Best presentation software of 2024

Make perfect slides for speeches and talks

Best overall

Best for branding, best for marketing, best for themes, best for media, best unique.

  • How we test

The best presentation software makes it simple and easy to create, manage, and share slideshow presentations.

A person setting up files to import into Powerpoint.

1. Best overall 2. Best for branding 3. Best for marketing 4. Best for themes 5. Best for media 6. Best unique 7. FAQs 8. How we test

Presentation software runs at the heart of business sales, management, and development, so it's important to ensure you have the best presentation software for your needs. This is especially when looking to share ideas, concepts, and workflows, and the ability to present these in a simple and understandable way is essential.

However, while presentation software has been traditionally limited to text and images, it has widened its ability to work with different media such as video and audio . 

Therefore it's important for the best presentation software to not simply be easy and simple to use, but also be able to support additional media so that presentations can be more engaging, lively, and ultimately serve their purpose in educating and updating their intended audience.

Below we've listed the best presentation software currently on the market.

We've also listed the best free presentation software .

The best office software in the world is: Microsoft 365

The best office software in the world is: Microsoft 365 There are many different office software suites out there, but Microsoft Office remains the original and best, offering an unsurpassed range of features and functionality that rivals just can't match.

Even better, Microsoft 365 - previously branded as Office 365 - is a cloud-based solution which means you can use it on any computer, mobile device, or smartphone, without having to worry about compatibility. All your files are saved in the cloud and synced between devices, so you can begin work on a document at home or in the office, then continue working on it on the go.

You can sign up to Microsoft 365 here .

The best 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.

Microsoft PowerPoint website screenshot

1. PowerPoint

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

For most people, Microsoft 's PowerPoint remains the original and best of all the presentation software platforms out there. While other companies have managed to catch up and offer rival products worthy of consideration, the fact is that PowerPoint's familiar interface and ubiquitous availability means it remains a favorite for the majority of people.

On the one hand, it's long been a staple of the hugely popular Microsoft Office suite, meaning that for most users this is going to be the first - and last - presentation software they are going to need to use.

Additionally, Microsoft has made PowerPoint, along with their other office products, available as free apps (with limited functionality) on both iOS and Android for mobile use, meaning it's even harder to avoid them. And this is before we even consider the inclusion of PowerPoint in Microsoft's cloud-based Microsoft 365.

It does everything necessary that you'd expect of presentation software, allowing you to add text and media to a series of slides, to accompany a talk and other presentations. There are easy-to-use templates included to help spice things up a little, but even a general user with little experience of it is likely to find themselves able to use PowerPoint without much trouble at all.

Overall, it's hard to go wrong with PowerPoint, and although Microsoft 365 has a nominal cost, the apps are free to use even if they do have more limited functionality.

Read our full Microsoft PowerPoint review .

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CustomShow website screenshot

2. CustomShow

Reasons to avoid.

Branding says a lot about a business, and it’s something firms need to get right from day one – from a good logo to a suitable font. CustomShow is business presentation software that puts all these elements of branding first.

Using the system, you can design and present customized, branded presentations that reflect your company and the products you offer, featuring the aforementioned logo and custom fonts. As well as this, you get a slide library and analytics to ensure your presentations are a success.

What’s more, you can import presentations into the software, and use it to tweak them further. There’s also integration with SalesForce , and because the platform is cloud-based, you can access your presentations on computers, tablets, and smartphones. 

Considering the focus on branding, this offering could be good for marketing and sales teams, and it's used by major companies such as HBO and CBS Interactive.

ClearSlide website screenshot

3. ClearSlide

Just like CustomShow, ClearSlide has a niche focus for companies. The platform is targeted at firms looking to generate successful marketing campaigns, pushing sales via presentations (and more), not least through a range of analytics and metrics to work for sales and marketing.

With the product, you can upload a range of files, including PowerPoint, Keynote, PDF, and Excel. ClearSlide is integrated with other platforms, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and Salesforce.

This system is pretty complex and may offer too many irrelevant features for some businesses, but you can create customized content that reflects your company and the message you’re trying to get out to customers. There are also some good metrics and analysis features, and you can sign up for a free trial before making any decisions.

The real strength of ClearSlide comes from its focus on sales and marketing data, not least being able to track user engagement alongside other metrics.

Haiku Deck website screenshot

4. Haiku Deck

Any presentation app will allow you to personalize your slides to at least some extent, but Haiku Deck goes one step further than the competition. It comes with a wide range of themes suited to different needs, and you also get access to 40 million free images from the Creative Commons collection.

When it comes to creating a presentation, you have the option to do so on the web, which means your presentation is accessible across a range of mobile devices as well as desktops. Regardless of the device used, you’re able to select from a variety of different fonts, layouts, and filters to make the perfect presentation.

The great thing about these various customization options is that they’re categorized into different industries and use cases. For instance, you’ll find themes for teaching, cooking, real estate, and startups. Most of the features require you to be online, but hopefully, you’ll have a sturdy net connection wherever you go.

SlideDog website screenshot

5. SlideDog

It’s all too easy to end up creating a presentation that’s unappealing, and the last thing you want to do is make the audience fall asleep. SlideDog lets you combine almost any type of media to create a rich presentation that’s sure to keep the viewers’ peepers open, avoiding the ‘cookie cutter’ look that makes presentations seem dull.

Marketed as a web-based multimedia presentation tool, it gives you the ability to combine PowerPoint presentations, graphics, PDF files, Prezi presentations, web pages, pictures, videos, and movie clips. You can drag these into custom playlists and display them to your audience with ease.

You’re able to remotely control your presentations and playlists from your smartphone, the web, or a secondary computer, and there’s also the option to share slides in real-time. Audience members can even view your slide from their own devices by clicking a link. That’s a handy feature if you’re looking to create an immersive presentation experience.

SlideDog is probably the cheapest of the presentation software featured, with a free account that will cover the essential features. However, for live sharing and premium support, you need to upgrade.

Read our full SlideDog review .

Prezi website screenshot

Prezi is one of the more unique presentation tools. Instead of presenting your graphics and text in a slide-to-slide format, you can create highly visual and interactive presentation canvases with the goal of “emphasizing the relationship between the ideas”.

Presentations can also be tailored to the specific audience, as this is a flexible platform that’s capable of skipping ahead, or veering off into a side topic, without having to flip through all the slides to get to a particular bit.

For business users, there are a variety of handy tools available. By downloading Prezi , you can build and edit presentations with your colleagues in real-time, which is perfect for companies with teams based around the globe.

When you have created a presentation you’re happy with, you can present it live (in HD) and send a direct link to viewers. There are some analysis tools here, too – you can see who’s accessed your presentation, which parts of it, and for how long. The app is available for Mac and Windows devices.

Read our full Prezi review .

Other presentation software to consider

Google Slides  is part of the Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) office platform intended as an online alternative to Microsoft Office. It may seem a little limited by comparison to PowerPoint, but as it's browser-based that means cross-platform compatibility. Additionally, it allows for collaborative work, and Google Slides really works well here. On top of the fact that it integrates with the rest of the Google Workspace apps, not least Google Drive, and you have a contender. 

Zoho Show  is another of the many, many tools and apps that Zoho has made available for business use. It also operates in the cloud so it's accessible to any device with a browser, and it also allows for collaborative work. You can also easily share the link for users to download, or provide a live presentation online. The updated version has a simpler and easier to use interface and comes with a free version and a paid-for one with expanded features.

Evernote  is normally thought of as just note-taking software, but it does provide the option to create a presentation you can share online or with an audience. In that regard, it's a little more limited than the other options in not being dedicated presentation software. However, as an easy and handy way to pull together a presentation quickly, it could serve as a backup or last-minute option, especially if Evernote is already being commonly used by you.

LibreOffice Impress  is part of the open-source suite offered as a free alternative to Microsoft Office, and comes with a powerful array of tools and editing options for your presentation, not least working with 3D images. It's supported by a large community, so it's easy to find an array of additional templates. If there is a limitation it's that it's software you download and install rather than web-based, but any presentations created should be easily portable to the web if needed.

Adobe Spark  does things a bit differently, as rather than just use images it's geared toward video as well. This makes for potentially more powerful multimedia presentations, especially as Adobe also has a big selection of photos and images available for its users. There is a free tier for core features but requires a subscription for custom branding, personalized themes, and support.

Slides  comes with a lot of features in an easy-to-use interface, and involves setting up presentations using drag and drop into an existing grid. It's also internet-based so there's no software to download, and it only requires a browser to use and access. 

Presentation software FAQs

Which presentation software is best for you.

When deciding which presentation software 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 for your presentation needs.

How we tested the best presentation software

To test for the best 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 .

We've also featured the best alternatives to Microsoft Office .

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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 »

Google Slides Logo

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

Microsoft PowerPoint Logo

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

Apple Keynote Logo

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

Prezi Logo

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

Slidebean Logo

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

Canva Logo

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.

Man presenting at Nordic design for best presentation header image

Best presentation software of 2023

Let’s put on a slideshow.

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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.

Microsoft PowerPoint is the best presentation software overall.

MobiSystems

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.

Canva is the best presentation software for professionals.

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.

Prezi is the best presentation software for zoom.

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

Keynote is the best presentation software for Mac.

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.

Beautiful.ai is the best presentation software for students.

Beautiful.ai

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.

Google Slides is the best free presentation software.

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.

Q: What are the three most popular presentation software options?

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.

Q: How much does presentation software cost?

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.

Q: Is Canva better than PowerPoint?

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.

Q: Does Adobe have presentation software?

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 best presentation software

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 been using 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 the top presentation software solutions out there to bring you the best of the best.

Beautiful.ai for AI-powered design

Prezi for non-linear, conversational presentations

Powtoon for video presentations

Genially for interactive, presenter-less presentations

Pitch for collaborating with your team on presentations

Zoho Show for a simple presentation app

Gamma for generative AI features

What makes the best presentation app?

How we evaluate and test apps.

Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog .

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 UI. 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).

While many apps now offer AI features in one way or another, I found many of these features to be lacking still—they're often slow, struggle to pull in relevant imagery, and yield wildly inconsistent designs. For that reason, I opted not to make AI features a strict requirement (for now!), and I've still included apps that don't offer AI. (Of course, if you opt for one of those, you can still easily get AI-generated images from a separate tool and copy them into your presentation app of choice.)

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. (And I opted not to test any brand new apps that are still in beta, since there are so many established options out there.)

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, interactive content, and more. 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

The best free presentation software, canva (web, windows, mac, android, ios).

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 Magic Design AI tool is still inconsistent and not super impressive

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.

Canvas has added a number of AI-powered tools , but I wasn't super impressed by them yet. When I asked the Magic Design tool to generate a presentation from scratch, for example, the result was a bunch of unrelated images, inconsistent design, and surface-level copy. These features will likely improve in time, but for now, you're better off starting from one of Canva's many great templates.

Canva pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $119.99/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

Beautiful.ai (web, mac, windows).

Beautiful.ai pros:

True AI design

No fussing around with alignment

Still allows for customization

Beautiful.ai cons:

No free plan

Generative AI features aren't great yet

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 UX 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 23 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 did test the newly released generative AI feature (called DesignerBot) and felt it wasn't much to write home about. 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 generate a quality presentation from scratch.

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.

If you're a founder looking for an AI presentation tool for your pitch deck, Slidebean is a great Beautiful.ai alternative for startups. The app offers a number of templates; a unique, content-first outline editor; and AI design help that you can toggle on or off for each slide. I didn't include it on the list mainly because of the price: the free plan is quite limited, and the paid all-access plan starts at $228/year.

The best presentation app for conversational presentations

Prezi (web, mac, windows, ios, android).

Prezi interface

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 pricing: Free 14-day trial and a free plan that includes up to 5 visual projects; paid plans start at $5/month and include additional features like private presentations and Prezi Present.

The best presentation app for video presentations

Powtoon (web, ios, android).

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.

Powtoon pricing: Limited free plan available; paid plans start at $20/month and include white-labeling, priority support, additional storage, and more.

The best presentation app for interactive presentations

Genially (web).

Genially, our pick for the best presentation app for interactive presentations

Genially pros:

Don't need a presenter (it's interactive)

You can set universal branding guidelines

Unlimited creations on the free plan

Genially cons:

Free plan has some limitations worth looking into (e.g., can only make public presentations)

While many presentation apps are built for presenter-led decks, Genially 's interactive features and animated templates make it easy to build a self-led presentation. A variety of interactive buttons allow you to show viewers additional context on hover, have them skip to any page of your deck, and let them navigate to external links.

This presentation program offers a bunch of searchable templates, including some for business proposals, reports, social media presentations, and more (though most of those are available on premium plans only). Genially also includes Smart blocks —templated blocks of content for elements like data visualizations and image galleries.

My favorite feature is the brand settings. Premium users can set universal branding guidelines that include your logo, color scheme, fonts, images, and backgrounds, among other options. Think of them like a custom template, created and customized by you, that the whole team can use. Once set, your team can easily create on-brand presentations that automatically apply your brand settings, without even thinking about it.

Plus, Genially supports additional content like training materials, infographics, and interactive images—all subject to your brand presets.

Genially pricing: Free plan available with unlimited creations and views and access to templates; paid plans start at $7.49/month and include additional download options, privacy controls, offline viewing, premium templates, and more.

The best presentation app for collaborating with your team

Pitch (web, mac, windows, ios, android).

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

Start live video calls straight from decks

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, react, 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.

The "Go live" feature is a personal favorite—with just a click on the camera icon in the top-right, you can start a live video call. Any team members who open the presentation can hop in and collaborate in real-time. 

Pitch pricing: Free plan offers unlimited presentations, custom templates, and live video collaboration; paid plans start at $8/user/month for additional workspace features, presentation analytics, and more.

The best simple presentation app

Zoho show (web, ios, android, chrome).

Zoho Show, our pick for the best simple presentation app

Zoho Show pros:

Simple and easy to use

Version history and ability to lock slides

Completely free

Zoho Show cons:

Templates are pretty basic

If you're looking for a simple, yet capable presentation app that's a step up from Google Slides, Zoho Show is a great option. It's completely free to use, offers a clean, intuitive editor, and includes a number of great templates.

While the handful of "Themes" offered are on the basic side, Zoho templates boast a more modern and professional design than much of what Google Slides or PowerPoint offer. And I love that you can set the font and color scheme for the whole template, right from the start.

The app doesn't skimp on collaboration or shareability either. You can invite collaborators via email or shareable link, and comments and version history make it easy to work together on presentations. Once you're ready to share, you can even broadcast your presentation to a remote audience right from within Zoho. Plus, you can one-click lock slides to prevent any more editing or hide individual slides to customize your presentation for different audiences.

You can even connect Zoho Show to Zapier , so you can do things like automatically create a presentation when something happens in one of the other apps you use most.

Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with 6,000+ apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization's technology stack. Learn more .

Zoho Show pricing: Free

The best presentation app for generative AI

Gamma (web).

Gamma, our pick for the best presentation app for generative AI

Gamma pros:

Creates fully fleshed-out presentations from a prompt

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 generative 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 produced the most useful jumping-off point of all the AI presentation apps I tested. 

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.

Gamma pricing: Free plan includes unlimited users, 1 custom theme, 400 AI deck credits, and basic view analytics; upgrade to the Pro plan ("coming soon," as of this writing) for $10/user/month to get additional AI credits, advanced view analytics, custom fonts, and more.

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.

Some of these companies (think: Microsoft and Google) are openly working on some pretty impressive-sounding AI features, but they haven't been widely released to the public yet. Rest assured, I'm watching this space, and the next time we update this article, I'll retest tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides to see what new features are available.

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.

Related reading:

8 Canva AI tools to improve your design workflow

The best online whiteboards for collaboration

How to share a presentation on Zoom without sharing your browser tabs and address bar

This post was originally published in October 2014 and has since been updated with contributions from Danny Schreiber, Matthew Guay, Andrew Kunesh, and Krystina Martinez. The most recent update was in May 2023.

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Kiera Abbamonte

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

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Presentation Software

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Showing 1 - 20 of 130 products

Soapbox

Soapbox is a presentation and training software that helps businesses create virtual training sessions and custom facilitator guides. The platform enables managers to use the searchable database to identify the fit activities base... Read more about Soapbox

4.8 ( 10 reviews )

AeriCast

AeriCast is a meeting room booking software designed to help businesses display slides, photos and other content on large screens. It allows teams to mirror screens from laptops, desktops or mobile devices over Wi-Fi or 4G/LTE dir... Read more about AeriCast

No reviews yet

Proclaim by Logos

Proclaim by Logos

Proclaim is an on-premise and cloud-based church presentation tool that helps worship leaders remotely display and stream required content across multiple platforms. Supervisors can create customizable digital signage feeds and ut... Read more about Proclaim by Logos

4.7 ( 199 reviews )

Flipsnack

Flipsnack is a web application that allows users to create interactive digital publications such as magazines, brochures, flyers, and product catalogs, directly in the browser. They can design their page flip publications directly... Read more about Flipsnack

4.6 ( 281 reviews )

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect is a web conferencing software solution used by companies for conducting online meetings, webinars and training sessions. The solution is for adhoc collaboration as well as planned online meetings. The solution enabl... Read more about Adobe Connect

4.3 ( 684 reviews )

ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting is a browser-based webinar solution, that brings the power of webinars and video conferencing to organizations of any size, or freelancers. It improves team collaboration, boosts effective communication, and makes o... Read more about ClickMeeting

4.4 ( 143 reviews )

CrankWheel

CrankWheel is a screen sharing software designed to help sales teams connect with prospects and share screens to view presentations in real-time. Administrators can share links via email or SMS and invite clients to communicate on... Read more about CrankWheel

4.9 ( 64 reviews )

Glisser

Glisser is an audience engagement solution that helps organizations manage virtual meetings, live events, courses and more. The audience Q&A and live polling modules enable users to raise queries, give feedback and visualize opini... Read more about Glisser

4.7 ( 91 reviews )

Intuiface

Intuiface is a digital signage solution that helps businesses to create and deploy interactive content across a variety of platforms and devices. Key features include the creation of interactive presentations without coding, touch... Read more about Intuiface

4.7 ( 26 reviews )

iPresent

iPresent is a cloud-based marketing solution that helps users upload and distribute engaging content to sales teams to increase audience engagement. Key features include localization, custom dashboard, data encryption and offline ... Read more about iPresent

4.8 ( 5 reviews )

MediaShout

MediaShout is a fully customizable church presentation tool that provides a library of worship songs, in-built Bible versions and functionality to edit in real time. MediaShout’s interface provides ribbon bars, script bars, c... Read more about MediaShout

4.3 ( 315 reviews )

Shufflrr

Shufflrr is a cloud-based presentation management system suitable for a variety of industries, such as banking, academic, travel, industrial, government, and many others. Presentations are critical communications to the enterprise... Read more about Shufflrr

5.0 ( 2 reviews )

Easelly

Easelly is a graphic design solution that enables educational institutions, individuals and businesses to display processes, reports, announcements, projects and other information using visual forms, charts and infographics. It in... Read more about Easelly

4.8 ( 44 reviews )

Prezi

Prezi Business is a cloud-based content management solution that provides small to large enterprises with tools to streamline communications across the organization. It enables users to track the performance of sales representativ... Read more about Prezi

4.6 ( 2187 reviews )

Renderforest

Renderforest

Renderforest is an animation software designed to help businesses utilize built-in templates to create videos, graphics, websites, logos and mockups. The platform enables designers to upload files and preview edited designs on a u... Read more about Renderforest

4.8 ( 404 reviews )

Showcase Workshop

Showcase Workshop

Showcase Workshop is a sales enablement solution designed to help businesses create sales presentations and share them with customers via emails. The built-in analytics platform allows sales representatives to convert business dat... Read more about Showcase Workshop

4.7 ( 48 reviews )

SmartDraw

SmartDraw is a diagram and chart tool that helps businesses of all sizes manage diagramming processes through predefined templates to create infographics, network designs, mind maps, organizational charts, and more. Key features i... Read more about SmartDraw

4.1 ( 112 reviews )

Visme

Visme is a cloud-based platform, which helps agencies, non-profit organizations and marketers create and share infographics in real-time. The software allows teams to utilize customizable templates and content blocks to create pre... Read more about Visme

4.5 ( 650 reviews )

Livestorm

Livestorm enables powerful, yet pain-free video engagements at scale. Our end-to-end video engagement platform enables organizations to create professional video engagements that can be easily managed in one place. Livestorm is a... Read more about Livestorm

4.7 ( 392 reviews )

Wisembly

Wisembly is a cloud-based event management solution that enables businesses of all sizes plan, organize and manage workshops, conferences, seminars and more. The platform lets organizations design polls and surveys using images, w... Read more about Wisembly

3.0 ( 2 reviews )

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint

Canva

GoTo Meeting

Prezi

ProPresenter

PicMonkey

EasyWorship

Adobe Connect

Presentation software helps business professionals create and conduct slide show presentations. It comes with tools to present information in an engaging format, using text, images, audio, video, and graphs. Businesses and professional organizations use presentation software to educate, inform, persuade, and motivate both internal and external audiences. This demonstrates professionalism and communicates the intended message clearly and concisely.

This guide explains the features and benefits of presentation software to help you find the best solution for your business.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is presentation software?

Common features of presentation software, what type of buyer are you, benefits and potential issues, key consideration for presentation software, market trends to understand.

Presentation software is used to create slides to display information in the form of a slide show to increase its impact for the audience. Product tools such as templates, media libraries, and text editors make it easy to create presentations, add or modify information, and utilize it for engagement throughout various media channels.

Most presentation software products offer similar features to create and display slide shows. The following are typical components of presentation software:

Presentation software helps individuals, professionals, and organizations create and conduct presentations. Choosing the right solution starts with identifying the products and features that best fit your needs.

Single users

Freelancers and other users who work independently typically only need the basic functions of a presentation software tool, such as the media library, customizable templates, and animations and transitions.

Dispersed teams

Teams featuring remote workers, telecommuters, and freelancers tend to choose presentation software that includes real-time collaboration features. Screen sharing, chat, and comment features make it easy to work collaboratively, even if team members are in different locations.

Small businesses

Companies with fewer than 100 employees and no design department benefit from presentation software that is customizable and includes a content-rich media library. Most products offer tiered pricing levels, allowing companies to add additional features as their needs change.

Midsize businesses

Companies that have between 100 and 1,000 employees have a steady customer base and large product portfolio. They should select presentation solutions that optimize presentations with media-rich digital content and customizable templates. Collaboration tools and offline functionality allows teams to work together without being connected to a network.

Enterprises

Companies with over 1,000 employees should look for presentation software that includes additional features, such as analytics, real-time audience questions and answers, and advanced animations.

Presentation software blends the power of words and images to help companies express themselves in a creative and concise manner. Consider the primary benefits, suitability, and cost of software options before committing to a product.

Slide show presentations increase audience engagement: Well-crafted presentations demonstrate professionalism and communicate the intended message clearly and concisely.  Images provide a visual support to what you are communicating, while bullet points and charts present information in a clear and logical manner.

Presentation software promotes team member collaboration: Remote work is a growing trend, and collaboration tools make it easy to share presentations with numerous participants, regardless of their location. Team members can contribute using comment, edit, and review features, allowing for real-time communication and development of collaborative ideas.

Here is one thing to keep in mind as you evaluate presentation software:

Pricing may vary based on the types of supported features and customizations: Many presentation tools have free versions of their software, with increasing price points, based on the number and complexity of included options. Select a solution that supports a broad range of forms, and compare the cost and features of a software solution to business requirements to decide between paid and free presentation software.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is streamlining slide design and production time: Presentation tools driven by AI make it easy to prepare a polished, effective presentation in a limited time. These design tools can learn a user's requirements, apply design rules, and build impactful presentation slides.

Immersive technologies fuel audience engagement: Virtual reality (VR) technology allows the audience to interact with other individuals and life-like objects in a customized visual environment. This immersive storytelling technique leads to greater audience engagement and enhanced content retention. Putting on a VR headset and being “teleported” into the presentation may eventually replace the use of video presentation software.

PCMag editors select and review products independently . If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing .

The Best Presentation Software

Beyond powerpoint, our top-rated presentation apps make slideshows (animated videos, q&as, and collaborative brainstorming sessions) easy to create and a pleasure to consume..

Jill Duffy

Microsoft OneDrive for Business

Prezi

Google Drive (for Work)

You can trust our reviews, deeper dive: our top tested picks, bottom line:.

  • Ubiquitous professional cloud storage available in most platforms.
  • Seamless integration with Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Outstanding mobile app support.
  • Short on existing integration options.
  • Must use desktop application for offline access.
  • Creates engaging presentations
  • Helps non-artistic types make professional materials
  • Ample selection of beautiful templates
  • Easy to use
  • Templates don’t allow for a lot of customization
  • Collaboration support could use improvement
  • Limited export options; best when used online
  • Doesn't restrict storage for more than five users.
  • Offers offline and document management capabilities.
  • Provides solid integration with numerous non-Google solutions.
  • Works best when paired with other Google apps.
  • Needs to add task management capabilities.

Buying Guide: The Best Presentation Software

How to choose the right office suite.

Let's say you have a whole bunch of information, and you need to convey it to a group of people. Maybe those people are in your office or classroom, in the boardroom of a company you're going to visit, or scattered throughout the world, connected by the internet. Presentation apps can handle the whole process. First, they let you put your material into a format that's right for sharing with others, usually—but not always—a slideshow. Then, they enable you to present the material, whether that's using a projector and screen onsite; or offsite with a portable projector ; or online in real time; or even online but asynchronously, at the leisure of each audience member. A few of the very best apps even have tools for taking questions from the audience and tracking how many people online watched your presentation.

The term "presentation app" used to be synonymous with Microsoft PowerPoint, a part of the Microsoft Office suite. While PowerPoint is still one of the strongest players in the field, many other apps have entered the space, bringing with them innovative ways for changing how we format and present information. This subclass of productivity apps , which used to be best known for inducing snoring during meetings, has grown tremendously to give presentation creators new ways of making their information more palatable, easily digestible, and sometimes downright entertaining.

The Best Slideshow Creation Apps

The slideshow format is the classic presentation option, and the best two apps in this category are Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote, which is a part of the former Apple iWork suite (the apps are now only available separately). Both are Editors' Choice apps.

PowerPoint has by far the most, well, everything. It has the most effects, transitions, supported formats, and so forth. You can use it as a desktop app or in a web browser. It supports real-time collaboration, though with some limitations, as I'll explain later. PowerPoint has a lot of features, even a few that help people who are bad at laying out slides do it better.

PowerPoint, for all its glory, has a few weaknesses, and price is a big one. Apple Keynote is an excellent alternative for Mac users, and one that costs a lot less. In fact, it comes preinstalled on new Macs purchased on or after October 1, 2013, meaning most users pay nothing extra for it. If you have an older Mac and do need to buy it, the price is a low one-time fee of $19.99—less than a fifth of the cost of PowerPoint's $109.99.

The Most Innovative Presentation App

PowerPoint and Keynote are slideshow apps, and some people find that format inherently limiting. They pigeonhole you, the argument goes, into thinking about the information you have to present in a linear way. In fact, many people can't imagine a presentation that isn't a linear slideshow. But that's not your only choice.

The best alternative for getting you thinking differently is Prezi, another Editors' Choice among presentation apps. It's by far the most innovative presentation tool. Prezi is a cloud-based service that completely ditches the idea of sequential slides. Instead, what you create with Prezi is a giant canvas of ideas and information. You present your work by zooming in and out on different areas of the canvas, as if directing a camera. The effect is surprisingly dynamic and engaging, and its price is reasonable, at $10 per month.

Prezi also doubles as a collaborative brainstorming space. One alternative use for this app is to have multiple people share their ideas in real time on the canvas. Whether the final results ever have to be shown to anyone else is entirely up to you.

Another app that throws slide decks to the wind is PowToon. Instead of slides, you create animated scenes so that the final product looks more like a video than a standard presentation. You don't have to have any high-tech animation skills to use it, though you do need deep pockets, as it is expensive, at $89 per month. There's a free version, but it's very limited.

The Best Free Presentation App

While PowerPoint has a limited free version and Keynote is often free for Mac owners, there's a free presentation app that I like perhaps even more: Google Slides. Google Slides, a third of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides suite of office apps (which is in turn part of Google Drive (Try it Free at Google Store) ), is free for anyone with a Google account. It's only available as a Web app, but it's stable and quick, nonetheless. One feature I especially like in Google Slides is the ability to generate a link where audience members can submit questions to a presenter in real-time. It adds a wonderful interactive component to your pitches.

Best Collaborative Presentation App

The aforementioned Google Slides is only available as a Web app, and, partly for that reason, it handles collaboration better than other presentation apps. Because your Google Slides presentations are always saved to Google Drive by default, they're always available to share. That's not the case with PowerPoint and Keynote, two apps that also support collaboration (Keynote's collaborative features are in beta as of this writing). With those apps, you have to make sure you take the extra step to save your presentation to a cloud storage space, such as Microsoft OneDrive ($5.00 Per User Per Month at Microsoft 365 Business) or Apple iCloud Drive ($9.99 - Try DropBox, Rated Excellent at Dropbox) , for the collaborative features to work. It can get confusing if you've been saving the file locally with the desktop app and now have to make a copy to share.

Collaboration in Google Slides works the same as it does in other G Suite apps. The familiar interface is there. When two or more people simultaneously edit a file, you'll see your collaborators' cursors on screen, color-coded to their name and picture (or initials) in the upper right corner. Prezi is also one of the best presentation apps for collaboration, largely because it mimics the G Suite implementation and design.

PowerPoint and Beyond

Presentation apps are a critical piece of any office suite , and there's a good chance that most anyone who needs to convey information to a group of people—whether it's other employees, potential customers or clients, a university class, or any other group of people—will need to give the occasional presentation. Whether you love standing up and giving a live talk, or you'd prefer to let people consume your prerecorded wisdom via the internet, there's a tool for you. There's no denying that PowerPoint is the king of the hill, but that doesn't mean it's your only choice.

Check out the table above, read the capsule reviews below and click through to the full reviews to learn more about your choices for presentation apps. Do you have a strong opinion about one of the apps listed here (or one that we missed)? Let us know in the comments.

More Inside PCMag.com

  • Top Free Software Picks: Presentation Software

About Jill Duffy

I've been contributing to PCMag since 2011 and am currently the deputy managing editor for the software team. My column, Get Organized , has been running on PCMag since 2012. It gives advice on how to manage all the devices, apps, digital photos, email, and other technology that can make you feel like you're going to have a panic attack.

My latest book is The Everything Guide to Remote Work , which goes into great detail about a subject that I've been covering as a writer and participating in personally since well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

More From Jill Duffy

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presentation software reviews

15 Best Presentation Software for 2021

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The Best Presentation Software for 2021

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!

presentation software reviews

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.

presentation software reviews

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.

presentation software reviews

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:

presentation software reviews

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.

presentation software reviews

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:

presentation software reviews

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:

presentation software reviews

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 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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Top 7 Presentation Software

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Barkha Bali

Presentation software helps visualize and present data in a series of slides..

Presentations are a great way to train, educate, or sell an idea or a product to the audience. However, tired visuals, irrelevant data visualizations, and poor design layouts are some reasons why most presentations fail to leave an impact.

If your job involves creating and delivering presentations to stakeholders, including prospects, clients, and team members, and you face these challenges, presentation software could be the solution to your woes. The software lets users visualize and present project data in a series of slides. Most tools include pre-installed templates and multimedia stock libraries to build visually appealing and professional-looking presentations.

Nevertheless, we understand that it is not easy to choose a tool that perfectly aligns with your business requirements. We highlight the seven best presentation software for business professionals, in alphabetical order, based on verified software reviews. Read more .

1. Canva: Comprises a stock library for graphics and illustrations

Canva is an online graphic design tool that allows users to create anything ranging from magazine covers to presentations and graphics using a drag-and-drop editor. It comprises a wide range of pre-built presentation templates and over 1 million stock images, graphics, and illustrations that help create professional-looking presentations. Canva also furnishes a mobile application for Android and iOS users.

Customizable designs: Upload your own photos, company logos, and other branding elements to customize pre-built presentation templates. You can add as many slides as you want and experiment with animations, videos, audio, fonts, and color schemes for an engaging presentation.

Multiple presentation modes: Choose from different presenter modes, including standard presentation and audio-only video presentation mode, according to your project requirements.

Real-time collaboration: Invite teammates to collaborate on presentations. This feature lets collaborators leave comments or suggestions, make changes, and add elements to the project.

Customer support options: Help center and FAQs

Canva

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Version

Starting price

Device compatibility, screenshots.

Canva

Slide editing in Canva ( Source )

2. Google Slides: Offers assistive features such as Smart Compose

Google Slides is a presentation tool from the Google Workspace suite. It lets you create and sync slides, share them with your teammates, use comments, and assign action items to build presentations. Google Slides includes assistive features such as Smart Compose—an intelligence tool that provides suggestions to build slides faster—and autocorrect to eliminate spelling or formatting errors. You can use its offline mode to access, create, and edit slides without an internet connection. The solution has a mobile app for both Android and iOS devices.

Real-time editing: Invite teammates to collaborate on slides and make real-time changes. Any changes made to the slides are automatically synced in the version history.

Presenter view: Use the presenter view to present slides during meetings, reference speaker notes, showcase text to viewers, and access live captions for audio content. You can integrate the software with third-party video-conferencing platforms to present slides during online conferences.

Connect with Google Apps: Integrate with other Google Apps, such as Google Sheets and Gmail, to embed data charts or give direct replies to comments. You can also search the web and Google Drive for relevant content and images directly from Slides.

Customer support options: Help center and email

Google Slides

Google Slides

Google Slides

Slide editing in Google Slides ( Source )

3. Keynote: Comes with picture-in-picture display mode

Keynote is a presentation tool developed by Apple for macOS and iOS operating systems. It lets you create visually appealing, interactive presentation slides with dynamic backgrounds, motion titles, and pre-installed themes. With its picture-in-picture display, you can add live videos (such as how-to videos and lectures) or appear in a window within the slides. Keynote’s multiple presenter mode allows presenters to take turns controlling the deck and improve the overall experience. This tool has a mobile app for iOS users.

Interactive elements: Create links by turning text, text boxes, images, shapes, lines, arrows, videos, and other elements into hyperlinks. You can also add captions and titles to images, videos, and shapes.

Precise editing: Use precise editing controls to fine-tune the look and placement of your objects and images. For example, you can use the Instant Alpha tool to make parts of an image transparent and remove an unwanted background or color.

Shapes and images gallery: Access over 700 Apple-designed shapes and images. You can change the color and size, add text, and even create and save your own shapes.

Customer support options: Help center, FAQs, chat, and call

Keynote

Customization in Keynote ( Source )

4. Mentimeter: Features pop-up help bubbles for assistance

Mentimeter is a presentation software solution that allows users to create interactive presentations by incorporating various features, including polls, quizzes, and open-ended questions. With this tool, users can engage their audience and gather feedback in real time through mobile devices. Each Mentimeter slide features pop-up help bubbles designed to assist users in navigating the software. Mentimeter has a mobile app for both Android and iOS devices.

Fully customizable templates: Mix and match pre-installed templates with different elements such as graphics, images, and layouts to build interactive presentations.

Engagement tools: Leverage various engagement tools, including dynamic word clouds, live polling, quizzes, and Q&As, to capture real-time inputs, visualize the audience’s ideas, and deliver insightful icebreakers.

Integrations: Integrate with third-party apps, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Hopin, and PowerPoint, to increase the efficiency of presentations and improve collaboration.

Customer support options: Email, chat, and a knowledge base

Mentimeter

Presenting during remote meetings in Mentimeter ( Source )

5. Microsoft PowerPoint: Includes an AI-powered presenter coach

Microsoft PowerPoint allows users to create professional-looking presentations using various tools and elements, including text, graphics, multimedia, and images. The tool includes an AI-powered presenter coach that analyzes the speaker’s pace, word choice, and speaking style to provide feedback and suggestions on how to improve the delivery of a presentation. Microsoft PowerPoint has a presentation app for both Android and iOS devices.

3D objects: Create dynamic presentations by embedding 3D objects, animated videos, and transitions.

Convert ink to text: Convert handwritten ink annotations into text. This can be useful if you have made handwritten notes on your slides and want to convert them to text so that they are more legible and easier to edit.

Track changes: Access version history to track and compare changes, navigate between versions, and restore to an older version if required.

Customer support options: Knowledge base, chat, email, help desk, phone support, and FAQs

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Powe...

Microsoft PowerPoint

Presentation templates in Microsoft PowerPoint ( Source )

6. Piktochart: Integrates with IconScout for design icons

Piktochart is a web-based tool that allows users to create visual content such as presentations, infographics, and business reports. It provides pre-installed templates, graphics, and design elements that can be customized to create professional-looking content. The software integrates with IconScout, which offers a wide range of icons in different styles and categories, such as social media, business, and technology, to add visual interest and clarity to your presentations.

Branding: Drag and drop company logos, screenshots, and fonts to customize your presentation templates. You can create a custom color palette and add design components to align with your company’s branding.

Online and offline sharing: Download your presentation in PPT or PDF format and share it on social media or with your stakeholders. You can switch to presentation mode to present your slides during a virtual conference or video call.

Storytelling: Leverage data charts and maps to visualize your data and highlight focus areas in the presentation.

Customer support options: Chat, video tutorials, and help center

Piktochart

Creating presentations in Piktochart ( Source )

7. Prezi: Comprises Zoom Reveal to focus on critical details

Prezi allows users to create dynamic, interactive presentations. It uses a canvas-based interface, rather than traditional slides, that allows users to pan and zoom between different elements of their presentation. This presentation tool offers a range of templates and design elements, as well as the ability to import multimedia content such as videos and images. It has a mobile app for both Android and iOS users.

Drag-and-drop editor: Drag and drop content and design elements to your slides with the Smart Structures feature, making it easy to organize your presentation without disrupting the layout.

Presenter tools: Use the presenter view to leave notes, prompts, and talking points only you can see while you present; and Live Prezi to share presentations in real time with anyone via a dedicated link. You can use the voice-over feature to record step-by-step narration that plays as people view your presentations.

Analytics: Monitor the progress of your presentation's viewers and determine how long they spend on each topic. Obtain individualized data on who has viewed or shared your presentation and when, allowing you to effectively target your follow-up efforts.

Customer support options: Chat, email, help center, and FAQs

Prezi

Making a presentation in Prezi ( Source )

How to choose the best presentation software for your business

There are several factors to consider while selecting the best presentation software for your business. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice:

Consider your feature requirements: Before selecting business presentation software, consider your business needs and must-have features. For example, you will need a multimedia stock library, collaboration tools, and the ability to track changes. Also, check if the software allows you to customize and format your slides, including themes and layout options, to create a cohesive and professional presentation.

Look for presentation template library and multimedia support: Software solutions that offer a wide selection of professional-looking templates and fonts can provide a helpful starting point and save time while creating presentations. Besides that, the ability to incorporate multimedia elements can enhance the visual appeal and impact of a presentation.

Check multi-user screen-sharing options: Some presentation software apps allow multiple users to share their screens simultaneously, while some tools do not offer this option. If you are looking for a tool to improve team collaboration, you should consider multi-user screen-sharing features.

Consider collaboration elements: Consider a tool that allows you to collaborate on presentations with your teammates and stakeholders. Real-time collaboration features, such as the ability to share and edit presentations, add comments, and leave feedback, can improve the efficiency of the presentation-creation process.

Assess file formats and device support: Presentation software typically allows incorporating images, audio, and video, but you should double-check which file types are supported and select a solution that supports different file formats. Checking the types of supported hardware is also important, as options to connect with wireless devices and the availability of mobile apps will make it easier to use the tool.

How much does presentation software cost?

Most products in the market are priced on a "per user, per month" basis and can be broken down into three common pricing tiers based on their starting price.

Price ranges:

*The pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offering found on vendor websites on January 04, 2023. These ranges correspond to the 25th, 75th, and 100th percentiles of pricing information gathered from vendor websites of sample products.

Hidden costs associated with presentation software

The above pricing list summarizes pricing for the base plans of most products. An enterprise or premium product that is priced higher may include additional features, for example, unlimited presentation templates, custom colors, custom themes, company branding, workspace analytics, and priority support. However, even the free plan may have hidden charges, such as training and implementation costs, customization costs, add-on charges, and integration and scalability costs. Before making a choice, ask the software vendor about any such hidden charges to ensure full pricing transparency.

Frequently asked questions when selecting presentation software

Here are some questions to ask presentation software providers before making a final purchase:

Does the presentation solution support real-time collaboration?

If you have a cross-functional team with multiple stakeholders, look for presentation software that supports collaboration. This will help your team make changes to the presentation in real time and reduce the risk of inconsistencies with instant feedback on the content.

Does the software offer stock content?

Stock content, such as pre-installed templates, graphics, videos, fonts, and icons, can save time and effort in the presentation process by allowing you to easily insert pre-made content into your projects rather than having to create everything from scratch. Check with your software vendor if their tool offers access to a variety of stock content options.

Does the software offer offline/online capabilities?

The right presentation tool should be accessible online and offline to accommodate situations where a reliable internet connection may not be available. It should also allow you to easily create, save, and present an appealing presentation without an internet connection. This will help streamline the presentation creation process and make it more convenient.

How well does the tool integrate with other software solutions?

Most presentation tools integrate with communication platforms to facilitate sharing files and assets, collaboration, conferencing, and task management. Before finalizing, you can ask vendors if their presentation software supports easy integration with third-party applications you use. For example, integration with project management software and customer relationship management (CRM) systems can help streamline the presentation-creation process and improve communication.

Methodology

To be considered for this list, products had to:

Have at least 20 unique product reviews published on Capterra within the past two years, with an average rating of 3.0 or higher, as of January 04, 2023. We selected the top seven products from Capterra’s shortlist report for presentation software , having the highest ratings to feature in this article.

Include animation and media library as core features along with customizable templates, collaboration tools, screen sharing, and video support.

Meet our presentation software market definition: “Presentation software helps ministers, salespeople, marketing employees, and other professionals create and conduct presentations.”

The “best functionality” tool is identified based on the highest user ratings for functionality that a vendor received based on user reviews as of January 04, 2023.

Products evaluated for the pricing calculation were taken from Capterra’s presentation software directory . The pricing ranges exclude freemium versions of the products. The features highlighted were identified based on their relevance and the percentage of products in the Capterra directory that offer them.

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About the author.

Barkha Bali profile picture

Barkha Bali is a writer at Capterra, providing expert insights to help small businesses identify the right software for their needs by analyzing user reviews data for the highest rated products in relevant software categories. She has worked in finance, lifestyle, education, and medical. With expertise in marketing and content strategy, Barkha’s work has been featured in Medium and educational websites. When not working, she can be found re-watching “The Office” or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

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Best Presentation Software Based on In-Depth Reviews

  • 200+ Hours of research
  • 25 Sources used
  • 19 Companies vetted
  • 4 Features reviewed
  • 6 Top Picks

presentation software reviews

  • Assess your visual presentation needs
  • Focus on software with multiple design elements
  • Go for software that will visually complement your narrative
  • How we analyzed the best Presentation Software Providers
  • Our Top Picks: Presentation Software Reviews

As our work lives gradually migrate to virtual spaces-with Zoom meetings and video conference calls now becoming the daily norm- we’ve had to spruce up how we communicate, educate, and transmit ideas. Part of reshaping how we communicate involves getting creative about how we can convey ideas and messages with the same enthusiasm as before. Presentation software has everything to do with this. It’s no longer just a visual aid but an integral part of how we virtually communicate our stories and ideas. 

PowerPoint has long reigned supreme in the world of presentation software, and for good reason. PowerPoint is simple and easy to use, and it’s got a host of features that make it convenient for students and professionals looking to share their ideas. Over the past years, however, innovative presentation platforms have emerged that have enriched the way we can present information by offering video creation and animation development tools. 

Presentation software is also increasingly moving towards AI use to create your decks, so that you spend as little time as possible creating visually stunning and informative decks. This software has re-shaped traditional presentation formats and styles, and have widened the range of ways we can use images, text, and video. Point being, presentation software has evolved a lot over the past years. There’s no longer any excuse why your lecture or business proposal decks should look like they’re stuck in the past. With the right presentation software and free image database , you can make your ideas look as stunning as they are.

  • PowerPoint review

PowerPoint Presentation Software

Classic Deck Presentations 

Compatibility : Web-based and desktop-installed app

Design Library : Around 40 different themes with multiple color variations

Free Version : Yes (web-based)

Mobile App : Yes

screenshot microsoft powerpoint

Screenshot microsoft.com, August 2020.

Microsoft’s PowerPoint (PP) needs no introduction. The software is arguably the most well known and ubiquitous of all presentation software on the market. Though it may seem like old news next to all the young and innovative competitors it has had in the past years, PP is still king when it comes to simplicity, ease of use, and reliability. 

PP is now available to use through the web, meaning you can create, edit, share, and present your slides wherever you are and on any device with a supporting app. This ease and mobility put it ahead of many software companies that still lack mobile apps. 

Microsoft has also added AI Design to PP, which works by identifying the most important elements of your images and generating potential theme options that work best with your content. Additionally, PP includes animation features, where you can create animated explainer videos using gifs, as well as animate 3D objects. PP also has a feature called Zoom where, much like in Prezi, you can jump to and from specific sections and portions of your presentation as you present, so that your deck doesn’t have to be strictly linear. Like all other software on this list, you can insert online videos into your presentation in PP for Microsoft 365 or PP 2019 and onwards, but you must be connected to the internet for it to play properly. 

PowerPoint is only available for purchase with Microsoft 365, which includes PP, Word, Excel, and other Microsoft Office programs, plus continuous updates to the Microsoft ecosystem ($69.99/ per year) or with Office Home, which includes all of the above but does not include access to latest updates or cloud storage (one-time payment of $149.99). AI Designer and advanced customer support tools are only included in Microsoft 365. 

  • Prezi review

Prezi Presentation Software

Best for Dynamic Presentations

Design Library :  Hundreds of designer templates offered by Prezi, millions of reusable presentations from other users; more than 500,000 images and 80,000 icons

Free Version : Yes

Mobile App : Yes, but not for editing (only viewing and presenting) 

screenshot of prezi landing page

Screenshot prezi.com, August 2020.

Next to PowerPoint, Prezi is probably the most well-known presentation software out there. Its spatial format, which allows the presenter and audience to move from idea to idea in a dynamic way, makes it stand out from most presentation software currently available. 

The creative possibilities are endless with Prezi, as they offer millions of usable Prezi presentations to all users. Although there is a bit of a learning curve (especially if you decide to start a presentation from scratch), Prezi offers dozens of video tutorials on Youtube and plenty of  online articles that can help steer you in the right direction. You can also collaborate on a project with up to 10 users, adding comments and feedback as you edit.  

One of the best things about Prezi is that it offers several design and video features not included in other software. For example, you can record videos using a template and fonts to make your presentation more engaging and dynamic. You can also make stunning infographics to complement your presentations with Prezi Design. Finally, the Prezi viewer mobile app will allow you to view your presentation from your phone and use your mobile device as a remote control clicker to manage your deck as you present it.

Prezi offers Free, Standard ($5/mo), Plus ($15/mo), and Premium (for business professionals) plans. They also offer a special plan for students and educators that includes everything on the Plus plan for a reduced price (at $3/ mo). 

  • Google Slides review

Google Slides Presentation Software

Best Fully Free Software

Compatibility : Web-based 

Design Library : 25 templates, but hundreds more available in external sites

Free Version : GoogleSlides is completely free

screenshot google slides

Screenshot google.com, August 2020.

GoogleSlides is probably the most effective and useful free presentation software out there. Not only is this the most useful software for casual presenters who don’t want to spend money on tools they’ll likely never use, but Slide’s portability and shareability make it a great option for students and team members alike. 

Slides is perfect for those who want to make simple, but modern looking presentations in a brief amount of time. Its format is simple and easy to use, mimicking that of Power Point’s. Google also offers articles providing tips on how to better your experience. Its Slide’s mobile app is also great for editing and reviewing content before the start of your presentation. Although its template library may not be as robust as other software, external website libraries such as Slidesgo , offer hundreds of free downloadable templates. You can also easily integrate media such as videos and audio to your Slides presentation. Finally, unlike other paying presentation software, Slides lets you export your final presentation into PowerPoint, PDF, and JPEG formats, so you can download your presentation and present it wherever you are, internet available or not. 

  • Slidebean review

Slidebean Presentation Software

Best For AI Use

Compatibility : Web-based, but offers offline viewing 

Design Library : Dozens of pre-made templates available for five different categories (Businesses, Academics, Sales, PR, and Marketing) 

Mobile App : No 

Screenshot slidebean.com, August 2020.

Slidebean is a web-based software that works through AI so you can build a modern and professional-looking presentation in minutes. Signing up is easy and Slidebean offers a brief tutorial on how to work the system before you begin. With Slidebean, you don’t have to spend hours trying out colors and template formats, to see what works. Slidebean encourages you to focus on your text and ideas, and the AI software will do all the formatting and color coordination for you. If you don’t like the options generated for you, the AI will keep mixing and matching until you find something that works. You can choose from one of the hundreds of pre-made templates or create a custom theme. You can invite collaborators on both private and shareable decks. For premium members, you can also track your viewers behavior while they look at your content. One downside is that you can’t upload existing PowerPoint (PPT) presentations to edit. Paying users can, however, download your presentation into HTML and PPT, so you can view it offline, although this could affect certain design elements in your presentation 

Slidebean has a Free, Starter ($8/mo billed annually), and Premium ($19/mo billed annually) version with different privacy and collabo-sharing settings, as well as design library access settings and access. They also have a Founder’s Edition plan, aimed at entrepreneurs and startups which provides everything on the Premium plan plus design tune-up, proofreading, and direct access to Slidebean’s founders.

  • Genially review

Genially Presentation Software

Best for Students and Educators

Design Library : Hundreds of templates for categories including Corporate and Education 

Screenshot genially.com, August 2020.

Genially’s interactive focus on presentations, as well as their considerably reduced prices for educators makes it particularly appealing to students and teachers alike. Genially has several different animation tools and templates. They offer templates for video presentations, interactive games and quizzes, infographics, and interactive image layouts where you can make any image interactive and glean from it a wealth of information, among others. 

With paid versions, you also have the opportunity to import PowerPoint presentations and edit them using Genially features. On the support side, Genially offers articles on how to get started with your software, as well as provide a wide range of YouTube tutorials to help you navigate your presentation maker. 

  • Powtoon review

Powtoon Presentation Software

Best for Video Presentations

Design Library : Hundreds of pre-made video templates in categories that include Education, Marketing, Product and Engineering, Learning and Development, and Digital Management 

Mobile App : Yes, but not for editing

screenshot powtoon

Screenshot powtoon.com, August 2020.

PowToon is a video creation software that will allow you to completely break the mold when it comes to visual presentations.  With PowToon, you get hundreds of pre-made video templates you can manipulate and use to transmit your own ideas, so no advanced knowledge of video editing is needed. PowToon offers pre-designed animation, customizable characters, royalty-free images and soundtracks, and a drag and drop interface so that both beginners and pros alike can take advantage of the software. Of course, you can also create a video from scratch. Powtoon offers a Help Center database with dozens of articles regarding the video editing process. Pro members also get 24/7 priority support as well as the right to download their videos into MP4 format. Both free and paid versions allow users to export videos to different social media channels or content websites.

PowToon currently offers a Free, Pro ($19/mo), Pro+ ($39/mo), and Agency ($99/mo) plan. There are also special prices for students ($ 4/mo and access to Pro content), and teachers ($10/mo unlimited access to all content).

presentation software reviews

  • More insight into our methodology

Good presentation software should cover all your basic needs, but it should also offer features that make your presentation stand out from the rest. 

We evaluated multiple companies in the visual presentation field, and tested them to gauge how easy they were to use and how comprehensive the library they offered was. 

We gave preference to companies that offer alternative modes of presentation such as video, animation, and design tools so that your slide deck is more than just a set of static words and images. All our picks also have free versions so you can test them out and decide if upgrading to fancier features is worth it for you. 

Presentation software can include many features, but we focused specifically on the following: 

Design library  - The design library is one of the most important elements of any software. They include templates and color schemes. Some companies offer hundreds of different premade templates you can edit and make your own. They'll also split templates into useful categories such as business, marketing and sales, and education.  

  • AI features - Over the last few years, several companies have moved towards including artificial intelligence features in their software, making it even easier for users to create their own presentations. AI-based software will usually work so that you can focus on getting your ideas on text while the program takes care of formatting the rest. 
  • Collabo-sharing features - Collaboration tools make it so that multiple people can edit your document, whether in real-time or not. Sharing tools allow you to upload your work on different platforms, as well as export the presentation in formats that don’t require an internet connection. 
  • Media integration  - In this digital age, presentations should include text, images, videos, and/or GIFs. Good presentation software will integrate different media in a seamless and coherent way so your presentation will be engaging but also run smoothly. The companies we chose provide different graphic, animation, and video capabilities so that you can craft modern and engaging content.

Presentation software can range from zero to a couple of hundred dollars a year, since most of the paid ones offer subscription plans. Although companies may have several different tiers, they often include special education and business plans that may reduce the cost considerably.  All our companies have at least a free version, and several have free trial versions for premium subscription plans.

  • Compatibility

Compatibility is everything when it comes to presentation software. Even though most software is now offered through web-based apps, this may not necessarily mean it’s the most convenient for everyone. Exporting your presentations to PDF or PowerPoint may be necessary in order to present in places with poor or no internet connection. Not all companies do this, however, so it’s important to keep this in mind before signing up for any one plan. We looked at companies that have both offline and online options.

  • Ease of Use/Educational Material

Some companies have a steeper learning curve than others, but these usually include more advanced graphic design features—such as video editing and animation creation. Regardless of the difficulty, companies should provide users with as much helpful information on different topics as they can. Some companies provide databases with plenty of helpful articles. Others provide video tutorials on how to navigate specific areas of the software. We paid attention to how much of this educational support companies provide to make the process as easy as possible for the user.

  • Helpful information about Presentation Software

Assessing your Presentation Needs

Before picking any one presentation software, it might be a good idea to consider what you're looking to get from it. If you’re a casual or infrequent presenter, chances are that free software will be enough to address your needs. On the other hand, if you’re a frequent presenter tackling several audiences or topics, you probably want software that provides more creative and functional leeway, along with practical analytical tools that will help you improve your presentations in the long run. 

Assessing what you need presentation software for is key in helping you decide whether you should go for a free option, or invest in a pricier but more robust software. Are you an educator? An entrepreneur? Part of company leadership?  Are you working as a graphic designer for a marketing or creative company?  For example, as a burgeoning entrepreneur, you’ll likely want software that offers a vast number of pitch and business presentation templates. If you’re part of a team at work or school, you’ll likely need software that allows you to easily share and collaborate on presentations. Meanwhile, educators and business professionals who need to constantly churn out presentations will likely appreciate AI-based software that takes care of formatting their multiple decks so that they can focus on the information at hand. Moreover, some presentation software will be tailored for specific industries, and will include a wide range of templates and layouts catering to that professional niche, as well as analytic reports on audience engagement and participation. 

The good news is that many presentation software companies now cater to different audiences and lines of work, so that it doesn’t matter if you’re a student or the CEO of a small but growing business, you’ll likely find the templates and collaboration features you need. Nonetheless, how many features you’ll be able to access on your software usually depends on whether you’re a paying user or if you opt for a free version. 

Free vs Paid Software

Many companies offer free versions of their software, so that you don’t need to pay a cent to enjoy unique creative features. However, free versions can be limited— you’ll generally have access to only a few templates, or a set number of projects per month, and won’t be able to enjoy all the available formatting tools that paying users get. 

Free versions can also limit your privacy options. For example, they will allow you to use many of the software’s features, but require you to make your presentation publicly available to anyone on the web. This is likely not an ideal option for anyone who needs to present sensitive or confidential information meant to remain in-house. 

Additionally, using free versions could mean that you’re only able to view and present your information online and through the software company’s platform. Exporting and downloading your presentations is usually restricted to paying users, which could be a problem for those that wish to download and store their work on their computer and/or a USB device. 

It’s important to note that fully free, or open-source, software, such as Google Slides, will often provide a host of features that are not dependent on pay. However, free software won’t be able to provide as wide a diversity of templates and formatting options. They might also lack the power to properly handle different types of media in a single deck, causing your presentation to lag or slow down. Still, for infrequent presenters, open-source software is an excellent and free alternative to make simple and quick presentations. 

Tips for Great Presentations 

It’s easy to get carried away with pumping your decks full of information and unnecessary graphics. However, presentation software shouldn’t eclipse what you have to say with distracting animations and excessive text. Instead, it should complement your ideas and allow you to convey your message in a cogent and powerful way. 

Picking software is just the first step in crafting a fantastic presentation. After that, the fun begins. We talked to our in-house senior graphic designer, Jose “Yuyu” Velez, to determine what goes into making an effective and stellar presentation.

Tip #1 Pick presentation tools that offer versatility and creative leeway 

There are very basic things I should be able to do with presentation software such as import images, export to different formats, add gifs or other video media, etc. Adding transitions is always a plus, as well as having an icon library. Ideally, I should also be able to share a presentation seamlessly with others so that they [collaborators] can edit.

Tip #2 Keep your designs clean and simple

I've always found that keeping the layout as simple as possible helps to avoid the viewer from becoming distracted when presenting. This simplicity translates to a lot of things, like the use of color sparingly, 2-3 bullets per slide (flushed left with images or videos on the right so that it's natural to the viewer), and the use of animation only when necessary.

For example, a simple slide would be a white or very light-colored background, 2-3 bullets on the left, and a contextual image to the right that helps compliment the bullet points.

Tip #3 Keep it fun and eye-catching  

I've found that animation always helps keep the viewer engaged with a presentation, especially the use of gifs to drive the message home.

  Tip #4 Aim for an engaging, but coherent presentation

I've seen a lot of excellent presentations that use humor, gifs, and other types of animations that really kept me engaged. But when you take it home with you and try to watch it alone on your computer most of it doesn't make sense. To avoid this you can do one of the following:

Make sure that the presentation makes sense with or without you presenting it.

Make 2 versions, one to be presented live and the other as a more complete take-home version.

Tip #5: Be mindful about how you use design elements 

Keep text to a minimum : 2 to 3 bullet points should be more than enough on each slide. More than that might be too much for the viewer to process.

Synthesize your information : Most speakers get a 15 to 30 min window for a presentation. I recommend trying to have a max of 1 slide per minute. You should be able to simplify all the information without the need for 100+ slides.

Use color sparingly : Keep the background either very light with black text or very dark with light text. Any other color should be used as an accent to highlight a detail on screen. Too much color can be distracting.

Use videos and animations strategically : Too many videos or animations can slow down the presentation or make the file way too heavy. They should be placed purposefully and sparingly, same as with the colors. Think of them as secret weapons that help to break up the content on the slides so that you have a chance to give the viewer's brain a rest from listening to you while also reading bullet points.

Make people laugh! : Nobody wants to be bored and everyone can use a laugh. Throwing in a joke can help hold your viewers’ attention. This can especially be accomplished with the use of the right gif. Just make sure the joke is in line with what you're presenting.

  • What To Watch Out For With Presentation Software

Picture it, it's zero hour and you’re about to show your bosses that business proposal you’ve been working on for weeks. Your slides are minimalistic and captivating. You’ve got stunning images to drive your point home. And to top it all off, you’ve included a video that captures all your important points in a condensed and appealing way. You plug in your USB stick where you’ve saved your presentation and...a nightmare occurs. Your image and video links are all broken, and the presentation you’ve worked on for weeks is nothing more than a pile of text. Worst of all you can’t make any adjustments because your software is strictly desktop version and you’re miles away from home. The culprit? Compatibility issues.

Software can be desktop installed, web-based, or both. Desktop-installed software allows you to download the editing and presenting tools you need straight to your laptop or desktop computer, without an internet connection. In the last couple of years, presentation software has migrated to web- or cloud-based software, meaning you do all your creating, editing, and presenting through the company’s platform. This is especially great if you want to work on your presentation from multiple devices, such as your tablet or smartphone. The downside to this is that you almost always need an internet connection to work on your presentation, and this may not always be readily available to you. 

It’s important that when you finally settle on a company that fits your design needs, you also check software compatibility. Most presentation software in the market is web-based, meaning you can run it on any computer or device as long as you have a working internet connection. Although this is great for portability and shareability purposes, it may be a problem if you need to present somewhere with poor internet. 

Most of these web-based companies will allow you to export your presentation into PDF, HTML, and sometimes even PPT presentations, so you should always check this feature is included in the plans you opt to choose. However, these features are oftentimes only included in the software’s paid versions. Downloading your presentations into these formats can also sometimes affect elements in your presentation. For example, embedded YouTube videos won’t work without an internet connection, and some templates that are exclusive to a company may not be available if you download them into a PowerPoint format. 

Some software companies like Prezi and PowerPoint, though, will have installable desktop options so that you can create, edit, and present your presentation hassle-free in the event that there’s no internet connection.

  • FAQs about Presentation Software

What kinds of presentation software are available?

Who uses presentation software.

  • Our Presentation Software Review Summed Up

For Vendors

Presentation software.

Presentation software allows users to build one-of-a-kind, interactive presentations for sales pitches, marketing campaigns, and instructional sessions.

Users can build presentations using a variety of preset templates or by customizing their own by combining animations, transitions, and many types of graphic assets.

Compare Best Presentation Software

AIMultiple is data driven. Evaluate 110 services based on comprehensive, transparent and objective AIMultiple scores. For any of our scores, click the information icon to learn how it is calculated based on objective data.

*Products with visit website buttons are sponsored

PowerPoint

Build the story, present with conviction, and move forward faster.

Google Slides

Google Slides

Prezi

Prezi is a suite of online content design and visual communication tools that helps to foster deeper understanding and connection between people — even when they're working or learning remotely. T ... Show More

Prezi is a suite of online content design and visual communication tools that helps to foster deeper understanding and connection between people — even when they're working or learning remotely. The company's product offerings include: Prezi Video, a video creation tool that puts creators on screen next to their graphics in real time; Prezi Present, a presentation platform that lets users pan and zoom to show details; and Prezi Design, a visual editor that allows users to create interactive charts, reports, maps, infographics, and more. Prezi was founded in Hungary in 2009, and now has offices in Budapest, San Francisco, Riga, and Berlin. A growing library of templates, images, and shared reusable content makes it easy for anyone to be a better communicator using Prezi.

ProPresenter 6

ProPresenter 6

ProPresenter is the leading live production presentation and streaming tool for organizations of all sizes. Features include rock-solid stability, volunteer-friendly ease of use, and the ability to di ... Show More

ProPresenter is the leading live production presentation and streaming tool for organizations of all sizes. Features include rock-solid stability, volunteer-friendly ease of use, and the ability to display lyrics, video playback, chord charts, and more on one or even multiple screens. Built for Mac & Windows, ProPresenter is used by NASA, The Olympics, the Office of the President, hundreds of school districts, and hundreds of thousands of churches. Download our free demo today!

Prezi Business

Prezi Business

Renderforest

Renderforest

Renderforest is an all-in-one branding platform offering users the best online tools to create high-quality videos, graphic designs, logos, mockups, and websites with minimal time and effort. Start th ... Show More

Renderforest is an all-in-one branding platform offering users the best online tools to create high-quality videos, graphic designs, logos, mockups, and websites with minimal time and effort. Start the creation process with the online logo maker to build a unique and memorable brand without hiring a design team. The tool allows you to craft high-resolution, custom logos tailored for different needs and download them in just a few clicks. Use realistic mockups to display your design on various objects and layouts. From the ever-growing library of ready-to-use mockup templates, select the one you like the most, upload your files, alter the colors, and get high-quality visuals. The video editor allows you to make studio-quality explainer animations, logo reveals, intros, slideshows, and many other types of videos without any technical skills. All you need to do is browse the video template library, choose your favorite one, edit it right in the browser, and have an engaging video ready in a blink. Create responsive and modern websites without any coding knowledge. Assemble a website from scratch or edit the pre-designed templates using the built-in tools. Customize your website to your heart's content, see how it looks on different devices, and publish it with a single click. Use the intuitive tools of the graphic maker to design impressive Go through the categories of ready-to-use design packs, pick a template, customize it, and download your file.

Visme

Visme is the all-in-one platform empowering non-design professionals from leading companies to transform the way they create & share and publish engaging Presentations, documents, visual Reports, ... Show More

Visme is the all-in-one platform empowering non-design professionals from leading companies to transform the way they create & share and publish engaging Presentations, documents, visual Reports, data visualizations and other visual formats in less time. Users from IBM, GoldenState Warriors, Gartner, Nationwide, and 15 million other users utilize Visme as the content creation tool to tell and present their stories and translate boring data into engaging Visuals. Work individually or as a team to collaborate. Publish online, embed to your site, or download for offline use. Users can collaborate, organize the project data in folders and provide role-based permissions to related teams or individuals. Moreover, Visme comes with several automation features for publishing and display, that allow the publishers to set the times to automate the online presentations and analytics to track the effectiveness of the published content.

Keynote

Keynote for Mac makes it simple to create and deliver beautiful presentations. Updated for OS X El Capitan, Keynote employs powerful tools and dazzling effects that bring your ideas to life. You can w ... Show More

Keynote for Mac makes it simple to create and deliver beautiful presentations. Updated for OS X El Capitan, Keynote employs powerful tools and dazzling effects that bring your ideas to life. You can work seamlessly between Mac and iOS devices. And work effortlessly with people who use Microsoft PowerPoint.

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect enables you with the real power of virtual to tell unforgettable stories! Use its versatile stage to design and deliver stellar virtual experiences for a diverse audience. Let it make y ... Show More

Adobe Connect enables you with the real power of virtual to tell unforgettable stories! Use its versatile stage to design and deliver stellar virtual experiences for a diverse audience. Let it make your training, webinars, and meetings extraordinary and securely extend your reach far and beyond ordinary. Deliver Real Experiences: Transform the way you engage your audience, creating immersive virtual experiences with powerful storyboarding and engagement design capabilities. Extend Your Reach: Experience the real power of virtual in letting you reach audiences of all backgrounds & abilities across the globe. Look No further: A single platform to plan, deliver, and track. We have all your event workflows covered.

Animaker

Animaker is disrupting the way companies train, teach, motivate, sell, communicate, view and distribute content via DIY professional live and/or animated videos in minutes. Visa, Johnson & Jo ... Show More

Animaker is disrupting the way companies train, teach, motivate, sell, communicate, view and distribute content via DIY professional live and/or animated videos in minutes. Visa, Johnson & Johnson, GSK, McDonald's, Dell Tech are some of the 15 Million users in 220 countries. Quickly, without technical expertise, create professional 4k quality videos (animated or live) for On-boarding, Marketing, Branding, Simplify Complex Concepts, etc. in minutes allowing companies to easily adapt to market changes to create competitive advantage.

What are our data sources?

We use the data sources on the side for ranking solutions and awarding badges in presentation software category. Our data sources in presentation software category include the items to the below;

review websites

social media websites

search engine data for branded queries

Presentation Software Leaders

According to the weighted combination of 7 data sources

PowerPoint

What are Presentation Software market leaders?

Taking into account the latest metrics outlined below, these are the current presentation software market leaders. Market leaders are not the overall leaders since market leadership doesn’t take into account growth rate.

What are the most mature Presentation Software?

Which presentation software companies have the most employees.

17 employees work for a typical company in this solution category which is 6 less than the number of employees for a typical company in the average solution category.

In most cases, companies need at least 10 employees to serve other businesses with a proven tech product or service. 47 companies with >10 employees are offering presentation software. Top 3 products are developed by companies with a total of 700k employees. The largest company building presentation software is Google with more than 200,000 employees. Google provides the presentation software: Google Slides

What are the fastest growing Presentation Software?

Taking into account the latest metrics outlined below, these are the fastest growing solutions:

What are the Presentation Software growing their number of reviews fastest?

We have analyzed reviews published in the last months. These were published in 4 review platforms as well as vendor websites where the vendor had provided a testimonial from a client whom we could connect to a real person.

These solutions have the best combination of high ratings from reviews and number of reviews when we take into account all their recent reviews.

How is Presentation Software user experience?

What are the most common words describing presentation software.

This data is collected from customer reviews for all Presentation Software companies. The most positive word describing Presentation Software is “Easy to use” that is used in 11% of the reviews. The most negative one is “Difficult” with which is used in 4% of all the Presentation Software reviews.

What is the average customer size?

According to customer reviews, most common company size for presentation software customers is 1-50 Employees. Customers with 1-50 Employees make up 16% of presentation software customers. For an average Productivity solution, customers with 1-50 Employees make up 17% of total customers.

Customer Evaluation

These scores are the average scores collected from customer reviews for all Presentation Software. Presentation Software is most positively evaluated in terms of "Overall" but falls behind in "Likelihood to Recommend".

Where are Presentation Software vendors' HQs located?

What is the level of interest in presentation software, interest in presentation software.

This category was searched on average for 19.7k times per month on search engines in 2023. This number has increased to 22.2k in 2024. If we compare with other productivity solutions, a typical solution was searched 1.6k times in 2023 and this increased to 2k in 2024.

Related Solutions

Sound or audio editing applications help users edit and build audio files by combining or erasing different sections of the audio, adding sound filters, rearranging audio order, and recording new audio components.

Enterprise Content Management (ECM software helps capturing, preserving, managing and delivering unstructured content and documents of organizations.

OCR software converts images into text

Print management software is a tool, that companies with large printer networks use to monitor the continuous functionality of the printers, remotely calibrate the layout and aesthetics of the prints, and keep track of the per-capita costs.

Productivity bots are automation solutions that are installed on top of an existing application as ad-ons to automate and increase the efficiency of business tasks.

Spreadsheets software allows creating, storing, analyzing, and visualizing tabular data.

Website builders help non-technical users design and build websites with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, SEO tools, and integration with hosting services.

presentation software reviews

20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

The Lead Pastor is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click through links on our site — learn more about how we aim to stay transparent .

As a former assistant youth pastor, I’ve shortlisted and reviewed the best church presentation software to help you make song lyrics, videos, sermon notes, Bible scripture, and other information visible on large screens.

10 Best Church Presentation Software Shortlist

Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.

  • 1. iSpring Suite — Best PowerPoint-based presentation software for eLearning
  • 2. Praisenter — Best for lyrics projection
  • 3. Song of Songs — Best free church worship presentation software
  • 4. Slipity — Best Mac and iOS users
  • 5. FreeWorship — Best for small churches
  • 6. Quelea — Best for sermon note integrations
  • 7. iWorship — Best for buying pre-made presentations on a variety of themes
  • 8. Big Screen — Best for multilingual Bible verses
  • 9. OpenSong — Best free, open-source church presentation software
  • 10. Presenter — Best for large churches

presentation software reviews

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There are seemingly countless presentation software solutions available, so figuring out which one is best for you is tough. You want to create and deliver visually engaging multimedia presentations during worship services, events, and gatherings, but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience as an assistant youth pastor for a megachurch to bring you this shortlist of the best church presentation software.

What is Church Presentation Software?

Church presentation software is a computer program that facilitates the creation and delivery of multimedia presentations during worship services, prayer meetings, sermons, and other church events. Therefore, they typically include features such as song database management, customizable presentation templates, real-time editing capabilities to make on-the-fly changes during presentations, and support for multiple display outputs to accommodate different worship space configurations.

This software allows church leaders and worship teams to create engaging and dynamic presentations that can enhance the worship experience and effectively communicate the message. Overall, church presentation software is an essential tool for modern churches that want to create an engaging and impactful worship experience for their congregation.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Church Presentation Software

Here’s a brief description of each of the church presentation software on my list, showing what it does best, plus screenshots to showcase some of the features.

presentation software reviews

iSpring Suite

Best PowerPoint-based presentation software for eLearning

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $770/author/year

iSpring Suite screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

iSpring Suite is a Windows-based tool used to transform PPT slides into multimedia online courses and video presentations. With iSpring Suite, church workers can create interactive faith formation and ministry training content to help learners grow in their self-paced online study and daily prayer life.

Thousands of ready-made templates and customizable slide layouts can be used immediately to deliver courses with quizzes, surveys, role-plays, and video lectures. The toolkit also allows for the translation of presentations in a few clicks for non-English speaking users, and convenient publishing to various learning platforms or websites. All content will be displayed seamlessly on all devices: PCs, smartphones, and tablets. One of the key differentiators of iSpring Suite is its robust tech support. The team of engineers can address any support request in a minimum of time.

presentation software reviews

Best for lyrics projection

  • free software

Praisenter screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

Praisenter is a church presentation software for producing slides and presentations with song lyrics, Bible verses, images, and videos. You can use Praisenter to search for Bible verses and save them for later use. It also allows you to import translations from The Unbound Bible, letting you present two translations of scripture simultaneously, making it ideal if your church has multilingual members.

Praisenter is the best church presentation software for your church if you need to project lyrics for your congregation. You can use the software to search, edit, and create songs for worship services. It has a slide editor that allows you to customize different aspects of your slides or templates, including gradients, text outline, video looping, and others. Praisenter also lets you add images, pictures, audio, or video on your templates for full customization.

presentation software reviews

Song of Songs

Best free church worship presentation software

Song of Songs screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

Song of Songs is free church worship presentation software to create or import songs from CCLI, so you can use a song library during worship services. You can use it to create presentations manageable by operators or yourself via remote control during services. It also has a liturgy builder functionality to help you build and manage your liturgy in a centralized location for easy access during services.

Free software is always welcome and can help your church save money, so if you want free church worship presentation software, then Song of Songs is the best one for you. It has periodic free upgrades, so your software always has the latest features at no cost. Song of Songs is easy to use, making it ideal for users even if they are not tech-savvy.

Song of Songs integrates with VLC letting you play any video format.

presentation software reviews

Best Mac and iOS users

  • pricing is available upon request.

Slipity screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

Slipity is an iOS app for projecting texts, song lyrics, media, and YouTube videos on an external display. It allows customization of slides letting you control the size, duration of transitions, and background elements, so your slides look precisely how you envision them. You can use Slipity's time-based triggers, allowing you to schedule the launch of a specific presentation.

If your church uses Mac and iOS devices, Slipity is the best for your church because this software works best for the said operating systems. You can use AirPlay Mirroring to control presentations projected on a full screen. Its Stage Display feature lets you view current and succeeding slides on plain text on your control monitor while displaying full output on your projection screen.

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FreeWorship

Best for small churches

  • Free software

FreeWorship screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

FreeWorship is an easy-to-use software for creating and managing presentations for use during worship services and other church events. It has a video enhancer feature for adjusting brightness and contrast, ensuring optimal viewing of videos. FreeWorship also allows you to search for specific hashtags when searching for multimedia items.

FreeWorship is best for small churches because it has basic features and is uncomplicated to use. It has a drag and drop functionality, making adding files and images straight to your service list easier. FreeWorship has a Child Lock feature to keep your files and formats secure by limiting who can make changes on critical files and presentations.

FreeWorship integrates with Google Slides.

Best for sermon note integrations

  • Quelea is free software.

Quelea screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

Quelea is a free and open-source church presentation software for creating amazing presentations you can use during worship services and other church events. It has a stage view feature enabling you to guide your music team with music chords without showing them to your congregation. Quelea supports multiple languages, including English, German, Spanish, Swedish, and Czech, making it ideal if your congregation has non- English speakers.

Quelea is the best church presentation software if you need one that allows you to integrate sermon notes into your presentations. Use the software to include guide notes helping you emphasize critical points in your sermons. Sermon notes are visible only to you and not to your congregation so that you can include private notes depending on your preference.

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Best for buying pre-made presentations on a variety of themes

  • iWorship sells pre-designed presentations on an item-by-item basis, ranging from around $12-15/slide deck.

iWorship screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

iWorship is a leading church presentation software designed to help churches create engaging and impactful worship experiences. One of the things that iWorship does best is providing a vast library of multimedia resources, including lyrics, videos, images, and other media, that can be easily accessed and displayed during worship services. The software also offers easy-to-use presentation tools that allow worship leaders and teams to create and customize presentations quickly and efficiently, reducing the time and effort required for preparation. Additionally, iWorship offers seamless integration with popular church management and worship software, allowing users to easily import and export data and media from other software platforms.

Some of the key features that users love about iWorship include the ability to create and edit presentations on the fly, allowing worship leaders to quickly adapt to changes and adjust the flow of the service as needed. The software also offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, reducing the learning curve for new users and allowing teams to focus on leading worship rather than struggling with complicated software. Another popular feature is the ability to create dynamic and engaging presentations that can include motion backgrounds, animated lyrics, and other visual effects that help communicate the message and enhance the worship experience.

Overall, iWorship is a powerful and versatile church presentation software that offers a range of features and benefits designed to help churches create impactful and memorable worship services.

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Best for multilingual Bible verses

  • From $10.91/license/month

Big Screen screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

Big Screen is a church presentation web app to help you create and manage presentations for church services and social events. You can use it to create themes giving presentations a consistent look and feel on different platforms. It supports multiple outputs making it ideal no matter how many output devices you have.

Big Screen is best for your church if you need church presentation software to create presentations with multilingual Bible verses. It comes with scripture translations from the New American Standard Bible, New King James Version, La Biblia de las Américas, Japanese Contemporary Bible, etc. With Big Screen's multilingual capability, you can promote inclusion and make non-English speakers feel more welcome in your congregation.

Best free, open-source church presentation software

OpenSong screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

OpenSong is an open-source presentation app focused on lyric management, chord sheets, and bible verses. It supports timed loops of slides and allows you to keep track of song metadata and CCLI information. It is cross-platform, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, and supports multiple languages.

OpenSong is best for you if you want a church presentation software without spending a dime because this software is free. OpenSong is also open-source, allowing you to alter and improve the software to suit your church's unique needs. It can also save your church money because, aside from being free, open-source software is less demanding when it comes to hardware requirements.

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Best for large churches

  • Presenter has a free forever version while Presenter Standard costs $12/license/month.

Presenter screenshot - 20 Best Church Presentation Software Reviewed For 2024

It is a multimedia projection solution equipped with an independent media control and browser to access your favorite files. It has built-in CCLI support allowing you to display song lyrics. Presenter has picture-in-picture functionality, letting you play videos while navigating your presentation.

This software is best for large churches that need church presentation software with advanced features to meet their congregation's unique demands. It supports up to six independent outputs to support your church's multimedia system, no matter how demanding it is. You can use Presenter to overlay text on images and videos to customize your church presentations.

The Best Church Presentation Software Summary

Preview Image - <h2 class="c-block__title b-summary-table__title c-listicle__title h3" > Compare Software Specs Side by Side</h2>

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Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.

Other Church Presentation Software

Best free church presentation software for Linux and FreeBSD

Screen management platform for creating and managing digital displays and signages.

Church presentation software for churches of all sizes.

Provides services including projectors and AV displays for churches.

On-premise and cloud-based church presentation software for remote displays and presentations.

Customizable church presentation tool with a library of songs and Bible passages.

Presentation software for churches for displaying song lyrics, announcements, Bible passages and other multimedia files.

PowerPoint plugin allowing you to transform PowerPoint into a church presentation software.

Church presentation app you can connect to Planning Center for displaying lyrics, videos, images, and slides.

Presentation software for churches, concerts, sporting events, and fixed installations.

presentation software reviews

How I Selected the Best Church Presentation Software

If you're wondering how I selected the best church presentation software, here's where I'll break it all down for you. First of all, I started with church presentation software that have high user review and satisfaction ratings. Then, using my experience in church management, I discerned what key criteria were most important for church presentation software and compared how each of them stacked up against the rest.

I empathize with how much time it takes to source the right software for a job. I do this work so that you don't have to. I've been using and reviewing church presentation software for years so you can trust me to do the heavy lifting and compile all the facts you need to make your final decision.

Selection Criteria

After careful consideration, I've determined that these are the most important criteria when selecting the best church presentation software. Here's a brief list outlining the whats and whys of my selection.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is a critical factor to consider when selecting church presentation software because it can greatly affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the worship service. An intuitive and user-friendly interface makes it easier for the worship team to create and manage presentations, reducing the likelihood of errors and allowing them to focus on leading worship. This can reduce the amount of training time needed for volunteers or new team members, making it easier to onboard new team members and ensure continuity in the event of staff turnover. Selecting a church presentation software that is easy to use can help ensure that the worship experience runs smoothly and effectively.

Clean, Modern Visuals

Clean, modern visuals are important when selecting church presentation software because they can help enhance the worship experience and engage the congregation. A visually appealing presentation can capture the attention of the audience and create a more immersive and impactful experience. Clean and modern visuals can help communicate the message more effectively and increase the understanding and retention of the content. In a modern world where people are constantly exposed to high-quality visuals in media and entertainment, selecting church presentation software with clean and modern visuals can help churches stay relevant and effectively communicate their message to a wider audience.

Software Integrations

Software integrations are important when selecting church presentation software because they can help streamline workflows and improve efficiency. For example, integrations with popular Bible software can allow the worship team to quickly and easily import scripture passages and display them during the service. Integrations with online giving platforms can make it easier for congregants to donate and support the church financially. Integrations with video streaming services can help churches reach a wider audience and expand their online presence. And integrations with church faculty management software can ensure hardware (like projection devices and screens) are allocated appropriately.

Pricing is an important factor to consider when selecting church presentation software because it can greatly impact the church's budget and financial resources. While there are many high-quality church presentation software options available, the cost can vary widely depending on the features and level of support provided. Churches should carefully evaluate their needs and budget to ensure that they select a software option that meets their requirements without overstretching their resources. Churches should consider the long-term costs of the software, including any ongoing fees or upgrades that may be required. You can also choose between free church presentation software or paid varieties, keeping in mind free/low cost software may come with feature limitations.

People Also Ask

I thought of a few questions while writing this list that I wanted to address here. So here you go!

Why Use Church Presentation Software?

According to a Gallup Poll, only 42% of millennials are church members. Using modern technology like church presentation software to boost worship services could be instrumental in getting more millennials to attend church services.

Church presentation software helps to make your church service accessible to the whole congregation. With a dynamic presentation displaying lyrics and scripture, the congregation can join in together.

Here’s why you should consider using the software for your church:

  • Enables congregation participation during worship

In the past, song sheets or songbooks were the norms, but church presentation software makes them obsolete. When song lyrics get projected onto a big screen or screens, the whole congregation can easily read the song and sing along without getting lost. It makes the service accessible to everyone, to the same extent, without having prior knowledge of the song.

  • Provides the congregation with quick (and multilingual) access to scripture

Many people don’t want to carry a Bible with them, as they’ll use their phone instead. But using church presentation software for sharing scripture references means your congregation doesn’t get distracted while they start looking up Bible verses! What’s more, some solutions have multilingual functionality and can simultaneously display scripture in multiple languages, which can be great for multilingual congregations.

  • Provides easy access to important information

Church presentation software enables you to share your church notices and announcements either passively before and after the service or together with verbal announcements.

What are Church Presentation Software Key Feastures/Functionality?

Many church presentation software packages include feature-rich functionality for the needs of churches to allow seamless church presentations:

  • Presentation streaming for worship services
  • Scripture database to display bible verses
  • Video file playing from worship software
  • Custom slides to allow a slideshow of notices or information
  • Slide integration from Windows and Mac software, like Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, Apple Keynote, or Google Slides
  • Layout management and customizable slide layouts
  • Multi-Screen display support
  • Real-time multilingual Bible and Bible translation support
  • Drag and drop presentation tools
  • Media library to allow worship songs playlist support including Spotify, YouTube or VLC
  • CCLI SongSelect (Christian Copyright Licensing International) usage tracking
  • Remote control (often within a functionality for the preacher to
  • Countdown for the service to begin
  • Stage display or stage view preview
  • Live streaming and recordings playback
  • Mobile/remote app for worshipers to follow along

It’s also worth considering plugins for other church management software support, as many, like Planning Center, offer support and integrations.

Church Presentation Solutions to Help You Lead Confidently

Church presentation software can help you organize and display multimedia aspects to your weekly sermons and special events. This helps you reach both visual and auditory learners with your message. Be sure to follow along with The Lead Pastor blog to keep up with more church software trends.

Have you tried any of these church presentation software solutions? Is there a church presentation platform you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

Related Article: Church Presentation: Ultimate Guide To Software And Best Ideas

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

  • Guy Kawasaki

presentation software reviews

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

  • Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
  • Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
  • Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
  • Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

presentation software reviews

  • Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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