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Top 12 PowerPoint Alternatives Compared

Mahnoor Sheikh
Written by Mahnoor Sheikh
Published at Feb 28, 2025
Top 12 PowerPoint Alternatives Compared

As someone who has relied heavily on PowerPoint in the early years of my career, I’ve seen firsthand how the tool has helped shape business presentations into what they are today.

However, presentations have changed. People now want to see slide decks that entertain and captivate like never before. They want bold designs, interactive presentations and creative animations—elements that are often difficult to implement using PowerPoint’s standard templates and basic capabilities.

Thankfully, there are several excellent PowerPoint alternatives you can use to easily create beautiful, unique and branded presentations.

I tested some of these tools to bring you this list of the best alternatives to PowerPoint out there. In this post, I’ll break down each software in detail to show you how to build presentation designs that keep your audience hooked.

 

Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Beautiful Presentations

  1. Visme
  2. Prezi
  3. Keynote
  4. Slides
  5. Slidebean
  6. Zoho Show
  7. Google Slides
  8. Canva
  9. Beautiful.ai
  10. Microsoft Sway
  11. Venngage 
  12. Pitch

*Disclaimer: The comparisons and competitor ratings presented in this article are based on features available as of  February 27, 2025. We conduct thorough research and draw on both first-hand experience and reputable sources to provide reliable insights. However, as tools and technologies evolve, we recommend readers verify details and consider additional research to ensure the information meets their specific needs.

 

 

Quick Read

  • The top 12 PowerPoint alternatives are Visme, Prezi, Keynote, Slides, Slidebean, Zoho Show, Google Slides, Canva, Beautiful.ai, and Microsoft Sway.
  • Other alternatives include Prezi for dynamic storytelling, Google Slides for collaboration, Canva for visual design, Keynote for Apple users and Slides for multimedia presentations. Choose based on your audience, goals, and creativity or interactivity needs.

  • Access 500+ presentation templates and customize them using advanced tools like presenter studio, presenter notes, charts and graphs, animations, interactivity, video embeds, voiceovers and more.
  • Import and edit your old PowerPoint files and export your presentations in various formats, including PPTX, PDF, HTML5 and even video.
  • Use Visme's AI tools to generate text and images, resize and retouch photos, and even create custom presentation designs based on prompts.
  • Sign-up for Visme's free online presentation design tool and create professional-looking presentations that will mesmerize your audience.

 

PowerPoint Alternatives Comparison Chart 

Software Key Features Pricing Best for Core Uses G2 Rating
Visme AI tools, drag-and-drop editor, templates, data visualization, animations, collaboration, Presenter Studio, Presenter Notes with PDF download, Master Layout, offline mode, analytics Free;
Paid from $12.25/month
Businesses, educators, teams AI-powered and collaborative presentations, infographics, social media graphics with animations 4.6
Prezi Non-linear presentations, cloud-based, advanced image editing, privacy management Free;
Paid from $12/month
Students, educators, companies Dynamic presentations, non-linear storytelling 4.2
Keynote Cinematic transitions, interactive charts, cloud-based, collaboration, compatible with PPT files and software Free for Mac users Mac users Professional presentations 4.4
Slides Cloud-based, custom CSS editor, team collaboration, analytics, offline mode Paid from $5/month Startups, educators, individuals Collaborative presentations, web-based presentations 4.4
Slidebean Ready-to-use templates, image and GIF search, collaboration, curated color palettes Free;
Paid from $228/year
Startups, busy professionals Professional presentations, startups, pitch decks 4.4
Zoho Show Animation, transitions, browser-based, collaboration, chart import Free;
Paid plans available
Businesses, teams Collaborative presentations, cloud-based 4.4
Google Slides Cloud-based, real-time collaboration, integration with Google Drive, templates Free Teams, educators, businesses Collaborative presentations, integration with Google Workspace 4.5
Canva Templates, drag-and-drop editor, design elements, animations, team collaboration Free;
Paid from $12.95/month
Designers, marketers, teams Graphic design, presentations, social media graphics 4.7
Beautiful.ai AI-powered design, templates, cloud-based, analytics, privacy controls Paid from $12/month Professionals, teams AI-powered presentations, quick slide creation 4.1
Microsoft Sway Storytelling focus, interactive content, cloud-based, integration with Microsoft Office Free Educators, professionals Web-based presentations, storytelling 4.1
Venngage Infographic maker, templates, drag-and-drop editor, branding tools, data visualization Free;
Paid from $19/month
Marketers, educators, professionals Infographics, presentations, reports 4.7
Pitch Collaborative presentations, templates, real-time collaboration, analytics, integrations Free;
Paid from $8/month
Startups, teams, professionals Collaborative presentations, startup pitches 4.4

 

What Makes a Great PowerPoint Alternative?

Not every PowerPoint alternative is built the same. To help you find the best presentation software for your business, I looked for important aspects and features like:

  • Ease of use: How easy it is to create a presentation using the software and how quickly you can grasp the different features and tools.
  • PowerPoint compatibility: The ability to import existing PPTX files so you don't have to recreate all your old presentations.
  • Animation and effects: Animation styles and transition capabilities for dynamic slides.
  • Design assets: In-app graphics, shapes, lines and other assets to design your slides with.
  • Prebuilt, customizable templates: A library of unique presentation templates to easily customize with your information.
  • Download formats: The different formats in which you can download your presentation, including PPTX and PDF.
  • Online presenting: The ability to skip the downloading process and present directly from the tool.
  • Data visualization tools: Charts, graphs and widgets for making data and information easier to understand.
  • Collaboration features: The ability to comment, annotate and edit simultaneously so your team can work on presentations together.Keep these features in mind as you go through our list below to try and find the best PowerPoint alternative for your business.

 

Top 12 PowerPoint Alternatives

To answer your question, "What is better than PowerPoint?", I've explored numerous options and narrowed them down to the top 12 PowerPoint alternatives.

Here’s a quick overview of how I tested these tools:

  • Created a free account and explored the dashboard and interface
  • Explored ways to create a new presentation (including from scratch, using templates and PPTX import)
  • Added, deleted and duplicated slides
  • Played around with features like text, graphics, icons, charts, animations, interactivity, AI tools and more
  • Tried the download, sharing and export options (including Present mode)

Below, I’ve summarized my findings and the most important features of each alternative to help you make sense of the dozens of options out there.

1. Visme

powerpoint alternatives - Visme logo

Ideal for: Marketers, entrepreneurs, educators and individuals in general; corporate teams.

Visme is a cloud-based, drag-and-drop presentation software that offers you all the tools you need to create not just compelling presentations, but also infographics, data visualizations, reports, product demos and resumes.

powerpoint alternatives - Visme dashboard

In my list, Visme is easily one of the best alternatives to PowerPoint. I found its ready-to-use templates (with high-quality backgrounds and professional layouts) a breath of fresh air from the all-too-familiar PowerPoint themes.

But what makes Visme really stand out from other tools is its powerful AI features. Along with AI text and image generation (Visme’s got ‘em), you can create complete custom presentations based on specific prompts using the AI presentation maker.

For example, here’s what Visme came up with when I typed in “Prepare a product launch presentation for a new smartphone”. You have to admit, this is pretty impressive!

a image of Visme's AI presentation maker

Other than templates, you can also find millions of free images, thousands of vector icons, data visualizations and hundreds of fonts in Visme’s built-in design asset library. And they’re all searchable!

This means you can create virtually any kind of visual content in Visme without struggling to find and upload the right assets.

 

Features

  • AI presentation tool: Put together any type of presentation in seconds. Just enter your prompt and select a style and the tool will generate text, images and icons for your presentation.
  • Color dropper tool: Change colors of fonts, icons, illustrations, shapes, background and almost anything. Choose from the color presets, use the color wheel, copy-paste the HEX code and even choose a color from an image.
  • Publish and share anywhere: Share via URL or embed into a blog post or web page.
  • Manage privacy: Control who can see your projects or password-protect them.
  • Present offline: Download presentations as images, PDFs, editable PPTX or HTML5.
  • Add animation and interactivity to any element: Animate any object you want in your presentation, including text, shapes, charts and tables. Insert call-to-action buttons, videos, surveys, quizzes, etc.
  • Customize transitions: Incorporate seamless transitions from slide to slide.
  • Extensive font library: Choose from hundreds of fonts and font pairs that make your presentation engaging and easily readable.
  • Access third-party integrations: Add forms, videos, analytics and more with the integration of YouTube, Vimeo, JotForm, Google Analytics and many others.
  • Take advantage of the slide library: Quickly search for the exact slides you need from an extensive library of professionally designed slides and templates.
A GIF showcasing how to add presentation slides to your Visme presentation.
  • Track analytics: Monitor the performance of your presentations when shared online by tracking the views, unique visitors, average time, average completion, name of the visitors and more.
  • Use data visualization: Visualize any type of data using 30+ data widgets in 2D and 3D formats, such as radial gauges, progress bars, clocks, population gauges and more. For larger sets of data, choose from 20+ types of charts and graphs, such as pie charts, bar graphs, radar charts, flowcharts and more. You can also integrate live data into your charts and graphs and add interactivity to them for advanced data visualization. 
  • Presenter notes: Stay on message by adding speaking notes to your presentation before you go live.
  • Presenter studio: Present asynchronously by recording your presentation and sharing it with your team. The Presenter Studio is a built-in presentation recording software in Visme that allows you to record yourself presenting and sending it to your audience.  You can turn on your webcam for video or turn it off to record your voice-over audio to add to your presentation. Easily re-record or start recording from wherever you left off and always stay organized with the help of the presenter notes.
GIF of Visme's Presenter Studio
  • HTML5-based: Runs on any browser and device.
  • PowerPoint import/export: Import existing PPTX presentations to edit and improve then export to present offline.
  • Work as a team: Leave comments for improvements, collaborate in real time and share with your team.
  • Endless design elements: Searchable libraries with millions of images, high-quality vector icons, 3D graphics, animated illustrations and more.
GIF of adding nice 3D icons to a presentation in Visme
  • Pre-made content blocks: Create visual slides quickly using drag-and-drop content blocks with visual stats, maps, figures and pictograms.
  • 3D character creator: Visme also comes with a 3D character creator that lets you design animated characters with various body types, hairstyles and facial expressions. You can customize them with entry, waiting, and exit poses to further enhance the creative possibilities for your projects.

 

Visme animation software - 3D character creator

 

  • AI image generator: Create images, art, 3D objects, icons, and abstracts just by typing on your keyboard.
  • AI design generator: Visme's AI Design Generator allows you to create engaging visuals, including infographics, presentations and reports, within minutes. Input text prompts to explain your requirements and select your preferred style. The tool will then generate visuals for you, complete with text, images, icons and other design elements.
  • Dynamic fields: Personalize and automate content by dynamically inserting variable data, such as names, numbers, addresses and more, streamlining the creation of customized visuals.
A graphic showcasing Visme's features in the editor.

Pricing: Free plan you can use for as long as you like. Access premium features and download formats with plans starting at $12.25/month, billed annually.

Pros: Users can create virtually any visual content—including infographics, charts, reports and printables—in a single place; add animation, full interactivity and audio.

Cons: Due to the high level of flexibility and variety of options, it may take some time to master all of its features—but it's well worth it when you do.

Aspect Visme PowerPoint
Ease of Use Drag-and-drop editor, AI-powered tools Familiar, but more complex for non-designers
Design Flexibility Advanced design elements, interactivity, 3D characters Limited to standard animations, fewer design options
Collaboration Real-time with comments and annotation Real-time collaboration with Office 365
Data Visualization 30+ charts, graphs, maps and widgets, live data integration Static charts and graphs
Pricing Free with premium plans starting at $12.25/month Microsoft 365 required for premium features

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2.Prezi

PowerPoint alternatives - Prezi's logo against a white background

Ideal for: Students, educators, speakers, companies.

If you’ve created a presentation as a student or educator, you might have heard about Prezi. This PowerPoint alternative has always been popular for its non-linear presentation style, which can pan and zoom from one page to the next without creating the impression of moving to a new slide.

But a lot has changed over the years and Prezi has evolved to keep up with new trends and technology. Prezi AI, for example, can help you create a non-linear presentation in minutes based on prompts. I especially liked how they offered three different design options (all non-linear) to choose from.

However, the one downside I’ve noticed to using Prezi is the interface can get a bit clunky and slow. The non-linear, animated design is great but it comes at a price. Editing your Prezi presentation can start feeling like a never-ending chore, especially if, like me, you’re short on patience.

Powerpoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Prezi interface.

Features

Here are some of Prezi’s features I found worthy of mentioning:

  • AI presentation builder: Create a custom presentation tailored to your content and design requirements based on a couple of prompts. You can also upload a file to automatically populate the AI-generated slides with your text content.
  • View and edit presentations from any device: You can use Prezi via both desktop and mobile apps (iOS and Android), which makes it easy to create, edit and view presentations on multiple devices, including Mac and Windows.
  • Cloud-based storage: All presentations are stored in the cloud, making it easy to access them from any location. This makes Prezi ideal for remote teams or people making presentations on the go.
  • Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can collaborate on the same presentation simultaneously, making it a valuable tool for team projects, business pitches and educational group work.
  • Offline access: You can download your presentations for offline use, a feature useful in scenarios where internet access is unreliable.
  • Multimedia and integrations: Prezi allows users to insert multimedia elements like images, videos and sounds. You can also integrate it with platforms like Google Drive and Slack to easily pull assets and share your presentations.
  • Privacy control: Users can set presentations to private, shareable by a link or public, depending on their needs. You can also give team members limited or complete access to collaborate on or view presentations.
  • Presenter tools and analytics: Prezi offers analytics to track viewer engagement, useful for assessing the impact of business or educational presentations. It also supports presenter notes and view modes that enhance delivery.
  • Zoom and pan functionality: The hallmark feature of Prezi is its unique, non-linear flow of information, which helps presenters highlight connections between ideas and makes their presentations more interactive.
PowerPoint alternatives - A screenshot of Prezi templates.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $5/month for individuals and $15/month for businesses, billed annually. There’s also a free trial available.

Pros: Create nonlinear presentations with ease.

Cons: Not fully customizable; users can only create non-linear presentations which can actually cause motion sickness in some viewers.

Aspect Prezi PowerPoint
Ease of Use Moderate learning curve due to non-linear structure Linear, familiar flow
Presentation Style Zooming and panning, non-linear flow Traditional slide transitions
Collaboration Real-time team collaboration Requires Office 365 for real-time editing
Customizability Customizable slides only in non-linear style Extensive customization for linear slides
Pricing Paid plans start at $5/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

3.Keynote

Keynote's logo against a white background

Ideal for: Mac owners.

Keynote is Apple’s alternative to PowerPoint. And I found it’s everything you would expect in an Apple product: sleek, sophisticated and intuitive.

The software is packed with powerful features, such as the ability to create interactive charts, add reflections and picture frames. Keynote also makes it easy to create presentations with cinematic-like transitions between slides.

For Apple users, Keynote is even more intuitive after the release of the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. You can also store presentations in the cloud so they’re available on all devices.

The problem with Keynote, however, is it offers very limited design assets and interactivity features compared to most online presentation makers on this list. It’s an offline software, after all, similar to PowerPoint.

Powerpoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Keynote templates.

Features

Here are some notable Keynote features:

  • Cinematic effects for text and objects: Use over 30 eye-catching slide transitions, and make text and objects fade, scale or rotate.
  • Interactive and animated charts: Bring your data to life with animated charts. Add interactivity so your audience can explore the data themselves.
  • Access and edit on any Apple device: Work on your presentations wherever you are. Keynote syncs seamlessly across your iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud.
  • Real-time collaboration: Team up with colleagues in real-time, no matter where you're located, and watch edits happen live.
  • Wide range of professional templates: Kickstart your presentation with over 30 ready-to-go templates. Customize them to fit your needs.
  • PowerPoint compatibility: Import and edit PPT files directly in Keynote, or export your Keynote presentations in PPTX to share with non-Apple users.
  • Apple Pencil support: Use Keynote on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil to add handwritten notes, quick sketches and illustrations to your presentations.
  • Built-in presenter tools: View your notes, upcoming slides and navigation controls in a separate window during video conferences to present with confidence.

Pricing: Free for all Mac computers.

Pros: Compatible with PowerPoint.

Cons: Desktop software, not online-based; no slide library.

Aspect Keynote PowerPoint
Ease of Use Intuitive for Apple users, seamless cross-device sync Familiar interface, steeper learning curve
Design Capabilities Cinematic transitions, interactive charts Decent design tools with custom animations
Collaboration Real-time, but Apple-only Available across all platforms
Device Compatibility Mac, iPhone, iPad support Cross-platform, but sync isn't as seamless
Pricing Free for Apple devices Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

4. Slides

PowerPoint alternatives - The Slides logo against a white background

Ideal for: Startups, students, teachers and individuals.

Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that offers a solid and user-friendly alternative to PowerPoint. I love its sleek editor workspace, which allows you to add background images, use a variety of designs and themes, and collaborate easily with others.

While Slides might be intuitive and easy-to-use, it’s very limited in terms of templates and customizability. For starters, there are only 10 templates to choose from. There are also very few assets and features that come with the editor (e.g. data visualization).

Note: Remember to not confuse Slides.com with Slides.ai!

PowerPoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Slides interface.

Features

Here are the top Slides features to know:

  • AI outlines: Generate presentation outlines quickly using AI based on your topic.
  • Edit and access from any device: Create, edit and view presentations from any web browser, including mobile devices.
  • Live collaboration and remote presenting: Edit slides in real-time with others. Control presentations remotely from mobile devices.
  • Freehand drawing: Add drawings to slides for annotations or highlights during live presentations.
  • Speaker view with notes: Access notes, next slide preview and timer in a dedicated speaker view.
  • Kiosk mode/autoplay: Set presentations to autoplay and loop for continuous display at events.
  • Privacy control: Keep presentations private by default. Share publicly or via custom, expiring links.
  • Analytics and revision history: Track viewer engagement using integrated Google Analytics. Save and revert to previous versions of your presentation.
  • Display math formulas: Include math formulas using LaTeX for academic and technical presentations.
  • Custom CSS editor: Define your own themes and styles for complete design control.
  • Integrate GIFs and images: Add GIFs from Giphy and images from Unsplash to enhance visuals.
PowerPoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Slides templates.

Price: Paid plans start at $5/month per user, billed annually.

Pros: User-friendly; includes beginner’s tutorial; users can copy other people’s designs and layouts as templates for their own content (this preference can be turned off when creating presentations).

Cons: Very few templates and types of slides; limited customization; no graphs or infographic widgets available..

 

Aspect Slides.com PowerPoint
Ease of Use Web-based, easy access, and editing from any device Desktop and web-based, but download required
Customization CSS editor for full design control Limited to built-in tools
Privacy and Sharing Strong privacy controls, expiring links Can password-protect files with Office 365
Collaboration Real-time collaboration Requires Office 365 for real-time collaboration
Pricing Paid plans start at $5/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

5.Slidebean

Powerpoint alternatives - Slidebean's logo against a white background

Ideal for: Startups and those who want to make presentations in as little time as possible.

Slidebean is an AI-powered PowerPoint alternative that’s a good option for busy executives and people who don’t have the time to design their own slides.

The tool comes with plenty of business-focused templates, such as pitch decks and branding strategy presentations. They’ve also recreated pitch decks from big-name startups as templates. Users can simply plug in their content and they’re good to go.

Slidebean also offers professional pitch deck writing and design services (along with some others like financial modeling and budgeting) to help you create business presentations that actually deliver results.

That’s a really cool perk to have if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of creating a presentation yourself and would simply like to outsource the process.

PowerPoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Slidebean interface.

That said, I feel that Slidebean seriously lacks in the animation department. They only offer basic, step-by-step animation for any images and text on your slides and you cannot customize any of the effects. You can only rearrange their order of appearance.

Features

Here are some of the best Slidebean features:

  • Ready-to-use templates: Access pre-designed templates for marketing, business pitches and startup presentations.
  • AI-powered slide design: Automate layout, font and color scheme selection based on your content.
  • Searchable images and GIFs: Add visuals from Unsplash and Giphy directly within Slidebean.
  • Flat icons library: Use thousands of flat icons to enhance your slides.
  • Data import for charts: Visualize statistics and create charts by importing data from CSV files.
  • Real-time collaboration: Work simultaneously with team members on presentations.
  • Chat and feedback: Communicate with team members within the presentation software.
  • Curated color palettes: Choose from pre-selected color schemes to keep your slides consistent in design.
  • Audience engagement analytics: Track viewer actions and time spent on each slide.
  • Custom branding: Apply your brand's colors, fonts and logos to presentations.
Powerpoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Slidebean template library.

Pricing: Slidebean offers a free trial with access to basic features. Their paid, all-access plan starts at $12/month, billed annually.

Pros: Preset, ready-to-go design so you can focus solely on the content.

Cons: Basic animation.

 

Aspect Slidebean PowerPoint
Ease of Use AI-powered design automation Full manual design control, but more complex
Speed of Creation Fast due to AI-generated slides Time-consuming for design-heavy presentations
Templates Startup-focused, pitch deck templates Wide range, but more traditional templates
Collaboration Real-time with built-in chat Office 365 needed for collaboration
Pricing Paid plans start at $12/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

6. Zoho Show

Zoho's logo against a white background

Ideal for: Business users, students, educators.

Part of a suite of online applications called the Workplace Bundle, Zoho Show provides users with a traditional presentation tool that's online-based.

Like the other alternatives to PowerPoint presentations listed here, Zoho allows you to create and access presentations from any device connected to the internet. You can also download them in various formats, share them online or embed them on a website.

PowerPoint alternatives - A screenshot of the Zoho template interface

If I’m being honest, Zoho Show’s interface feels quite similar to PowerPoint. I would say it’s a simplified and modern version of PowerPoint with a bunch of cool features like customizable illustrations, data widgets, charts and add-ons.

Features

Here are some Zoho Show features that make this tool special:

  • Eye-catching animations and transitions: Add dynamic effects to whole slides or individual slide elements.
  • Embed live content: Insert live tweets, YouTube videos and images from external platforms.
  • Data visualization tools: Create visual representations of complex data with charts and graphs
  • Publish presentations online: Share presentations on websites or blogs.
  • File import and export flexibility: Import and export various presentation file formats, including PPTX.
  • Collaborative editing and feedback: Edit and comment on presentations in real-time.
  • Broadcast presentations anywhere: Present live from any device to remote audiences.
  • Customizable templates and themes: Choose from over 100 templates for various industries.
  • Presenter tools and analytics: Use presenter view and track audience engagement.
A screenshot of the Zoho template library.

Pricing: Zoho Show offers a free plan for creating and sharing presentations. Their professional plan starts at $2.50/month per user, billed annually. The paid plan offers premium features like additional storage, user management tools and brand asset library.

Pros: Import multiple file types; conferencing option.

Cons: Limited animations and transitions; only standard presentation functionality.

 

Aspect Zoho Show PowerPoint
Ease of Use Simple, browser-based interface Familiar, but download required
Collaboration Real-time with commenting Office 365 collaboration features available
Media Integration Embed live social media content (tweets, YouTube) Limited video embedding options
Customizability Offers good templates and transition animations Full manual customization available
Pricing Free with premium at $2.50/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

7. Google Slides

Powerpoint alternatives - The Google Slides logo against a white background

Ideal for: People who are familiar with Google products and need to create presentations with remote teams.

When it comes to Google Slides vs PowerPoint, I’d give Google Slides the award for the best PowerPoint alternative because it’s completely free to use with a Google account. When logged into Google, Slides is available at any time, even from your email dashboard.

The design process on Google Slides is simple and to the point. I felt like I was creating a Google Slides presentation in PowerPoint itself. The interface is slightly more modern and simplified, and there are hundreds of templates in different color themes to choose from.

Powerpoint alternatives - a screenshot of Google Slides interface

Features

Here’s what caught my eye in Google Slides:

  • Automatic cloud saving: Save work automatically on Google's servers. Never worry about losing your progress and access your presentations from anywhere.
  • Custom themes and color pickers: Change presentation themes and color schemes easily. Maintain a consistent look across your entire presentation with just a few clicks.
  • Real-time collaboration: Work simultaneously with team members on presentations. Edit, comment and update slides together, no matter where you're located.
  • PowerPoint compatibility: Import and export PPTX files. Seamlessly work with colleagues who use different presentation software.
  • Templates and themes: Use professionally designed templates for various purposes. Quickly create polished presentations for any occasion or industry.
  • Simplified user interface: Focus on content creation with an easy-to-use interface. Create impactful presentations without getting bogged down in complex features.
PowerPoint Alternatives - A screenshot of a presentation slide open in the Google Slides presentation editor

Pricing: Free for everybody, as long as they have a Google account.

Pros: It’s free and easy to use.

Cons: Design capabilities are limited to standard features.

Aspect Google Slides PowerPoint
Ease of Use Easy to use, browser-based More complex, especially for Mac users
Real-time Collaboration Seamless with Google users Requires Office 365 subscription
Storage and Access Auto-saving to Google Drive Save to OneDrive with Microsoft 365
Templates Limited templates Extensive template library
Pricing Free for all users Requires Microsoft 365 subscription

Create a stunning presentation in less time

  • Hundreds of premade slides available
  • Add animation and interactivity to your slides
  • Choose from various presentation options

Sign up. It’s free.

Create a stunning presentation in less time

 

8. Canva

Canva's logo against a white background

Ideal for: Those looking for a simple presentation that's easy to put together.

Canva is primarily a graphic design tool, but it can also work as an easy-to-use PowerPoint alternative. Its presentation templates come ready with numerous slides. All you need to do is choose the slides you want to use and switch out the content.

The tool also offers beautiful animations that you can apply to the entire slide at once or to specific elements. They’re customizable (to an extent) and very easy to work with.

Powerpoint alternatives - screenshot of Canva interface

Another really cool feature I found in Canva’s presentation maker was the ability to translate your entire presentation into another language. This is super useful if you’re building decks to be shared online (on localized pages) or with audiences in multiple regions.

Features

Here’s what makes Canva a great PowerPoint alternative:

  • Ready-made presentation templates: Access templates to quickly create professional-looking presentations for any purpose or industry.
  • Millions of images and icons: Use a large library of stock images and icons. Enhance your slides with high-quality visuals without leaving the platform.
  • Present directly from Canva: Deliver presentations without downloading to present your work smoothly online and offline.
  • Multiple export formats: Export your presentations in different formats like PPTX, PDF, MP4 or GIF.
  • Easy social media sharing: Share presentations directly to social platforms.
  • Magic media and AI tools: Generate custom graphics and enhance your slides using AI-driven features.
  • On-brand presentation layouts: Apply brand colors and layouts automatically to maintain consistent branding across all your presentations.
Powerpoint alternatives - A screenshot of graphic assets available in Canva.

Pricing: “Free” but premium assets cost $1 or more to use. Canva Pro is $15/month and Canva for Teams starts at $10/month/user (minimum 3 users).

Pros: Easy to use and lets you create nice-looking presentations fast.

Cons: The best features are in Canva’s paid plans; complete presentations can’t be colorized as a whole.

 

Aspect Canva PowerPoint
Ease of Use Drag-and-drop, simple interface Familiar, but more complex for design tasks
Design Flexibility Offers stock images, icons and advanced media tools Strong slide design options, but less intuitive
Collaboration Team collaboration available in Pro Real-time collaboration with Office 365
Animation Limited animations compared to PowerPoint Full animation suite available
Pricing Free, Pro at $15/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

9. Beautiful.ai

The Beautiful AI logo against a white background

Ideal for: Students, educators, startups.

Beautiful.ai is an alternative with a twist.

The design of the slides is controlled by AI. Their pitch is that presentations will look great every time without much work from the user. So, if you’re looking for an easy, do-it-for-you tool for making professional decks, this could be it.

On the other hand, this means their customization possibilities are limited compared to the other tools on this list. If you’re very particular about your brand style or if there’s a very unique vision in your mind for your presentation, other tools might be a better fit.

Powerpoint alternatives - screenshot of beautiful.ai interface

I also noticed that the “Generate with AI” option is only available in Beautiful.ai’s Pro plan. However, you can still create some great-looking presentations in the free plan with minimal effort. Even though the free plan doesn’t let you create a presentation fully with AI, the limited customizability options make sure you stick to a professional design.

Features

Here’s why Beautiful.ai is an excellent tool for making presentations:

  • Customizable slide templates: Use smart templates tailored to specific needs. Adapt pre-designed layouts to fit your unique content and style.
  • Color theme customization: Apply and adjust color themes across presentations to ensure brand and visual consistency.
  • Password-protect your presentations: Secure presentations for private sharing. Control who can access your sensitive or confidential information.
  • Collaboration tools: Work together in real-time and track progress. Streamline teamwork with simultaneous editing and status tracking.
  • Export to multiple formats: Save as PDF or PPTX files.
  • Presenter view and speaker notes: Manage slides and delivery during presentations with easy access to your notes and upcoming slides.
  • Designerbot and AI text generation: Generate presentations from text prompts. Quickly create entire decks or individual slides using AI-powered tools.
Powerpoint alternatives - screenshot of beauutiful.ai templates

Pricing: Plans start at $12/month, billed annually. Or users can pay $45 for a single, ad hoc project.

Pros: Create good-looking presentations fast using AI.

Cons: Very limited customization options, features and design assets.

Aspect Beautiful.ai PowerPoint
Ease of Use AI-driven design, minimal input needed More complex, manual design required
Customization Limited customization, AI-driven templates Fully customizable with manual input
Collaboration Real-time collaboration Requires Office 365
Animation Limited to AI-created animations Full range of animation options
Pricing Paid plans start at $12/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

Create a stunning presentation in less time

  • Hundreds of premade slides available
  • Add animation and interactivity to your slides
  • Choose from various presentation options

Sign up. It’s free.

Create a stunning presentation in less time

 

10. Microsoft Sway

Microsoft Sway's logo against a dark green background

Ideal for: Students, NGOs.

Sway is Microsoft’s own PowerPoint alternative. It’s everything that PowerPoint isn’t. In fact, it is so different, you can’t really tell it’s made by the same company.

What I like about Sway is how quick it is to put something together. I can drag and drop images, text and videos, and Sway arranges everything beautifully on its own. The layouts are modern, and Sway provides a refreshing take on typical presentation formats — it feels more like a webpage than a slideshow.

A screenshot of a newsletter report presentation slide open in Microsoft Sway's presentation software

That said, there are a few things I find limiting. First, there aren’t as many customization options as you’d find in other tools or even PowerPoint. If you love control over every detail, like fonts or slide transitions, Sway might feel a bit restrictive.

It’s also not ideal for data-heavy presentations or those needing interactivity and animations. And since it’s a web app, you need internet access to access and edit, which could be limiting in offline settings.

In short, Sway is fantastic if you're looking to create polished, narrative-driven presentations quickly. For those who prefer simplicity and easy sharing, it’s a strong choice. But for those who want deeper customization and advanced features, other tools like Visme have a clear edge.

Features

Here are the features Microsoft Sway stands out for:

  • Remix! function: Randomize design and layout with one click. Easily experiment with different looks for your presentation without manual adjustments.
  • Flexible viewing options: Choose from vertical scroll, horizontal scroll or slide-based views to adapt your presentation's navigation.
  • Customizable fonts and colors: Adjust presentation style and the design of individual elements to match your brand or personal aesthetic.
  • Extensive image and media search: Insert multimedia from various online sources without leaving the app.
  • Animated transitions: Add dynamic effects with controllable animation speed as well as customizable transitions between elements.
  • Storyline editing: Arrange and edit content using a card-based system. Organize your ideas intuitively and rearrange content with ease.
  • Outline and accessibility views: Access text-based outline and accessibility-friendly views.
  • Password protection: Secure private or sensitive presentations with passwords (requires subscription).
A screenshot of a newsletter report presentation slide open in Microsoft Sway's presentation software

Pricing: Free with a Microsoft Account.

Pros: A presentation can look like a website, a newsletter or a classic slide presentation.

Cons: Limited customization, interactivity and animation options. No tools or options to present data.

 

Aspect Microsoft Sway PowerPoint
Ease of Use Simple, modern interface Traditional interface, complex for beginners
Presentation Style Web-based with vertical/horizontal scrolling views Traditional linear slides
Customization Limited, randomized "Remix!" feature Extensive customization available
Media Integration Web-based media search and embedding Limited in comparison
Pricing Free with Microsoft account Requires Microsoft 365 subscription

 

11. Venngage

powerpoint alternatives - Venngage logo

Ideal for: Businesses, marketers, educators and anyone looking for simple presentation software.

If you are looking for a simple PowerPoint alternative, you may consider Venngage.

Venngage is an infographic maker that also provides basic capabilities for creating presentations.

It offers various templates and a drag-and-drop editor to help you create attractive presentations. You can customize and enhance your slides with colors, fonts, icons, illustrations, stock photos and other design assets. However, compared to some other PowerPoint alternatives in this list, Venngage offers a limited set of features for creating presentations. 

powerpoint alternatives - Venngage interface 1

However, compared to some other PowerPoint alternatives in this list, Venngage offers limited customization features for creating tailored presentations. I would love to see more realistic 3D characters, animations, interactivity and presentation recording features. That would definitely give Venngage some extra points on my list!

 

Features:

Here are some notable Venngage features:

  • Professional presentation templates: Use templates for various industries and purposes.
  • Drag-and-drop customization: Easily adjust slide elements without advanced design skills.
  • Data visualization tools: Present statistics visually with charts, graphs and maps, and import data from CSV or XLSX files.
  • High-quality stock photos and icons: Find and use visuals from Pixabay and Icons8 from inside Venngage,
  • Collaboration features: Work on your presentation together with your team in real-time and leave comments.
  • Brand kits and custom templates: Create and share branded templates for consistency. Ensure all team members can easily create on-brand presentations.
  • Presentation sharing and export options: Share via URL or export to various formats. Distribute your presentations easily, whether online or in different file types.
  • Accessibility checker: Check color contrast and automatically detect compliance or design issues with your presentations.
  • AI-powered features: Generate chart summaries and alt text using AI.
powerpoint alternatives - Venngage interface 2

Pricing: Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $10/month per user, billed annually.

Pros: Excellent visually appealing designs and easy-to-use interface.

Cons: Limited options for traditional slide transitions and animations. The free plan has significant limitations and may not offer the full features of other comprehensive presentation tools.

 

Aspect Venngage PowerPoint
Ease of Use Drag-and-drop, intuitive interface Traditional and more complex
Data Visualization Advanced charts, infographics and data import Standard charts and graphs
Collaboration Real-time collaboration Office 365 required for collaboration
Customization Limited customization, pre-designed templates Full design control with basic templates
Pricing Free, premium starts at $10/month Microsoft 365 subscription required

 

12. Pitch

Powerpoint alternatives - screenshot of Pitch logo

Ideal for: Teams seeking seamless collaboration and interactive presentations.

Pitch is a modern presentation tool designed for teams and businesses. It focuses on collaboration and ease of use, and I found it very simple to create, share and work together on presentations using this tool.

With its clean design and variety of templates, Pitch provides a simple but powerful platform for turning ideas into engaging slides that you can easily share with your team and edit together.

Powerpoint alternatives - screenshot of Pitch interface

The platform offers a powerful AI presentation maker to help you quickly create pitch decks with an AI-generated draft. However, I found that it lacks specialized AI tools that are available in some of the other online PowerPoint alternatives in this list (e.g. Visme), like an AI text generator or AI image editor.

Pitch’s presentation recording features are also pretty limited. You can add video recordings to your slides, but you can’t exactly record your entire presentation in one go. That’s something we already see in some other tools and makes me wonder why they haven’t added this functionality yet.

Features:

Here’s why you might consider Pitch for presentation making:

  • Real-time collaboration and version history: Work together and track changes in presentations. Keep your team aligned with simultaneous editing and a clear record of updates.
  • AI presentation maker: Quickly create a presentation draft based on prompts. Edit and customize till you’re happy with it.
  • AI-powered smart formatting and suggestions: Get automated layout adjustments and design tips to create professional-looking slides.
  • Wide range of presentation templates: Choose from hundreds of customizable templates for various purposes and industries.
  • Analytics tools to track viewer engagement: Monitor slide views and engagement metrics to gain insights into how your audience interacts with your presentation.
  • Remote presenting: Present virtually with built-in tools like screen sharing and video conferences.
Powerpoint alternatives - screenshot of Pitch design assets

Pricing: Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $22/month for two users, billed annually.

Pros: Excellent for team collaboration, modern and intuitive interface and interactive presentations.

Cons: Primarily focused on presentations. So, you can not create other types of visuals like infographics, reports and ebooks.

 

Aspect Pitch PowerPoint
Ease of Use Simple, clean interface Familiar, but more complex for non-designers
Collaboration Real-time, version history available Requires Office 365
AI Features Smart formatting, AI-driven slide suggestions No AI-driven features
Analytics Viewer engagement tracking, slide-level analytics No built-in analytics
Pricing Free plan, premium starts at $22/month Requires Microsoft 365 subscription

Once you have selected the best PowerPoint replacement for your presentation requirements, you will need new ideas to make the most of the tool. Read our article on 105+ creative presentation ideas without PowerPoint for tips, inspiration and innovative approaches to help your presentations stand out.

 

FAQs About PowerPoint Alternatives 

Visme is a better PowerPoint equivalent because it offers superior design and customization options. In addition, Visme provides enhanced flexibility, advanced collaboration features, and top-notch customer support.

Compared to PowerPoint, Visme gives users access to thousands of customizable presentation templates, design assets, animation and interactive elements. The tool also comes packed with intuitive features like the design collaboration tool, workflow, engaging form builder, multiple download and sharing options and much more.

Users also get access to AI-powered tools like AI presentation maker, AI image generator, AI text generator, AI image edit and touchup tools and intuitive video editing tools. The software’s interface is accessible to both novices and professionals, with a drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy to create high-quality visual content quickly.

Visme also offers integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce and other third-party tools. Also, you can download your training materials and visual assets in LMS-ready formats like xAPI, SCORM and HTML.

The web version of PowerPoint is free and all you’ll need is a Microsoft account. However, the online version is limited compared to the desktop version. For example, users cannot access advanced animations and transitions or rich formatting for text, shapes and images. Since the free version doesn’t have a presenter view, you can’t use it to make presentations.

Google Slides is Google’s equivalent of PowerPoint. It is an online presentation tool that lets you create and format presentations and collaborate with other people.

Compared to Visme, the features in PowerPoint are basic and limited—from the ready-made templates to design assets to the animations and interactive features. But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use tool that comes with premium features and allows sophisticated designs, Visme is the tool to use.

 

Get Started With Your Favorite PowerPoint Alternative

We've explored 12 impressive presentation software with unique features and strengths, proving that you don't always need to stick to the traditional PowerPoint route to create stunning presentations.

While some of the tools we covered have fantastic capabilities, they often come with a hefty price tag and steep learning curve. On the other hand, more affordable options may not always provide the functionality necessary to make your presentations truly stand out.

But if you want my opinion, I think you should go ahead and create a free Visme account and get started with our presentation software today.

Visme perfectly balances powerful features and affordability. With Visme, you can access an extensive library of templates, customization options, and multimedia elements that can breathe life into your presentations. 

The intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes creating captivating visuals easy for users of all skill levels, while the pricing options cater to different needs and budgets.

Easily create a stunning, dynamic, interactive presentation that your audience will love. Close more sales,  get investor funding, inform your audience and more with Visme presentations.

Sign up for Visme’s presentation software to test it out for yourself and create stunning slide decks in minutes.

 

 

*All logos, trademarks, and brand names used in this article are the property of their respective organizations. Their inclusion is for identification purposes only and does not imply any endorsement or association with our organization.

Mahnoor Sheikh
Written by Mahnoor Sheikh

Mahnoor is a freelance writer and content strategist for B2B SaaS brands (and a toddler mom). She loves to talk about marketing, sales, branding and visual design. When she’s not working, she’s chilling at home (or the beach), cooking gourmet dinners for her family or traveling the world. She’s currently based in Antalya. Connect with her on LinkedIn or check out her website.

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