Top 5 Free PowerPoint Alternatives
The vast majority of Windows customers use PowerPoint to create their presentations. However, if you search around a bit, you can find several equally reliable solutions that you don't have to pay for. Here are some of the best free tools that can successfully replace PowerPoint and help you create professional-looking presentations.
5. SlideDog
SlideDog
SlideDog is a little more than a PowerPoint replacement in the traditional sense of the word. It's a computer application that will not only help you create beautiful presentations but will also enable you to mix multiple presentations together, free of any cost. The program supports numerous formats such as PPT, Prezi, PDF, videos, images, etc. and helps you organize them to create your own presentation mixes which can be played as a whole or individually. And you will surely appreciate the dual display feature which comes in really handy.
4. Kingsoft Presentation Free 2013
Presentation Free 2013
Kingsoft Presentation Free 2013 is basically a PowerPoint clone with the added benefit of being free. This computer program offers most of the features that you are already used to, including the ribbon interface. The tool comes with a wide array of artistic backgrounds, dynamic transition effects, slide templates and support for animations and file encryption capabilities. Furthermore, with Presentation Free 2013 you will be able to convert your file into PDF documents. The problem is that although the application can import and edit PPT and PPTX files, it can only save its presentations either as PPT files or in its own format.
3. PowToon
PowToon
Designed to help you create animated stories for your presentations, PowToon is a really interesting tool which I'm sure you'll appreciate. This application helps you create cartoon style animations in each of your slides, thus providing you with an original way of keeping the audience focused on your project. PowToon doesn't need to be downloaded, you can use it directly on the Web from your web browser. This tool is great when it comes to voice synchronizations and creating explainer videos. Furthermore, PowToon works well with Google Drive Presentation, so integration won't be an issue. The drawback is that the free version will automatically watermark your project, and the paid versions start at $19/month for an annual subscription.
2. Impress
LibreOffice - Impress
Impress is part of the LibreOffice bundle. This open source tool that can run on Windows, Mac and Linux, and it works with PPT files, so compatibility won't be a problem. Furthermore, the application's interface is very similar to what you got used to with Microsoft Office. Besides offering numerous tools for creating drawings and diagrams, you can also save a lot of time by downloading templates from the online library. Moreover, Impress offers some of the best real-time control for your presentations, allowing you to view notes and change the time between consecutive slides, while the audience is looking at the currently displayed image (slide).
1. Google Drive Presentation
Google Drive - Presentations
There's no doubt about the level of competition between Microsoft and Google. This is probably the reason why Google Drive offers the best alternative for PowerPoint that you can find. This free web-based tool is even better than most shareware and commercial products. Part of the Google Drive suite, this officially unnamed tool plays quite well with others and includes the service's cloud storage capabilities. You can easily utilize the embedded templates and tools to create presentations from scratch, but undoubtedly the best thing about this web-based app is its collaboration capability which enables multiple users to simultaneously work on the same projects and even on the same slides. Google Drive Presentation supports PPT files and allows you to exports your projects as PPT or PDF files.
I cannot finish this top list without telling you to check out a free web-based tool called Prezi that is great for non-linear (looping) presentations. Also, keep an eye out for the upcoming app called Sway which, ironically enough, is Microsoft's own free PowerPoint alternative.
