PowerPoint vs. Google Slides – The Three Key Differences

Quick Tips

• Google Slides is free for personal use but online only; PowerPoint is chargeable as part of Microsoft 365, however, you can go to the Microsoft website to use a free online version.
• When it comes to Google Slides vs. PowerPoint, PowerPoint has more immediately usable templates and resources. Use these to streamline your presentation creation process.
• Even if you need to create your slides online to leverage free tools, remember to download and present offline to avoid lag and latency issues.

PowerPoint vs. Google Slides — what’s the difference? Both are useful tools for creating presentations but it’s worth noting the different interfaces, features, and even cost considerations. Take a look at these three key differences to help you choose the right presentation software for your needs.

PowerPoint vs. Google Slides: Cost Comparison

Google Slides is a free online resource, although Google Workspace subscribers can opt for a chargeable, downloadable version. This option is usually only available to enterprise-level users. PowerPoint, on the other hand, is provided as part of Microsoft 365. Users pay a subscription fee for MS365 and this gives them access to all the Office apps, including PowerPoint.

However, there is a way to use PowerPoint for free.

Step 1: Go to office.com and sign in with your existing Microsoft credentials or click “Sign up for the free version of Microsoft 365.”

Step 2: Once signed in, you can straight away see the option for Presentation – PowerPoint under Create New. Use this function to create and use presentations for free.

Templates and Other Resources

Both Google Slides and PowerPoint offer templates to help you get started. If you have the downloaded version of PowerPoint via a chargeable MS365 subscription, you will gain access to a lot more templates, resources, and AI-powered design assistance.

Follow these steps to access Google Slide templates:

Step 1: Go to this link to access Google Slides. If prompted, sign in with your Google account credentials.

Step 2: Click Template gallery to open up all available templates. You’ll find them categorized into Personal, General, Work, and more.

Step 3: Click on the template you want to use and start creating.

PowerPoint users, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the PowerPoint app and you should straight away get the option to create a new presentation. Look for the More themes option, under the templates that are immediately available. Click here.

Step 2: Browse the available templates or use the search function to access more.

Offline vs. Online Use

Presentations work better when you present them offline. Even if you’re on a video call, running the presentation on your computer and screen-sharing is more efficient than presenting via an online app. Constantly streaming resources from an internet-based source can cause your presentation to freeze, lag, or glitch.

Paid PowerPoint users already have their presentations on their computers. For Google Slides, users, follow these steps:

Step 1: Once you’ve finished your Google Slides presentation, go to File and Download.

Step 2: Choose the format you want to download your presentation in. If you don’t have access to PowerPoint, a PDF is usually a good substitute.

Your downloaded presentation is now ready to use.