the best photo presentation software

Best photo slideshow software and apps 2022

The best photo slideshow software turns your images and music into a seamless presentation

The best photo slideshow software can turn your long list of photos into a lively and engaging experience. From family holidays and trips with friends to your kids' sports and arts progress – this software is ideal for sharing your beloved images with others.

The best photo slideshow software does more than simply pairing images and music. Some will help you remove any out of focus or unclear shots so you get the best end result. Then you can add more such as annotations, maps and beyond.

These programs work across a host of devices and some even offer more advanced video editing tools for you to work with while remaining easy to use. Or, for more basic versions that work right there on your smartphone, there are the likes of  PixGram for Android and PicPlayHost for iOS which are free and easy to use but lack more complex features.

Image editing is possible on a basic level with filters included on many of the programs, allowing you to make certain snaps pop out as needed. But to go deeper on this you'll want to look at the best photo editing software . Should you want to keep all your photos organized, to make the whole process far easier, then look into getting one of the best photo organizing apps too.

1. Movavi Slideshow Maker 7: Best photo slideshow software overall

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Movavi Slideshow Maker 7

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Movavi Slideshow Maker 7 is a versatile photo slideshow software package that will get you good results in minutes, and excellent results the more you learn its tools and features. There's a handy montage wizard to get you started, and that may be all you need for most of the slideshows you end up creating - this is very simple to use, even though it has all the hallmarks of an actual video editor.

Movavi includes a whole variety of effects, transitions, and filters to make your slideshows stand-out, and you can use it for everything from fun social media fodder through to serious photo presentations. The more technical video effects like camera pans and zooms will give you more editorial control over your slideshow, while the effects, stickers, and animations will help you keep things entertaining. There are over 160 filters, and more than 100 animation effects, so you can really craft a variety of slideshows. It's ideal for weddings, graduation parties, birthdays and more, as well as more serious stuff like business presentations and showreels.

You can overlay music too, which draws from the library on your computer, and you can mix in videos with your photos if you want to create mixed media. Movavi exports to all the most common photo and video file types, so you don't need to worry about compatibility, and there's an option to save direct to a YouTube channel or - if you want to share on other social media - to Google Drive. The negatives? Well, some may never use many of the features, and could just use a free app, but anyone serious about making a quality slideshow will love what Movavi has to offer.

2. PhotoStage Slideshow 8: Best budget slideshow software

PhotoStage Slideshow 8

PhotoStage Slideshow 8 is one of the cheapest options for creating slideshows, and is very simple to use too. It lacks a handful of features you may find elsewhere, but has more than enough for most people to create excellent slideshows. We recommend it for anyone who isn't going to use all of the flashy graphics and transitions offered by other programs. There are no backgrounds, filters or themes, but there are plenty of transition effects to choose from. This includes more elaborate transitions like fading into the next image in the expanding shape of a heart or simply scrolling from one side of the screen to the other. You can make simple edits such as cropping and rotating your photos, and adjusting contrast, hue and brightness. We found the slideshow playback to be crisp and of good color quality in our tests. This software handles the most common audio and video formats, so you can spice up your slideshows with mixed media. The area where this slideshow software really falls short is in the help and support, but honestly, this program is so easy to use that you likely won't need to contact anyone at NCH for help.

In terms of export, you can save your slideshow as a variety of popular file types, or upload directly to YouTube, Vimeo, or Flickr. Or, if you want, you can save directly to your smartphone or tablet. Simple.

3. CyberLink PhotoDirector 12: Best editor with slideshow options

CyberLink PhotoDirector 12

CyberLink PhotoDirector 12 has the right balance of features for anyone looking to create professional-looking slideshows. It's primarily a photo editor, with all the tools you'd expect from a full-featured photo enhancement program, but with the option to create slideshows via the 'Create' tab. The reason we recommend PhotoDirector above other photo editing apps is because it's simple to use and it helps you create incredible results with very little effort, even if it does lack some of the more advanced tools that professional editors need.

There are a whole host of tools for enhancing your photos, including things like dispersion effects, which give you the power to animate particles in your images with ease. This can add a serious wow-factor to your slideshows. There are also editing options for cropping, layers, background changes, and all kinds of creative effects to give your photos some zing.

As a slideshow creator it's simple to use, with various headers, overlays, transitions, and everything you need to craft a compelling presentation. Some who want basic options may find it overwhelming, despite its simplicity, so this really is for anyone looking to create pro-looking slideshows. And it's a little more expensive than some other options in our guide. However, there's no denying you get excellent results.

4. PixGram: Best slideshow app for Android devices

PixGram is one of the best slideshow apps if you want to simply create slideshows and montages on your smartphone. There's a free version and it covers you for almost all the features you need, although you're restricted to three-minute videos/slideshows until you purchase the premium version.

This one is primarily designed to help you set slideshows to music, and to share them direct to social media. You can import images and videos direct from your phone's gallery into the app, and combine it with any music you have purchased and saved to your device. There are plenty of filters to apply to your images, and a decent range of video editing options, but it does lack transitions. What matters most is that this is easy to use, and you can quickly share results to most of the popular social media platforms in a variety of aspect-ratios that each one supports. For example, the 16:9 format suits Facebook, while the 1:1 is perfect for Instagram.

There are definitely limitations here, and if you're using the free version you'll get in-app ads (much like you do in most free apps). Those looking for fancy transitions should consider other options, but anyone who wants to simply create slideshows and montages on their phone, without using a laptop or computer, should seriously consider PixGram.

5. PicPlayPost: Best slideshow app for Apple devices

PicPlayPost

PicPlayPost is a surprisingly powerful slideshow (and video) tool for iOS devices. It has a vast number of features, and can craft montages and slideshows in 1080p and 4K, if you have a compatible iPhone or iPad. You can download it for free, but this version is very limited, and you're definitely going to need to subscribe if you're looking to use the majority of the tools. This is expensive, at $6.99 per month (or an even higher one-time payment), so consider if you're really going to use it that much.

There are so many transitions, sticker, effects, and filters - you can get seriously creative with your slideshows and montages. It's simple to use, but there are loads of deep editing options for those who want to create professional-looking presentations and video montages. You can create gifs, slideshows, movies, and collage images, making this perfect for crafting memes too. The slideshows can last up to 30 minutes, and it'll access music from your device.

If you're constantly adding custom videos and slideshows to social media, this is probably worth the price of subscription, especially as you can create videos and images specifically formatted for social channels. If you're looking for something a little more simple, then this is probably a bit much (ironically, though, the free version doesn't offer enough for even basic use).

6. PhotoStory Deluxe: Best for beginners

PhotoStory Deluxe

If you're new to the whole photo slideshow thing, and you want a no-nonsense piece of software for your home computer, then PhotoStory Deluxe is just the thing. There's a slideshow wizard to help get you started, and introduce you to most of the main features, and after that the interface is nice and simple. There's a built-in editor too, which lets you enhance and make basic edits to the images you've added, and while options here are relatively limited compared to other editing programs, there's enough here to make your slideshows look rather professional.

You can export your slideshows to most common formats, and there are options for VR slideshows and 360 videos, which is a nice touch. We love the travel map feature too, which allows you to create slideshows that show off all your vacation-snaps. The grandkids will love to see all of those!

There are options to upload your slideshows and videos direct to places like YouTube, although you retain the ability to burn them to a DVD too, in case you want to mail your substantial slideshows to friends, family, or clients. You can simply save them onto your home computer device too. While the editing tools lack features, and we do think this is mid-priced among slideshow creators, it's still worth considering if you're a newcomer seeking to create slideshows to thoroughly entertain your friends and family with.

What features should you look for in slideshow software?

Slideshow software does offer some photo editing options but these are basic and won't replace a fully fledged photo editor. So if you simply want to crop, rotate or remove the redeye from a picture, then this slideshow software may be enough. But for anything more complex you'll be left wanting.

A useful feature to look out for is the ability to arrange your photos by themes. This can help in making it easier to insert appropriate backgrounds and transitions for the slideshow.

The photo organizing software mentioned above can help as it allows you to cut down the images to the best ones only. Being concise is important for a slideshow where too many pictures - especially many similar ones - can really put people off.

Voiceover recording is a really helpful feature which can add another layer of context to what is being seen. Even more valuable if you're sending this to someone and you won't actually be there to explain what's being shown.

Talking of sharing, this is important so be sure your software can export in a file format that's easily accessible. MP4 is a common video file format that most devices will be able to open and more slideshow software should output to. Plus it condenses well meaning it can be sent without taking up too much space or time.

While most of these options are very intuitive, it can pay to have decent help and support, should you wish to try the more complex features on offer. So keep an eye out for this as a useful feature too.

Tips for creating a compelling slideshow

• According to Memories Renewed , when it comes to slideshows ten to 12 images are typically displayed within a minute. This means that a 100-image slideshow will likely last ten to 12 minutes. Take this into account when creating your slideshows.
• For an elegant slideshow, don’t use distracting transitions. Stick with a simple fade between images.
• Choose music and images that are appropriate for the event. You don’t want to play raucous music or have disrespectful photos at a funeral, for example.
• Know how the slideshow will be used. If it’s going to play in the background it can go on forever. However, if you’re going to draw everyone’s attention to it as a special presentation, keep it short and simple – three to five minutes. People typically don’t have long attention spans.
• Add statements from loved ones, when appropriate, to make it extra special.
• Make sure you run through the slideshow beforehand to make sure everything works properly. Fix any problems. This includes the transitions, graphics and music.

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Ian has been a journalist for 20 years. He's written for magazines and websites on subjects such as video games, technology, PC hardware, popular (and unpopular) science, gardening and astronomy. In his spare time he has a pet tortoise and grows his own vegetables. He also has a passion for cameras and photography, and has written for TTR on these subjects.

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9 Best Photo Slideshow Makers: Make Awesome Slideshows the Easy Way

Making a slideshow of your photos? Want to know what the best photo slideshow maker program is? You’re in the right place!

There’s a myriad of programs available such as Animoto, Movavi and Icecream Slideshow Maker that make slideshow creation simple.

We know you’re too busy taking photos and don’t have a ton of time to research the best slideshow makers. That’s why we’ve done it for you.

Best Slideshow Makers:

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. We evaluate products independently . Commissions do not affect our evaluations.

Why Use a Slideshow Maker?

Using a slideshow program can speed up the process. Instead of using complicated editing software or a third-party company, the best slideshow makers do the hard parts for you. That alone should be enough to use one of these programs.

In most cases, you simply upload your images, add some text, and the application will do the rest of the work.

You can create slideshows for your travel pics, events, such as weddings, or even business presentations – the possibilities are endless. So let’s cut right to the chase and look at our top picks!

Best Photo Slideshow Makers

Key Information

• Price – Free & Paid versions ($60.00 per year for personal subscription)
• Available Platforms – Web browser application
• Export Options – CD / DVD / Dropbox / YouTube / Google Drive
• Notable Feature – Choose from a myriad of templates for quick creation

What Makes This One of the Best Slide Show Makers?

Animoto is a web-based browser application with fantastic control and slideshow creating features.

The browser application uses a simple and clean interface, which we loved. It’s also suitable for touch-screen devices with drag and drop mechanics.

Which we loved even more!

When creating a slideshow, Animoto works on the premise of blocks. Each new block can contain media such as an image or video. Moreover, each block can then be edited.

For example, text and graphics can be inserted. And, you can change the crop and rotation of images.

In the basic free versions, it is not possible to add transitions. However, you can add image filters to give your photos a retro look, for example.

We like that the video can be uploaded to Facebook. Moreover, it can also be embedded into web content.

Get Started with Animoto

We received an exclusive code from Animoto The code is PHOTOWORKOUT and is good for 15% off annual professional and business plans.

2. Movavi Slideshow Maker

• Price – $79.95 (Free trial version available too)
• Available Platforms – Windows & MAC
• Export Options – MP4 / MOV / MPEG-1 / Tablet / Smartphone / TV for Photo Slideshows / DVD
• Notable Feature – Adjustment features available such as color and crop

Getting Down to the Details…

The Movavi Video Suite has a multitude of features, including video editing and slideshow creation. This is undoubtedly one of the best photo slideshow tools available .

The actual quality of the slideshows is incredible.

When using the program, it gives a split-screen view. The top half shows a preview and upload options, while the bottom gives the slideshow timeline. Moreover, there are additional tools on the left-hand side.

But don’t let all the tools scare you into thinking it’s too complex to use! Creating a slideshow using Movavi is simple.

You can easily insert images and add transitions in between the photos. Moreover, the transitions are fantastic. Examples of animations include blinds, blur in, and circle out.

This program offers a high level of control. You can even add animations and zoom your images. In addition to this, you can insert cool text overlays and a remarkable range of pre-made graphics. Finally, we also found you can add different filters such as a vignette and texture overlays.

This is a great way to go for users who want a little more than a basic slideshow.

Free Movavi Slideshow Trial

3. Icecream Slideshow Maker

• Price – Free
• Available Platforms – Windows
• Export Options – CD / DVD / DropBox / YouTube / Google Drive
• Notable Feature – Ability to change transitions and insert audio files

What’s Under the Hood?

Icecream Slideshow Maker is a downloadable program. The file size is minimal, and the installation process is easy.

We found the application itself to be fast and without delays (even when opening large volumes of images). We really like the simplicity of this application .

It also offers fantastic customization for your slideshows. In addition to this, the layout was easy to grasp – we understood how to add transitions and change the slide lengths in a matter of seconds.

Once you’ve inserted the images, you can add transitions, text, and alter the slide timing. Plus, there’s a host of cool transitions to choose from if you want to get design-y.

What we thought really makes this one of the best slideshow maker programs is the control you have. I’m talking great control over the positioning, size, and color of any overlay text.

We also like being able to preview each slide directly in the application interface. Upon completion of your slideshow masterpiece, you can then export it in several file formats, including .mp4 and .avi.

Download Icecream Slideshow Maker PRO Trial

4. Adobe Lightroom

• Price – Subscription from $9.99 per month
• Available Platforms – Windows & MAC application download
• Export Options – Export as PDF file or an MP4 video
• Notable Feature – Include photo ratings and other information from your Lightroom catalog

Wait, What’s Lightroom Doing on This List?

Surprise! Lightroom actually has a built-in slideshow maker.

This program is one of the best photo editing tools available and is widely used by photographers. To that end, the Lightroom slideshow creator is packed with useful tools and features.

To create a slideshow, select the desired photos from your image catalog. Once selected, click on “Window”, and choose the slideshow option.

This automatically places all the selected images into a slideshow. It’s possible to add different features such as a star rating for each photo and text overlays.

Additionally, you can add background gradients, an introduction slide, and also audio clips. The only downside we found was the lack of export options. It’s only possible to export a Lightroom slideshow as an MP4 or a PDF.

Try Adobe Lightroom for Free

5. Canva Slideshow Maker

• Price – Free (Pro upgrade with more storage available)
• Available Platforms – Web Browser
• Export Options – MP4, GIF
• Notable Feature – Thousands of graphics and text to insert

Why Is Canva Slideshow Maker a Great Option?

Canva Slideshow Maker is a free-to-use web-based app that offers excellent customization and high-quality photo slideshows. If you want to quickly create photo slideshows with additional elements like text overlays and artwork, this is a great platform to use.

It has an extensive library of graphics and text to make your slideshows look stylish. Also, it has a minimal selection of music tracks and hundreds of different templates and backgrounds. You can also add a handful of decent transitions to your slides.

The final product can be downloaded as either an MP4, or a GIF, but you can also share the slideshow using a simple share link. This is one downside, as some other photo slideshow makers in this list do provide a much greater variety of export options.

Try Canva Slideshow Maker

• Price – Free (Must create an account to gain full access)
• Available Platforms – Web browser application / MAC app
• Export Options – Email / File Download / Facebook
• Notable Feature – Hundreds of transitions and effects to choose from

What Makes Kizoa a Great Slideshow Software?

Kizoa is a fun web browser application that enables the easy creation of slideshows. The interface does admittedly look a little dated, but the end product is fantastic.

It certainly benefits from the huge array of templates, animations, and pre-built slide styles offered.

This application not only allows you to build slideshows, but also gives you the ability to create collages and movies. Additionally, once you’ve created your slideshow, you can purchase prints or export it in a number of ways.

7. NCH PhotoStage Slideshow Software

• Price – Free (Pro upgrade available)
• Available Platforms – Downloadable Software for Windows & MAC
• Export Options – Blu-ray / DVD / Flickr / Dropbox / One Drive / YouTube
• Notable Feature – Full control over slideshow process including transitions and audio

Here’s What We Liked About PhotoStage:

PhotoStage by NCH offers complex slideshow creation. This is one of the best slideshow maker tools if you want greater control and features.

Each image is inserted into a timeline at the bottom of the program. From here you can edit the timings and also add transitions between the slides. There is a handy playback feature and you can view the slideshow in a real-time preview.

We really like the different export options PhotoStage has. You can export to DVD and Blu-ray.

Furthermore, it supports a myriad of social media platforms and websites such as YouTube, One Drive, and Dropbox. The combination of great control, awesome transitions, and lots of export options make PhotoStage one of the best slideshow creators we’ve tested today – especially for more advanced users.

Try PhotoStage

8. Adobe Express (formerly Spark)

• Price – Free version available, but slideshows have an Adobe watermark / $10.10 per month for the upgraded version
• Export Options – Download as MP3 file or share on the Adobe Express website
• Notable Feature – Ability to create split-screen slideshows with text and images

Does Adobe Express Compare to the Other Best Slideshow Makers?

We think it does. As you’d expect from Adobe, Express is a fun and complete web browser application with many features.

To use Express, you have to have a registered Adobe account. No big deal if you use their other products such as Photoshop and Lightroom.

Now, here’s the deal – when using Express, you actually create a video instead of a slideshow. There is a range of slideshow templates you can use, however. Each image is inserted separately and you can add text and captions.

Moreover, you can change your slideshow to a split-screen view if you want to include a higher amount of text.

This is a great service for those who already have an Adobe Creative Cloud account, as Express is included in the basic Photography Plan.

Try Adobe Express for Free

9. 4K Slideshow Maker

• Export Options – Download as a media file
• Notable Feature – Download photos directly from Instagram

Looking for an Easy-to-Use Slideshow Creator?

4K Slideshow Maker has to be the easiest application to use on this list. It’s a downloadable program that is available for free. Hard to beat that!

When using 4K Slideshow Maker, we found the program itself to perform exceptionally. It has a simple interface. There isn’t really much to it except a top menu and four creation buttons.

Even when we loaded 20+ images to create a slideshow, the program still ran quickly and processed the show in minutes.

As mentioned, this program is simplistic.

All you can create using this program is a simple slideshow that uses randomized transitions between each photo. But, if that’s all you need from a slideshow maker, this one does it very well.

The end quality is fantastic, but customization is non-existent. Simply upload your files (from your computer or Instagram) and press the “Make Slideshow” button.

From there you can choose the aspect ratio, filename, and location. Whilst 4K Slideshow Maker may not allow creativity, it does offer speed and quality.

That being said, if you’re looking for something complete with transitions, this might not be the best slideshow maker for you. You may want to look at one of the other options on the list.

Try 4k Slideshow Maker

Closing Thoughts

Let your imagination run wild using one of these programs and share your photos uniquely. Don’t forget to include cool transitions, sounds, and text to add extra character and meaning to your photos.

Forget about boring Facebook photo albums or single Instagram pics. Why not try one of the best slideshow maker applications today and see what you can create? Share your creations in the comments below!

A seasoned content creator at PhotoWorkout, Paul merges his love for traveling and photography to craft insightful articles. With a solid grasp of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, he enjoys testing new photo software, apps, and gear. His background in web development further enriches his photography endeavors. Connect with him on LinkedIn .

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3 thoughts on “9 Best Photo Slideshow Makers: Make Awesome Slideshows the Easy Way”

I’m trying to decide which software to use. What is a web browser application vs Windows?

I want to create slideshows with audio and download to dvd’s. If I give dvd’s to family, can they play them on their computers without downloading any software? Are they pack and go? Also can I use different songs in a slideshow and tie certain photos to each song?

Hi Mary, we recommend you download the slideshow or video to a memory stick / DVD in MP4 format (most commonly used format). Both Animoto and Movavi let you export the file in MP4.

The best presentation software in 2024

These powerpoint alternatives go beyond the basics..

The latest presentation apps have made it easier than ever to format slides and create professional-looking slideshows without giving off a "this is a template" vibe. Even standard PowerPoint alternatives have updated key features to make it easier than ever to collaborate and create presentations quickly, so you can spend more time prepping for your actual presentation.

If, like me, you've used Google Slides unquestioningly for years, it's a whole new world out there. The newest crop of online presentation tools go way beyond the classic slideshow experience, with new features to keep your audience's attention, streamline the creation process with AI, and turn slide decks into videos and interactive conversations.

I've been testing these apps for the past few years, and this time, I spent several days tinkering with 25 of the top presentation software solutions out there to bring you the best of the best.

The best presentation software

Beautiful.ai for AI-powered design

Prezi for non-linear, conversational presentations

Powtoon for video presentations

Pitch for collaborating with your team on presentations

Gamma for conversational AI features

Mentimeter for audience engagement

Tome 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 interface. For our purposes here, I only tested software that uses slides, with the familiar deck-based editor you expect from a "presentation" tool (versus, for example, a video creation app).

While most apps now offer AI features in one way or another, it isn't a universal feature yet—and some apps' AI features leave a lot to be desired. For that reason, I opted not to make AI features a strict must-have for this year (though it probably will be a requirement next time I update the article). That means I've still included some apps that don't offer AI—if you opt for one of those, you can still easily get AI-generated images and text 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.

Here's what my testing workflow looked like:

I went through any onboarding or guided tutorials.

I created a new deck, scanning through all available templates, noting how well-designed they were (and which were free versus paid).

I added new slides, deleted slides, edited text and images, and played around with other content types.

I changed presentation design settings, like color schemes and background images.

I reviewed and tested the sharing and collaboration options.

I tested out presenter view (when available).

After my first round of testing, I went back into the top performers to test any unique or niche features, like AI, brand settings, and interactive content. With that, these are the best presentation apps I found—each one really brings something different or radically easy to the table.

The best presentation software at a glance

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

Canva pros:

Excellent free plan

Tons of amazing templates for all use cases

Feature-rich

Canva cons:

The AI tools aren't groundbreakingly useful

Canva offers one of the most robust free plans of all the presentation apps I tested. The app delays account creation until after you've created your first design, so you can get started building your presentation in seconds. Choose from an almost overwhelming number of beautiful templates (nearly all available for free), including those designed specifically for education or business use cases.

Anyone who's accidentally scrolled too far and been bumped to the next slide will appreciate Canva's editor interface, which eliminates that problem altogether with a smooth scroll that doesn't jump around. Choose from a handful of preset animations to add life to your presentations, or browse the library of audio and video files available to add. And Canva also has a number of options for sharing your presentation, including adding collaborators to your team, sharing directly to social media, and even via QR code.

Present directly from Canva, and let audience members submit their questions via Canva Live. Once you share a link to invite audience members to your presentation, they can send questions for you to answer. As the presenter, you'll see them pop up in your presenter view window, so you can keep the audience engaged and your presentation clear. Alternatively, record a presentation with a talking head bubble—you can even use an AI presenter here—to share remotely.

Canva has added a number of AI-powered tools , but I wasn't super impressed by them yet. The Magic Design tool, for example, isn't much more useful than the many pre-designed templates already available, while Magic Write is basically just white-labeled ChatGPT. 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 $120/year for 1 user and include additional features like Brand Kit, premium templates and stock assets, and additional AI-powered design tools.

If you're looking for a capable free presentation tool with a more affordable upgrade, Zoho Show is worth a look. It's completely free for most features, offers a clean, intuitive editor, and includes a number of great templates. Plus, you can automate Zoho Show by connecting it with Zapier .

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

If you're like me, editing granular spacing issues is the absolute worst part of building a presentation. Beautiful.ai uses artificial intelligence to take a lot of the hassle and granular design requirements out of the presentation process, so you can focus on the content of a presentation without sacrificing professional design. If I needed to make presentations on a regular basis, this is the app I'd use.

Many apps have recently added AI design features, but Beautiful.ai has been doing it for years—and they've perfected the experience of AI design, ensuring the tool's reign as the most streamlined and user-friendly option for AI design.

The editor is a little different from most presentation apps, but it's still intuitive—and you'll start off with a quick two-minute tutorial. When creating a new slide, scroll through "inspiration slides" to find a layout you like; once you choose, the app will pull the layout and automatically adapt it to match the design of the rest of your presentation.

With 10 themes, several templated slides, over 40 fully-designed templates, and more than 20 different color palettes to choose from, Beautiful.ai strikes a perfect balance between automation and customization.

While Beautiful.ai doesn't offer a free plan, paid plans are reasonably priced and offer sharing and collaboration options that rival collab-focused apps like Google Slides. And speaking of Google, you can connect Beautiful.ai with Google Drive to save all your presentations there.

Note: I re-tested the generative AI feature (called DesignerBot) this year. It's great for adding individual slides to an existing presentation—automatically choosing the best layout and matching the design to the rest of the deck—but as with most other apps, it struggled to pull in relevant images.

Beautiful.ai pricing: Plans start at $12/month for unlimited slides, AI content generation, viewer analytics, and more. Upgrade to a Team plan for $40/user/month to get extra collaboration and workspace features and custom brand controls.

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 a generative AI tool that builds a whole pitch deck based on your website. 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 can only be billed annually.

The best presentation app for conversational presentations

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

Prezi pros:

Doesn't restrict you to standard presentation structure

Lots of customization options

Prezi Video lets you display a presentation right over your webcam video

Prezi cons:

Steep learning curve

Struggling to squeeze information into a basic, linear presentation? Give Prezi a try. Unlike nearly all other presentation apps on the market, Prezi Present doesn't restrict the structure of your presentation to a straight line. The editor focuses on topics and subtopics and allows you to arrange them any way you want, so you can create a more conversational flow of information.

With the structural flexibility, you still get all the same customization features you expect from top presentation software, including fully-editable templates. There's a learning curve if you're unfamiliar with non-linear presentations, but templates offer a great jumping-off point, and Prezi's editor does a good job of making the process more approachable.

Plus, Prezi comes with two other apps: Prezi Design and Prezi Video. Prezi Video helps you take remote presentations to a new level. You can record a video where the presentation elements are displayed right over your webcam feed. Record and save the video to share later, or connect with your video conferencing tool of choice (including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet) to present live.

Prezi's generative AI feature works ok, but it's more useful as a wireframe. When I asked it to create a presentation about the Stanley Cup Playoffs, for example, the resulting content read a lot like a student writing a term paper in the broadest strokes possible to avoid doing any actual research.

Prezi pricing: Free 14-day trial and a free plan that includes up to 5 visual projects; paid plans start at $7/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 $15/month and include white-labeling, priority support, additional storage, and more.

The best presentation app for collaborating with your team

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

Pitch pros:

Google levels of collaboration

Assign slides to specific team members

Excellent generative AI feature

Pitch cons:

User interface is a little different than you're used to

Need to collaborate on presentations with your team? Pitch is a Google Slides alternative that gets the job done. As far as decks go, Pitch includes all the beautifully-designed templates, customizability, and ease of use you expect from a top-notch presentation tool. But the app really shines when you add your team.

The right-hand sidebar is all about project management and collaboration: you can set and update the status of your deck, assign entire presentations or individual slides to team members, plus comment or add notes. Save custom templates to make future presentations even easier and faster.

You can also invite collaborators from outside your company to work with you on individual decks. And if you opt for a paid plan, Pitch introduces workspace roles, shared private folders, and version history.

Pitch also offers one of the most impressive generative AI features on this list. It still struggles to pull in relevant images, but I found the AI-generated written content and design to be top-notch.

Pitch pricing: Free plan offers unlimited presentations, custom templates, and live video collaboration; paid plans start at $22/month for 2 users with additional workspace features, presentation analytics, and more.

The best presentation app for conversational AI

Gamma (web).

Gamma pros:

Creates fully fleshed-out presentations from a prompt

Conversational chatbot-like experience

Can still manually edit the presentation

Gamma cons:

Not as much granular customization

I tested a lot of apps claiming to use AI to up your presentation game, and Gamma's conversational AI features were head and shoulders above the crowd.

Simply give the app a topic—or upload an outline, notes, or any other document or article—approve the outline, and pick a theme. The app will take it from there and create a fully fleshed-out presentation. It's far from perfect, but Gamma produces a very useful jumping-off point. (Last year, it was by far the best, but this year, other apps are catching up.)

Here's the key: Gamma is much more geared toward the iterative, chatbot experience familiar to ChatGPT users. Click on the Edit with AI button at the top of the right-hand menu to open the chat, and you'll see suggested prompts—or you can type in your own requests for how Gamma should alter the presentation.

Once you've done all you can with prompts, simply close the chat box to manually add the finishing touches. While you do sacrifice some granular customizability in exchange for the AI features, you can still choose your visual theme, change slide layouts, format text, and add any images, videos, or even app and web content.

Gamma pricing: Free plan includes unlimited users, 400 AI deck credits, and basic view analytics; upgrade to the Plus plan for $8/user/month to get unlimited AI credits, remove Gamma branding, and more.

The best presentation app for audience engagement

Mentimeter (web).

Mentimeter pros:

Tons of audience engagement features

Simple for participants to interact

Mentimeter cons:

Less granular customizability

Bit of a learning curve

If you need to engage with an audience during your presentation, Mentimeter makes that easy. The app is designed around interactive elements like quizzes, surveys, Q&As, sliders, and more (even a Miro whiteboard!).

Each of these is included in a number of different, professional-looking templates, so you can build a fully interactive presentation super quickly.

When it's time to present, your audience members can scan the QR code with their phone cameras or type in the URL and access code to participate. There's one code per presentation (so they won't have to do this on every slide), which gives access to each slide as you move through the presentation.

There are two main drawbacks to this one, though. First, there's a bit of a learning curve and less familiar editing interface (but I found it pretty easy to learn with some practice). The other drawback is that you can't get as granular with the visual customization as you can with many other presentation tools.

Mentimeter pricing: Free plan includes 50 participants per month and 34 different slide types; upgrade to the Basic plan for $11.99/presenter/month to get unlimited participants and slide types, private presentations, and more.

The best presentation app for generative AI

Top-tier generative AI features

Simple, customizable templates

Intuitive doc-style editor

There's definitely a learning curve

Tome is one of the new additions to this list that I'm most excited about. If you're looking for generative AI that just genuinely works , it's definitely worth a look. The editor is a bit more stripped down than most presentation apps but intuitive nonetheless—it's almost a cross between your standard deck editor and a Notion-style doc.

To generate an AI deck, click Generate with AI in the top right, and either write your own prompt or choose from the example prompts that cover a handful of common use cases, like sales enablement and company pitches. Edit or approve the suggested outline, then generate the full presentation.

From there, you can edit each slide as a doc via the right-hand menu—without limits on how much information you can include. During the presentation, you simply size down any slides that take up more than the standard amount of space. It's super simple but somehow feels revolutionary in a presentation app.

Tome pricing: Free plan available for manual editing without AI; upgrade to the Professional plan for $16/user/month to use the generative AI and design tools, plus engagement analytics, branding tools, 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 really been focused on their respective presentation solutions just yet. Rest assured, I'm watching this space, and the next time we update this article, I'll re-test tools like Copilot for PowerPoint and Gemini for Google Slides to see what new features may be 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.

What about PowerPoint and Google Slides add-ons?

While I focused my testing on tools with full feature-sets—those that can serve as your sole presentation tool—there are a ton of add-on tools you can use atop big name tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides.

If you're looking to expand what you can do with PowerPoint or Google Slides, apps like Marq (formerly Lucidpress), Plus AI , Slidesgo , and Simplified can help you do things like access additional templates, save branded assets, and generate AI presentations from the app you're already using.

Related reading:

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 April 2024.

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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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Best Presentation Software of 2024

Table of Contents

• Best Presentation Software
• Things To Consider When Buying
• How We Chose

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

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

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

Best Overall: Google Slides

Highly integrated With Other Apps

Totally free

Not integrated with Microsoft products

Minimal support

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

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

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

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

Specifications:

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

Most Compatible: Microsoft PowerPoint

Highly compatible

Online and desktop versions

Easy to use

No free version

Templates are not as trendy

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

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

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

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

Best For Mac Users: Apple Keynote

Exceptional designs

Desktop only

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

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

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

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

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

Most Flexible: Prezi

Unique concept

Trendy visuals

Unique design templates

Harder to learn

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

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

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

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

Best Budget: Visme

Free version available

Added visual tools

Good overall value

It takes more time to learn

Expensive pro plans

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best For Entrepreneurs: Slidebean

Design for entrepreneurs and salespeople

Unique features

Not as powerful as some

Not as well-known

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

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

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

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

Most Powerful: Canva

Thousand of templates

Integrates with other Canva tools

Limited export options

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

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

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

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

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

The Bottom Line

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

Things To Consider When Buying Presentation Software

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How We Chose The Best Presentation Software

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

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Best 11 Free Photo Slideshow Makers in 2024 [Desktop/Online/Mobile]

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A good slideshow maker software assists users to develop impressive presentations or videos with various customizable tools like templates, effects, text options and shapes, etc.

The generated files are saved in various popular file formats like .MPEG, mov, .AVI or .MP4 etc. so that they can be easily accessed on other platforms like Android, iOS , or computers.

You can easily find so many slideshow-making applications as well as online slideshow makers to transform all video clips and images into eye-catching slideshow videos. These slideshows can help you to make your special occasions like birthdays and weddings more memorable as they give you the best way to express your thoughts among others.

• Part 1: Best Free Slideshow Makers for Windows & Mac [Desktop Software]

Part 2: Best Free Online Slideshow Makers

• Part 3: Best Free Slideshow Maker apps for Android Phones & Tablets [2024]
• Part 4: Best Free Slideshow Makers for iPhone and iPad

Part 5: FAQs About Slideshow Makers

Turn pictures and photos to slideshow videos with filmora.

When looking for a photo slideshow maker, you will always want this picture slideshow maker is easy enough to use which can save you much time, and this slideshow maker would be great if it has some fantastic music sound. And you may also hope this slideshow maker will allow you to add titles, words for better expression.

In this case, try Wondershare Filmora. It is a video editor which also means it is a good choice for photo slideshow creation.

Here are 11 best free slideshow makers to use when you want to make amazing slideshows on desktop, online and mobile.

• Wondershare Filmora
• DVD Slideshow Builder
• Freemake Video Converter
• Windows Movie Maker
• PIXGRAM – Music Photo Slideshow
• PicPlayPost

Part 1: 4 Best Free Slideshow Makers - Desktop Software

The best slideshow makers listed below are desktop-based slideshow creator for Windows and Mac. The steps of making a slideshow with photos are similar: add photos first and then add audio/music, save to DVD or to the computer, or share to social media.

 1. Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is not only a versatile video editor, but also a photo/video slideshow maker for beginners as well as professionals due to its feature-rich platform that makes video and slideshow development task much easier on both Windows and Mac.

As a photo slideshow maker with music and transitions, filters, overlays, etc., Filmora offers over 300 effects and 20+ copyright music which enables you to take your slideshow to the next level.

It supports all major file formats and resulting slideshows can be directly shared on popular social media platforms like YouTube, Vimeo. Download it to have a try!

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora allows you to create a photo slideshow with photos and music within a few minutes. In the following part, I will show you how to make a slideshow on Windows with Filmora .

If you are a Mac user, you can check this guide about How to make a slideshow on mac.

Import your photos to Filmora and drag and drop them to the timeline in proper order, add some titles and texts to the slideshow, apply some transitions and filters from the Effects library and then add some music from the built-in Audio Library.

Click the Export button to save it on your computer or share it with your friends on Vimeo or YouTube. What’s more, you can burn it to CD for better reserve. If you prefer to watch it on your phone and TV, then switch to the Device tab.

• Loads of features make slideshow development much effective.
• Intuitive interface with simple to use tools.
• Filmora slideshow maker features a built-in Audio Library which provides different music styles and sound effects
• It contains numerous music, filters, motion elements, transitions and overlays.
• All popular file formats are supported.
• Easy social media uploading.

 2. DVD Slideshow Builder

Wondershare DVD Slideshow Builder tool offers a powerful solution to develop feature-rich slides for professional needs. Users can easily combine videos, photos into slideshows along with 2D or 3D transition effects and the resulting files can be immediately shared on YouTube, iPod or TV.

• It is extremely easy to apply this tool for feature-loaded application.
• DVD slideshow builder offers a huge collection of image, video and audio formats.
• Basic editing tasks can be implemented to media before applying final creation.
• It does not allow users to share their slideshows via emails or directly to interactive CDs.

 3. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is an ideal software for making slideshows fast by arranging the best collection of videos and photos in the most impressive manner for Windows PC. If you have to merge a large number of pictures into your presentation then Freemake is the best choice for you.

• Absolutely Free and no sign-up required.
• Numbers of output file formats supported.
• It allows direct uploading to YouTube.
• Slideshows can be directly transferred to DVDs.
• You will not be able to access ready templates here.
• It offers only one effect and you cannot add text into slides.

You may also like: How to Make a Happy Birthday Video Slideshow >> Ultimate 8 Ideas for Wedding Slideshow >>

 4. Windows Movie Maker

This video editing program allows users to add their favorite collection of music, videos and photos into slides. Videos can be even directly recorded from a webcam and then merged into videos. It is much easier to apply visual effects and animation to selective portions of slides.

• Easy to use and lightweight platform.
• Large numbers of transitions along with impressive visual effects.
• It offers a direct sharing facility to social media networks.
• Limited features as compared to other tools available in the market.
• It supports limited file formats.

For those who want to make a slideshow without downloading any software to a computer, we have figured out the following 4 FREE online slideshow makers.

Slidely is a well-known social media stuff that allows easy sharing of content over the network and at the same time provides the ability to follow curated collections or favorite creators.

Users can either import videos or images from their home computers or can access media directly from social media platforms as per need.

• It has the capability to do many stunning things other than developing simple slideshows.
• Possesses lots of community-based sharing features.
• Users can easily import media files from different social media platforms.
• Videos can be marked as private or public.
• It offers various customizable options for photo transition speeds.
• It is not much user-friendly.
• Developed videos cannot be downloaded.

Kizoa is a well-known online video editor tool that allows easy access to impressive features even without registration. The advanced editor supports animations, transitions, effects and also offers loads of music options to develop interactive videos. Users can easily customize timing, duration, size or position, etc detail as per need.

• You can immediately get started even without doing registration.
• Offers a much higher level of customization.
• Provides easy control over aspect ratio.
• The free package also contains lots of impressive features.
• The user interface appears a little frustrating.
• Cheaper plans offer limited features.
• Full HD is supported only with a professional plan.

Part 3: Best Free Slideshow Makers - For Android

For those who want to make a slideshow with an Android smartphone, check the following free slideshow making apps for Android phones.

 1. PhotoStory

It can develop fantastic slideshows and movies with ease using a three-step process. Users simply need to select photos from the device gallery, create a slideshow with desired transitions and themes and finally save or share as per choice.

• There are lots of unique filters, animations, and subtitles.
• It offers high-resolution results.
• Playback speed can be adjusted as per the need of users.
• Limited photos can be selected.

 2. PIXGRAM – Music Photo Slideshow

Pixgram is well known as a convenient, simple, and amazing application tool that can easily gather al photos together to form a slideshow along with impressive background effects. There are so many customizable features for effects adjustments as per requirements.

• Easy sharing over social media platforms.
• Simple to use with loads of features.
• Available for free
• Offers basic editing features and effects.

 3. Filmora

This mobile application promises a highly customizable user platform with an easy-to-use interface. It is much easier to cut videos and one can also apply various filters over content with lots of ready-made themes. Filmora has received higher attention from the user community due to its professional setup and development tools.

• Offers a wide collection of themes.
• Possesses so many cool effects like reverse, slow motion, and fast motion, etc.
• Easy sharing on social media platforms.
• It sometimes goes slow with heavy files.

Part 4: Best Free Slideshow Maker apps - for iOS [iPhone & iPad]

Besides using the free Apple iMovie to make photo slideshow on your iPhone, you can also try the following free slideshow making apps on iOS devices.

 1. SlideLab

Those who need a slide show developer with rich and intuitive features on their iPhone will find the Slide Lap application quite interesting. It is much easier to process, images, music, and videos. You can use this tool to make slide shows of any length with ease.

SlideLab is an advanced, beautiful, and interesting tool for the development of impressive collages that can be utilized for professional as well as personal needs.

• Enjoyable and simple to use application.
• It is much easier to add interesting effects.
• It is a little difficult to arrange photographs as per need.

 2. PicPlayPost

This application allows users to combine photos in unique frame combinations, with customizable aspect ratios, sizes and frame colours etc. It is a step ahead with advanced filters and frames so that highly interactive slide shows can be developed with ease.

PicPlayPost allows users to pick gifs, videos, and photos, etc for the development of eye-catching slideshows.

• It offers an easy video integration facility for slideshows.
• Sequential, as well as simultaneous playback, can be created along with lots of unique features.
• It allows users to think outside the box with arrangements of multiple video sets.
• It does not offer any iCloud based support for transferring or saving content between different devices.

You May Also Like: Best Free Video Editing Software for Windows >>

Above are the slideshow makers that we think it’s worth a try on desktop/online/mobile and we have made a comparison table of the 12 best slideshow makers.

If you want to have a better solution to make a photo or video slideshow, please download Wondershare Filmora to have a better editing experience.

Below is a comparison table of these free slideshow makers for you to have a quick look.

1. How Do I Make a Slideshow of Pictures?

In this article, we have shared some of the best free photo slideshow maker for different devices and platforms. Filmora is the go-to app for making amazing slideshows with a minimum effort.

You begin by importing your pictures to the timeline. Consider adjusting the saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, and other features of the pictures before moving on. You can also rotate the images and crop them. Once you’re done, it is time to add transitions between each of the pictures. Next, beautify your slideshow by adding filters & overlays. Don’t forget to add background music. You can add music from the extensive content library of Filmora or your own collection. For detailed information, you can check how to make a photo slideshow .

2. Does Google Have a Slideshow Maker?

Yes, Google Photos frequently creates slideshows automatically based on your pictures. Alternatively, you can create a slideshow using images of your choice.

For this, you need to create a new album using those photos. Select the three-dot icon in the upper right corner of the screen and choose slideshow from the drop-down menu. The slideshow will show all the images in the album and automatically start with a 5-second fade between photos. Keep in mind that you can't change the fade duration of the slideshow. 

3. Is There Any Slideshow Maker With Music and Effects for Free?

Yes, Filmora is a video editor and slideshow maker with music and effect for free . It comes with an extensive library of stock content (images, music, video, etc.), transitions, filters, overlays, and effects. You can adjust the saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, and other features of the pictures before adding them to the slideshow. You can also rotate the images and crop them. There are many YouTube tutorials about creating slideshow videos with Filmora for your reference as well.

Comment Successful！

Photo slideshow is trendy right now. Do you want to make photo slideshow with the best app? Check this article to find out what are the 10 best photo slideshow apps with music on iOS and Android.

by Shanoon Cox Apr 01, 2024 11:06 AM

Read More >

Here's a list of 10 best free music download sites you can legally download royalty free music for your slideshows

by Shanoon Cox Mar 27, 2024 11:08 AM

Here're top 12 free online slideshow makers allow you to create stunning photo slideshows in a few easy steps

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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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best for Mac: Keynote

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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Blog Graphic Design 12 Best Presentation Software for 2024

12 Best Presentation Software for 2024

Written by: Krystle Wong Jan 12, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

1. Venngage 

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

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

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

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

Vast selection of templates

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

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

Data visualization made easy

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

Seamless real-time in-editor collaboration tools

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

Consistently brand your designs with smart Autobrand features

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

Who is it for

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

Key features 

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

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

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

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

Source: Screenshot from Microsoft PowerPoint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Google Slides

Source: Screenshot from Google Slides

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Keynote (for Mac users)

Source: Screenshot from Keynote

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Screenshot from Prezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For individuals & business professionals

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

Standard: Starting at $5 USD/month

Plus: Starting at $12 USD/month

Premium: Starting at $16 USD/month

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

For Students & Educators

EDU Plus: Starting at $3/month

EDU Pro: Starting at $4/month

EDU Teams: Enquiry required with Prezi sales team

Source: Screenshot from Canva

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Adobe Express

Source: Screenshot from Adobe Express

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. Haiku Deck

Source: Haiku Deck

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Screenshot from Ludus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Slidebean

Source: Screenshot from Slidebean

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11. Beautiful.ai

Source: Screenshot from Beautiful.ai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Screenshot from Pitch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Best Slideshow Programs with Music - Windows, Mac, Online

Want to make an awesome photo movie with music? Looking for a program that suits you most? It can take hours to find the right software that is compatible with your device, has a rich toolkit and reasonable price.

We did all the hard work for you and created a list of 15 best slideshow programs with music. Simply look through the ups and downs of each program and choose the one that meets your expectations.

Start with watching a quick overview of top photo slideshow makers:

Eager to discover more alternatives for making a slideshow? Continue reading to find detailed reviews.

15 Best Programs to Make a Slideshow with Music

The list includes programs for creating stunning slideshows on your computer (Windows, Mac OS), smartphone or right in a browser. You will learn about various tools that allow you to create your own effects, animations, add music, record voice comments, etc. We’ve also found helpful information on prices, license type and software complexity.

For your convenience, we’ve sorted all the programs based on their overall score. So make yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoy reading. Let's start with the table which shows all the important features and figures:

• Features: .......................................... 10
• Ease of use:..................................... 10
• Price / Quality: ................................. 10
• Final verdict: ................................. 10
• Life-time license
• 180+ designer templates and themes
• Collages from photos & videos
• 230+ royalty-free tracks & sounds
• Fine-tune audio waveform
• 400+ animations & 3D effects
• Built-in picture editor
• Export video for YouTube & Facebook
• No Mac version so far

• Features: .............................................. 9.5
• Ease of use: ........................................ 10
• Price / Quality: ................................... 9.5
• Final verdict: ..................................... 9.7
• Create 4K video and GIF images
• Supports green screen videos
• Several presets for vertical videos
• Share videos in social media
• Offers a mobile version
• Pretty expensive
• Custom animation in Pro only
• Unresponsive tech support team
• Need to login several times

• Features: ............................................. 9
• Ease of use: ........................................ 9.5
• Price / Quality: .................................... 10
• Final verdict: ...................................... 9.5
• Newbie-friendly service
• Create 2D animations and cartoons
• Projects are stored under your personal account
• You can use it on your mobile phone
• Choice of music is limited in a free version
• Only 300 Mb cloud space in a trial version
• Watermarks in the final video

• Features: ............................................ 9.5
• Ease of use: ....................................... 9.0
• Price / Quality: .................................... 9.5
• Final verdict: ...................................... 9.3
• Supports 360-degree media
• Convenient preview with Panorama Storyboard
• A dozen of picture-in-picture presets
• Various filters for enhancing your photos
• Built-in photo enhancement tool
• Hard-to-use interface
• Need to purchase additional effects

• Features: ............................................. 8.5
• Price / Quality: ................................... 9
• Final verdict: ..................................... 9.2
• Easy drag & drop workflow
• Possibility to create custom animations
• Built-in text-to-speech module
• Create collaborative projects
• Requires a subscription
• Videos up to 30 minutes only
• No offline version

• Features: ............................................. 8.3
• Ease of use: ...................................... 9
• Price / Quality: .................................... 9
• Final verdict: .................................... 8.8
• Project auto-save
• Green screen editing
• Built-in collection of filters & effect
• Supports 4K resolution
• Quick sharing on YouTube, Facebook etc.
• Only for Apple users
• The cut tool is not precise
• Can crash while working with large projects
• Hard to see icons on small screens

• Features: ............................................. 8
• Ease of use: ...................................... 10
• Final verdict: ...................................... 8.7
• Built-in videos & image collection
• UHD and 4K support
• Projects are stored under your account
• Offers free iOS version
• Users report output lags with captions
• Expensive subscription
• Requires Internet connection

• Features: ............................................ 9
• Price / Quality: .................................... 8
• Final verdict: ..................................... 8.5
• Low learning curve
• HD video clips optimization
• Extract audio from videos
• Remove noise from your audio
• Sync your video with music
• Watermark in the trial version
• Can’t export videos to Facebook
• Trial version exports only half of your video

• Features: ............................................ 8
• Final verdict: ..................................... 8.3
• Free to use
• Additional import options
• Versions for Mac, Windows, mobile
• Low video quality in the free version
• Limited number of slides in the trial
• No pre-made animations and transitions
• Can’t fine-tune sounds

• Ease of use: ...................................... 6
• Final verdict: ..................................... 8.0
• Free for non-commercial use
• Image import from Dropbox
• Direct sharing to social media
• Export as a portable .exe video
• No built-in music library
• Can’t customize animation
• Can’t fine-tune sound

• Features: ............................................ 7
• Price / Quality: .................................... 7
• Final verdict: ..................................... 7.7
• Collection of picture frames & filters
• Built-in music library
• Available for Android (from 5.0)
• No version for Mac and Linux
• No pre-made animation
• No built-in narration recorder

• Ease of use: ...................................... 6.5
• Final verdict: ..................................... 7.5
• Convenient timeline
• Remove red eyes from photos
• Direct sharing to YouTube
• Available for Windows and Mac OS
• Price is a bit too high
• Can’t fine-tune animations & effects

• Ease of use: ...................................... 8
• Final verdict: ..................................... 7.3
• Extremely easy to use
• Built-in collection of filters
• Add your logo and contact info
• Can’t do much without subscription
• Extremely limited sharing in trial
• Stable internet connection required
• Music choice is limited to the template

• Price / Quality: .................................... 6
• Final verdict: ..................................... 7.0
• Minimalistic design
• Face-recognition technology
• Import photos from Instagram
• Supports FullHD and 4K
• No music library
• Can’t add videos
• No pre-made animations

• Features: ............................................ 7.5
• Final verdict: ..................................... 6.8
• Pretty user-friendly
• Export 4K videos
• Number of photos is limited in trial
• No ready-made templates
• No built-in soundtracks
• Limited export options (4 video formats)

What is the Best Slideshow Maker for Windows?

As you can see, there are many programs for different types of users, devices and wallets. Finding the golden middle - the best photo slideshow maker - is a hard task.

If you are a complete beginner in slideshow making, try Filmora or Movavi Slideshow Maker . They don’t have a powerful toolkit but are very easy to use. Don’t want to install anything on your PC? Open your browser and sign up for Kizoa or Smilebox - they require only an Internet connection.

Need more features to work with music in various aspects? Then check out SmartSHOW 3D . This software has a perfect balance among ease of use, extensive toolkit and affordable price. It offers you a plethora of ready-made templates and music for every kind of slideshow. The templates already have suitable songs and effects so you don’t have to add these things manually.

In case you are looking for a tool to create more formal slideshows for business or education, have a look at the best presentation software we've handpicked for you. You are sure to find a program that would become a reliable asset.

But anyway, now that you have a perfect slideshow making tool at hand, it’s high time to prepare photos with your favorite music and create a stunning video yourself!

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The 8 Best Slideshow Apps of 2024

Make better, more engaging slideshows with Google Photos, PowerPoint, and other apps for Android and iOS

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Slideshows are fun to watch, so why not use an app that makes it easy to create your own? Here are the best Android and iOS apps to make better slideshows.

Best Fast and Easy Photo Slideshows: Google Photos

Add photos and videos to a slideshow.

Add music to slideshows.

Add multiple instances of the same photo.

Automatically adds music to the entire slideshow.

Can't add animations or special effects.

Can be challenging to find and select photos.

When you want to make a simple slideshow that showcases pictures stored on your Android or iOS device, use Google Photos. It creates simple movies that contain photos, videos, and music. There aren't any extra bells and whistles, so you can't add animations or other special effects.

It's easy to create a slideshow in Google Photos. All you do is organize the images into an album and then create an MP4 movie. Before you finalize the movie, you can change how long each image appears, move them around, and add additional pictures. You can also add music that plays during the entire length of the movie. Google Photos includes a long list of theme music to fit every mood.

Download For :

Best for Real-Time Collaboration: Microsoft PowerPoint

Add special effects and animations to slideshows.

Create a slideshow with your family and friends.

Basic features are available with a free Microsoft account.

Requires a Microsoft 365 subscription to access all features.

May not play voiceover or audio during a slideshow.

Save and share slideshows as PPTX files only.

If you use PowerPoint on your desktop or laptop PC, you find the same familiar look and feel in the PowerPoint mobile apps. You also find a basic set of presentation tools, including slide layouts, themes, audio, slide transitions, and animations.

When you save your slideshows to OneDrive , you can start one on your mobile device and then finish it on your PC. Plus, when your files are stored in the cloud, you can collaborate with family, friends, and co-workers via the PowerPoint co-authoring feature.

Best for Long Slideshows: PicPlayPost

Create 30-minute slideshows.

Record in 1080P and 4K HD.

Build live video wallpapers.

Includes its own music library.

Isn't intuitive and may be difficult for novice users.

Ads may get in the way.

Slow to import items.

Imported videos can't exceed five minutes.

Must pay if you want to remove the watermark.

PicPlayPost is a slideshow maker and video editor. After selecting your photos, add text and stickers, apply a slide transition, and choose background music. Then, use the video editing tools to trim the slideshow video and change the layout aspect.

When your slideshow is complete, PicPlayPost includes options to share it to your phone gallery, Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, Messenger, and Google Photos,

Best for Social Media Posts: MoShow

Creates GIFs and looping videos.

Great selection of templates.

Good for beginners.

The free version limits the length.

Not many music options.

Paid add-ons can be expensive.

MoShow is a slideshow maker, photo editor, and video editor. It turns your photos into movies that can grab people's attention on your social media channels. You can easily share your slideshow video on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites.

MoShow contains all the tools you need to create a slideshow with minimal effort. Choose your photos, select a style, and preview the results. It includes dozens of styles. It also has an extensive collection of effects, slide transitions, text overlays, and cinematic glitch effects. 

Best for HD Video Recording: Vizmato

Convert photo slideshows into GIFs.

Includes cool visual video effects.

Exports 1080p video.

Requires in-app purchases for many features.

Slideshows are limited to 15 photos.

The editing process isn’t intuitive.

Doesn't work on some newer Android devices.

To make a slideshow in Vizmato, select the photos you want to display, add a theme and music, and your video slideshow is ready. The app includes a music library, video editor, audio effects that change your voice, and social sharing tools.

Vizmato also contains an HD video and GIF recorder. You can record videos on your mobile device and then use it to adjust the pace and add filters. Your video can be saved as a GIF or as a looped video.

Best Photo Editor: Vimory

A large selection of templates and filters.

Tools to edit and enhance photos.

Built-in slide transitions, effects, and frames.

It's easy to share slideshows on social media.

Slideshows are limited to 30 photos.

Photos sometimes pixelate on the video.

Many templates and effects are only available as premium content.

If you don't have graphic design skills, Vimory includes an assortment of templates to give you a quick start on a stunning slideshow. If you want to create your own look, use it to enhance your photos with effects, frames, and music. Then, add slide transitions to give your project a few groovy moves. When you're finished, Vimory turns your images into a looping video slideshow.

Vimory contains sharing tools, so posting your slideshows to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other sites is straightforward. You can also use the app to send your slideshow through Messenger, Snapchat, Hangouts, and other chat apps.

Best Simple Video Editor: Videoshop

A massive selection of sound effects.

A good introduction to professional video editing.

Easy to use and has basic layouts.

One-time payment option for full access.

A limited number of transitions.

The preview tools are lacking in some effects.

The pro version can be expensive.

Videoshop is primarily a video editor, but you can also import photos and create and edit slideshows. It contains all the features expected in any video editor, including sound effects, text, filters, and transitions. It has controls that trim, adjust the color, stop the motion, rescale the size, and reverse the video.

When you're ready to share your slideshow, Videoshop makes it easy to share with a dozen popular social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Best Companion Mobile App: Movavi Clips

Plays a short tutorial when you first open the app.

Royalty free music can be uploaded to Facebook and Instagram.

Exports HD quality video.

Must pay a separate fee, even if you own the desktop version.

Can't save a slideshow project as a draft and continue later.

Can't apply filters to all clips at once.

Poor performance; crashes often.

Movavi Clips is an advanced video editor that also makes eye-catching photo slideshows. It has all the necessary tools, including cropping, filters, transitions, stickers, and royalty-free music and sounds. You can also trim your slideshows with the video timeline and merge multiple slideshows into one video.

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The 11 Best Presentation Software to Use in 2023

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

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

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

Choose the best presentation software by weighing the pros and cons

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

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

Let’s dive in!

1. Piktochart

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

An area in which Piktochart shines is crafting unique presentations. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Microsoft PowerPoint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Google Slides

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. SlideDog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Haiku Deck 

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

You can avoid such an unfortunate scenario with Haiku Deck. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Prezi Business

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. Slidebean

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. ClearSlide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best presentation software is…

 …completely up to you! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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12 Best Free Photo Slideshow Software For Windows in 2024

Do you feel bored looking at the same pictures over and over? Want to create an impressive cinematic photo slideshow with amazing background music and transition effects?

Well, in order to turn your coolest photos into an amazing slideshow, all you need is a photo slideshow software for Windows.

Slideshow software is an easy to use tool that can help you create amazing video slideshows using your favorite photographs, theme, and soundtrack.

Needless to say, there are hundreds of photo slideshow makers available in the market, but choosing the perfect one is an extremely difficult task. So if you don’t know how to shortlist the best one for your Windows PC, no need to worry, we’ve got your covered.

To make your task a little bit easier, we have narrowed down the list of best free photo slideshow software to top nine. Here they are!

Best Photo Slideshow Software For Windows 2024:

Whether you want to create a professional presentation for business, a photo collection of family events, or just a simple slideshow with music and cool artistic effects, you can count on these best professional slideshow software any day of the month.

Now, let’s jump right into the list:

1. Wondershare Filmora

Filmora9 developed by Wondershare holds first place in our list of best slideshow software for Windows. Now, you may be wondering how video editing software has managed to make its way into this list. Well, most people are not aware that Filmora9 holds strong capabilities to create slideshows using your photos.

Notable Offerings: 

• Improves the quality of your sound with using keyframing
• It support full 4K resolution
• It has endless effects like green screen, slow motion, aesthetic, etc.

System Requirements:

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8.1, & 7 | Processor: Intel i5 or higher with 2Ghz+ CPU | RAM: 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended for videos with 4K resolutions) | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 700 series or Intel HD 5000 or Radeon R5 M230 graphic card | Hard Disk: 10GB of free space

• Multiple features
• Easy to use UI
• Built-in libraries
• Multiple filters and options’
• Supports different formats
• Complicated for some
• Lack of advanced features in free version

2. Slideshow Maker

Slideshow Maker from Icecream Apps is a prominent slideshow software available for Windows. The beautiful design and easy to use, intuitive interface make this photo slideshow maker a great option for anyone looking to create video slideshows using photos.

Notable Offerings

• Create professional looking presentations for your business
• Wide array of  transition effects to choose from including mosaic, pixelate, & flip over
• Displays preview of slideshow before creating
• Make high-quality slideshows with 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels)
• Slideshow burner option to let you burn slideshow to DVD

System Requirements: 

Supported OS:  Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, & XP | CPU: Intel 1.66 GHz or AMD processors | RAM: 4 GB RAM for faster performance (512MB minimum) | Hard Disk: 5GB free hard disk space

• Attractive design
• Freeware available
• Preview available
• Snappy tool
• Lightweight
• Lack of advanced features
• Complex for some users

Read More: 13 Best Free Slideshow Maker Apps For Android & iOS

3. PhotoStage Slideshow Software

Creating photo slideshows and multimedia presentations has never been this easier; thanks to the awesome PhotoStage Slideshow Software. The program comes with a plethora of photo editing tools and stunning after effects that help you bring your pictures into life. Also, the interface of this program is so intuitive and easy to use that even a beginner will have no trouble using it.

It is undoubtedly one of the best free photo slideshow software for Windows available in the current marketplace.

• Comprises various effects like zoom, fade, Ken Burns, etc.
• Create multimedia presentations with captions, background music and narration
• Upload slideshows online, burn to DVD or save to other portable devices
• Supports popular video formats such as .MP4, .3GP, .GIF, and more

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, & XP (only 64 bit version) | RAM: 512MB | Hard Disk: 100MB (minimum) | Processor: Intel Celeron 2.10 GHz

• Quick execution
• Easy to use
• Multiple output options
• Plethora of features
• Outdated UI
• Lacks some basics filters

4. Movavi Slideshow Maker

One of the most remarkable tools for creating personalized slideshows with amazing music and effects is Movavi Slideshow Maker. It is a powerful yet easy to use program that lets you make your video and photo slideshows even more enticing with a wide array of customization and editing tools such as themed soundtracks, background noise removal, narration, visual effects, and more.

• Amazing ‘Montage Wizard’ option to help you automatically create slideshows
• It has built-in effects, music tracks, title styles, transitions, and more
• Share your creative slideshows with your loved ones on YouTube
• The program supports all popular video, audio, and image formats

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8, and 7 | CPU Processor: Intel dual-core processor 1.5 GHz | GPU: Intel HD 2000, NVIDIA GeForce 8, Radeon R600 (Graphic cards should have up-to-date drivers for better gaming performance.) | Display Resolution: 1280 × 768 pixels | RAM: 2GB | Hard Disk: 750MB of free hard drive space.

• Multiple attractive transitions
• Snappy performance
• Complicated at times

5. CyberLink MediaShow

Anyone who wants to manage a huge collection of photos and videos virtually and enrich them with stylistic elements to look more appealing and lively should download this excellent photo slideshow tool of CyberLink.

Being one of the best slideshow software, MediaShow offers numerous photo management tools to help you create professional-looking slideshows within a few minutes.

• Simple, fast, and easy to manage slideshow maker
• Allows users to organize all photos date wise in a calendar
• Quickly find your photo from large collection of albums using its smart instant view
• Includes effective FaceMe option to help you tag your friends
• Redefine your 2D or 3D photos and videos with numerous transitions and effects

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, and XP | Display Resolution: 1024 x 600 pixels | RAM: Minimum 1GB of RAM (2GB required for HD videos) | CPU: Intel Pentium 3.0 GHz | Hard Disk: 1GB to 60GB of free hard drive space | GPU: Intel 945GM Express or NVIDIA Geforce 6600 or ATI X1600 or higher

• Creates 3D images
• Multiple input and output formats
• Multiple advanced features
• Can not process RAW images

6. MAGIX Photostory Easy

You can’t talk about the best free photo slideshow software for Windows without including MAGIX Photostory Easy. The program is easy to use and configure and offers lots of beautiful templates to create anniversary, vacation, birthday, and graduation slideshows with amazing background music and effects.

• It comes with an unique import wizard option that lets you select your best shots directly from your smartphone
• It has a lot of attractive animations, decorative items, and cool effects
• It automatically removes red eyes and optimizes your photos in just a few clicks
• It lets you upload your slideshows online (Facebook, YouTube, and Flicker) for free

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8, and 7 | RAM: 2GB | CPU Processor: 2 GHz | GPU : Onboard graphics card with up-to-date drivers and a display resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels | Hard Disk : 1GB of free hard drive space.

• Multiple unique filters.
• Playback options
• Selects limited pictures

7. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter developed by Ellora Assets has been in the business for more than a decade and still ranks among the best professional slideshow software of all time.

Though it might come next in the list of photo slideshow tools, it’s still a great option to convert video clips and make photo slideshows for free.

• Fast and easy to use interface
• It lets you burn slideshows and movies or video clip to DVD or Blu-ray
• Supports HD, full HD, and 4K
• It supports all popular audio, video, and image formats

Supported OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and Vista | CPU Processor: Intel 1 GHz or any other compatible processor | Microsoft NET Framework : 4.5 | RAM: 256MB or above | Hard Disk: 50MB of free hard drive space

• Completely free to use
• Direct sharing features
• No templates
• No option to add text to slides

Read More: 14 Best Video Converter Software For Windows

8. Renderforest

Renderforest requires no space on the device to create slideshow. The software is available online and the user can make slideshows from any browser. It offers great features which can be used to create YouTube intro, explainer animation and many more. The features which only the best slideshow softwares offer.

Notable Offerings:

• Users have the freedom to choose templates of their own choice and can also customize the design.
• User friendly interface makes it easy for the user to create slideshows.
• Whether it’s animation, tutorial videos or slideshows, the app can create all with just a click.
• You can choose commercial videos/ music or can also import your own video/ music for editing in the software.

System Requirements :

As the software is available online and the user can create amazing projects from the browser. There are no specific system requirements to use the software. All you need is just a device with internet connection and a browser.

• Straight UI
• Variation in the paid version
• Complicated for some users

Kizoa Our app, Your Story, is a great app to create slideshows or videos for any project irrespective of school project or work. The app can easily make slideshows just the way you want it. The app also offers a feature which makes photo editing easy, so that the user does not have to rely on any other software to edit photos. It’s all in one offering makes it the best free slideshow software.

• By using the app users can add transition, text, effect, music and animation to the slideshow.
• By default the app automatically selects the transition to ease the work of the user.
• The project created in Kizoa can directly be exported to YouTube.
• The app can create a photo slideshow into a video without any hussle.

Supported OS: Windows 10,8.1,8,7 & XP | RAM: 512 MB | Hard Disk: 100 MB free (Minimum)

• Online tool
• Free to use
• Provides creating tips
• Multiple templates
• Requires account creation

10. Free Bolide Slideshow Creator

Free Bolide Slideshow Creator is the another name on this list of the best free photo slideshow software for Windows. One of the best features of this software is that it does not contain any ads and hence offers a smooth performance. The tool supports a lot of different image formats. Apart from this, below are some exceptional features of Free Bolide Slideshow Creator.

• The interface of the app is multilingual and supports all major languages.
• No output created using Free Bolide Slideshow Creator contains any watermark.
• The tool is quite reliable and allows you to create slideshows securely and quickly.
• With the help of the tool, you can directly share your outputs on different platforms like Facebook.

Supported OS: Windows 11,10,8.1,8,7 & XP | RAM: 512 MB | Hard Disk: 100 MB free (Minimum)

• Offline standalone tool
• Completely Free for all
• Multiple filters and options
• Customization options
• Lacks advanced features

11. Microsoft Powerpoint

Microsoft Powerpoint is the next name on this list of the best free photo slideshow software for Windows. The tool is quite amazing and very well-known for developing presentations. With the help of this tool, you can easily create and present slideshows as well.

• The tool allows you to create presentations or PPTs.
• Microsoft PowerPoint offers multiple features for amazing outputs.
• You can use this software on any Windows device quite easily.
• The tool allows you to add transitions and make the document more presentable.

Supported OS: Windows 11,10,8.1,8,7,XP, or Lower | RAM: 512 MB | Hard Disk: 100 MB free (Minimum)

• Works offline
• Multiple futures
• Better alternatives available

12. ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker

ThunderSoft Free Slideshow Maker is the another name that takes on this list of the best free photo slideshow software for Windows. This easy-to-use tool may boast an older interface but does not mean that it is short in performance. The tool allows you to use multiple filters and animations to make the slideshow attractive.

• Allows transition of images and slides as required.
• Creates thumbnail for easy stimulation and smoother experience.
• Takes that help of HTML5 for better results.

Supported OS: Windows 11,10,8.1,8,7,XP,Vista | RAM: 256 MB | Hard Disk: 200 MB free (Minimum)

• Fully offline
• Smart filters
• Better paid alternatives available

Bring Your Photos into Life with Slideshow Software

The simplest solution to create professional-looking slideshows with your favorite photos, music, and artistic effects is to use the best photo slideshow software.

So, now that you know how to make a slideshow of photos, download any of these aforementioned photo slideshow tools today and make your beautiful memories last forever.

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A simple guide to slideshows

Learn what slideshows are, how they’re used, common features, and how to choose a slideshow maker. Get started creating your own slideshows today with Microsoft PowerPoint.

What is a slideshow?

What are slideshows used for.

Meetings and presentations

Slideshows are most frequently used to create professional presentations for business meetings, conferences, and educational purposes. A  slideshow program  allows people to organize content, include visuals, and enhance the overall impact of their message.

Visual storytelling

Because slideshows sequentially display engaging visuals, text, and other multimedia, they’re a strong way to tell a cohesive and compelling narrative from start to finish.

Content creation

Slideshows give content creators a versatile and efficient way to organize information, increase visual appeal, and communicate effectively across different contexts.

Photo and video sharing

Slideshow makers are popular for creating photo and video presentations, especially for events like weddings, birthdays, and vacations. People can add transitions, music, and captions to fully bring the photo-sharing experience to life.

Training and tutorials

Slideshows help break down complex information into digestible chunks with the support of visuals and text, making them ideal for instructional materials, tutorials, and training modules.

Collaborative projects

In collaborative settings, teams use slideshow makers to create joint presentations or reports. The best slideshow makers enable multiple contributors to add their content simultaneously, which helps ensure a cohesive and unified presentation.

What are the features of a slideshow creator?

Slideshow creators vary in what they offer but ideally include:

A library of templates, themes, and images.

If you’re not a designer, this feature is huge. Simply browse the options available in your slideshow maker library to create a polished, professionally designed presentation in a flash. Be sure to confirm that access to the library is free and the images are approved for unrestricted usage.

Audio and video compatibility.

Keeping your audience engaged is key to any successful slideshow presentation. To mix things up, being able to add a multimedia element—like a song or a video clip—will help people stay focused and interested.

Presentation tools.

Handy presenter tools go a long way toward making your slideshow experience seamless. For example, straightforward slide navigation, slideshow keyboard shortcuts, pen and highlighter markup, and adjustable resolution settings.

AI assistance.

With AI revolutionizing content creation, using a slideshow maker that has AI capabilities will enhance efficiency and innovation. Depending on the slideshow app you have, creating an entire slideshow could be as easy as a quick prompt, like “Make a presentation about the benefits of sustainable fashion that has 15 slides.” 

Animations.

Like audio and video, animations give your audience a bit of sensory surprise that can capture their attention. 

Slide transitions.

Add some pizzazz to how you change slides with visual effects like fading, wiping, and zooming. 

Screen recording.

Being able to record your screen in a slideshow maker is helpful when giving an instructional talk, software demonstration, and other types of presentations that require visual aids.

A place to put speaker notes.

Having somewhere to jot a few notes down will help remind you of everything you want to cover as you present.

Different viewing options.

Looking at different views—for example, a presenter view, an audience view, and a high-level view of slide order—is useful when organizing your slideshow’s structure and understanding and preparing for what you’ll see versus what your audience will see.

How do I choose the right slideshow maker?

When choosing a slideshow maker, keep the following questions in mind to make sure you get the most for your money:

Is it scalable with your business?

As your organization grows and changes, it’s important to have flexible technology that adapts to new needs. Having certain features—such as cloud-based collaboration, compatibility with other work apps, and a mobile app—will help ensure that no matter how your business changes, the slideshow maker is up to the task. This also applies to pricing plans. Consider choosing a slideshow app that has a subscription plan (so the software is always up to date), volume-based pricing, or enterprise-level pricing.

Does it have a variety of visual elements?

It’s pretty much a given that a slideshow maker will allow you to add images, but think outside the JPEG box—what other visual elements are available to you? Features like preset themes, free templates, SmartArt, a built-in clip art library, shape tools, background styles, 3D models, and charts and graphs provide diverse ways to switch up how a slideshow looks without relying solely on adding your own images.

Is it easy to use?

You could have the most feature-rich slideshow maker on the market, but if it isn’t easy to use, you probably won’t use it. Or you will, but you’ll be frustrated, waste valuable time, and have difficulty convincing people you work with to use it. As you research slideshow makers, look for videos that show the apps’ interfaces in action to help you decide if they’re intuitive and will have a shorter learning curve.

Does it have collaboration and sharing options?

Because making a slideshow is often a collaborative effort, it’s worthwhile to find a slideshow creator that was designed with this in mind. Pick one that offers editing controls and commenting, as well as the ability to work on a slideshow at the same time as someone else. Having a cloud-based slideshow maker will be key here. You’ll not only save yourself time but also keep things simple by not having multiple versions of the same slideshow.

Explore more about slideshows and slideshow makers

Copilot in powerpoint.

Transform how you make slideshows with the versatile AI in Copilot for PowerPoint.

Improve your presenting skills

Practice presenting with an AI speaker coach to get feedback on body language, repetition, and pronunciation.  

Six slideshow tips and tricks

Read up on tips about how to finesse your slideshows to give your most confident presentations.

Get free PowerPoint templates

Show your style with PowerPoint templates in more than 40 categories.

How to make a branded slideshow

Create a cohesive visual identity for your brand that goes beyond adding a logo to every slide.

Try a photo album template

Relive your favorite memories with photo album templates designed for all your unforgettable moments.

The benefits of visual aids in slideshows

Discover why using visual aids helps communicate ideas and messaging more effectively.

Slideshows that reach all learners

Explore the different ways that people learn and how to include all learning styles in your presentations.

Frequently asked questions

How do i make a good slideshow.

Making a good slideshow in PowerPoint is easy:

Plan what you’d like to include in your slideshow.

Launch your slideshow creator.

Choose the theme you’d like.

Import media.

Add text, music, and transitions.

Record, save, and share your slideshow.

Learn more about how to make a slideshow .

How do I add music to a slideshow?

To add music to a slideshow, first make sure that you’re using a slideshow maker with music compatibility. In PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the slide where you want to add music.

Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon menu.

Click on the Audio button and select Audio on My PC.

Browse to the folder on your computer where the audio file is located and select it.

Click on the Insert button.

How do I record a slideshow?

The steps for recording a slideshow in PowerPoint will vary depending on the version that you own. Get help with slideshow recording based on your version. 

What types of files can I add to a slideshow?

File compatibility in PowerPoint includes the use of JPEGs, PNGs, TIFFs, GIFs, PDFs, MP3s, WAVs, MIDIs, MPEG-4 Videos, and Windows Media Videos.  

How do I share my slideshow?

To share your PowerPoint slideshow, follow these steps:

Open your presentation and click Share at the top right of your screen.

If your presentation isn't already stored on OneDrive, select where to save your presentation to the cloud.

Choose a permission level, like Anyone with a link , or maybe just people in your company. You can also control if people can edit or just view the doc. 

Select Apply.

Enter names and a message.

Select Send.

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15 Best Presentation Software for 2021

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By Bilyana Nikolaeva

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3 years ago

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

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

Example by Focusky

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

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

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

Example by PreziBase

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

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

3. RenderForest Presentation Maker

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

Example by Renderforest

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

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

4. Mentimeter

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

Example by Mentimeter

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

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

5. Libre Office Impress

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

Example by Theodoros Bousios

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

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

6. Zoho Show

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

Image by Zoho

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

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

7. ClearSlide Presenter

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

Image by ClearSlide

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

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

8. Piktochart

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

Example by Piktochart Knowledge Base

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image by Iconfinder

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

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

11. Slidebean

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

Source Slidebean

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

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

12. Google Slides

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

Image by G Suite Updates blog

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

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

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

13. Keynote

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

Image by Envato tuts+

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

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

14. Adobe Spark

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

Example by Cikeys

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

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

15. PowerPoint

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

Example by Abris DC

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

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

We made a quick summary for you…

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

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

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

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

Final words

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

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

You may also be interested in these related articles:

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

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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..

Microsoft OneDrive for Business

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

• The Best Project Management Software for 2024
• Timeboxing Works—But Watch Out for These Pitfalls
• The Best Productivity Apps for 2024
• The Best Heart Rate Monitors for 2024

Best free presentation software of 2024

Find an alternative to PowerPoint

Best overall

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

• How we test

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best free presentation software of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

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

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

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

Read our full Prezi review .

• ^ Back to the top

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

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

Read our full Canva review .

3. LibreOffice

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

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

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

Read our full LibreOffice review .

4. Google Slides

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

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

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

Read our full Google Slides review .

5. WPS Office Free

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

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

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

Read our full WPS Office Free review .

We've also featured the best free office software .

Best free presentation software FAQs

Which alternative to powerpoint is best for you.

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

How we test the best free presentation software

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

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

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

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