourage you to go on their websites, contact their support team, and see what they have to offer.

Then, let’s see how the veterans are ranking:

It’s no surprise that PowerPoint and Google Slides are at the top – people are used to their products, have familiar interfaces, and offer a lot of functionalities at a good price. Although, for quick, unpretentious results, their competitors are a very attractive solution.

Final words

We can conclude that there are many useful tools to help you create beautiful presentations. Some of them are well-known and have been here for a while, while others are uprising… No matter the case, we notice a trend for presentation tools catering not only to the designers’ needs but also to the newbies, marketers, and teachers. That way, enabling everyone to create stunning presentations in no time and share them easily.

We hope this presentation software list shed some light on different options out there and that we helped you evaluate quickly what would work for your situation best.

You may also be interested in these related articles:

12 PowerPoint Presentation Tips To Dramatically Boost Your Efficiency
35 Free Google Slides Infographic Templates to Grab Now
23 Online Collaboration Tools for Your Remote Team

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Bilyana Nikolaeva

Bilyana is an inspiring content writer and illustrator at GraphicMama with years of experience in art and design. When she’s not busy writing for the blog, you will usually see her working hard on new illustrations and graphic resources.

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Best Presentation Software of 2024

Table of Contents

Best Presentation Software
Things To Consider When Buying
How We Chose

Everyone has a message to share in some form. With presentation software, you can communicate that message a little easier and with more spark. If you don't have design and animation skills, don't worry; apps like Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint make it easy to craft a slideshow that helps people understand the concepts you're trying to convey.

Many of the apps in this buyers' guide are geared toward business presentations since that is often the primary use case. However, a few provide some slick tools for educators, entrepreneurs, community groups, and even family members to make a photo slideshow for a family reunion. Read on for the best presentation software available today.

Best Overall: Google Slides »
Most Compatible: Microsoft PowerPoint »
Best For Mac Users: Apple Keynote »
Most Flexible: Prezi »
Best Budget: Visme »
Best For Entrepreneurs: Slidebean »
Most Powerful: Canva »

Best Overall: Google Slides

Highly integrated With Other Apps

Totally free

Not integrated with Microsoft products

Minimal support

When Google Slides debuted in 2006, it took the world by storm. That’s because it was integrated even back then with Gmail, Google Docs, and other popular Google apps many of us use in business, at school, and in our personal lives.

Google Slides is entirely free, and there are no hidden costs or upgrade plans. What’s surprising, though, about Google Slides is that it is a highly capable app for presentations – easy to use, with plenty of templates, fonts, animation options, and integrations.

Apart from that, the key feature here is real-time collaboration. Other users can join you as you create and edit slides. They can comment and make suggested changes, or simply start editing the slides on their own. (You can decide if other users can suggest changes or make them directly.) You also can view speaker notes on a laptop when you run the slideshow on an HDTV or projector. Google Slides integrates nicely into the online meeting app Google Meet, and it can open Microsoft PowerPoint files and export in that format as well.

Overall, Google Slides wins extra points because of how intuitive it is. There’s hardly any learning curve with the app, and since it runs in a browser window, everything you create and edit will be saved automatically. For business users, teachers, or just about anyone in a hurry to share a complex message, creating a Google Slides presentation is a snap – which is why it is our overall top pick.

Specifications:

Operating systems are supported: Windows, Mac, Web, iOS, Android, Linux
Number of templates and designs available: 23
Integrated apps: Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Box, LumApps
Collaboration features: Live editing, suggested edits
Multimedia supported: Photos, videos, audio, GIFs, and stickers
Export options: PDF, PowerPoint, Webpage, JPEG
Customer support options: Google Workspace only
Added features: Google Duet AI
Interface enhancements: Real-time editing and collaboration

Most Compatible: Microsoft PowerPoint

Highly compatible

Online and desktop versions

Easy to use

No free version

Templates are not as trendy

Microsoft PowerPoint is the app you want for compatibility with other apps and programs. Released in 1990, this presentation app is well-known in business circles and runs on just about any computer in the world. Because it’s so compatible, you will likely not have any trouble running the app on your phone or a tablet, in a browser, or even on seriously outdated PC laptops and desktops.

While apps like Prezi add slick animations and transitions that make a presentation come to life, PowerPoint is more like a trusted business partner; it works on just about any computer, the interface is well-known and straightforward, and it’s likely that everyone you know and collaborate with is already familiar with the app. Every other presentation app we reviewed also supports PowerPoint in terms of directly opening or importing the file, and exporting as a PowerPoint file.

You'll need a Microsoft 365 Personal Edition subscription to use PowerPoint. It may be an app that’s already installed and included with a new computer, at least for a trial period.

Operating systems are supported: Windows, Mac, Web, iOS, Android
Integrated apps: Adobe PDF, Shutterstock, YouTube, and many others
Multimedia supported: Photos, videos, audio
Export options: PowerPoint, XML, PDF, JPEG, and many more
Customer support options: Personal or business support
Added features: Integrated live camera, Microsoft Teams integration
Interface enhancements: Microsoft Copilot, speaker coach

Best For Mac Users: Apple Keynote

Exceptional designs

Desktop only

Graphic designers love Apple Keynote, mostly because the included templates and design options are so stellar. Your presentation will really come to life, helping you communicate about even complex subjects with flair and a trendy look.

Using the app feels a bit like you're the late Steve Jobs creating an award-winning presentation that will grab an audience. Jobs had a way of captivating those in the audience, and Keynote helps you do that with some of the best presentation templates around. For example, there are 40 templates to choose from, many of them full of color and using the trendiest fonts. Keynote also includes 100 transitions and animations to liven up a presentation. The app also includes 700 different shapes and icons that will help you enhance your slides.

Apple Keynote is powerful enough for any user, but it’s important to know the limitations. For starters, Keynote only runs on Mac computers. That makes it less compatible with Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint. You can export the presentation from Keynote as a PowerPoint file, which is fine, but it means no one can edit the Keynote slides directly; they will have to use PowerPoint.

Keynote also only runs as a desktop app. That means you won’t benefit from the live editing and commenting features of Google Slides, where you can collaborate with anyone in real time on the same file. Instead, Keynote is more static, as slideshows can't be edited as a group in a browser window. It’s still incredibly powerful and intuitive but with a few key downsides.

Operating systems are supported: Mac, iOS
Number of templates and designs available: 50
Integrated apps: FaceTime, WebEx, Zoom, iCloud
Collaboration features: Collaborate through iCloud
Multimedia supported: Video, audio, images, 3D objects, stickers
Export options: PDF, PowerPoint, Movies, animated GIFs, images
Customer support options: Online help, support communities
Added features: Cinematic transitions, Keynote Remote on iPhone
Interface enhancements: Inspectors help with formatting

Most Flexible: Prezi

Unique concept

Trendy visuals

Unique design templates

Harder to learn

There’s something very compelling about Prezi, the presentation app that provides the most flexibility in terms of the message you are communicating. For starters, this is an app that knows it’s all about the message, whether you're an educator, business owner, entrepreneur, or even a scientist or engineer. Instead of a slideshow, you create a “canvas” with topics and subtopics. Think of it as a way to augment what you are saying with animated annotations, swoosh effects, and charts.

Prezi is the best at guiding you to the most powerful design features and giving you the tools to make even a complex subject more interesting and easier to understand. Part of this extreme flexibility has to do with how you're not creating slides at all, but enhancing a topic. Another way to think of Prezi is more like an animated whiteboard; when you show a presentation, it can come to life as you speak through a webcam.

All of this flexibility means you aren't limited to a boring slideshow, although there may be times when you are asked to make a slideshow and nothing more. For example, a school assignment or a boss might dictate that you need to create basic slides, not an animated whiteboard session. This is where you have to decide if Prezi matches the goals of the message you are communicating about.

Pricing options and plans: Standard ($7/month), Plus ($15/month), Premium ($19/month)
Operating systems are supported: Windows, Mac, Linux
Number of templates and designs available: 210+
Integrated apps: Google Drive, Slack, Canva, Zoom
Collaboration features: Real-time editing, comments
Multimedia supported: Photos, icons, video, GIF
Export options: PNG, JPG, PDF, GIF, and MP4.
Customer support options: Knowledgebase, online support
Added features: Offline mode, analytics
Interface enhancements: Broadcast link, tool tips

Best Budget: Visme

Free version available

Added visual tools

Good overall value

It takes more time to learn

Expensive pro plans

Visme is the best budget option because there is a free version that still provides many of the features you might need. It’s also a good value, because (similar to Canva) you can access all of the graphic design features to create infographics, brochures, logos, and rich documents all without paying for the premium version.

Even more important, Visme is a good value if you do choose the Starter or Pro plans because you can then unlock advanced features you might only find in Adobe Visual products. For example, at the Pro level, you can create an entire brand kit for a company including logos, brochures, and flyers that all have the same look.

While it's called an all-in-one marketing design platform and has hints of Canva, the first tool you would likely use is for creating presentations (e.g., It's the most prominent tool listed on their site). Because everything is geared more toward marketing and sales, Visme templates emphasize things like growth metrics, charts, and bullet points used to explain a product or service. Visme is also meant more for a group of business users. You can collaborate in real-time, leave comments on presentations, and even follow a workflow to mark presentation tasks as in progress or done.

Like Canva, because the Visme app is part of a suite of visual design products, it might take a little more time to learn all of the added tools. The presentation tool is just one of many included, even if this tool alone is easy to learn.

Visme is an extensive product with an upgrade path that unlocks more templates, customer support, and more supported file formats. Overall, it’s a good value because you can still create presentations without having to pay extra.

Operating systems are supported: Mac, PC, iOS, Android
Number of templates and designs available: 13,000
Integrated apps: Google Drive, Vimeo, Dropbox, Survey Monkey, and many more
Collaboration features: Real-time collaboration, assign tasks
Multimedia supported: Photos, videos, audio, GIFs, 3D graphics
Export options: JPEG, PNG, PDF, MP4, GIF, PPTX, HTML5
Customer support options: Email, chat, in-app
Added features: AI features, forms
Interface enhancements: Tool tips, video training

Best For Entrepreneurs: Slidebean

Design for entrepreneurs and salespeople

Unique features

Not as powerful as some

Not as well-known

Most presentation software is flexible and powerful enough for any message and for any purpose. However, Slidebean focuses on a more narrow segment. The app is designed to create a “pitch deck,” which is something an entrepreneur or salesperson uses to pitch a product.

For example, let’s say your company sells a new widget. Using Slidebean, you can explain the features and benefits, include a slide about pricing, and use the tools that are intended more for selling a concept than perhaps merely explaining it.

Once you finish creating the pitch deck, you can share it as a link for others to view. You can then measure how much time people spend viewing the slides, including time spent on specific slides in the presentation. Another major differentiator with Slidebean is that you can work with professional designers and writers (for a fee, of course) who will create the pitch desk and write all of the copy for you.

Operating systems are supported: Windows and Mac browsers
Number of templates and designs available: 160
Integrated apps: None
Collaboration features: Editing (not simultaneous), sharing
Multimedia supported: Images, icons, GIFs
Export options: PPT, PDF, and HTML
Customer support options: Knowledgebase
Added features: Consult with experts, finance templates
Interface enhancements: Startup video lessons

Most Powerful: Canva

Thousand of templates

Integrates with other Canva tools

Limited export options

Known as an “online graphical design platform” for everyday users, Canva provides plenty of tools for creating logos, brochures, postcards, and presentations.

Because these tools are all integrated, Canva is powerful enough for any message you want to communicate. It’s ideal for business, personal use, and schools. If you decide to build a presentation, you can also incorporate logos, fonts, clip art, and animations that are built into Canva. It means the palette for creating a presentation is more flexible because all of the other design tools are right at your fingertips. Let’s say you want to create a pitch deck about a new startup. You can create the logo, choose the colors and fonts, and then create the slideshow. Most presentation apps in our buyers' guide other than Visme don’t provide this level of flexibility and power in one online app.

Canva lets you run the presentation from within Canva itself, or you can export the slides and use them in Microsoft PowerPoint. There are thousands of templates available. Once you select a look and feel for your presentation, you can pivot and use those same graphics, fonts, and designs in a brochure or other material.

With all of this power in terms of visual design software comes a slight learning curve. Canva is intuitive and the interface is well-designed, but there are so many tools available that it takes some time to learn them all.

Operating systems are supported: PC, Mac, iOS, Android, browser
Number of templates and designs available: Thousands
Integrated apps: Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, HubSpot, and many more
Collaboration features: Real-time editing, whiteboards
Multimedia supported : Photos, icons, graphics, data visualizations, media elements
Export options: PDF, JPG, PNG, PPTX, MP4
Customer support options: Email
Added features: Magic Switch, Magic Write, Magic Animate
Interface enhancements: Search for designs, generate with Magic Design

The Bottom Line

If you're short on time and just need to create a presentation without a lot of hassle, Google Slides is the app for you. It’s completely free without any trial versions of “pro” upgrades, yet it's also quite powerful and intuitive to learn. Google Slides is also our top pick because it integrates into other Google apps like Gmail and Google Docs, is widely used and highly compatible, and still gets the job done when the main goal is to finish a slideshow and share your message.

Things To Consider When Buying Presentation Software

Features and functionality: When it comes to presentation software, it’s all about the templates. As you are considering which app to use, it’s a good idea to evaluate which templates are available and if they meet your needs. We’ve also noted how many templates are included with each app. Beyond that, look for the supported file formats since that will determine who can use and open the presentation. Collaboration features are also important, making it easier to work on a presentation within a group and make comments for everyone to see.

Ease of use and user interface: Creating a presentation shouldn't feel cumbersome. When you start the app, it should be easy to create the first slide from a template, add more slides, fill in the text and images, and finish the entire project without having to learn complex features. Apple Keynote is a good example of an app that's intuitive at first, and then you can always explore more advanced features later on.

Compatibility with different file formats: The most well-known presentation app is Microsoft PowerPoint. So it’s important that the app you choose supports the popular PowerPoint format. Beyond that, look for software that also supports PDF files in case you want a printed version of your slideshow or to share it online.

Collaboration and sharing capabilities: With presentation software, being able to work on a slideshow with a group of people all at the same time can be a time-saver but also produce better results. It should also be easy to leave comments for others to review. Once you're done with the presentation, it should also be easy to share the file or an online version of the presentation with others.

Customization options for design and branding: Visme and Canva allow you to customize the graphics and even make logos and experiment with a variety of fonts. All presentation apps provide ways to edit graphics, resize photos, and even incorporate video into your slideshow. Not every app makes it as easy to edit graphics as Google Slides does, however.

Availability of templates and pre-designed layouts: As with many software programs, templates save time and effort. An app like Microsoft PowerPoint includes pre-designed templates and graphics you can use to enhance a slideshow. Visme is a good example of an app with extensive templates (it has thousands built-in). While Apple Keynote doesn't have as many templates, the ones that are included tend to be more well-designed and trendy.

Pricing and licensing: Most presentation apps offer a monthly subscription to help you get started making a slideshow. In some cases, such as Visme and Slidebean, there’s a basic free version to help you experiment with the app right away. Only Google Slides is entirely free with no extra pricing options. Microsoft also offers a fully licensed version of PowerPoint as opposed to paying for a monthly subscription. The full licensed version costs $159.99.

Customer support and training resources: Microsoft is arguably one of the best companies to choose if you're interested in customer support. Because the product costs a little more – especially if you purchase the full licensed version – it includes extensive technical support. That said, even though Google Slides is free and customer support can be hit or miss, there are so many people using that product that you can usually find answers to questions by doing a simple Google search or asking on public support forums. Also, training videos are more readily available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint because they're both so popular.

Integration with other software and tools: Integration is key when it comes to presentation software because you want to be able to access important graphics, photos, and videos easily. Canva is perhaps the most integrated option for that reason alone. It's a graphics platform for creating graphics and other design materials, so when you make a presentation, you can easily find what you need.

Security and privacy features: Security and privacy might not be the first concern when it comes to presentation software, since you might be making a simple how-to for employee orientation or a photo slideshow of your vacation. However, for a business creating a new product or for a new startup that has not launched yet, be sure there is a way to protect your presentation from prying eyes.

How We Chose The Best Presentation Software

Our contributor John Brandon poured over specifications and features for the best presentation software around. He’s used presentation apps since the debut of Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. He also consulted with business owners who have started companies and need to communicate about their firms. This includes David Ciccarelli, an entrepreneur who started a company called Voices (an audio and video tech startup) and is the CEO of Lake , a vacation rental business. He also tapped Stephen Gagnon, a web designer with the search engine optimization company Web Scour , who has visual design and branding experience.

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

John Brandon worked in the corporate world for 10 years, often creating presentations for large teams and at corporate functions. He worked as an Information Design Director at Best Buy Corporation. Since then, he has tested and reviewed thousands of tech products including presentation apps, Wi-Fi routers, televisions, office products, and everything in between. His writing has appeared in Wired magazine, Inc. magazine, FoxNews.com, LAPTOP magazine, and many others.

For anyone who wants to communicate about a new product or service, help new employees with onboarding, or even share photos from a recent vacation, presentation software helps you communicate visually. The basic idea is that you can create a slideshow that augments and enhances what you have to say.

Presentation software is designed to help you communicate a message to an audience, either in a classroom, a conference room, or at home. You create a slideshow, insert graphics, photos, and videos, and then run the slideshow full-screen. When you run the presentation, you can click the mouse button or press the arrow keys on a computer to go back and forth in the slideshow.

Most modern presentation apps charge a monthly fee, usually around $8 or $12 per month. Google Slides is the exception to this rule since it is entirely free. Typically, with higher costs for the pro and premium plans, you gain access to more templates, more graphics, and the ability to export in more file formats, such as HTML or video files. At the high end, Microsoft PowerPoint also offers a fully licensed version, as opposed to a monthly charge.

The classic, tried-and-true presentation apps like Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote are available as a desktop version you install. In most cases, you will sign up for the app and then download the installation file and run that installer. However, more modern apps like Google Slides and Canva run in a browser window and don't require any installation.

PowerPoint is sometimes included on a Windows laptop. However, if you're looking for a fresh start with new templates and features for animation and video that go beyond PowerPoint and Keynote, you might consider upgrading. Also, presentation tools are now included in apps like Canva and Visme, making them more integrated.

U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

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Best presentation software of 2023

By Steven T. Wright

Posted on Jun 22, 2022 3:22 PM EDT

12 minute read

Best overall

Microsoft PowerPoint

Best for professionals.

Canva is the best presentation software for professionals.

Best for Zoom

Prezi is the best presentation software for zoom.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Man presenting at Nordic design for best presentation header image

Teemu Paananen/Unsplash

Whether you’re a student or a working professional, everybody has to make presentations from time to time and that usually involves presentation software. But when you’re frantically Googling around to refresh your PowerPoint knowledge, it’s only natural to wonder what is really the best presentation software out there. Yes, everybody knows that Microsoft’s the biggest player in the slideshow game but there are actually a lot of alternatives to explore. If you expand your horizons, you may find another app that makes more sense for you. Expand your office app horizons and see how the best presentation software can make your job a little easier.

Best overall: Microsoft PowerPoint

Best for professionals: canva, best for zoom: prezi.

Best for Mac: Apple Keynote

Best for students: Beautiful.ai

Best budget: google slides, how we chose the best presentation software.

As a journalist with over a decade of experience, I know how to present information to all sorts of audiences effectively and efficiently. Over the years, I’ve worked with a variety of clients to craft copy for presentations, as well as the slideshows themselves. I’ve used the best software in the business, as well as quite a lot of the bad stuff, so I know what will work for you and your needs.

In making this list, I relied on my own firsthand experience with presentation software, as well as consulting professional tutorials and critical reviews. I also personally created a number of sample slideshows using prebuilt templates and custom layouts of my own in order to put the programs through their paces. I used both the stalwart software suites that everyone knows, as well as a number of lesser-known alternatives that have emerged over the past few years. If an impressive new program hits the block, we will update this list accordingly once we get some hands-on time with it.

Things to consider when buying presentation software

There has been an explosion of presentation software over the past few years, and each of the program’s developers has their own pitch to lure people away from PowerPoint. The most important things to consider when choosing presentation software will vary from person to person. A small business owner putting together a professional presentation with original branding may need different tools to make an appealing pitch, versus a student building a last-minute slideshow for a group project to present the results of their research in Econ class.

There are a wide variety of bells and whistles that presentation building programs boast as their killer features, including brand kit integration, easy social media sharing options, offline access, seamless collaboration, AI suggestions, and analytics. These extra features will seem very helpful to enterprise customers, but the average person should realistically prioritize more traditional factors like ease-of-use, customizability, and cost. There are, however, a few elements that every single person who uses presentation software needs, so let’s walk through the fundamentals.

Ease of use

No one wants to spend hours learning how to make a basic slideshow. While all of these programs take time to master, some of them are easier to pick up quickly than others. An intuitive piece of software grabs your attention and allows you to perform basic actions like adding slides and assets without time-consuming tutorials. The more professional-grade programs out there might take a little more time to master, but they’re rarely difficult to use.

Prebuilt templates

The number one thing that you want from a presentation software is a good-looking final product, and templates help you achieve that goal quickly and easily. All of the competitive presentation software suites out there have a library of pre-built templates that let you plug in information quickly. Quality and quantity separate the good programs from the great ones, though. Some apps have more templates than others, and some templates look better than others. On top of that, some programs lock their best templates behind a premium subscription, which leaves you relying on the same basic structures over and over.

The truly professional-grade software also includes a selection of prebuilt art assets to help you bring a personal touch to the presentation. If a program doesn’t have an impressive set of templates, it isn’t worth using.

Customizability

While most people want to start building their presentations with a template, you need to change some things around if you want to keep things looking fresh. Professionals, in particular, will probably want to customize every aspect of their slideshows, from the color of the background to the exact pixel position of images. This obviously increases the amount of time it takes to craft a presentation, so it’s important that the systems for making those tweaks are intuitive and easy to use. Not every user is going to need the level of customizability, but it’s definitely something worth considering.

Who’s it for?

Every presenter needs to build a slideshow for their audience. They should probably ask that question when they pick which presentation software to use as well, as it can help determine what software they should use. Students might need the expansive collaboration tools of certain platforms but might not need the pinpoint design controls in others. While the presentation software listed below can all make a great slideshow with enough time and effort, your own use case and the intended audience will have a big impact on your choice.

Cost & affordability

Very few presentation builders have a simple, one-time price tag. Most operate on a subscription model, where you can buy a month’s use for a certain amount, or save money by buying a year at a time. A few are free, though many appear to only offer a free trial or stripped-down version that will allow you to put together something basic before quite literally buying in.

If you’re looking to build just one or two presentations a year, it’s probably best to stick to one of the free options. However, if you have to build slideshows on a regular basis, it’s probably worth sinking your money into a subscription to the program you really like.

Generally speaking, as you might expect, the more impressive and in-depth software costs more than the more traditional fare. However, because many of the most popular programs in the space (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) come as part of a suite, you will need to weigh the benefits of not only the presentation software but also the other programs that come along with it. If you’re a die-hard Microsoft Word user, for example, you’re already paying for the Microsoft Office suite, but the calculus gets more complicated if you prefer Google Docs.

The best presentation software: Reviews & Recommendations

By now, you probably have a good idea of what you should be looking for in presentation software, so now we’ll get into the interesting part. As mentioned above, we’ve broken down our picks based on a few common use cases, as well as the criteria we mentioned above. Regardless of which one you decide on, all of these programs are powerful tools that can produce a slick slideshow with a little time and effort, and you’d be well served by any of them.

Why it made the cut: Whether you’re a broke student or a busy professional, Microsoft PowerPoint can do whatever you need. It’s also reasonably priced.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
Suite or standalone: Microsoft Office 365 Suite
Special features: Designer, MS Office integration
Free version: Yes
Well-known interface imitated by competitors
Powerful and accessible
Good templates
Part of a popular software suite
Slight learning curve

Even after testing more than a dozen programs, Microsoft PowerPoint remains the go-to presentation software for most people. Setting the industry standard, it offers great templates, an accessible interface, an impressive library of prebuilt art assets, and plenty of tools for building a slick slideshow. It also supports real-time collaboration, offline editing, and third-party content embedding. At $70 a year, PowerPoint is significantly cheaper than most of its competitors and it’s part of Microsoft Office, a software suite that most companies pay for and workers can’t live without.

Of course, it isn’t perfect. PowerPoint makes it very easy to make a basic presentation, but it will likely take you longer to make something that looks polished and professional in PowerPoint than with design-forward programs like Canva or Prezi. Even top-flight presentations are achievable, though, in a reasonable timeframe. PowerPoint might not be the best presentation program for every situation, but it’s certainly the best for the average person.

Why it made the cut: Canva creates beautiful, professional-grade presentations faster than its rivals, and it’s easier to use than most.

Platforms: Web, Windows, iOS, Android
Suite or standalone: Standalone
Special features: Amazing templates, very customizable
Excellent free version
Extremely easy to use
Makes beautiful presentations fast
Eye-catching templates
Harder-to-use advanced features
Limited offline use

If you need to make a striking business presentation in an hour, Canva is absolutely the software for you. Designed from the ground up for business professionals who don’t want to have to use another program (i.e., Photoshop or GIMP) to create visually compelling content, Canva delivers on this promise in spades.

Canva’s gorgeous templates are the best of any of the programs we tested, and its free version is far more robust than you’d expect for a costless trial. Unlike many of these other programs, it creates virtually any marketing material you can imagine, including videos, logos, social media posts, and even resumes. It also includes splashy features that most people won’t use, like brand kit support and easy sharing to social media.

Canva’s simplicity has drawbacks, too, though. It can be a bit difficult to get it to make complicated charts, tables, or diagrams, and it lacks the familiar (but clunky) customizability of PowerPoint. However, if you’re looking to make the most beautiful presentation you can, Canva is a great choice for your business.

Why it made the cut: Prezi is a strong program that structures its basic features in a completely different manner than its competitors. It also has very good Zoom integration.

Platforms: Web
Special features: Zoom integration, unique structure
Free version: No (Two-week free trial)
More creative structure than competitors
Intuitive interface
Expansive feature set
Doesn’t work for everyone
Must pay more for advanced features

If you’re really tired of the straight-line structure mandated by other presentation software, Prezi gives you a little more freedom to build things your way. Prezi uses a topic-oriented form that allows you to easily string your ideas in an order that makes sense to you. The basic idea behind Prezi is that you create bubbles of individual content, and then you thread a path through those ideas to create a presentation with a physical form that’s more enticing and conversational than just a linear succession of slides.

While this unique approach makes Prezi a worthy alternative on its own, the app also boasts plenty of specialized features you’d want in a premium program, including a large asset library, social media integration, and collaboration support.

Though any presentation software can work with Zoom via the screen-share function, Prezi features a very useful video call-focused mode, Prezi Video, which allows you to build a presentation as an overlay that appears in your Zoom window so people can see you and your slides.

Prezi’s freeform structure isn’t going to work for everyone, but if Powerpoint feels stifling, it might open new doors for you.

Best for Mac: Keynote

Why it made the cut: Apple’s answer to PowerPoint might not be as popular as its competitor, but it’s still pretty powerful in its own right.

Platforms: macOS, iOS, Web
Suite or Standalone: Apple Software Suite
Special features: iCloud support, multiple formats
Free version: Yes (with an Apple account)
Familiar to most Mac users
Better asset library than most
No-frills feature set
Lacks unique selling points

If you’re a Mac user , you’ve probably at least considered using Keynote to put a presentation together. While all of the other programs on this list work on a Mac as web apps, Keynote is the only app made specifically for the platform.

Like PowerPoint, Keynote is a wide-reaching program designed to help anyone make a sharp-looking presentation, from students to professionals. It has a more robust feature set than other PowerPoint competitors–including better default templates, a bigger asset library, and desktop support. It doesn’t quite have the versatility of enterprise-facing apps like Canva, but you can put together a great-looking slideshow for school or a recurring meeting.

On the other hand, it can be a little tricky to pick up: The interface isn’t quite as intuitive as Google Slides, which is also free. If you have access to both, you get a choice: Build a more striking presentation in Keynote, or put something together quickly in Slides.

Why it made the cut: Beautiful.ai’s AI-powered presentations allow you to make a sharp slideshow in no time flat, and its generous free trial gives time to try it out.

Special features: AI integration
Clean interface
Modern features
Simple and effective
Expensive for what it is
Limited assets and templates

Looking to build a clean, modern presentation in as little time as possible? Beautiful.ai uses AI to help you build a visually stunning presentation in no time flat. While it’s less of a household name than our other picks, it’s the choice of many tech companies for its uncluttered interface, eye-catching templates, and overall no-fuss approach.

Compared to PowerPoint or Canva, Beautiful.ai does not have a rich feature set or an infinite variety of template options. What the content library lacks in volume, it makes up for in style, though. Its appealing, elegant content elements lend themselves to clean, modern presentations. More importantly, the program’s AI assistant knows how to use those assets. It automatically tailors your slideshow’s design to fit the information you want to present, so you’ll wind up with something thoughtfully prepared before you know it.

Why it made the cut: Google Slides is not only an excellent presentation program—it’s also one of the only ones actually free with no strings attached.

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Suite or standalone: Google Workspace
Special features: Easy collaboration, Google integration
Free for anyone with a Google account
Familiar interface
Easy to share and collaborate
Decent templates
Somewhat basic in functionality
Clunky for some users

When it comes to software, there’s “free to use,” and then there’s free. Most of the software on this list offers either a restricted free mode or a time-limited trial. Google Slides is actually free, fully free, for another with a Google account. And it holds its own, even compared to its premium competitors.

Google Slides feels like a simplified version of PowerPoint. It’s a little easier to learn the basics, but also offers fewer templates, screen transitions, and content. It also lacks a built-in asset library to fill dead space, though the program’s Google Drive integration makes it easy to add your own. Like most Google programs, it also supports add-ons that give it enhanced features, like the ability to solve equations within the slideshow.

If you’re looking to make an extremely sharp presentation, Google Slides will take a bit more effort than most. If you need to make a basic slideshow and you grew up on earlier versions of PowerPoint, you’ll feel right at home using Slides.

Based on our research, the three most popular programs are Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote, roughly in that order. PowerPoint is far more popular than the other two, though. All three are good options, depending on what you’re looking for. All things being equal, though, we recommend PowerPoint.

Generally, most of the programs listed here cost between $7 and $15 a month for their premium packages. However, Google Slides and Keynote are free, so we recommend those for customers on a budget.

Canva and PowerPoint are both great programs that offer about equal value. It’s much easier to create a beautiful, eye-catching presentation in Canva, but PowerPoint’s advanced features give you more options. If you need to make slick-looking professional presentations on a frequent basis, we recommend Canva for its superior ease-of-use.

Adobe had its own competitor to PowerPoint, Adobe Presenter. The company recently ended support for Presenter on June 1, 2022.

Final thoughts on the best presentation software

While everyone wants to use the best program for the job, the truth is that all presentation builders have a lot in common with each other. If you’re familiar with one, it often makes sense to stay put. Despite all the similarities, it can take some time to learn a new system. If you’re constrained and frustrated, or are using presentation software for the first time, you should consider a wide range of options beyond PowerPoint.

Though alternatives like Beautiful.ai, Canva, or (especially) Prezi cost a bit more, they each have strong features that may work better for your purposes. That said, sometimes the most popular presentation software options are the best. If you don’t have specific expectations or need to clear a high bar for design, PowerPoint and free options like Google Slides should work well, and have the benefit of wide adoption in corporate workplaces.

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The 11 Best Presentation Software to Use in 2023

best presentation software to use in 2021, presentation software list

The ability to effectively share ideas, illustrate a concept, and convince an audience is invaluable whether you’re a student or a C-level executive. These days, the presentation software you use to create presentations is just as important as your public-speaking skills.

On top of that, most companies have transitioned to remote work recently due to the current coronavirus situation, and now need to share their stories online through a virtual conference room with their distributed teams and external audience members.

That’s why we’ve come up with a list of some of the best presentation software available right now, so you can choose a compatible and innovative presentation maker that includes the best presentation tools to suit your specific needs.

Choose the best presentation software by weighing the pros and cons

You’ll see some of the most popular presentation apps: from free to paid subscription platforms, and slideshow applications to full-blown visual design presentation software with interactive features and more.

Each presentation software has its pros and cons, so it’s up to you to figure out which suits your needs best; consider the software learning curve, whether your company is made up of Mac users or Windows users and the software compatibility, if you need an enterprise account or free account, etc.

Let’s dive in!

1. Piktochart

presentation software piktochart, best presentation software

Piktochart is a presentation software that can create a variety of design visuals, from infographics to social media stories.

An area in which Piktochart shines is crafting unique presentations.

On Piktochart, users can choose from a wide range of professionally-designed presentation templates .

These custom templates include everything from monthly marketing reports to employee onboarding templates.

This broad selection of customizable templates is especially useful for those who don’t have much design experience or know-how but need to create a visually stunning unique presentation in a pinch.

Piktochart’s presentation maker also makes it easy to edit presentations and include design elements such as lists, timelines, comparisons, graphs, and different types of charts through drag-and-drop tools.

You can even make visual maps and interactive charts to keep your audience engaged throughout your presentation.

And if your company uses a Piktochart TEAM plan , you can enjoy the platform’s ability to store brand assets , color schemes, and bespoke templates. Here, replicating company-branded visuals is a breeze.

Piktochart comes with a free version but with certain limitations. Active visuals are capped at five per month and published visuals have a Piktochart watermark.

If you want features such as team template collaboration, project sharing, and annotated commenting, you’ll have to get a Team account. To sum it up:

Lots of professionally-designed templates
Good for both design professionals and non-professionals
Easy to store brand assets and bespoke templates for future presentations
Access presentation tools from anywhere via a web browser
Free presentation app version available
Might take some getting used to if you’re used to PowerPoint presentations

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

microsoft powerpoint, powerpoint presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint is often the first presentation software that comes to mind.

Once considered the “O.G.” and best presentation software available, it is still widely used and has a familiar interface—which means most users are comfortable with it.

This presentation app has everything you need to create a presentation: from animated transitions for interactive presentations to pre-installed fonts and graphic elements.

Users can also upload their own fonts, graphics, and images into their finished presentation.

Lastly, it’s available as part of the Microsoft Office software package; and you can work on your presentations via the web and mobile devices, for offline viewing as well as online.

However, PowerPoint is no longer considered the best presentation software, as it has very few templates to choose from, and these tend to fall quite flat compared to modern apps and software.

It’s easy to fall back into boring slideshow PowerPoint files if you don’t know what you’re doing.

And because most people use PowerPoint, you’re likely using the same template as the next guy.

As standalone presentation software, PowerPoint is pricey at US$139.99—and accessible through only one device unless you upgrade your package.

And while PowerPoint is primarily a slideshow application and presentation maker, its strengths are limited to this category.

So if you’re looking for the best presentation software, and bang for your buck for a robust presentation tool, you might want to look elsewhere.

Market leader in slideshow applications to create slides
Widely used and familiar interface for the presentation process
Reliable and usable on most devices as well as being a desktop app
Flat templates
Limitations with its standalone-presentation software price

3. Google Slides

google slides, presentation software example

Google Slides is a slideshow application that is very similar to PowerPoint. But there are three main differences: it’s fully online (while also allowing for offline viewing), collaborative, and free.

The great thing about Google Slides (besides the fact that it’s completely free for anyone with a Google account) is that you can log on via your browser or through its official app.

You can access all Google Slides presentations from any device (mobile, tablet, and desktop), and share them with other people so you can collaborate in real-time.

Google Drive allows all your presentations to live on the cloud, accessible to all marketing and sales teams, with unparalleled ease of use.

And there’s no need to worry about disruptions as all changes are saved as they happen, as long as you have an active internet connection.

Additionally, anyone familiar with PowerPoint will be comfortable using Google’s iteration and likely be delighted by Google Drive and the slide library available.

It’s also a lot simpler, so even those new to presentation-making will find it easy to navigate.

However, some might find Google Slides too simple as it lacks the wealth of features available on PowerPoint.

These include embedding videos from sources other than YouTube, plus adding audio tracks and sound effects, limiting the ability to create unique interactive presentations.

Some users also encounter issues with downloading and exporting to different formats, including PowerPoint.

Some slides may even turn out completely different from the original version.

All in all, Google Slides is a great option for those who are looking for a free application and only need to create simple presentations.

The free plan supports professional presentations
Web-based and collaborative to create presentations
Simple and familiar interface for an online presentation software
Too simple for advanced presentation making
Difficult to export to other formats
Limited templates and customization options for interactive content

You could say Keynote is Apple’s version of PowerPoint. It’s also a slideshow application—but in typical Apple fashion, it comes with a sleek, minimalist interface and is considered one of the best presentation apps on the market.

There are 30 different themes to choose from, which serve as templates for those who need a quick fix. And it can do most of what PowerPoint can.

Keynote’s main perk is that it’s part of the Apple ecosystem.

That means it has built-in iCloud and Apple Watch support so users can control their presentation from their mobile device or even their wrists with just a click.

This presentation app comes pre-installed on most Mac devices. Otherwise, you can purchase it from the Apple store for just US$9.99 for mobile and US$19.99 for OS X.

The big downside is that Keynote is exclusive to Mac OS.

Non-Apple users can create, upload, and sync their own Keynote presentations through their iCloud Drive, but this presentation app is only truly helpful only for those who use multiple Apple devices.

And if you’re used to working on PowerPoint, you might find Keynote a bit confusing in the beginning, especially when editing presentations.

Sleek, minimalist interface
Free with most Apple devices
No access for PC and Android devices except through iCloud

5. SlideDog

Sliding away from straightforward slideshow applications and other presentation apps, SlideDog is a web-based multimedia presentation tool that lets users combine different types of media to create and edit presentations.

This includes everything from PowerPoint decks to videos and even PDFs that can all be played side by side without any awkward transitions.

It’s also extremely easy to customize a SlideDog presentation.

You just need to upload the files into the SlideDog web browser application, and then drag and drop them according to the order in which you want them to play.

You can control your presentations and playlists from another device, and audience members can view your slideshow on their devices by clicking a link.

SlideDog has a free presentation app version that provides all of the basic features.

However, live sharing and premium support are only available with a Pro account that costs US$99 per year, and not via the free version alone.

While SlideDog is technically considered presentation software, you can’t actually create presentations on it.

You can simply stitch together different pre-made presentations in various formats into what is essentially a playlist.

Lastly, SlideDog supports only Windows devices, so Apple and Linux users can’t use it.

Supports a lot of different media
Provides live-sharing
More dynamic compared to the usual slideshow presentation
Only collates media; doesn’t create them

6. Haiku Deck

haiku deck, presentation software example

Ever come across presentations with size-eight fonts and blocks of indecipherable paragraphs on each slide?

You can avoid such an unfortunate scenario with Haiku Deck.

HaikuDeck is a web and mobile application that favors images over text.

It works by limiting the number of words users can put on each slide, and allowing them to search for images on their platform related to the slide’s main idea.

This makes it ideal for those who want to simplify their thoughts and let the images do all the talking.

Users have over 40 million royalty-free photos to choose from, plus dozens of simple slide layouts on the platform itself.

While this certainly simplifies the process of creating a visually rich presentation, it can be limiting for those who need to include more information into their slides.

It’s a great option for someone giving a TED Talk, for example.

But for others who need to pass on more facts and figures, having a built-in word limit might be too restrictive.

Simple and easy to use
Access to millions of royalty-free stock images
May be too simple for some
No Android support
Limited features

7. Prezi Business

prezi business, business presentation software

Among the other presentation software on this list, Prezi Business might be one of the most unique presentation tools.

Rather than offering a regular slideshow format, Prezi looks more like a 3D interactive mind map where viewers jump dynamically from one idea to the next.

You can zoom in on one “slide” and then zoom out for the next.

Prezi has over 100 templates to choose from and comes with a very simple interface and a drag-and-drop style of editing.

It’s compatible with both Mac and PC desktops as well as smartphones.

It’s also similar to a regular PowerPoint deck in that you can jump back and forth from one “slide” to the next.

And like SlideDog, you can send viewers the link to the presentation as you’re presenting.

Also, up to 10 people can work on a Prezi presentation at the same time, one of its main selling points.

This is great for collaboration, but having so many hands-on deck at once can get messy.

Dynamic and immersive presentations
Highly visual
Easy to use
May not be appropriate for all types of presentations

screenshot of ludus presentation software

In a world of slides and presentations, standing out is the key. Ludus brings the flair of graphic design into the world of presentations.

At its core, Ludus is the bridge between presentation tools and design software. It enables users to infuse their slides with the kind of design elements you’d typically find in advanced design platforms.

Not only can you import assets from design giants like Adobe, but its seamless integration with tools like Unsplash and Giphy makes sourcing visuals a breeze.

It’s a fairly affordable tool for all its features compared to the other paid options in this list, as users pay 12.49 euros monthly (if billed annually).

However, while Ludus’ robust design capabilities can elevate the look of your presentation, those unfamiliar with design tools might find there’s a learning curve.

Merges presentation creation with advanced design tools.
Seamless integration with popular design platforms and visual databases.
Offers a unique edge in presentation aesthetics.
Might be a tad overwhelming for non-designers
Can have a steeper learning curve for those used to more straightforward platforms

9. Slidebean

screenshot of slidebean presentation software

Crafting a compelling presentation demands not only compelling content but also a design that can captivate your audience. Enter Slidebean.

Slidebean offers an intelligent design solution, using AI to transform raw content into professionally styled presentations. This platform streamlines the design process, allowing you to focus on the message rather than fretting over aesthetics.

The basic plan is free and allows you to create a presentation. But if you want to share or download your presentations, as well as unlock the full suite of features, you’ll need to sign up for the All-Access plan priced at $199 per year.

While it provides a quick and efficient method to produce polished slides, it also offers features for sharing, collaboration, and viewer analytics, adding an edge to your presentation strategy.

However, for professionals who prioritize granular design control, the automated design might feel limiting at times.

AI-driven design ensures visually appealing presentations.
Features for collaboration and viewer insights.
Efficient design process reduces time and effort.
Might not offer the detailed design customization some users desire.
Automated choices may not always align with specific branding or style preferences.

10. ClearSlide

screenshot of clearslide presentation software

Having great visuals to drive your point home can be the difference between getting a sale across the line or customers walking away. ClearSlide stands out in this area as a presentation tool for businesses laser-focused on boosting their sales and marketing game.

At its core, ClearSlide is all about leveling up business presentations. Whether you’re marketing a new product or tracking client engagement, it’s got tools that cater to every need.

Whether it’s a PowerPoint, a PDF, or something from Google Drive or Dropbox, ClearSlide makes it simple to upload and work with these files.

The unique edge? ClearSlide’s virtual meeting space pops open with just a click. It’s all about seamless, professional presentations without the hassle.

Beyond just slides, the platform dives deep into metrics and analytics, ensuring every presentation is backed by data-driven insights. And the tool is available for $35 per month, which isn’t too pricey for medium-sized businesses.

However, its complexity isn’t for everyone. For some, the variety of features might seem a tad overwhelming, and its focus on metrics might be a bit much for those just wanting a basic presentation tool.

Seamless virtual meetings and presentations
Integrates with popular platforms
Offers insightful analytics for sales and marketing
Might feel complex for some users
Limited transition and design effects
Mobile experience could be better

screenshot of vyond presentation software

Stepping into the world of animation, Vyond, once known as GoAnimate, allows users to turn their narratives into professional animated videos. For those looking to elevate their content without diving deep into animation complexities, Vyond can be the go-to tool.

This platform is more than just drag-and-drop animations. It integrates AI capabilities with Vyond Go, which transforms text prompts into rough-cut videos.

Fancy a quick draft for your upcoming project? This AI assistant is up for the task. And if perfection is your game, take it to Vyond Studio, filled with an array of characters, templates, and backgrounds.

The Essential Plan at $25 per month is suitable for individuals on a budget. However, if you want to export videos at 1080p and above, have collaboration tools, or different export options, you’ll need to sign up for the Professional Plan at $92 per month.

As robust as the tool is, there are still some kinks to iron out. AI voiceovers might still need some tweaks, and detailed color customizations can be a bit tricky, but the tool’s strengths, especially for businesses, are undeniable.

Hassle-free video creation for beginners to experts
Generous library of pre-made assets
AI-powered video and script creation with Vyond Go
AI voiceovers might feel a bit robotic
Some customization limitations for specific props and scenes

The best presentation software is…

…completely up to you!

When it comes to presentation software, the world is your oyster.

Each of these tools either has a free or trial version for you to check out, so you don’t have to commit just yet.

When it’s time to choose, consider the following aspects to find the right presentation software for you:

Ease of use. Is it easy for you to understand or will it require lots of training before you can start creating presentations?
Accessibility. Can you access your presentation software from any device or are you limited to carrying your laptop to every presentation?
Real-time collaboration. Can multiple people work on the same project or do you have to keep downloading and emailing drafts?
Create design tools. Can you create presentations with dynamic design elements or are you stuck with the same kind of slide each time?
Template availability. Is this tool only accessible to a design professional or can anyone create stunning presentations through pre-designed and updated templates?

Piktochart , for example, would be a fantastic presentation software choice among the long list of PowerPoint alternatives for teams looking for a variety of eye-catching designs without requiring much technical know-how. Meanwhile, Microsoft PowerPoint might be the best presentation software for those who are just looking to play it safe.

Hopefully, this best presentation software list sheds some light on the tools at your disposal. Choose wisely!

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Best free presentation software of 2024

Find an alternative to PowerPoint

Best overall

Best for speed, best for functionality, best for collaboration, best user interface.

How we test

The best free presentation software makes it simple and easy to create presentations as an alternative to subscribing to Microsoft PowerPoint.

A person doing a presentation on a whiteboard.

1. Best overall 2. Best for speed 3. Best for functionality 4. Best for collaboration 5. Best user interface 6. FAQs 7. How we test

While PowerPoint is the market leader when it comes to presentation software, some people may be unwilling to subscribe to a Microsoft 365 subscription, especially if they don't expect to need to use it very often.

However, there are plenty of great alternatives to PowerPoint available for free that you can use. While these won't have the same advanced features as PowerPoint, they still offer a very competent platform to design most any presentation that you need.

To help you choose, we've listed below the best free presentation software currently available.

Add images to your presentations using the best free photo editor .

Google Workspace : Collaboration + productivity apps There are many different presentation software packages but Google Workspace formerly known as G Suite remains the original cloud office software and one of the best business office suites, offering a huge range of features and functionality that rivals can't match, especially when it comes to presentation software. Try it free for 14 days .

The best free presentation software 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.

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Prezi turns the traditional approach to presentations on its head. Instead of creating slide after slide, this presentation software gives you a single giant canvas. You can add blocks of text or images, or even create miniature slides. During your presentation, you can seamlessly fly around the canvas and zoom in to look at individual chunks of content.

For how complex Prezi seems, it’s impressively simple to use the platform. The only major divergence from Microsoft PowerPoint is that you need to add animated paths from one part of the canvas to another. The tools for this are fairly straightforward, especially if you’ve ever used an animation or video editing software.

Of course, this type of presentation structure isn’t always ideal. Prezi makes it hard to visualize structured data like financials, which can make it difficult to use in business applications. Some viewers also might not appreciate the fly-around animation style that’s inherent to the presentation software.

Read our full Prezi review .

^ Back to the top

Canva is perfect for making speedy presentations right in your web browser. This software offers a handful of free layouts to help you get your slideshow started, and it’s easy to customize the templates to fit your needs. There isn’t a huge variety of content elements to add to your presentation, but Canva makes up for this with a searchable library of more than 1 million images you can use.

Your Canva presentations live online, which makes it extremely easy to collaborate. You can invite colleagues to edit your slideshow (although simultaneous editing is not supported) or seamlessly share your finished presentation. However, beware that Canva can’t import presentations from Microsoft Powerpoint or export finished work to a Powerpoint-editable format.

Read our full Canva review .

3. LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free alternative to Microsoft Office, and it includes a Powerpoint equivalent called Impress with nearly all of the same functionality. The only big difference you’ll find between the two slideshow creation tools is the LibreOffice lacks some modern features like built-in collaboration and integration with Microsoft OneDrive.

However, Impress does have a few advantages of its own. The software can import files from Keynote, the default presentation software on Mac computers. Plus, there are hundreds of free templates that you can download for free. Even better, there’s no limit on what fonts you can use with Impress, so it’s easy to change the look of your presentation from what Powerpoint typically allows.

On the whole, LibreOffice Impress is about as close as it gets to simply replicating Microsoft Powerpoint for free.

Read our full LibreOffice review .

4. Google Slides

Google Slides is part of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), and it does a nice job of matching a number of PowerPoint’s capabilities. This free presentation software supports embedding videos, creating diagrams, and adding animations to your slides. While the selection of templates is somewhat limited, you can easily import hundreds of additional templates for free or create your own.

Even better, Google Slides supports the collaboration tools users have come to expect from Google. Multiple people can work on a slideshow simultaneously, and there’s a built-in group chat so you can keep track of what everyone is doing. It’s also nice that you can play your presentation in presenter mode, which allows you to preview how it will look to your audience and rehearse timing.

The only downside to Google Slides is that bloated slideshows can experience some loading delays. Also beware that while you can move between Slides and Powerpoint, the conversion often messes with the layout of your slides.

Read our full Google Slides review .

5. WPS Office Free

WPS Office Free is a Microsoft Office look-alike that fully support PowerPoint files without any layout issues during import. The WPS Presentation tool has all of the same capabilities of PowerPoint, including tons of animations, slide transitions, content effects, and video embedding. The selection of included presentation templates is also very impressive for a free software.

One of the best things about this presentation software is that the user interface will feel incredibly familiar if you’re coming from Microsoft. All of the tools are displayed in a top ribbon, with your slides shown on the left side of the screen for easy navigation. It’s simple to display your presentation right from WPS Presentation, which means there’s no unexpected troubleshooting when it’s time to show off your work.

There’s not much to dislike about WPS Presentation. However, keep in mind that the software is supported by ads. Some users find the ads annoying, but they’re not overly in the way.

Read our full WPS Office Free review .

We've also featured the best free office software .

Best free presentation software FAQs

Which alternative to powerpoint is best for you.

When deciding which alternative to PowerPoint to download and use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.

How we test the best free presentation software

To test for the best free presentation software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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Michael Graw is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Bellingham, Washington. His interests span a wide range from business technology to finance to creative media, with a focus on new technology and emerging trends. Michael's work has been published in TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Business Insider, Fast Company, Salon, and Harvard Business Review.

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The 8 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives

Professional results for tight budgets

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.

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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PowerPoint vs. Other Presentation Software: Which Is Better for Creating, Presenting, and Sending Sales Pitches?

Gunjan Gupta

Time sure flies in a blink of an eye. It's been 32 years since PowerPoint came into existence after being acquired by Microsoft, and since then, it is known as the ultimate transformation tool. Before the original and the most loved Microsoft Office suite introduced this magnificent presentation tool to what is now the ‘de facto’ of the billions of presenters, curating presentations was expensive and hands down the most tedious task one can get himself into.

In the late ’80s, PowerPoint remodeled itself. For the first time, anyone having a personal computer could get a hold of this software: crafting and curating everything under the sun! Since then, its ability to bring in captivating presentations is a life-altering skill possessed by 70% and probably more American employees.

By the time 2000s rolled around- a promising era had begun with new kids on the presentation block, ready to dethrone the ye olde campion; PowerPoint. In response to immense opportunity and exploding market demand, Apple’s Keynote (2003) and Google Slides (2007) entered the online realm, proving themselves to be true competitors.

Despite the new kids trying to catch on, the number of loyal customers of PowerPoint has been impressive since time immemorial. Even after thirty years of its launch, PowerPoint is still embraced and cherished, designing as many as 30 million presentations per day.

So, which one to go for? Which one to choose: old or new for creating, presenting, and sharing the best sales pitches? This is an age-old decision that every presenter, no matter his skill level, should make. To assess, let us dismantle and study each industry leader: PowerPoint vs. Google Slides vs. Keynote , piece by piece, brick by brick.

A quick overview: PowerPoint

PowerPoint is such a ubiquitous tool that almost everybody has heard of it. From business to academics to the corporate world, it has conquered every arena, becoming the de facto leader of presentation software for decades. In fact, for many people, PowerPoint and word presentations are synonymous with each other. Its interface is so familiar that it remains a cult favorite to date.

Additionally, PowerPoint is a part of every office product available on both IOS and Android, making it even harder to avoid it. It can be included in every other office pursuit and does everything that you would expect a presentation software to do; add text, media, add any number of slides to accompany a talk or other presentations. You name it, and PowerPoint has it! Even a novice can work with PowerPoint without any essential training as it is easy to work with.

Overall it is hard to go wrong with and not become a firm member of the ever so popular PowerPoint clan!

A quick overview: Keynote

Keynote is essentially the Apple version of PowerPoint, native to Apple products and users only. It is part of the iWord productivity suite enabling you to design sleek and streamlined presentations.

Jam-packed with powerful features- such as creating top-notch charts, reflections, and picture frames- Keynote makes it to the most amazing software to add cinematic-like transitions to your presentations.

A quick overview: Google Slides

Google surely has an impeccable fan following owing to the fact that a majority of its efforts are directed towards the well-being of its users. From its powerful algorithms that can search anything under the sun to competitive office products built with cloud-based productivity at fore, it surely is the most responsive and intuitive suite.

Google Slides is an essential part of Google’s software office suite. It is a free tool that can be used by any Google Drive user for both personal and professional needs. Though it is a fairly new software, it delivers awe-inspiring presentation features to its users.

Now that the three presentation software have been demystified, let us explore a few parameters to help you decide which software should you choose:

1. OFFLINE & ONLINE ACCESSIBILITY

This is a tricky parameter to base one’s judgment. When it comes to online and offline accessibility, every software has its perks. There are so many ways to access all these software, making it confusing for the average user.

Online Access- Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Keynotes all the software perform well on various online platforms. Having said that, they have their own integration services to carry on the process.

Offline Access- There is no denying the fact that PowerPoint with its robust offline apps is the best software out there. Its UI is specially prepared to meet the offline requirements of the user, hence it is a go-to tool when it comes to preparing an offline presentation. While Google Slides and Keynotes are trying to catch up with this offline beast, it is very safe to say that none of them have succeeded as of now.

Verdict- It is hard to imagine any other presentation app that is far more equipped than PowerPoint. While it may not necessarily be mobile-friendly, there is no denying that it provides a seamless experience to its users online and offline. As for the Google Slides and Keynotes, they are still grooming themselves and have a lot of catching up to do. Google Slides still lags behind in providing a reliable desktop app without getting too jittery.

2. SPECIAL EFFECTS

Google Slides offer pretty basic and beginner-friendly animation options which are quite less when compared to its rival PowerPoint with its cutting edge features. If creativity is what you preach then nothing can be more enchanting than the PowerPoint interface. With hundreds of options to choose from an advanced software like PowerPoint will certainly never prove to be a disappointment. Although its graphic creation is nothing in comparison to Photoshop, PowerPoint can handle basic graphic creation with aplomb.

Additionally, one can use PowerPoint to remove the background image, crop, and reshape and even create great social media graphic content that is loved by many.

Verdict- PowerPoint is essentially the jack of all trades in the presentation block. It can perform some impossible actions which might seem somewhat extra, but according to us, they are liable in making your presentation noteworthy.

3. CROSS-PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY

Compatibility is one of the major reasons why a lot of software don’t make it to the final cut. Prime examples of these are Prezi and as far as Keynote goes, it should not be even considered as Apple seems to be obsessed with the bliss of its one hardware and OS. Let see who wins this one!

PowerPoint has apps on Windows, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and many online accessibility options via the standard Browser. Google Slides essentially relies on internet browsers, with its handy plugins. While Google Slides have a lot of apps to offer, it is still lacking when it comes to providing cross-platform accessibility.

Verdict- Yet again PowerPoint beats every other kid in the market, despite of its half-baked mobile apps. But, I am sure Microsoft will find a solution to that too.

4. PRICE & AFFORDABILITY

I know it is not a very intelligent point to include here, but let us admit that we all are concerned about how much or how little we have to spend in order to gain access to these three presentation industry pioneers.

PowerPoint arguably has the worst reputation when it comes to pricing whereas Keynote and Google Slides are absolutely free of cost, making the verdict pretty straightforward.

Final Closure- Without dwelling into the convoluted Office pricing mechanism we declare Google Slides and Keynote as winners here. However, when we look at the extensive professional gallery PowerPoint has to offer, who cares about shelling a few extra from one’s pocket right? If you disagree with us then Google Slides and Keynote are present to help you out in this journey!

And the Winner is…...

So which presentation software makes it to your list of favorites; PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides? Which one should you go for creating, presenting, and delivering sales pitches? Obviously, all three of them have their own share of pros and cons, but PowerPoint definitely outshines every other software in the list, owing to its easy adaptability and resourcefulness. Therefore against all the odds, in order to become a seasoned presentation designer, PowerPoint is hands down the best and most professional option to go for!

That being said, if you are not yet a firm believer in PowerPoint clan and are looking for some additional validation, here are a few sales pitch examples that prove that the reign of this powerful tool will continue for ages long. Also, no matter how many attempts are made to dethrone this champion, it will hold its position of being the ultimate resort, the de facto, and the master of presentation design software with its era never coming to an end!

A few Sales Pitch Templates to help you make the right choice

Deliver effortless sales pitches with these stunning pre-designed templates designed using the PowerPoint software. Upload logos, brand quotes, and more to present one-of-a-kind sales presentations with real-time collaboration and PDF export qualities features.

Template 1

Writing a persuading sales pitch is at the top of the sales managers’ priority list as it is the ultimate resort to close a deal. Our meticulously crafted sales pitch proposal template design follows some of the industry’s best practices, thus helping you deliver great pitches. This template can be implemented to showcase the sales process. Also, it is a proven way to stand out from the competitors due to its insightful content and awe-inspiring design. Therefore, download it now to establish great relations with your clients and subordinates.

Download Sale Offer Pitch Proposal PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Convince your prospects to purchase your products and services with this astounding sales pitch design. Convince investors, partners, or any other individual to opt for your product rather than your competitors by using this template design. Experts design such a template hence it initiates an immediate call to action to make a purchase decision by the prospects. This template is fully customizable, so feel free to portray any insightful details using it. The elements like color, design, shapes, etc. everything can be altered.

Download Sales Proposal PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Nail your next sales presentation by using this pre-designed proposal template design, which is equipped with valuable content and high-quality images. This template is ideal for any sales rep looking to meet his targets and outperform every other team member. It is also a great design to create ever-lasting relationships between you and your prospects. Since, this is a professionally designed template, depicting valuable insights is what this design promises and stands by. Therefore, do give it a try to empower your clients and their actions.

Download Product Sale Proposal PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Boost your sales ratio with this ready-to-use template design. Target new prospects, and impress all your views with this visually attractive layout that can be adapted to your needs and requirements. Valuable information regarding the value proposition, product traction, key offerings, action plan, and several others can be presented here to convince and persuade. Thus, helping you close more deals and increase the selling point of your company.

Download Sales Strategy Secrets And Tips PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Acquaint your customers with the best possible sales pitch by making use of this template. Present this layout in front of senior management to portray valuable information regarding the facets of the major sale like business overview, highlights, quarter track record sales performance, etc. Showcase the records to products sold and highlight your organization’s sales volume by adapting this template to your business needs and requirements.

Download Sales Reports PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Still not convinced? Our advice; try your hands on all three, and decide for yourself who the clear winner is! (wink) PowerPoint it is………………...

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5 Key Features of Presentation Software and Top Products That Offer Them

1. content import/export, 2. text editing, 3. customizable templates, 4. drag-and-drop, 5. content management.

Juggling text, images, and slides while creating presentations? Presentation software can help you organize content and create visually appealing presentations that are easy for viewers to comprehend.

However, not all presentation software solutions are created equal. To reap the most of the software, businesses must identify and understand key features of presentation software that align with their specific requirements.

This article highlights five key features of presentation software based on the ratings given by verified software users. We also include the highest-rated presentation solutions for each feature. Read more .

The content import/export feature enables users to incorporate data, images, and slides from external files, such as documents and spreadsheets, into their presentation. It also facilitates media and multimedia inclusion, providing versatility in content creation. Users can further leverage this feature to save their presentations in various formats, such as PDF and PowerPoint for easy sharing and collaboration.

84% of presentation software reviewers identify content import/export as a highly important feature.

What business problem does content import/export solve?

Businesses often have branding guidelines that need to be followed to ensure consistency across presentations. The content import/export feature allows users to import branding elements, such as brand logos and images into their presentations, ensuring adherence to business standards and facilitating brand consistency. Additionally, it enables presenters to share their presentations across different platforms and devices, including desktop computers and smartphones, ensuring ease of collaboration.

Ideal users of the content import/export feature

Professionals looking to add data, images, and multimedia files to their presentations can benefit the most from the content import/export feature in a presentation tool. For example, sales and marketing executives can use this feature to add product information and customer data to create pitches. Likewise, graphic designers and illustrators can leverage this to import images from various sources and create visually appealing presentations.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for content import/export

Analysis performed February 2024 *

VistaCreate

4.61 out of 5 stars

Content import/export feature rating : 4.77/5

4.72 out of 5 stars

Content import/export feature rating : 4.67/5

4.89 out of 5 stars

Content import/export feature rating : 4.61/5

The text editing feature in a presentation app enables users to add, edit, and format text within slides. Presenters can leverage this feature to add text to slides by selecting a text box and typing directly into it. This allows them to input titles, bullet points, and other textual content in their presentations. Users can also edit their text or format it by making changes to the font size, colors, styles, and indentation. Text editing feature also includes commenting and version control capabilities to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

83% of presentation software reviewers identify text editing as a highly important feature.

What business problem does text editing solve?

Clear and well-formatted text is necessary for effective communication in presentations. The text editing feature enables professionals to format text for optimal readability. It also lets users customize the content to suit the preferences and interests of their audience to make it more engaging for a particular audience. In a collaborative work environment where multiple team members need to contribute to or review presentations, the feature enables users to edit and review content, track changes, and communicate feedback effectively.

Ideal users of the text editing feature

Professionals, such as researchers and educators, who rely heavily on text can use this feature to format their text for readability and create impactful presentations. Additionally, professionals with advanced formatting and collaboration requirements can leverage this feature to present complex data and iterate on presentations while maintaining a clear overview of revisions.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for text editing

4.45 out of 5 stars

Text editing feature rating : 4.85/5

4.84 out of 5 stars

Text editing feature rating : 4.74/5

4.65 out of 5 stars

Text editing feature rating : 4.68/5

Customizable templates allow users to select from a range of pre-defined templates for creating presentations. These templates often include various designs, layouts, and themes suitable for different types of presentations, such as business pitches and creative portfolios. Users can also customize these templates by changing elements, such as fonts, colors, and backgrounds to match their specific requirements.

80% of presentation software reviewers identify customizable templates as a highly important feature.

What business problem does customizable templates solve?

Businesses often face tight deadlines when creating presentations for client meetings and sales pitches. Customizable templates allow users to quickly create presentations using a professionally designed layout rather than starting from scratch. This saves professionals time and effort in the creation process, allowing them to focus more on refining the content and delivering impactful presentations. The feature also helps ensure consistent branding, reinforcing brand familiarity and professionalism.

Ideal users of the customizable templates feature

Sales and marketing professionals can use customizable templates in a presentation tool to create presentations that align with their organization’s branding and messaging, ensuring professionalism and consistency. Additionally, professionals lacking design expertise can also benefit from this feature as it allows them to create professional-looking presentations while minimizing the time spent on formatting and layout.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for customizable templates

Customizable templates feature rating : 4.87/5

4.75 out of 5 stars

Customizable templates feature rating : 4.75/5

The drag-and-drop feature in a presentation app allows users to move elements, such as text boxes and images within a slide or between slides. Users can leverage this feature to reposition elements within a slide or rearrange the order of slides within a presentation. This flexibility allows for easy customization and adjustment of content flow and slide layouts. Some presentation tools also support multi-selection, allowing users to select and drag multiple interactive elements simultaneously.

70% of presentation software reviewers identify drag-and-drop as a highly important feature.

What business problem does drag-and-drop solve?

Manipulating elements within slides can be complex due to the non-intuitive interfaces of a tool. Drag-and-drop functionality simplifies this by allowing users to move, resize, and rearrange elements within presentations. It streamlines the editing process, increasing productivity and saving time in completing presentations. Users can leverage this feature to experiment with different layouts and visual arrangements that best convey their message to the audience.

Ideal users of the drag-and-drop feature

Professionals, such as sales and marketing executives who need to tailor presentations to different audiences can use the drag-and-drop feature for easy inclusion or removal of specific slides, images, or content blocks. Presenters prioritizing visual storytelling in their presentations can also use this feature to create dynamic presentations, enhancing the narrative and conveying information effectively.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for drag-and-drop

Analysis performed January 2024 *

4.71 out of 5 stars

Drag-and-drop feature rating : 4.74/5

4.48 out of 5 stars

Drag-and-drop feature rating : 4.64/5

Drag-and-drop feature rating : 4.61/5

Content management feature in presentation software enables users to organize, store, and access presentation content, assets, and resources. Users can organize presentation files and slides in a structured manner by creating folders, subfolders, and categories, and locate these using specific filters as and when required. The feature also facilitates the management of multimedia files, such as images and videos within the software.

78% of presentation software reviewers identify content management as a highly important feature.

What business problem does content management solve?

Businesses often deal with a large volume of presentation files, slides, and assets. Content management features help organize and categorize these resources, making it easier for users to find, access, and manage relevant content. It enhances accessibility for remote professionals and traveling teams, allowing them to access presentation materials anywhere, anytime. Content management features also facilitate streamlined collaboration by providing tools for sharing, editing, and reviewing presentations in real time.

Ideal users of the content management feature

Professionals, such as project managers and salespersons, who create numerous presentations can leverage the content management feature to organize and reuse elements, such as text snippets and images across different presentations. Remote presenters can also utilize this feature to store and access presentation elements regardless of their location.

Top 3 products with the highest ratings for content management

4.77 out of 5 stars

Content management feature rating : 4.81/5

Content management feature rating : 4.70/5

Content management feature rating : 4.62/5

Methodology

Key features : To identify the key features of this article, we asked users to rate, on a scale of “low importance” to “critical,” how important different features are for presentation software. The features showcased are those that the highest percentage of reviewers rated as “highly important” or “critical” over the past two years (as of Feb. 13, 2024).

Feature eligibility : To be included in the set of features considered, a given feature had to have at least 200 user ratings within the past two years (as of Feb. 13, 2024), of which at least 20% must indicate the feature is “critical.” Eligible features were determined from two sources:

Our research team’s review of public information about presentation software usage, definitions, and associated features.

Reviewers’ indication of the features they use for presentation.

Product selection : To identify the top-rated products per feature, we evaluated user ratings for products that offer each feature. For a given product, reviewers rate each feature on a scale of one to five stars. A given product had to have at least 20 user ratings (between February 2022-24) for the feature in question to be considered.

*We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between February 2022 - February 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.

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Chm Blog Curatorial Insights , From the Collection , Software History Center

Slide logic: the emergence of presentation software and the prehistory of powerpoint, by david c. brock | october 04, 2016.

In many parts of our world today, group communication centers on visual materials built with “presentation software,” often crafted by a speaker him or herself. As a result, meetings now generally depend on the use of personal computers, presentation software in the guises of product or service and display by digital projectors or flat-screens.

A humorous sample PowerPoint presentation supplied with the very first version in 1987. This clip was created with PowerPoint 1.0 for Mac running in a Mac Plus emulator.

So central have these visual materials become that the intended functioning of digital files, programs, computers, and peripherals has become an almost necessary condition for public communication. Choice of presentation software has even become a mark of generational and other identities, as in whether one uses Facebook or Snapchat. Millennials and Generation Z choose Google Slides or Prezi. Everyone else uses PowerPoint, its mirror-twin by Apple called Keynote, or, for political expression and/or economic necessity, LibreOffice. Membership in a highly technical community can be signified by using the typesetting program LaTeX to build equation-heavy slides.

It is PowerPoint, nevertheless, that has become the “Kleenex” or “Scotch Tape” of presentation software. A “PowerPoint” has come to commonly mean any presentation created with software. Microsoft rightly boasts that there are currently 1.2 billion copies of PowerPoint at large in the world today: One copy of PowerPoint for every seven people. In any given month, approximately 200 million of these copies are actively used. PowerPoint is simply the dominant presentation software on the planet. 1

It may come as a surprise, then, to learn that PowerPoint was not the first presentation program. Rather, there were several programs for personal computers that performed similarly to PowerPoint in many respects, which appeared starting in 1982—fully five years before PowerPoint’s debut. PowerPoint’s ubiquity is not the result of a first-mover advantage. 2

Further, many of PowerPoint’s most familiar characteristics—the central motif of a slide containing text and graphics, bulleted lists, the slide show, the slide sorter, and even showy animated transitions between slides—were not absolute novelties when PowerPoint appeared. These elements had been introduced in one form or another in earlier presentation software.

Here, the principal developers of PowerPoint—Dennis Austin and Tom Rudkin—describe the structure of the source code defining slides. Austin and Rudkin worked closely with the product’s architect, Bob Gaskins. This document is in a collection of materials donated to the Computer History Museum by Dennis Austin.

From 1982 through 1987, software makers introduced roughly a dozen programs for several different personal computers that allowed users to create visual materials for public presentations as a series of “slides” containing text and graphic elements. Frequently, these slides were printed on paper for incorporation into a photocopied report and transferred to a set of transparencies for use with an overhead projector. Other presentation programs allowed slides to be output as a sequence of 35mm photographic slides for use with a slide projector, a videotape of a series of slide images, or a digital file of screen-images for computer monitors. Makers and users called these programs “presentation software,” and just as commonly “business graphics software.” “Business” here is significant, I think. 3

Early presentation software was most commonly used to create overhead presentations. In this clip, Dennis Austin—a principal developer of PowerPoint—demonstrates the use of overhead projectors and presentations.

The six years from 1982 through 1987 saw the emergence of presentation software (including PowerPoint), with multiple makers introducing competing programs offering many similar capabilities and idioms. Why did multiple, independent software creators develop presentation software for personal computers at just this moment?

I believe that an analytical framework that I developed with historian Christophe Lécuyer to understand episodes in the history of solid-state electronics can also help us to unpack this very different case from software history. Our framework consists of three “contextual logics” that we argue shaped the emergence of the planar transistor, the silicon microchip, the simultaneous-invention of silicon-gate MOS technology, and, as Christophe and Takahiro Ueyama recently show, the history of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs). 4

In their 2013 article, “The Logics of Materials Innovation,” Christophe and Takahiro describe these logics beautifully:

This framework distinguishes different types of contextual challenges that shape the creation of new materials and manufacturing processes: the materiality of substances, tools, and fabrication techniques (referred to as “material logic”); the needs, demands and interests of intended customers (“market logic”); and the competitive tensions among laboratories, firms, and nations (“competitive logic”). These material, market, and competitive logics are not determinative, in the sense that they do not lead to necessary outcomes. But they are particularly stable over time and provide powerful resources and constraints to innovators and their patrons.

The implication seems straightforward: People from similar backgrounds, in similar organizations, facing a common, structured set of contextual logics, will do similar—but not identical—things. But can these logics that help make sense of the history of semiconductor electronics, a technology deeply about materials, also give insights into the history of the ne plus ultra of the digital—software itself? I think it can. Competitive logic, Market logic, and Material logic: Let’s consider them in that order, and see what they can mean for the “prehistory” of PowerPoint.

Competitive logic centered on software makers. In the first half of the 1980s, makers of presentation software were typically connected to companies. There were, of course, makers of non-commercial software of various stripes—hobbyist, open source, libre and the like—but they do not appear to have been a factor in early presentation software. Rather, the makers of presentation software were what I call “integrated software manufacturers,” “software publishers,” and “author houses.” Sometimes the boundaries between these maker-types are blurry, but I think the categories are useful.

Integrated software manufacturers, ranging from cottage firms to public companies, wrote code, manufactured it mainly on magnetic media, wrote and printed technical documentation and guides, and distributed it in shrink-wrapped boxes. For integrated software manufacturers of this era, think of Microsoft, Lotus Development, and MicroPro International." Software publishers" did everything that the integrated manufacturers did, except write the code. Rather, they entered into contracts on a royalty basis with those who did write programs. Software publishers ran the gamut from stand-alone companies that only produced software written by others, to firms that published a mix of programs written internally and externally, and also to computer makers like Apple, who published software written by others under their own label as well as selling their own programs. Code authors ranged from individual sole proprietorships to “author shops,” partnerships between two or more programmers in an LLP or a small company.

The origins of Microsoft, perhaps the best-known integrated software manufacturer.

These author shops, publishers, and integrated manufacturers were, by 1982, competing in a growing market for personal computer application software: Spreadsheets, word processors, databases and “business graphics” programs that often used data from spreadsheets to generate line-graphs, pie-charts, bar-graphs, and other standard plots used in business, science, and engineering. This battle for market share in applications for personal computers was the ‘competitive logic’ for presentation software’s emergence. 5

“Market logic” centered on the intended users of software, and, in the case of presentation software, focused to the communication practices of white-collar workers in the United States (and, perhaps, elsewhere), particularly “managers” and “executives.” Contemporary commentators noted that personal-computer “business” software like spreadsheets represented a turn in “office automation,” the opening of a new phase in which software users would expand beyond specialists and secretaries to managers and executives. Personal computers with new software would be in the offices of Mahogany Row in addition to the accounting department and the typing pool.

For example, in September 1982, John Unger Zussman, a columnist for InfoWorld, noted: “…the market is changing. An examination of the changing word-processor marketplace can tell us a lot about the maturation of microcomputers and give us a clue to the role of micros in the office of the future. ‘There’s an expanding concept of reality in the modern office,’ says Gary Smith, NCR’s director of marketing. Software oriented toward managers, such as spreadsheet and slide-show programs and electronic mail, has increased the demand for distributed data processing. It is now legitimate for a computer to appear on a manager’s desk—or a secretary’s. The personal workstation, says Smith, is becoming ‘the major focus of white-collar productivity.’ This was not always the case. In the past, computers were the province of the data-processing department…and, besides, managers wouldn’t be caught dead typing at a keyboard…word processing became a stepping-stone into the automated office…the introduction of microcomputers into the office of the future seems to be more a process of infiltration than one of direct assault.” 6

In this 1979 commercial, Xerox presented just this vision of the office of the future.

In a 1984 article in the Proceedings of the IEEE titled “A New Direction in Personal Computer Software,” MIT Sloan School professor Hoo-Min Toong, with his postdoc Amar Gupta, identified the crux of the market logic to which presentation software was a response: The time that executives and managers spent in meetings. They write: “Top managers are noted to spend four-fifths of their time attending meetings—delivering or receiving presentations and reports, communicating, and gathering information for subsequent meetings. Meetings are the most prominent, time consuming element of an executive’s job.” They continue: “At present, business personal computers only represent information in numeric form, in text, and in simple charts and graphs. A crucial missing component is the ability to present and manipulate visual, pictorial data…A new layer…will bridge the gap from the present position…to supporting business communications with sophisticated images and color.” 7

Toong and Gupta then discuss a newly released example of such “presentation graphics software,” VCN ExecuVision, offered by the book publisher Prentice-Hall. VCN ExecuVision, which ran on the IBM PC, cost $400 but also required libraries of images and icons, that is, “clip art,” at $90 per floppy disk. Users could create “slide shows” of multiple “slides” that the user could craft with text, clip art, and geometric shapes, as well as pie, bar, and line graphs, with the completed slide show either printed or displayed on the PC monitor.

The idiom of the slide was directly adapted from the world of 35mm photographic slides. “Seeing a single slide is one thing,” Toong and Gupta write, “seeing an aggregate of slides is another. VCN ExecuVision supports slide shows in which the transition from one slide to another can be controlled either manually (pressing a key causes display of the next slide) or automatically… More significant is the support of animation techniques which give an illusion of seeing a running movie rather than a slide show…VCN ExecuVision brings sophisticated graphical capabilities to the realm of personal computers thus vastly expanding the horizons of personal computer applications in all four domains – office, home, science, and education.” Continuing their celebration of ExecuVision, Toong and Gupta illustrated their journal article with three full-color pages of ExecuVision slides, replete with images having the unmistakable aesthetic of clip art. Presentation software and clip art may have been born together.

Evidently, ExecuVision was the creation of Toong himself—in a Cambridge, Massachusetts author shop called Visual Communication Network Inc.—before the program had been sold or licensed to Prentice Hall. Toong filed articles of incorporation for the firm in October 1983, with his brother and a former MIT industrial liaison as the other directors. His brother was listed as the president and a Sloan School building was the firm’s address. Toong’s connection to ExecuVision is not mentioned in the article. 8

Lotus’ announcement of Executive Briefing System. Courtesy of the Kapor Archive.

Toong’s ExecuVision was, in late 1983, a new entrant into the presentation software market that two new integrated software manufacturers, located in neighborhoods on opposing sides of the MIT campus, had already enjoined. On one side was Mitch Kapor’s startup, Lotus Development. Kapor created his new firm on a windfall from two programs he had written that were published by Personal Software, Inc., later renamed VisiCorp. VisiCorp was also the publisher of the breakthrough spreadsheet program VisiCalc, written in Cambridge by Software Arts Inc., the “author shop” of Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston.

Mitch Kapor had written a statistical analysis and data graphing program for the Apple II called TinyTROLL, which he sold through a partnership with his friend and then MIT finance PhD student Eric Rosenfeld who had suggested the program to Kapor. The partnership was called Micro Finance Systems, and Kapor was approached VisiCorp to adapt TinyTROLL to work with data imported from VisiCalc. Kapor soon delivered VisiPlot and VisiTrend, programs that took VisiCalc spreadsheet data and generated pie, bar, and line graphs from them, as well as performed various finance-relevant statistical functions on the data. Kapor and Rosenfeld’s Micro Finance Systems received hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties for VisiPlot and VisiTrend before VisiCorp bought them outright for $1.2 million. With his share in the windfall, Kapor set up an integrated software manufacturer of his own, Lotus Development, and, in 1982, the firm released its first product, Executive Briefing System, for the Apple II. Todd Agulnick, a 14-year-old high school student, had been hired by Kapor and wrote the BASIC code for Executive Briefing System under his direction. 9

Lotus’ $200 Executive Briefing System was centered on the color video display of the Apple II. In brief, a number of programs for charting and graphing like VisiPlot offered the “BSAVE” command. Instead of routing data to immediately render an image on the video display, BSAVE sent the very same data to a stored file. In this way, a “screen shot” could be rendered on the video display at a later time, shared with others, archived for future use, etc. Lotus’ Executive Briefing System treated BSAVE’d files—these screen shots—as “slides” that could be modified and then displayed on the Apple II’s video display as a “slide show” for a “presentation.” Executive Briefing System users could edit slides of charts and plots by adding text and/or clip art of lines, geometric shapes, or “ornamental” motifs. Slides were arranged in slide shows, and saved to floppy disk. While the program allowed a slide show to be printed—as a paper report or for transparencies for overhead presentation—it focused on slide shows for the video display. A variety of animated “transitions” between slides were available, such as fades, wipes, and spinning-into-view. 10

An early Executive Briefing System demonstration. This clip was created by running an image of the demonstration disk in an Apple II emulator.

David Solomont’s Business and Professional Software Inc., another integrated software manufacturer developing products for the Apple II, was located at 143 Binney Street just a 25-minute walk across the MIT campus—and past Hoo-Min Toong’s office—from Kapor’s Lotus Development office at 180 Franklin Street. Like Kapor, Solomont’s firm had earlier developed a plotting and charting program for the Apple II to work with VisiCalc spreadsheets. Solomont struck a deal with Apple to license the plotting program, which was sold by Apple under the company’s brand as “Apple Business Graphics.” Soon thereafter, arriving on the market about the same time as Lotus’ Executive Briefing System, came Solomont’s “Screen Director” program in 1982. 11

A 2015 CHM oral history interview with David Solomont.

Screen Director, made for the then-new Apple III computer, fully embraced treating a computer running Screen Director like a 35mm slide projector. Users could organize BSAVE’d image files from programs like VisiPlot and Apple Business Graphics into various “slide trays” for presentation on the video display. While Screen Director did not allow for the editing of existing image slides, it did provide for the creation of text slides and for a limited set of animated transitions between slides. Screen Director even shipped with the standard two-button wired controller for slide projectors, but modified to plug into the Apple III for controlling Screen Director slide shows. 12

A 1982 print advertisement for Business and Professional Software’s Screen Director program.

So far I have described a meaning for “competitive logic” and “market logic” in the case of presentation software, and some early programs from 1982 through 1984. But what of “material logic?” Material logic here includes personal computers themselves, specifically personal computers with graphics capabilities that were expanding in the early 1980s. The computers’ physical performativity, their material agency, constituted a resource, medium, and constraint for software makers and users. Existing programs widely used on these computers, like spreadsheets and plotting programs, were themselves a critical part of the material logic. Software, like hardware, has an unavoidable materiality. At the most abstract, a computer program can be considered to be a specific pattern. In practice, every instance of a program is a pattern in something material, including the body of an author.

Finally, the material logic for presentation software included operating systems centered on the graphical user interface, or GUI. This style of computing had been pioneered at Xerox PARC in the late 1970s, most famously on the Xerox Alto computer. The Alto inspired other efforts to bring the GUI into personal computing during the first half of the 1980s: Apple’s Lisa and Macintosh computers, Microsoft’s Windows software, and VisiCorp’s VisiOn software to name but a few. 13

This material logic was especially important in the creation of PowerPoint. In 1983, two Apple managers, Rob Campbell and Taylor Pohlman, left the firm and created a new integrated software manufacturer, Forethought Inc. Simply put, they left Apple to bring a Xerox Alto like GUI operating system to the IBM PC. By 1986, however, Forethought Inc. had a change of plans. This story—of Forethought’s creation of PowerPoint—and other stories about what PowerPoint and its competitors can tell us about software history, will be the subjects of upcoming essays by me on the @CHM blog.

For more information about the development of PowerPoint, please see our Guide to the Dennis Austin PowerPoint Records .

Oral history interview with Shawn Villaron, PowerPoint manager at Microsoft, date, forthcoming/in process.
Indeed, a wonderfully helpful list of presentation software offerings from 1986 compiled by Robert Gaskins, the initiator and architect of the original PowerPoint project, can be found on pages 131-134 of his painstakingly detailed and comprehensive memoir, Sweating Bullets .
One place in which these identifying names for the presentation software genre were evident was, and is, the pages of the trade magazine InfoWorld . Google Books has a large number of issues of the periodical available with full text and search. On the more general use of the genre names, see this Google Books NGram .
See Christophe Lécuyer and David C. Brock, Makers of the Microchip: A Documentary History of Fairchild Semiconductor (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2010); David C. Brock and Christophe Lécuyer, “Digital Foundations: The Making of Silicon Gate Manufacturing Technology,” Technology and Culture , 53 (2012): 561–97; and Christophe Lécuyer and Takahiro Ueyama, “The Logics of Materials Innovation: The Case of Gallium Nitride and Blue Light Emitting Diodes,” Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences , 43 (2013): 243-280.
See, for example, Martin Campbell-Kelly, “Number Crunching without Programming: The Evolution of Spreadsheet Usability,” IEEE Annals of the History of Computing , 29 3 (July-September 2007): 6-19 and Thomas J. Bergin, “The Origins of Word Processing Software for Personal Computers: 1976-1985,” IEEE Annals of the History of Computing , 28 4 (October-December 2006): 32-47.
The article may be viewed in InfoWord on Google Books.
Hoo-Min D. Toong and Amar Gupta, “A New Direction in Personal Computer Software,” Proceedings of the IEEE , 72 3 (March 1984): 377-388.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Articles of Organization, Visual Communications Network, Inc., October 13, 1983.
Mitch Kapor, “Reflections of Lotus 1-2-3: Benchmark for Spreadsheet Software,” IEEE Annals of the History of Computing , 29 3 (July-September 2007): 32-40; David C. Brock telephone call with Todd Agulnick, July 15, 2016.
Rik Jadrnicek, “ Executive Briefing System, a slide-show program ,” InfoWorld, May 17, 1982, 47–49.
Oral History of David Solomont , Computer History Museum, 2015. Or watch it on YouTube .
Richard Hart, “ Screen Director helps you present ‘slide shows,’ ” InfoWorld, November 8, 1982.
See Michael Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Comptuer Age, (New York: HarperCollins), 1999.

About The Author

David C. Brock is an historian of technology, CHM's Director of Curatorial Affairs, and director of its Software History Center. He focuses on histories of computing and semiconductors as well as on oral history. He is the co-author of Moore’s Law: The Life of Gordon Moore, Silicon Valley’s Quiet Revolutionary and is on Twitter @dcbrock.

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The Best Presentation Software to get in 2024

March 28, 2024

Some of the best presentation software to get in 2024 includes Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, OfficeSuite Slides, Google Slides, and LibreOffice Impress. But, there are plenty of other choices out there, but knowing which one to go for can be difficult.

Well, we know a thing or two about building awesome decks, so join us as we take a look at the best presentation software you can get in 2024, what you should look for when making your choice, and what you may want to avoid.

Contents Toggle 1. What to look for in the best presentation software 2. The best presentation software in 2024 OfficeSuite Microsoft PowerPoint Apple Keynote Google Slides WPS Office Canva Prezi Beautiful.ai Zoho Show Polaris Office LibreOffice Impress Haiku Deck 3. Other considerations for presentation software

1. what to look for in the best presentation software.

Good presentation software should empower you to create clear, engaging, and impactful presentations, and not get in the way. When doing your research, here are some things you’ll want to keep in mind when narrowing down your final choice.

Is it intuitive? There’s a lot that goes into making a presentation shine, so if the interface makes it hard to find the features you want, the overall time you spend crafting your deck may be too munch. Instead, it’s better that you find something that’s easy to use, which drag-and-drop functionality, templates, and easy image integration.

Does it have many options? A good presentation uses a decent balance of text, colors, and images, so that when it comes to the big moment, you’ll be able to keep the attention of your audience. This is where templates come in handy, as that part will be done for you, so when choosing your solution, you’ll want to make sure you have the option.

Can you add animations? By incorporating cool transitions and animations, you can enhance the visual impact of your presentation. Of course, you’ll need to be careful about not over-using them, but it’s always good to have the option.

Is it easy to share and collaborate ? In most cases, a few people will be contributing to the building of a presentation at once, so the best presentation software choices will make sure that working together on a deck is as easy as possible, with cloud uploads, comments, and other methods.

Are there mobile versions? As above, you’ll want your presentation software to work with as many people as possible, and this includes mobile versions. It’s really handy to be able to work on your deck when on the go, even if it’s on an Android or iOS-based smartphone. And, this of course goes for collaborating with other contributors as well.

Does it have delivery tools? : Nailing your presentation also takes some preparation in terms of how you actually talk through your slides. For that reason, you’ll really want your presentation software to have features that let you rehearse your timings, and give you a presenter view as well.

Can you export to PDF? Many people like to share their presentations after the actual meeting is complete, so that clients and colleagues can refer back to the information inside. That’s why its very useful to have the option to convert to PDF, which safeguards the formatting for whoever wants to open it.

I s it compatible with other formats? With so many presentation software suites out there, it’s a good idea to make sure that anyone you work with will be able to open and edit the deck. So, when you choose your solution, you’ll want it to be highly compatible with other file formats and platforms to make sure that anyone who needs to work on it, can.

Is it well supported? The best presentation software options are the ones that receive regular updates, both for quality of life, and in terms of features. When looking at possible solutions, take a look at when it was last updated, and whether or not their is a good support team to talk to if needed.

2. The best presentation software in 2024

Alright, so we’ve talked about what you might be looking for. Here are the best options, which we want to say are not ranked by order.

OfficeSuite

OfficeSuite Slides is currently one of the best presentation software options on the market, as it offers a high level of compatibility, and robust support. As a direct competitor to global favorites such as Microsoft Powerpoint, it offers users a powerful presentation software that lets them create decks that suit their needs.

Available on all major platforms, and with simple cross-device working, it makes working with other people super easy, and, with both free and premium versions available, its an affordable option that easily fits in to a range of needs and budgets. And, it comes in a 5-in-1 office pack that also includes Documents , Sheets , Documents , Mail , and PDF .

Cross-platform compatibility : OfficeSuite is available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, allowing you to create and edit presentations on various devices. It also allows the exporting of presentations to PDF format, ensuring wider compatibility and offline accessibility.
Works with many file formats – Users with OfficeSuite slides won’t have to worry about opening different file formats, or sharing their work to those using other presentation software products.
It’s easy to use: For users familiar with Microsoft Office, OfficeSuite Slides offers a similar interface, easing the learning curve.
Strong feature set: The free plan includes essential features for creating presentations, such as text editing, pre-designed templates, animation tools, and multimedia integration.
Ongoing support: OfficeSuite Slides has an active team working behind it, and regularly has feature updates throughout the year.

Considerations

Free version has fewer features : While the free version is suitable for many use cases, anyone needing more functionality will need to upgrade to the Premium version, which is more affordable than many competitors.
Potential for ads : To help support the development of OfficeSuite Slides, users may be served advertisements within the software.

Microsoft PowerPoint

The longstanding king of presentation software, PowerPoint offers a comprehensive feature set, robust functionality, and seamless integration with other Microsoft Office products. It’s ideal for users who need advanced customization options and familiarity with a widely used platform. However, getting a subscription isn’t as affordable as comparable products.

Extensive compatibility: PowerPoint presentations can be viewed on most devices with minimal formatting issues.
Feature rich: PowerPoint offers a wide range of tools for creating presentations, from basic slides to complex data visualizations and animations.
User-friendly: The interface is relatively intuitive, and numerous tutorials are available to help beginners get started.
Integration with other Microsoft products: PowerPoint seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft Office products, allowing for easy data transfer and workflow.
Customization options: Pre-designed templates provide a starting point, and extensive customization options allow for personalized presentations.
Cost : PowerPoint is part of the paid Microsoft Office suite, with a subscription-based payment model.
Learning curve : While user-friendly, the extensive features can be overwhelming for users creating simple presentations.
Template dependence : Overreliance on pre-designed templates can lead to generic presentations.
File size: complex presentations with multimedia elements can become large files.

Apple Keynote

The most popular presentation software users on Mac, Keynote boasts a user-friendly interface, stunning design templates, and powerful animation tools. It excels at creating visually captivating presentations and integrates smoothly with other Apple products, but may struggle when seeking compatibility with other platforms or file types.

Strong designs: Keynote excels at creating visually captivating presentations with beautiful pre-designed templates and intuitive design tools.
Mac-friendly: Integrates seamlessly with other Apple products for a smooth workflow for Mac users.
Powerful animations: Offers impressive animation tools to create dynamic and engaging presentations.
Free for Apple users: Comes pre-installed on Mac computers, making it a cost-effective option for Apple users.
Limited platform: Only available on Mac computers, restricting use for non-Apple users.
Export quirks: Exporting presentations to formats like PowerPoint can sometimes lead to formatting or animation issues.
Storage considerations: Presentations with complex animations and multimedia elements can take up significant storage space on your Mac.

Google Slides

Part of Google Workspace, Slides offers a user-friendly interface, real-time collaboration features, and cloud storage for easy access. It’s a great option for individuals and teams who value collaboration and accessibility while keeping their costs down. But, because it’s an online platform, an Internet connection will be needed to save your work and collaborate.

Free and accessible: Part of the free Google Workspace suite, readily available to anyone with a Google account.
Strong collaboration: Real-time co-editing allows multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, making teamwork effortless.
Cloud-based convenience: Users can save and store their presentations online, accessing them from any device with an internet connection.
Easy to Learn: Straightforward interface makes it perfect for beginners and non-designers.
Limited offline functionality: While some features, such as editing works offline, full functionality need you to be connected to the Internet.
Fewer design options: Offers a smaller selection of pre-designed templates and customization options compared to some competitors.
Formatting concerns: Importing presentations from other software might lead to formatting issues.
Security Considerations: Data security concerns for some users who might prefer presentations stored locally.

This free and paid software offers a familiar interface similar to PowerPoint, making it easy to learn for those already comfortable with Microsoft products. It includes a good range of templates, transitions, and animation tools, along with cloud storage and collaboration features (in the paid version).

While it might not have the same level of power as industry leaders, it’s a solid and cost-effective option for basic to moderate presentation needs.

Free and familiar: Offers a free plan with a user interface similar to PowerPoint, making it easy to learn for those already comfortable with Microsoft products.
Good range of features: Includes a good selection of pre-designed templates, transitions, and animation tools for creating engaging presentations.
Cost-effective: Paid versions offer additional features and cloud storage at a more affordable price compared to Microsoft Office.
Collaboration capabilities (Paid): Paid plans unlock real-time co-editing features, allowing multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously.
Limited features compared to leaders: While offering essential features, it might lack the advanced functionalities for data visualization, animation customization, or integrations found in industry leaders like PowerPoint.
Limited free plan storage: The free plan offers limited cloud storage space, which might be insufficient for extensive presentations.
Focus on Windows: Primarily designed for Windows users, the mobile app and web interface might have fewer features compared to the desktop version.

A popular design platform, Canva also offers a surprisingly robust presentation maker. It excels in creating visually appealing presentations with its vast library of templates and design elements, which are easy to use. There is a free plan that offers a good but somewhat limited range of options, with the choice to unlock more with the paid plan.

Design-focused: Canva creates visually appealing presentations with a vast library of templates, graphics, and design elements.
Free and freemium: Offers a free plan with a good range of features, with paid plans unlocking even more options.
User-friendly: Intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes building slides quick and easy, even for design beginners.
Multi-Purpose platform : Not just for presentations, Canva can also be used to create social media graphics, posters, and more.
Limited storage in free version : The free tier of Google Workspace offers limited storage space, which can be a constraint for users with extensive documents or multimedia files. Upgrading to a paid plan unlocks increased storage capacity.
Subscription model : Unlike some free and open-source alternatives, Google Workspace requires a paid subscription for access to its full feature set.
Potential reliance on being online : While Google Workspace offers some offline functionality, core features and real-time collaboration require a stable internet connection.

Known for its non-linear canvas, Prezi lets you zoom in and out of different sections of your presentation, creating a more conversational flow for a more unique approach. It’s a good choice for decks that don’t require a strictly linear structure, but may be a little unconventional for more formal presentations.

Strengths :

Non-linear storytelling: Offers a unique, non-linear canvas, allowing you to zoom in and out of different sections, which makes your presentation more engaging and creative.
Visually engaging: Prezi presentations can be visually dynamic and interesting, ideal for capturing attention with an unconventional approach.
Easy to learn: The basic functionality of adding content and zooming is relatively straightforward.
Collaboration features: Offers basic co-editing functionalities for teamwork on presentations.

Considerations:

Not great for complex presentations: While simple presentations are easy, structuring complex ideas with the non-linear format can require more effort.
Navigation challenges: If not carefully designed, complex Prezi presentations might be confusing for viewers to navigate.
Limited customization: Offers less customization compared to some competitors in terms of fonts, layouts, and animation styles.
Limited offline access: Full functionality and offline access require a paid subscription.

Beautiful.ai

This AI-powered platform helps users with suggestions for design elements, layouts, and content based on your topic. It’s a great option for those who want a streamlined design process and a visually polished presentation, but as impressive as the technology is, further development is needed to make it even better.

AI-powered design: Beautiful.ai utilizes artificial intelligence to suggest layouts, content, and design elements based on your topic, streamlining the design process and saving time.
Polished results: Users can expect professional-looking presentations with a focus on modern aesthetics.
Easy to use: The clean interface and intuitive features makes using the software easy, even for those with little deck building experience.
Cloud-based working : Users can save and store their work online, and access it from any device with an Internet connection.
Limited customization: While AI suggestions are helpful, the level of customization for layouts, animations, and brand elements might be limited compared to some competitors.
Over-reliance on AI: The suggestions can be repetitive, and some users might prefer more creative control over the design.
Subscription model: Beautiful.ai requires a paid subscription to access all features and export options.
Focus on simplicity: May not be ideal for highly complex presentations requiring extensive data visualization or intricate animations.

A user-friendly and free presentation tool from Zoho, Show offers a good balance of features and ease of use. It’s a solid option for individual users or small teams who need a basic but functional presentation tool.

Free and user-friendly: Zoho Show offers a free plan with a good range of features and a clean interface that’s easy to learn and navigate.
Easy teamwork: Real-time co-editing capabilities allow multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, allowing them to fine-tune and edit as a group.
Cloud storage: Saves and stores presentations online, accessible from any device with an internet connection.
Decent integration: Integrates with other Zoho applications for a streamlined workflow, as long as you use the Zoho ecosystem.
Design options: Provides a selection of pre-designed templates and customization options for fonts, colors, and layouts.
Fewer features: Compared to industry leaders like PowerPoint, Zoho Show might lack some advanced features in animation, data visualization, or design customization.
Potential for export issues: While exports are supported in various formats, occasional formatting issues might arise when exporting complex presentations.
Limited free plan: The free plan restricts storage space and collaboration features, requiring paid upgrades for larger teams or extensive projects.
Mobile limitations: While offering a mobile app, the web interface might be the primary focus for creating presentations.

Polaris Office

This free and paid mobile-first presentation software is a great choice for those who frequently create and edit decks on the go. It offers a user-friendly interface, basic design tools, and cloud storage with real-time co-editing capabilities. While the free version has limitations, the paid version provides more features and can be a good option for individuals or small teams who need a mobile-centric presentation solution.

Mobile-first focus: Polaris excels at creating and editing presentations on the go with its user-friendly mobile app.
Free and accessible: Offers a free plan with basic features, making it a good option for casual users or those who need to create presentations on their mobile devices.
Real-time collaboration: The free plan includes basic co-editing features, allowing multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, even on mobile devices.
Cloud storage and syncing: Saves and stores presentations in the cloud, ensuring accessibility across devices and facilitating collaboration.

Considerations :

Limited features: Designed primarily for mobile use, Polaris Presentation lacks the advanced features for complex presentations found in desktop software.
Limited offline functionality: While some features can be used offline, full functionality requires an internet connection for collaboration and cloud storage.
Focus on simplicity: Might not be ideal for highly technical presentations requiring intricate details, complex data charts, or advanced customization.
Mobile-centric interface: The web interface might have fewer features compared to the mobile app, prioritizing mobile creation and editing.

LibreOffice Impress

Part of the free and open-source LibreOffice suite, Impress offers a feature set comparable to OpenOffice and can be a good option for those who prioritize free and open-source software. It has a learning curve but provides a wide range of customization options and can be a powerful tool for experienced users.

Free and open-source: LibreOffice Impress is completely free to use and modify, making it a budget-friendly and customizable option.
Good set of features: Despite being free, Impress offers a good range of features for creating presentations, including text editing, animations, transitions, and basic data visualization tools.
Cross-platform compatibility: LibreOffice runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, making it a versatile option for users with any operating system.
Large user community: Being an open-source project, LibreOffice has a large and active user community offering online support and tutorials.
Steeper learning curve: Compared to user-friendly options, Impress has a steeper learning curve with a less intuitive interface.
Limited design options: While customizable, Impress might lack the vast selection of pre-designed templates and design elements found in some competitors.
Potential compatibility issues: Presentations created in Impress might not translate perfectly to other presentation software, requiring some formatting adjustments when sharing.
Less frequent feature updates: Being open-source, updates might not be as frequent as with commercially developed software.

Haiku Deck is a web-based presentation tool that allows users to create presentations with a focus on visual design and simplicity. It offers a library of royalty-free images and encourages the use of concise text. This focus on visuals and brevity may help presentations resonate with audiences and leave a lasting impression.

Visual focus: Haiku Deck offers a library of high-quality images, allowing users to create presentations with a strong visual component.
Ease of learning: Haiku Deck’s straightforward interface makes it suitable for beginners to create presentations.
Free features: Haiku Deck provides core functionalities through its web-based platform, catering to budget-conscious users.
Focus on brevity: The platform promotes conciseness, potentially helping users stay focused on key messages and audience engagement.
Limited offline use: While some features are available offline, full functionality requires an internet connection.
Image focus: Haiku Deck might not be ideal for presentations that heavily rely on detailed charts, graphs, or intricate data visualization elements.
Collaboration features: The basic plan offers limited functionalities for collaboration compared to cloud-based presentation software.
Editing existing decks: Haiku Deck excels at creating new presentations from scratch, but editing existing presentations created in other software might be less efficient.

3. Other considerations for presentation software

Before starting your research, you’ll need to understand what it is you’re looking for exactly, and what you need.

Complexity of your presentations:

Basic slides: If your presentation relies on text, bullet points, and simple visuals, free presentation software like Google Slides, OfficeSuite, or Microsoft PowerPoint (in presentation mode) will do the job.

Advanced design: Presentations with complex data visualizations, animations, or custom layouts could need software with advanced design features. Popular options include Adobe InDesign, Keynote, or premium versions of OfficeSuite, or PowerPoint..

Collaboration needs:

Solo Project: If you’re working alone, most presentation software offers basic collaboration features like saving to the cloud.

Teamwork: If you’re collaborating with a team, consider software with commenting, version control, and easy sharing. and version control.

Free options: Many free presentation software options exist, offering basic functionalities, including OfficeSuite, WPS, OpenOffice, Google Slides, and more.

Paid software: Paid presentation software offers a wider range of advanced features, customization options, so if you can afford it, premium versions of basic packages can make your working even easier.

Presentation style:

Linear presentation: Most presentation software caters to a traditional linear flow, where slides progress one after another.

Non-linear format: Some software allows for creating interactive or non-linear presentations. Consider tools like Prezi or Nearpod if you want viewers to explore the content at their own pace.

4. Summing up

There are plenty of great options above, and more than worthy of making our list for the best presentation software in 2024. Of course, what you go for ultimately depends on your needs and budget, but with a healthy mix of free and paid versions in the above, you’re sure to find the right solutions to make your decks fantastic.

Once you’ve picked your software, it’ll be time to put together your presentations. We recommend reading our articles on how to do master slides , and presentation do’s and dont’s to give you even more of an edge. Good luck!

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30 Presentation Terms & What They Mean

Delivering a captivating presentation is an art that requires more than just confidence and oratory skills. From the design of your slides to the way you carry yourself on stage, every little detail contributes to the overall effectiveness of your presentation. For those who wish to master this art, getting familiar with the associated terminology is a great place to start.

In this article, we’ll explore “30 Presentation Terms & What They Mean,” shedding light on the key terms and concepts in the world of presentations. Whether you’re a professional looking to refine your skills, a student aiming to ace your next presentation, or just someone curious about the subject, this guide is sure to provide you with valuable insights.

Dive in as we explore everything from slide decks and speaker notes to body language and Q&A sessions.

Each term is elaborated in depth, giving you a comprehensive understanding of their meanings and applications. This knowledge will not only make you more comfortable with presentations but will also empower you to deliver them more effectively.

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Speaker Notes
White Space
Aspect Ratio
Grid System
Master Slide
Infographic
Data Visualization
Call-to-Action (CTA)
Color Palette
Negative Space
Storyboarding
Bullet Points
Eye Contact
Body Language
Q&A Session

1. Slide Deck

A slide deck, in its most basic sense, is a collection of slides that are presented in sequence to support a speech or presentation. The slides typically contain key points, graphics, and other visual aids that make the presentation more engaging and easier to understand.

Beyond merely displaying information, a well-crafted slide deck can tell a story, create an emotional connection, or illustrate complex concepts in a digestible way. Its design elements, including the choice of colors, fonts, and images, play a significant role in how the presentation is received by the audience.

2. Speaker Notes

Speaker notes are a feature in presentation software that allows presenters to add notes or cues to their slides. These notes are only visible to the presenter during the presentation. They can include additional information, reminders, prompts, or even the full script of the speech.

While the audience sees the slide deck, the speaker can use these notes as a guide to ensure they cover all necessary points without memorizing the entire speech. It’s essential to use speaker notes strategically – they should aid the presentation, not become a script that hinders natural delivery.

A template is a pre-designed layout for a slide deck. It typically includes a set design, color scheme, typefaces, and placeholders for content like text, images, and graphs. Templates can significantly reduce the time and effort required to create a professional-looking presentation.

While templates can be incredibly helpful, it’s important to choose one that aligns with the theme, purpose, and audience of the presentation. Customizing the template to match your brand or topic can further enhance its effectiveness.

4. Transition

In the realm of presentations, a transition refers to the visual effect that occurs when you move from one slide to the next. Simple transitions include fade-ins and fade-outs, while more complex ones might involve 3D effects, wipes, or spins.

Transitions can add a touch of professionalism and dynamism to a presentation when used correctly. However, overuse or choosing flashy transitions can be distracting and detract from the content. The key is to use transitions that complement the presentation’s tone and pace without overshadowing the message.

5. Animation

Animation is the process of making objects or text in your slide deck appear to move. This can involve anything from making bullet points appear one by one, to having graphics fly in or out, to creating a simulation of a complex process. Animation can add interest, emphasize points, and guide the audience’s attention throughout the presentation.

While animations can make a presentation more engaging, they must be used judiciously. Excessive or overly complex animations can distract the audience, complicate the message, and look unprofessional. As with transitions, animations should support the content, not detract from it.

6. Multimedia

Multimedia refers to the combination of different types of media — such as text, images, audio, video, and animation — within a single presentation. Incorporating multimedia elements can make a presentation more engaging, cater to different learning styles, and aid in explaining complex ideas.

However, it’s important to ensure that multimedia elements are relevant, high-quality, and appropriately scaled for the presentation. Additionally, depending on the presentation venue, technical considerations such as file sizes, internet speed, and audio quality need to be taken into account when using multimedia.

7. White Space

In the context of presentation design, white space (or negative space) refers to the unmarked portions of a slide, which are free of text, images, or other visual elements. Despite its name, white space doesn’t necessarily have to be white — it’s any area of a slide not filled with content.

White space can give a slide a clean, balanced look and can help draw attention to the most important elements. It can also reduce cognitive load, making it easier for the audience to process information. Good use of white space is often a key difference between professional and amateur designs.

8. Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between a slide’s width and height. It’s typically expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, such as 4:3 or 16:9. The first number represents the width, and the second represents the height.

The choice of aspect ratio can affect how content fits on the screen and how the presentation appears on different displays. For instance, a 16:9 aspect ratio is often used for widescreen displays, while a 4:3 ratio may be more suitable for traditional computer monitors and projectors.

9. Grid System

The grid system is a framework used to align and layout design elements in a slide. It’s comprised of horizontal and vertical lines that divide the slide into equal sections or grids.

The grid system aids in creating visual harmony, balance, and consistency across slides. It can guide the placement of text, images, and other elements, ensuring that they’re evenly spaced and aligned. It’s an important tool for maintaining a professional and organized appearance in a presentation.

10. Readability

Readability refers to how easy it is for an audience to read and understand the text on your slides. It involves factors such as font size, typeface, line length, spacing, and contrast with the background.

Ensuring good readability is crucial in presentations. If your audience can’t easily read and understand your text, they’ll be more likely to disengage. Large fonts, simple language, high-contrast color schemes, and ample white space can enhance readability.

11. Infographic

An infographic is a visual representation of information, data, or knowledge. They’re used in presentations to communicate complex data in a clear, concise, and engaging way. Infographics can include charts, graphs, icons, pictures, and text.

While infographics can effectively communicate complex ideas, they must be designed carefully. Too much information, confusing visuals, or a lack of a clear hierarchy can make an infographic difficult to understand. It’s important to keep the design simple and focus on the key message.

To embed in a presentation context means to incorporate external content, such as a video, a document, or a website, directly into a slide. When an object is embedded, it becomes part of the presentation file and can be viewed or played without leaving the presentation.

Embedding can be a useful tool to incorporate interactive or supplementary content into a presentation. However, it’s important to remember that it can increase the file size of the presentation and may require an internet connection or specific software to function correctly.

13. Palette

A palette, in terms of presentations, refers to the set of colors chosen to be used throughout the slide deck. This can include primary colors for backgrounds and text, as well as secondary colors for accents and highlights.

The right color palette can help convey the mood of a presentation, reinforce branding, and increase visual interest. It’s important to choose colors that work well together and provide enough contrast for readability. Tools like color wheel or color scheme generators can be helpful in choosing a harmonious palette.

14. Vector Graphics

Vector graphics are digital images created using mathematical formulas rather than pixels. This means they can be scaled up or down without losing quality, making them ideal for presentations that may be viewed on different screen sizes.

Vector graphics often have smaller file sizes than their pixel-based counterparts (raster graphics), which can help keep your presentation file manageable. Common types of vector graphics include logos, icons, and illustrations.

15. Mood Board

A mood board is a collection of images, text, colors, and other design elements that serve as visual inspiration for a presentation. It helps establish the aesthetic, mood, or theme of the presentation before the design process begins.

Creating a mood board can be a valuable step in the presentation design process. It can help you visualize how different elements will work together, communicate your design ideas to others, and maintain consistency across your slides.

16. Hierarchy

In design, hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements in a way that implies importance. In presentations, visual hierarchy helps guide the viewer’s eye to the most important elements first.

Hierarchy can be created through the use of size, color, contrast, alignment, and whitespace. Effective use of hierarchy can make your slides easier to understand and keep your audience focused on the key points.

17. Stock Photos

Stock photos are professionally taken photographs that are bought and sold on a royalty-free basis. They can be used in presentations to add visual interest, convey emotions, or illustrate specific concepts.

While stock photos can enhance a presentation, it’s important to use them judiciously and choose images that align with your presentation’s tone and content. Overuse of generic or irrelevant stock photos can make a presentation feel impersonal or unprofessional.

18. Sans Serif

Sans serif refers to a category of typefaces that do not have small lines or strokes attached to the ends of larger strokes. Sans serif fonts are often used in presentations because they’re typically easier to read on screens than serif fonts, which have these small lines.

Some popular sans serif fonts for presentations include Helvetica, Arial, and Calibri. When choosing a font for your slides, readability should be a primary consideration.

19. Hyperlink

A hyperlink, or link, is a clickable element in a slide that directs the viewer to another slide in the deck, a different document, or a web page. Hyperlinks can be used in presentations to provide additional information or to navigate to specific slides.

While hyperlinks can be useful, they should be used sparingly and appropriately. Links that direct the viewer away from the presentation can be distracting and disrupt the flow of your talk.

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It’s a file format that preserves the fonts, images, graphics, and layout of any source document, regardless of the computer or software used to create it. Presentations are often saved and shared as PDFs to ensure they look the same on any device.

While a PDF version of your presentation will maintain its appearance, it won’t include interactive elements like animations, transitions, and hyperlinks. Therefore, it’s best used for distributing slide handouts or when the presentation software used to create the deck isn’t available.

21. Raster Graphics

Raster graphics are digital images composed of individual pixels. These pixels, each a single point with its own color, come together to form the full image. Photographs are the most common type of raster graphics.

While raster graphics can provide detailed and vibrant images, they don’t scale well. Enlarging a raster image can lead to pixelation, where the individual pixels become visible and the image appears blurry. For this reason, raster images in presentations should be used at their original size or smaller.

22. Typeface

A typeface, often referred to as a font, is a set of characters with the same design. This includes letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and sometimes symbols. Typefaces can have different styles and weights, such as bold or italic.

The choice of typeface can significantly impact the readability and mood of a presentation. For example, serif typefaces can convey tradition and authority, while sans serif typefaces can appear modern and clean. The key is to choose a typeface that aligns with the purpose and audience of your presentation.

23. Visual Content

Visual content refers to the graphics, images, charts, infographics, animations, and other non-text elements in a presentation. These elements can help capture the audience’s attention, enhance understanding, and make the presentation more memorable.

While visual content can enhance a presentation, it’s important not to overload slides with too many visual elements, as this can confuse or overwhelm the audience. All visual content should be relevant, clear, and support the overall message of the presentation.

24. Call to Action

A call to action (CTA) in a presentation is a prompt that encourages the audience to take a specific action. This could be anything from visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter, participating in a discussion, or implementing a suggested strategy.

A strong CTA aligns with the goals of the presentation and is clear and compelling. It often comes at the end of the presentation, providing the audience with a next step or a way to apply what they’ve learned.

25. Thumbnails

In presentations, thumbnails are small versions of the slides that are used to navigate through the deck during the design process. They provide an overview of the presentation’s flow and can help identify inconsistencies in design.

Thumbnails are typically displayed in the sidebar of presentation software. They allow you to easily move, delete, or duplicate slides, and can provide a visual check for overall consistency and flow.

26. Aspect Ratio

27. interactive elements.

Interactive elements are components in a presentation that the audience can interact with. These could include hyperlinks, embedded quizzes, interactive infographics, or multimedia elements like audio and video.

Interactive elements can make a presentation more engaging and memorable. However, they require careful planning and should always be tested before the presentation to ensure they work as intended.

28. Placeholders

In the context of presentations, placeholders are boxes that are included in a slide layout to hold specific types of content, such as text, images, or charts. They guide the placement of content and can help ensure consistency across slides.

Placeholders can be especially useful when working with templates, as they provide a predefined layout to follow. However, they should be used flexibly – not every placeholder needs to be used, and additional elements can be added if necessary.

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7 Most Popular Software for Presentations

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15 Best Presentation Software for 2024 (Full Comparison Guide)
You need high-quality business presentation software to take your slides to the next level. Some of the best presentation software include Visme, Haiku Deck, Prezi, Microsoft Powerpoint, Canva and Google Slides. In this comparison guide, we'll analyze each of these tools and many more to understand what the difference is between them so you ...
The best presentation software in 2024
The other drawback is that you can't get as granular with the visual customization as you can with many other presentation tools. Mentimeter pricing: Free plan includes 50 participants per month and 34 different slide types; upgrade to the Basic plan for $11.99/presenter/month to get unlimited participants and slide types, private presentations ...
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Apple Keynote is the most successful competitor of PowerPoint among other Mac free presentation software solutions. Access your presentations either online with iCloud, with a mobile app, or download a desktop version for Mac. 8. Haiku Deck . Pricing. The Edu plan starts at $5 USD/month, Pro at $10 USD/month, and the Volume plan is at $100 USD ...
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1. Powtoon. A web-based presentation tool, which means you can access your presentations wherever you are, with an internet connection. It is known for its animations, cartoons, and infographics, which help the user to create more interactive presentations and explainer-style videos. Example by Focusky.
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These programs make it simple and often fun to create a presentation for your audience. They contain a text editor to add your written content; they support charts and graphic images such as photographs, clip art or other objects to enliven your slideshow and get your point across crisply. For a deeper dive into some of the leading applications ...
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Every other presentation app we reviewed also supports PowerPoint in terms of directly opening or importing the file, and exporting as a PowerPoint file. You'll need a Microsoft 365 Personal ...
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Among the other presentation software on this list, Prezi Business might be one of the most unique presentation tools. Rather than offering a regular slideshow format, Prezi looks more like a 3D interactive mind map where viewers jump dynamically from one idea to the next.
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Other reviews: PCMag.com, Macworld. 4. Slides. This cloud-based presentation software offers a solid and user-friendly alternative to PowerPoint. Its sleek editor workspace allows you to add background images, use a variety of designs and themes, collaborate easily with others and customize any of 10 default slide templates.
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What Is Presentation Software? (Definitions and Examples)
Updated September 30, 2022. Presentation software, also commonly known as presentation programs, can help users create and design unique presentations that are easy for viewers to comprehend. These types of software applications typically have text, audio, video, and image features to enable users to present their work through a story or timeline.
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4. Drag-and-drop. 5. Content management. Juggling text, images, and slides while creating presentations? Presentation software can help you organize content and create visually appealing presentations that are easy for viewers to comprehend. However, not all presentation software solutions are created equal.
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March 28, 2024. Some of the best presentation software to get in 2024 includes Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, OfficeSuite Slides, Google Slides, and LibreOffice Impress. But, there are plenty of other choices out there, but knowing which one to go for can be difficult. Well, we know a thing or two about building awesome decks, so join us ...
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6. Multimedia. Multimedia refers to the combination of different types of media — such as text, images, audio, video, and animation — within a single presentation. Incorporating multimedia elements can make a presentation more engaging, cater to different learning styles, and aid in explaining complex ideas.
Support for Thunderbolt™ Share
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Custom copilot is pre-populated with information from the file/folder selection. The copilot has a default folder name, branding, description, sources you've selected, and other fields already. You can keep these fields and parameters as-is, or easily update them. Customize the identity with a name change. Customize the grounding knowledge.

The best presentation software in 2024

The best presentation software

The best presentation software at a glance

The best presentation app for AI-powered design

The best presentation app for conversational presentations

The best presentation app for video presentations

The best presentation app for collaborating with your team

The best presentation app for conversational AI

The best presentation app for audience engagement

The best presentation app for generative AI

What about the old standbys?

What about PowerPoint and Google Slides add-ons?

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12 Best Presentation Software for 2024

1. Venngage

Vast selection of templates

Data visualization made easy

Seamless real-time in-editor collaboration tools

Consistently brand your designs with smart Autobrand features

Who is it for

Key features

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

3. Google Slides

4. Keynote (for Mac users)

7. Adobe Express

8. Haiku Deck

10. Slidebean

11. Beautiful.ai

15 Best Presentation Software for 2021

3. RenderForest Presentation Maker

4. Mentimeter

5. Libre Office Impress

6. Zoho Show

7. ClearSlide Presenter

8. Piktochart

11. Slidebean

12. Google Slides

13. Keynote

14. Adobe Spark

15. PowerPoint

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Best Presentation Software of 2024

Best Overall: Google Slides

Specifications:

Most Compatible: Microsoft PowerPoint

Best For Mac Users: Apple Keynote

Most Flexible: Prezi

Best Budget: Visme

Best For Entrepreneurs: Slidebean

Most Powerful: Canva

The Bottom Line

Things To Consider When Buying Presentation Software

How We Chose The Best Presentation Software

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

Best presentation software of 2023

Best overall

Microsoft PowerPoint

Best for Zoom

Best overall: Microsoft PowerPoint

Best for students: Beautiful.ai

Things to consider when buying presentation software

Ease of use

Prebuilt templates

Customizability

Who’s it for?

Cost & affordability

The best presentation software: Reviews & Recommendations

Best for Mac: Keynote