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Choosing the right presentation tool can be crucial for how effectively you deliver your message. With so many opinions surrounding Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides, it's easy to feel torn between the two. But once you've considered the strengths and limitations of each, you'll have a clearer picture of which one aligns with your needs.

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In terms of accessibility across different devices, both PowerPoint and Google Slides offer flexible options. You can access Google Slides through a web browser on any computer regardless of its operating system. Plus, with dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android, you can edit and view presentations on the go.

PowerPoint matches this level of accessibility but with a heavier reliance on its desktop application, available for both Windows and macOS. While you can also use PowerPoint in a browser, most users prefer the desktop app for its fuller feature set. Mobile apps are available too, but PowerPoint doesn't perform natively on Linux, except via browser, or if you install Microsoft Office on Linux via PlayOnLinux or an alternative.

Although Google Slides may seem more versatile because of its entirely browser-based functionality, its lack of desktop apps is a significant disadvantage. So, PowerPoint gets an early lead here.

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Winner: PowerPoint

2 Customization

The best way to deliver an excellent presentation is by customizing it exactly how you want. Here, PowerPoint shines. With a vast selection of templates, it accommodates nearly every type of presentation, from corporate updates to academic theses.

PowerPoint has a comprehensive selection of templates, and you'll find some for almost every type of presentation. When you go to the in-app homepage, you can search for templates related to all kinds of themes.

You can also use different styles -- go full minimalistic or use loud and brave colors. Besides templates, PowerPoint's array of infographics helps you visually communicate complex ideas more effectively. However, if infographics are a priority, you should try dedicated tools to create infographics online.

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Google Slides offers a modest collection of 26 templates, and while they are customizable, the options feel limited when compared to PowerPoint's extensive library. However, Google Slides does include a theme builder, making it easier to manage multiple elements at once. You can also import custom themes, but the overall experience still leaves PowerPoint ahead in terms of variety and depth.

Winner: PowerPoint

3 Special Effects

When it comes to adding flair and making a presentation visually captivating, PowerPoint is a clear winner. PowerPoint has hundreds of fonts, including the ones you've installed locally. You'll find many of these in Microsoft Word, too, meaning that you can keep branding consistent across all of your documents.

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While you can choose from 26 fonts in Google Slides to begin with, it's also possible to add more if you select More fonts and browse through the catalog.

Beyond fonts, PowerPoint also provides an arsenal of special effects for your slides. You can customize your slides with a wide array of transitions, animations, and sounds. I used some of these when presenting my thesis at university, and in my opinion, it helped keep my lecturers engaged (and helped me get a good grade!).

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Google Slides, by contrast, is more limited in this area. It offers basic transitions and a handful of animations like fade and zoom, but it doesn't provide the same range of effects that PowerPoint does. For anyone needing advanced visual effects, PowerPoint is the better choice.

Winner: PowerPoint

✕ Remove Ads 4 AI Features

Both Google Slides and PowerPoint have embraced AI integration, but in different ways. Microsoft's Copilot, available to those with a premium Microsoft 365 subscription, can assist with creating presentations through text prompts and can even suggest edits and insert slides into existing presentations. However, it's a premium feature, and you'll have to decide whether Microsoft 365 is worth the additional cost.

Google Slides uses Gemini, and in my opinion, it's much better than Copilot for presentations. You can use Gemini to create slides and insert AI-generated images within your slides. The tool can also help you brainstorm ideas and celebrate with your team; just some of the many things you can do with Google Slides.

Winner: Google Slides

✕ Remove Ads 5 Collaboration

Collaborating with others in Google Slides is very easy; you can either invite users via email or grant them access. The integration with other Google Workspace tools makes it easy to collaborate, comment, and assign tasks within the presentation itself.

PowerPoint also lets you collaborate in real-time -- you can chat, comment, assign tasks, and resolve conflicts directly within the app. While it offers more comprehensive features than Google Slides, PowerPoint is less intuitive -- you'll need a quick search or two to figure out its collaborative functions. If the file is on your device, you'll need to wait for it to upload first, which can slow things down -- especially with image-heavy presentations.

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Google Slides is better if you want to collaborate more quickly; it's my preferred option if I'm going to share a presentation on any computer that isn't my own.

Winner: Google Slides

6 Presentation Performance

PowerPoint truly comes into its own during live presentations. The ability to rehearse timings, control the slideshow setup, and hide or reveal slides at will make it an ideal tool for delivering professional presentations. PowerPoint also provides options for kiosk-style presentations and lets you add spontaneous notes or adjust content on the fly.

Google Slides gives you the essential presentation tools -- you can use speaker notes and track the progress of your presentation -- but it lacks the depth of customization and control that PowerPoint provides.

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Winner: PowerPoint

7 Offline Accessibility

Google Slides might seem like an online-only tool, but you can actually make files available for offline use -- just like any Google Drive file. To do this, you'll need to enable offline access while you're still connected to the internet. It's a great option if you plan ahead and know you'll be without a connection. However, if you forget to set it up in advance, you're out of luck -- you won't be able to access or edit your slides.

This is where PowerPoint has a clear advantage. With files stored locally on your device, PowerPoint is ready to go even if your internet goes down unexpectedly. So, while Google Slides offers offline capabilities with a bit of prep, PowerPoint's always-available nature gives it an easy win here for uninterrupted access.

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Winner: PowerPoint

8 Pricing

Google Slides is completely free. PowerPoint's pricing is more complex. While you can use the web-based version of PowerPoint for free, the desktop app requires a subscription to Microsoft 365, which ranges from $6.99 per month for personal use to $9.99 per month for family plans.

Though PowerPoint offers more advanced features, Google Slides is the more affordable option unless you need the full Microsoft 365 suite.

Winner: Google Slides

While PowerPoint takes the win in most categories, Google Slides is best for versatility and collaboration, with seamless, real-time editing and integration with Google Workspace. PowerPoint, however, excels in professional presentations, offering advanced customization and reliable offline access.

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