It is almost the case with everyone: PowerPoint means love-hate speech. On the one hand, this office application is incredibly popular, and with good reason. On the other hand, many simply can no longer see it and despair of little things, such as fine-tuning their layout. Especially if you look in the business field, PowerPoint had an undisputed, dominant position for a very long time. It may still be the most widely used presentation tool today, but one thing should be said: There are good PowerPoint alternatives and they are huge.
Real competition?
In recent years – not least due to digitization – more and more companies have grown that deal with the development of software for presentations. Some of them are now global corporations and also sell international software solutions that compete with PowerPoint. Because it would be wrong to say that the monopoly of the office application is unsurpassable. In some respects, the new tools are years ahead of PowerPoint. In the end, it will always be an individual decision which tool you can work with better.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF POWERPOINT ALTERNATIVES?
Anyone who has had a normal school career and still has something to do with presentations afterward knows them by heart: the PowerPoint design templates. That doesn’t mean they’re bad, but they are older and seem out of date. The “wow” effect – as it can offer new types of animation – does not materialize. There is a risk of losing your attention even before the first word because the visual stimulus suggests to the audience that something is coming that you have already seen 1000 times.
Also, some alternatives can offer a revised user interface so that functions and layout can be adjusted more easily. Anyone who’s really worked with PowerPoint before knows how annoying it can be when you try to place an object and just don’t want it where you want it or just move it around everything else.
The new display options also ensure that you can sketch out factual relationships even better, which in turn ensures that the people you want to sell your idea or product can follow you even better and the benefits become clearer! This is not only good for a presentation, but also for your business.
This is why it is worth working with PowerPoint alternatives:
- Increases the attention of the audience
- Sets new stimuli
- Allows more complex relationships to be represented more easily
- Partly better to use
The 6 best PowerPoint alternatives in a fast run:
Design is often a question of taste and it is well known that one can argue about taste. That’s why we want to introduce you to six alternatives.
PREZI
Prezi is a presentation tool that has meanwhile also achieved great popularity and is also being used more and more in the business sector. It offers the possibility to create an animated, structured, and dynamic presentation with simple forms, means, and slides. The usual foils are not available here. The advantage here is that there is a very large database of templates to choose from. These templates are often very suitable for telling a story within the presentation.
This is extremely appealing and can do a lot to help you visualize your intention. The only downside is perhaps the price. You cannot acquire a license in the strict sense of the word but have to contribute monthly. In addition, the processes are very different from PowerPoint, which means that you have to familiarize yourself with it. In the free basic version, you only get the basic functions and your presentation can be viewed online by everyone.
- dynamic narration on a digital canvas
- is suitable for creative and unconventional presentations
- wide range of effects
- Training period necessary
- few templates
- chargeable (from $3/month)
GOOGLE SLIDES
In contrast, Google Slides is very easy to use. The online-offline tool is a good alternative to PowerPoint, as it is available free of charge to users with a Google account. It works in a similar way to the competitor: various design templates, foils for designing the texts, and other effects. Teamwork is an attractive addition. Other users with a Google account can work on the presentation at the same time or just read, depending on the individual rights assigned. You can also upload and edit PowerPoint documents here.
- easy handling
- Teamwork possible
- Design templates and slide layout
- Free with a Google account
DECK SET
Deck set is for those who have forgotten something. If the deadline is very tight or the meeting is very spontaneous, then this software could be something for you. It is based on Markdown, so you work in this program like in a text editor. This text file can then also be opened directly in Deckset and used accordingly quickly and easily. Little by little the tool adds automatically collects the components that make up a good presentation, so that in the end a coherent overall picture is created.
The customization options are somewhat limited, which means that this tool cannot be fully compared with PowerPoint. Deck sets are particularly interesting for beginners who do not want to spend hours messing around with layouts and design elements. This tool is also chargeable and can be purchased for a one-time fee of $35.
- a fast, alternative tool
- little design options
- suitable for beginners
- easy to use
- chargeable
KEYNOTE
The Keynote tool is essentially a PowerPoint alternative for Apple users. It is designed in the typical Apple design and is clearly in the foreground here. In addition to these high-quality design elements, Keynote also offers a team function. The tool can be used from the iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. Here, too, the typical film design is used, so that the training period – and especially for Apple enthusiasts – is relatively short. In addition, Keynote offers a live function for streaming the presentation. However, the software is only free for Apple users.
- easy handling
- wide range of designs
- Teamwork possible
- Live function
- Free for Apple users only
POWTOON
PowToon breaks out of the series of previous PowerPoint alternatives. Because this tool focuses on animated characters and storytelling. You can use it to create video clips that can spice up any presentation. Since the animations are in the foreground here, this tool can also be seen as a supplement to PowerPoint.
The program is web-based and offered free of charge. However, many functions are restricted or animations are provided with watermarks. Therefore you should use the paid version for the full functionality of the program. The videos can be a maximum of three minutes and can then simply be stored in the cloud storage. One advantage is that the animations not only work in the presentation via PowToon but can also be easily integrated into websites. If you want to purchase an unrestricted version,
- creative design of animations and videos
- normal presentation with slides possible
- short training period
- limited version free of charge
HAIKU DECK
The PowerPoint alternative Haiku Deck works with artificial intelligence and creates suitable photos and designs for you that match your topic. Here, too, you can define the layout of the slides as usual and prepare your information. The main focus of Haiku Deck is aesthetics. With filters like on Instagram, the tool refines your presentation and makes it look prettier for the audience. You can then share your presentation on websites, social media, or by email.
Disadvantages are the function of the foils since there is no transition between them. The exact placement of text fields is also more difficult here than with the other PowerPoint alternatives. You can use the tool free of charge but in a limited version. If you want to use all functions, you can purchase three different versions for a fee. The starting price here is around 10 US dollars per month.
- Use of artificial intelligence
- The focus is on optics and aesthetics
- practical features are missing
- limited version free of charge
Conclusion: Very good selection of PowerPoint alternatives
There are many PowerPoint alternatives, all of which focus on different functions. Different tools are suitable depending on your working method, industry, and your preferences. In general, this should show you that there are countless alternatives, some of which even offer you more options than PowerPoint itself. It is, therefore, worthwhile to test new programs from time to time or to use certain tools in addition.
