Whenever presentation forays into my landscape, Microsoft PowerPoint is probably the first thing that strikes my mind. With a ton of professionally-designed templates, layouts, fonts, icons and more, it is a one-stop platform for creating, customizing, and collaborating on visual stories. With that said, PowerPoint does have quite a few age-old downsides like the not-so-clean interface and a feature set that warrants a steep learning curve.

Before taking a dive into the roundup, it would be wise to take a glance at all the PowerPoint alternatives. You can click on the link below to move to the corresponding software.

Which Presentation App is Better for You?

Remember, words alone won’t do justice to your presentation. Nor will catchy videos or funky-looking images. There are three most vital aspects of an impactful slideshow presentation:

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

And I’m sure you will find at least one presentation app like Microsoft PowerPoint, which can help you create impressive visual stories for your students, clients, business partners or shareholders. So, whether you want to get feature-packed presentation software or a cheaper/completely free substitute for PowerPoint, let’s find out the one that looks promising for your specific requirements!

1. Prezi

When it comes to full-on customization, “Prezi” has a clear edge over Microsoft Powerpoint. Featuring an ever-growing collection of a variety of templates from business and education to sales and marketing, the online presentation platform ensures you have plenty of options available all the time. Moreover, the customizable images, layouts, and charts offer you the desired flexibility to fine-tune everything in line with your needs.

Pros:

Cons: 

Platform Availability: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web  

2. LibreOffice Impress

If you are looking for a highly efficient yet free Microsoft PowerPoint alternative, you would be hard-pressed to find a better bet than LibreOffice Impress. Granted, this open-source software is not as feature-packed as the former but it comes with enough tools to let you create impressive presentations.

Platform Availability: Windows, macOS, Linux Android, and web

3. Ludus

If you are a graphics designer and Powerpoint simply does not cut it for you then I would strongly recommend Ludus. It’s an impressive piece of software where you can let your creativity flow and make stunning presentations like artwork. The best part is that it’s available on the web so it’s cross-platform and can be used on any platform. If you are a beginner, don’t worry as it gives you a guided tour of the basic tools.

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • No offline support

Platform Availability:  Web

In more ways than one, Zoho Show is very similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. Whether you are a teacher who has to create interactive slideshow presentations or a businessman who often has to come up with an interesting presentation to pitch the new products, Zoho Show is the right software for you.

Cons: 

  • At times, file size restriction could become a roadblock for efficient performance.

Platform Availability:  iOS, Apple, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, and web 

Very few presentation apps are as elegant as Haiku Deck. Despite being feature-rich, the presentation platform doesn’t involve a steep learning curve like PowerPoint. So, if you want a feature-packed yet easy-to-handle presentation software, this one can be worth giving serious consideration.

The presentation app has an intuitive user interface that offers a touch of both: simplicity and clarity. As someone who always likes to have the luxury of a wide range of templates, I must say that Haiku Desk is up to the mark in this regard. Like PowerPoint, it allows you to choose from tons of nice-looking fonts, layouts, and image filters to add some great customization into the play.

Cons:  

Platform Availability: iOS and web

Pricing: Free, $9.99/month ($119.88 billed annually)

Keep “Google Slides” out of the sight at your own peril! In terms of flexibility, Google’s presentation app is way better than Microsoft’s offering. Even on the customization front, it’s not behind either. The app offers a large collection of predefined templates so that you can create a high-quality presentation without being entangled into complexities.

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

Pricing: Free, $5/user/month (as part of G Suite)

A top-notch presentation app like “Visme” can prove to be a boon for professionals. But what makes it a great alternative to PowerPoint is the massive roster of pro tools that can inject impressive charm to visual stories. Apart from having one of the biggest libraries of templates, the app has a solid collection of beautiful images, icons, and fonts.

Once you have created your presentation, you can share it online or download it on your device. Lastly, Visme is available for free, unlike its more famed rival. As for the pro version, the price starts at $14/month that seems a touch expensive. But, considering the pro tools and adorable customizable, it’s a fairly good deal.

Platform Availability: Web 

Visit: Website 

For a simplified experience, OnlyOffice has long been a reliable option. So, if simplicity is what you are searching for in your favorite PowerPoint alternative, you can’t go wrong with this open-source presentation software.

The app works effectively with PowerPoint presentations and can save them in PDF, PPT, PPTX, and ODP files. Another feature that can improve your productivity and also save plenty of time is the ability to apply settings in bulk. Talking about the process of making the presentation more engaging, it offers a presenter view mode that allows you to highlight main aspects and also makes it a tad easier to navigate through the entire slideshow. In this regard, OnlyOffice presentation looks more efficient than its famed rival.

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

Pricing: 30-day free trial, $1200/per one server (lifetime license)

Are you deep into the Apple ecosystem? If yes, look no further than Apple Keynote. The app excels in most aspects: clean UI, a range of high-quality presentation tools and plenty of customization options. Like PowerPoint, it also features many charts and provides several cinematic transitions.

You can use Mail, WebDAV service or iTunes File Sharing to import Microsoft PowerPoint files and edit them in Keynote. In terms of text and object animations, I find Apple’s offering up to the task, if not better than PowerPoint. Using animations like vanish, fade, scale, crumble, you can add more visual appeal to your creativity.

Platform Availability:  iOS, macOS, and web

Pricing: Free

Are you in quest of a Microsoft PowerPoint alternative that can let you create a stylish presentation? I would suggest you try out Canva if your answer is in the affirmation. The app makes creating presentation absolute fun thanks to a plethora of background images, eye-grabbing templates, and filters. Furthermore, it also has a variety of grids, charts, and frames to help you add the wow factor to your presentation.

If you think that the only PowerPoint has a solid collection of fonts, you’ve got to take a close look at the hundreds of fonts that this app has packed with. In short, Canva is a better choice than PowerPoint for creating elegant presentations and social media graphics.

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

While I have always rated PowerPoint highly for creating powerful multimedia presentations, I don’t think it’s the best in this regard. In my opinion, “SlideDog” has got almost everything covered to give a strong competition to Microsoft’s offering and even surpass it in many aspects.

As compared to PowerPoint, SlideDog offers a more intuitive way to control presentation. Thus, you can switch between files, pause videos, change slides, and more without any complexity. Better yet, it also works pretty well in retrieving the feedback of the audience thanks to the questionnaire.

Platform Availability:  Windows and macOS 

Though nowhere near as feature-packed or versatile as Microsoft’s PowerPoint, WPS Office Free is a notable substitute. Whether you are a teacher or an executive, or a student, this presentation app has got most of the bases covered to be a handy asset for you.

Like PowerPoint, it also features several slide styles and ready-made templates. Additionally, you can use slide transitions, animations and insert multi-media like videos, images, and audio to make your presentation more impactful. On top of all, it won’t cost you a single penny, unlike PowerPoint.

Platform Availability:  Android, iOS, Linux, and web 

Visit: Website

Q. Which PowerPoint Alternative is Best for Your Small Business?

If you have a small business then Prezi would be my pick for the best PowerPoint alternative. And if you want something for free then LibreOffice Impress is an obvious choice. Apart from that, if you want to make creative presentations then Ludus is an excellent pick.

There are many software — both offline and online — that offer similar level of features with excellent design tools and fresh templates. We have mentioned 12 different presentation software above so go through that and pick one.

If you are in a creative business then Ludos is outrightly better than PowerPoint. Similarly, if you throw too many data points in presentations then LibreOffice Impress allows you to use third-party tools like LaTeX, statistical graphs, and more. Basically, there are many software out there that are better than PowerPoint but it depends on the area of your work.

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

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

To make a PowerPoint presentation without using PowerPoint, you can use Google Slides. It’s a free software by Google and allows you to save presentations in PPT or PPTX mode.

Yes, there are free PowerPoint alternatives. Google Slides and LibreOffice Impress are the few notable ones.