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Create, present, and collaborate on online presentations in real-time and from any device.

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Make beautiful presentations, together

Stay in sync in your slides, with easy sharing and real-time editing. Use comments and assign action items to build your ideas together.

Present slideshows with confidence

With easy-to-use presenter view, speaker notes, and live captions, Slides makes presenting your ideas a breeze. You can even present to Google Meet video calls directly from Slides.

Seamlessly connect to your other Google apps

Slides is thoughtfully connected to other Google apps you love, saving you time. Embed charts from Google Sheets or reply to comments directly from Gmail. You can even search the web and Google Drive for relevant content and images directly from Slides.

Extend collaboration and intelligence to PowerPoint files

Easily edit Microsoft PowerPoint presentations online without converting them, and layer on Slides’ enhanced collaborative and assistive features like comments, action items, and Smart Compose.

Work on fresh content

With Slides, everyone’s working on the latest version of a presentation. And with edits automatically saved in version history, it’s easy to track or undo changes.

Make slides faster, with built-in intelligence

Assistive features like Smart Compose and autocorrect help you build slides faster with fewer errors.

Stay productive, even offline

You can access, create, and edit Slides even without an internet connection, helping you stay productive from anywhere.

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We use industry-leading security measures to keep your data safe, including advanced malware protections. Slides is also cloud-native, eliminating the need for local files and minimizing risk to your devices.

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The 7 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives for Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint is great, but what if you can't afford it? Here are the best free PowerPoint alternatives for presentations.

Microsoft PowerPoint has been around for a long while and so far it has served users well. However, because it's a paid program, not everyone can afford it.

Thankfully, there are many options available for users who want the functionality of Microsoft PowerPoint in a free-to-use package. In fact, some of them don't even require any downloads and are completely web-based.

1. Google Slides

By far the most popular PowerPoint alternative out there, Google Slides shines when it comes to collaboration. Multiple people can work simultaneously on a presentation and add new slides.

This is further strengthened by its availability. Google Slides works on your web browser and has apps for both iOS and Android.

Additionally, Google Slides keeps a record of all the changes users have made to a presentation, and you can easily restore your slideshow to a previous version. While anyone with a Gmail account can use Google Slides, G Suite users get added data protection.

Compared to PowerPoint, the number of templates, animation forms, and fonts is somewhat lacking. However, businesses tend to overlook these shortcomings on a day-to-day basis.

While Canva is primarily known as a photo editor and design tool, it is also a competent MS PowerPoint alternative.

One of Canva's main strengths is its ease of use. There are many beginner tutorial videos on the website if users do not understand something. Complete beginners can easily navigate through the minimalistic interface.

With the free version of Canva, you get access to over 8000+ presentation templates that exponentially speed up your workflow. Additionally, Canva still remains one of the easiest services to create infographics and charts in.

The only limiting thing with Canva is that it offers a basic set of tools and transitions at users' disposal. It's apparent that the company places more focus on photo editing and design aspect than anything else.

The Prezi presentation format is unique in the way that it lets you view slides. Instead of addressing multiple elements at once, Prezi gives viewers a single canvas that allows them to zoom in on different presentation parts. This provides a much more immersive experience.

Similar to Google Slides, Prezi supports the real-time collaboration of up to 10 users. Users can also add comments to indicate changes or report missing information. Prezi works on any modern web browser, and there are Android and iOS apps available as well.

Related: Powerful Google Chrome PDF Extensions and Apps

The Prezi software also has an analytics feature that helps users optimize their presentation by showing them which slides were the most viewed as well as which ones were skipped.

Even though the basic version of Prezi is free to use, it doesn't allow users to control the privacy of their presentation, which could be a dealbreaker for many. Additionally, due to the way Prezi works, there is a steep learning curve associated with it.

4. WPS Office Free

WPS Office is the closest alternative to PowerPoint when it comes to functionality and user interface. Plus, unlike the other web-based services on this list, you don't always need an active internet connection to use it.

With its complete support for PowerPoint files, users can edit existing PowerPoint documents with ease in WPS Office. They can also embed videos and animate individual objects, just like in Microsoft PowerPoint. It also offers many templates, so users can pick their favorite.

However, users should keep in mind that while the software is free, it is supported by ads, which may be a bit intrusive at times. In addition to this, collaboration is less straightforward than with Google Slides.

WPS Office is available across all major platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux. iOS, and Android. There is a web-based version available as well. Alternatively, you can check out this handy guide to smoothen your transition to WPS Office from Microsoft .

Xtensio is one of the best options for business users. It has many templates available regarding various organization sections, such as marketing, UX design, etc.

With Xtensio's easy-to-use interface, even newbies can create professional-looking reports and presentations. Additionally, they offer even greater flexibility in terms of design. You can edit each object in a template to suit your specific needs.

But it does have some shortcomings. For one thing, users cannot export their presentations in PowerPoint format. Additionally, the free version supports only one user at a time with a storage space of 1MB.

6. LibreOffice

LibreOffice is open-source presentation software that does everything PowerPoint can do. Although it lacks functionality such as OneDrive Integration, its PowerPoint-like functionality more than makes up for it.

LibreOffice has its share of useful features, such as the ability to import Keynote files. In addition, LibreOffice has a vast collection of free templates that users can use to create their presentations.

If that's not enough, you can download additional templates from LibreOffice's online repository. LibreOffice is available across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

7. Zoho Show

There are several reasons to use Zoho Show for your next presentation. It's a great presentation tool that's similar to Google Slides, but even better. Users can also import and edit all their PowerPoint files in the online tool.

Users can create tables, infographics, and data charts within Zoho Show itself. In addition to this, the service also has in-built Google Image Search functionality that lets you search and insert images quickly.

Related: Tools to Give an Online Presentation From Anywhere

Additionally, Zoho Show supports collaboration in real-time and multiple users can edit presentations. Although there's not much to complain about in Zoho Show, many users would like to have more options when it comes to templates and animations.

Worthy PowerPoint Alternatives

Essentially, all these tools and services function the same way as PowerPoint without the cost. Furthermore, the web-based alternatives are more advanced such as automatic saving and cloud storage.

Despite this, PowerPoint remains the front-runner when it comes to presentation software. As such, it is important for users to know how to make the best out of its features.

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The 8 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives

Professional results for tight budgets

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Microsoft PowerPoint is a great tool for creating professional-looking slideshows and presentations. However, the home version requires a Microsoft 365 subscription, and the free mobile app locks some features behind the sub as well. Fortunately, there are plenty of free PowerPoint software alternatives out there. Here's a look at some of the best options and how they compare to PowerPoint. 

Best Direct PowerPoint Replacement: Google Slides

Very similar to PowerPoint.

Free to use. 

Compatible with PowerPoint.

An internet connection is strongly recommended. 

Where there's a need for an app, Google seems to have it covered. Google Slides is its PowerPoint equivalent and it's a lot like Microsoft's app. Very simple to use and offering full compatible with the alternative, you can access Google Slides via your browser and easily create custom presentations with audio and your own images, all entirely for free. It also offers great live collaboration features for teamwork purposes.

The only minor downside is you need an internet connection to at least get started but the service does also work offline with presentations syncing once you're back online.

Best for Designers: Prezi

Video editing included.

Can easily make data visualizations. 

Stylish user interface.

Free option is pretty basic.

No support.

Presentations viewable by all.

Prezi is a great option for designers who have a vision but aren't technically proficient at achieving it. Its simple drag and drop interface makes it a breeze to organize your presentation just how you want it. Backed up with other Prezi apps that mean you can create videos or more stylish data visualizations than simple graphs, it's ideal for industries that are more visual than others. A series of pre-made templates makes it all the more attractive. 

Prezi isn't as free as it seems though. To get the full wealth of features like advanced image editing, offline access, and narration, you'll need to pay a subscription fee.

Best for Quick Results: Zoho Show

A theme for every occasion.

Quick to create something.

Intuitive interface.

Need to be online to use it.

Simple to use yet highly effective is the sweet spot for quick results, and that's certainly the case with Zoho Show. You might need to be online to use it, but it's worth the connection with an intuitive user interface that adapts to what you need to do. You can easily embed videos, tweets, and images into your presentations with some neat transition effects making things more interesting. 

Collaboration tools further sweeten the deal with annotation features meaning you can work together well as a team and fast.

Best for Animations: Powtoon

Great animation tools.

Easy to use.

Can export to social media platforms.

Branding applied on free presentations.

More about animations than slideshows. 

PowToon tackles PowerPoint presentations from a slightly different angle than a lot of its competitors. It's primarily great for creating full animations and videos rather than presentations that you would click through and present yourself. That lends itself perfectly to the internet which is why it's so useful that you can export your presentations to various forms of social media. 

With a drag and drop template, you can create something within about 20 minutes from your browser. The free version bundles in branding logos so viewers will always know you've used PowToon to create them but that's a small price to pay for an otherwise very accessible and simple to use piece of software. 

Best for Mass Branding: Renderforest

Plenty of options for expanding branding.

300MB cloud storage for free.

Unlimited exports.

Exports can be low in quality.

Content is watermarked.

RenderForest thinks of itself as more than just a PowerPoint alternative. It tackles everything you might need from creating logos to designing promo videos, music visualizations, landing pages, and websites. That's on top of its extensive animations and intro creation. That might sound intimidating but the service keeps things simple, so it won't take you long to mock something up and develop it.

Stick to the free version and there are some restrictions such as branding on your videos, lower quality logos, and so forth, but it's a solid start for an otherwise entirely free service. In particular, if you just need to concoct a quick 3-minute video for a presentation, RenderForest has you covered.

Best for Non-Designers: Visme

Plenty of templates to choose from.

Can set up five projects at once.

Charts and widgets support.

Limited cloud storage.

Visme branding on free plan.

Been asked to make a presentation and you don't know where to start? Visme is perfect for those that aren't well versed with graphics as it offers an extensive template library. The free plan limits your options a little but there are still some decent choices here. In addition, the service provides cool ways to make stats and data look exciting thanks to chart and widget support. It's all done through a simple drag and drop interface too that makes it super simple to add video and embed other content. 

Just bear in mind that storage options are a little limited and everything on the free plan will contain Visme branding. 

Best for Office Replacement: LibreOffice Impress

Full program rather than browser-based.

Extensive support. 

Similar experience to Microsoft Office.

Requires installation. 

Not quite as intuitive as alternatives.

LibreOffice is a popular free alternative to Microsoft Office, so it makes sense to use LibreOffice Impress if you want the closest experience to Microsoft's package. Unlike most of the others here, you need to install LibreOffice on your PC or Mac which means it's no good for Chromebooks or moving between different systems. However, in exchange, you get an intuitive experience that makes it simple to create slideshows, whether you're handing them out to a class or conference afterwards, or simply projecting them on screen. 

Bear in mind you have to seek out templates yourself though which may be off-putting for the least technically minded user out there. 

Download for:

Best for Apple Users: Keynote

Simple to use. 

Apple Pencil support. 

Cloud based as well as app based.

App is only on Apple devices.

Keynote is Apple's direct competitor to Microsoft PowerPoint and it's a great alternative, especially if you're a Mac user. With app support for iOS and Mac, it takes seconds to get started. Alternatively, PC users can use Keynote via the iCloud website and easily work across multiple devices. 

One of the best features is the ability to use the Apple Pencil on an iPad to create diagrams or illustrations making it great for skilled artists. As well as that, Apple provides plenty of convenient templates for personal and professional projects. 

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• May 12, 2021

PowerPoint vs Word: Choosing the correct communication tool

Written by: Sarah Bailey | Professional PowerPoint Design | PowerPoint Design Specialist | PPT Solutions | Creative PPT design | Training solutions

Annoying isn't it? You open your inbox to a PowerPoint presentation that you expect to be beautifully designed, eye catching and easy to read. No? In fact, the presentation is over 100 slides of the bullet points, little to no visuals, so much text you get lost in the detail, and is almost impossible to quickly navigate back to a section that you want to refer back to.

Sound familiar? Yes? Well, unfortunately you are not alone. Today, PowerPoint is often the application of choice for creating any type of document — and quite often the wrong choice.

This article provides advice on which application is best suited for your communication needs.

“In the beginning,” there really was very little difference between how the two applications MS Word and MS PowerPoint were used. It was more often than not a personal preference, as both applications manipulated the content to be communicated. In a way, Word was seen as writing in portrait with a white background and PowerPoint was Word in landscape format with coloured backgrounds with the addition of ghastly WordArt. :O

Thankfully, both applications have progressed over the years, each having their own unique features, which provide a distinct difference between the applications.

PowerPoint is great for VISUALS

POWER - the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.

POINT - Give force or emphasis to (words or actions).

POWERPOINT - Emphasize the actions.

If you consider POWERPOINT , you summarise one particular point or heading or topic in one slide. Usually text is a large font size so that your audience can read it when projected onto a screen.

PowerPoint is the perfect application for communication types such as:

To visualise complex data and information

To summarise and present key information to an audience, e.g. from a large report or survey

Training and tutorials

Digital or multimedia CV's as a unique way of presenting skills and knowledge

Digital portfolio and capabilities

Visual case studies

And yes, you can even make videos in PowerPoint which can be recorded, uploaded and distributed over various platforms

When presenting to a live audience, whether it be a training solution or a business presentation, PowerPoint is only half of the battle. The other half is giving a stellar verbal presentation (i.e. not reading the content on slides) to accompany the presented material.

Considerations

Do you really need to send a 50 slide visual proposal to your client or can you get the same message across in a 2 page Word document for a lot less resource effort and cost to your business?

It is often too easy for businesses to fall into the 'visual trap' of developing lengthy time consuming and often resource intense proposals in PowerPoint, when really all the client wants to know is; Do you understand their needs? How you are going to address their needs? How much is it going to cost them? and when will it be delivered?

Word is great for WORDS

WORD - a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed.

Generally, if you need to go into the detail with a higher quantum of text, tables and figures, then MS Word is probably more suited for these communication types, such as:

Proposals and contracts

Reports with texts and tables

Dissertations and dossiers

Novels and short stories

Letters and newsletters

Policies, procedures and how-to guides

Handouts to accompany presentations or training materials

Forms such as questionnaires and feedback forms

In Word you write everything such as a briefing, explanation quoting examples and you may also include a table of contents, headings and sections for easy navigation.

Your Senior Managers have asked you to communicate the results of a recent survey. Before sending through the 100 page full report with quotations. benchmarks, challenges and recommendations, think about what information your Senior Managers need to know. 9 times out of 10, they would want a couple of slides developed in PowerPoint visualising the key points and takeaway messages.

To save you both time and effort and to help deliver your messages in the application that best suits the information being communicated ensure that you choose the right application for your needs.

Although each application allows for collaboration between both types, there are different features available for each of these applications which are unique in their own ways and you cannot easily create the same document types in either application.

While Word is used to create detailed documents such as letters, forms, mailings and reports , PowerPoint on the other hand is used to develop visual presentations for business meetings, seminars, workshops or trainings with as little text as possible to engage the intended audience and allow for presenter/participant discussions around the topic being presented.

For example, using Word to create a graphical representation is much more difficult than creating the presentation in PowerPoint. Likewise, using PowerPoint to create a navigable dossier or text heavy report with headings, subheadings, citations and references has its limitations.

Overall, guided simply, apply Word for WORDS and PowerPoint for VISUALS then you can't go too wrong.

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Avoiding "Death by PowerPoint"

Best Microsoft Office alternative of 2024

We look at the best Microsoft Office alternatives for all budgets

Best overall

Best similar, best for features, best open source, best for tools, best for formats, best for experts, best all-in-one, best for small teams, best browser-based, how we test.

The best Microsoft Office alternatives make it simple and easy to use office apps for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, without needing a Microsoft subscription.

1. Best overall 2. Best similar 3. Best for features 4. Best open source 5. Best for tools 6. Best for formats 7. Best for experts 8. Best all-in-one 9. Best for small teams 10. Best browser-based 11. FAQs 12. How we test

Microsoft Office remains the most popular productivity suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more - whether as a download software package, or as the cloud-based Microsoft 365 suite - through powerful apps such as Word , Excel , PowerPoint , Publisher , Access , Outlook , and more.

However, a range of alternative competitors have become increasingly attractive, especially because their licensing fees are more competitive - some are even free to use. And yet that doesn't necessarily mean that the software is of lower quality, as the open source community can testify.

Even still, there can be issues with sharing documents between different office suite platforms, which can be a real concern. This is why you need to be certain of any shortfalls that might occur, especially if you need to share or collaborative on documents with other users who have one or more different office suites.

That said, the best Microsoft Office alternatives are generally strong programs with full functionality, and little problem sharing files with other platforms, though few come close to the full functionality of Microsoft 365, let alone its massive 2TB cloud storage through OneDrive. 

We compared the Microsoft office alternatives across various aspects, like the pricing models, the platforms they supported, the interface and performance, and the number of tools they came with. We also assessed their collaboration capabilities and the file formats they could run, among other aspects.

Below we'll list the best currently available.

We've also featured the best free office software .

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

The best Microsoft Office alternatives 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.

1. LibreOffice

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

LibreOffice is the offspring of The Document Foundation and split from OpenOffice in 2010. The suite itself is free and open source, and is made up of a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software, and is available in 110 languages.

While LibreOffice uses the ODF (OpenDocument) format it still supports a range of other format types such as those used in Microsoft Office. LibreOffice is the default suite for most Linux distros and it is also available for use on Windows and macOS. There's also a LibreOffice viewer for Android.

As with most open source software all your technical support comes from online, but seeing how easy this is to use, support will be rarely needed. The platform also offers the option to export your files into PDF format amongst others.

You can add extra features to LibreOffice via extensions from its website. These include extra templates for documents.

Read our full LibreOffice review .

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2. FreeOffice

If you are looking for a free and easy alternative to Microsoft Office, then FreeOffice is the suite for you. The company, SoftMaker, has been developing office software since 1987 and its office suite is their flagship product.

FreeOffice is a complete office suite that is free to use for both home and in the workplace. It is developed for both Windows and Linux, and offers a basic version for Android users.

The suite itself is fully compatible with all Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. This means that you can not only view but save files in formats such as DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX. It also supports older file types such as PPT and XLS.

The new interface that was launched this year gives you the option of either working with modern or classic menus and toolbars. This makes switching from Microsoft Office easy to do as the interface is eerily similar.

For those users who have the luxury of a touchscreen PC you can use touch mode with larger icons. This mode is available for both the newer version look and the classic menu-based interface.

Read our full FreeOffice review .

3. WPS Office

WPS Office was released in 2016 by Chinese software developer Kingsoft. It is an office suite that is available for Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. The suite is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Russian.

It offers a free and a premium tier. The free tier allows you to use Writer, Presentation and Spreadsheets, which are alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite which it also resembles closely. WPS offers a PDF to Word converter which is fast and easy to use. It supports bulk exportation and can also split-merge PDF files if needed.

The suite offers 1GB of free cloud storage for iOS and PC users, but this service is not yet available for Android.

The 'Premium' tier allows the user to connect up 9 devices at once. It also gets rids of all those annoying adverts that are commonplace on the free tier. 

WPS has been criticized for not allowing collaboration beyond those that track changes and allow users to insert comments. Users have also said that the interface can be quite slow at times when it comes to loading documents. Linux users have mentioned that not all fonts are automatically included and that they have to be installed separately.

For Android users installation is quite large and criticism has been levelled imploring the developer to make it more lightweight.

Read our full WPS Office review .

4. Calligra

Calligra Office suite was initially released in October 2000 as part of KOffice. It is an office suite developed by KDE as well as being suitable to use for graphic art design. It is available on Linux, macOS, Windows and Android.

Calligra is a free and open source software suite and can be downloaded directly from its own website or from KDE's downloads page. It is completely distinct from LibreOffice.

While LibreOffice has the familiar look and feel of MS Office, Calligra does not. A lot of the useable features tabs are set on the right-hand side of the screen and not on the top like MS Office and other office suites. This means that the page you are currently editing does not take up the full screen.

One of the extra features that makes Calligra stand out is that it offers a mind-mapping and project managing tool. Usually these cost extra.

Calligra allows you to read DOCX and DOX formats but you cannot edit them. This can cause difficulties if your contacts send you Microsoft Office documents, so ask them to use a different format such as ODT (Open Document Text) instead.

5. OfficeSuite

OfficeSuite is an application that was developed by MobiSystems and is available for Android, iOS and Windows. Devices that are made by Amazon , Toshiba, Sony and Alcatel often come with OfficeSuite pre-installed. The Android app has been named among the top applications for business.

You can synchronize between devices using your OfficeSuite account and only one license is needed for all your devices.

It has several tiers to choose from. The 'Basic' tier is free and allows users to view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. The suite has full compatibility with most formats such as ODT, RTF, CSV, DOC, and ZIP. The free tier also enables users to view PDF documents and offers cloud support via services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive.

The 'Personal' tier enables the suite on one desktop, one tablet and one phone. It has all the free tier has to offer along with the ability to track changes, export PDF's to other editable formats and advanced PDF features such as digital signatures and passwords. 

Read our full OfficeSuite review .

6. Polaris Office

Polaris Office is developed by Intraware and was initially released in March 2014. It is a free office suite that is available for Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. It appears to be a popular suite amongst businesses and is used by the likes of Amazon and Samsung .

While the free version is very generous there is a business version to which you can upgrade. Their cheapest plan is the Polaris Office Smart which you can use on any of your devices for about $40 per year. Alternatively you can purchase a lifetime fee limited to one PC at around $80.

With this powerful suite you can edit many different file formats including PPT, XLS, DOCX and HWP. As your account synchronizes amongst your devices you will be able to edit and create from wherever you are. All your data is secured by AWS (Amazon Web Services).

With the latest edition of Polaris you can now convert and edit PDF documents. Users can also convert voice and image files to documents if the need arises.

The suite supports several different languages such as French, German, Korean, English and Russian.

The only real criticism there is of Polaris is that while the free edition offers a huge range of features the ads can be a little distracting at times.

Read our full Polaris Office review .

7. OnlyOffice

OnlyOffice is an open source office suite developed by Ascensio Systems SIA. It is available in over 22 languages and boasts of Oracle being one of their leading clients.

The completely free version, known as the 'Community Edition' is most suited for small business and allows up to 20 connections at once. This suite does not just offer the usual features such as word processing or spreadsheets but is very useful in relation to order fulfilment and for documenting sales.

The handy calendar feature allows user to keep up to date with personal and work-related tasks as well as keeping an eye on deadlines. Third party integration is also supported. You can create your own Mailboxes with the 'Mail' tool.

As with other office suites there is the ability to create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Users can collaborate on projects and make comments in files where necessary.

Read our full OnlyOffice review .

8. WordPerfect

WordPerfect has had a number of owners over the years since it was developed in the late 1970s. Fast forward to 1996, it was purchased by Corel who, back then wanted to build a business capable of competing with Microsoft and Adobe . WordPerfect was most popular in the 80's where it was known for its DOS and Microsoft Windows versions. It was soon eclipsed by Microsoft Office upon its release.

It is an all-in-one office suite. It offers its own word processor, spreadsheet program and a slideshow creator.  The latest version now includes improved photo-editing and management. WordPerfect offer a free trial version which you can download from the main site.

Like other suites it can save to many different formats such as DOCX, PDF and HTML. The common file extensions for WordPerfect files is WPD. It also offers ebooks publishing and macro management.

The PDF feature gives users the ability to edit and fill in forms via PDF, as well as change the form's appearance e.g. font/color. WordPerfect supports opening multiple documents at one time.

While WordPerfect is a perfectly reasonable program, and many early Windows adopters may remember it fondly, the pricing just isn't very competitive when compared to the rest of the market.

Read our full WordPerfect review .

9. Zoho Workplace

While Google Docs is, thanks to the strength of its brand, probably more widely used, Zoho Workplace is very good in its own right. It's certainly closer to a desktop office package, and it's strong enough to have attracted businesses like the BBC and Nike as regular users.

Zoho's new-look word processor (which ditches the classic Word-style interface in favour of a formatting sidebar) is very well-presented and capable of producing professional-looking docs, and it has a sterling spreadsheet and reasonable presentation package alongside it.

They're just the tip of the iceberg, however – Zoho Workplace includes a powerful site creation tool, a file management solution and many collaborative tools. Some are on the simplistic side, so they'll likely not replace anything you might already have in place, but if you're starting out as a small business Zoho is probably a good jumping-off point.

If you want to signup for the free version of Zoho Workplace you need to search the pricing page for the "Forever free" plan. However, there's no one-click set up or access, and instead you have to go through a sign up process that begins by providing details of an existing business domain.

Read our full Zoho Workplace review .

10. Google Workspace

Google Workspace is another Microsoft Office alternative worth considering, as it's development by the internet behemoth Google specifically for collaborative and group work. The three key tools run happily in any web browser, and are available as mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.

Google's free office suite doesn't offer the advanced tools you'll find in Microsoft 365 or many rivals, but everything is laid out in a clear, logical way and all your files will be saved and synced automatically so you don't have to worry about transfers and backups.

The chief disadvantage of Workspace is that opening files created using other office software is a cumbersome process and file formatting isn't is always converted properly. This is partly because Google's office tools use web fonts rather than ones stored locally on your device, and partly because Microsoft documents sometimes contain features not supported by Google. 

Additionally, there are some quirks with Google Docs that make it less user-friendly than other office software. As free software it does the job fine, but as a paid product it still lags behind the features and functionality of Microsoft Office.

Read our full Google workspace review .

Also check out our feature on the best free word processor .

How to choose the best Microsoft Office alternatives for you?

When choosing the best Microsoft Office alternatives for yourself, consider your work requirements: how large is your team size, what operating systems do you use (Windows, macOS, or Linux), and is your work collaborative? 

You'll then want to assess your budget. If you're on a tight budget, free options will be quite handy, but if you have a substantial budget, paid plans with advanced features could be more suitable

To test the best Microsoft Office alternatives, we first looked at the pricing plans: is the office suite free, freemium, or paid?

We considered what platforms the office suites ran on, whether they had a simple and appealing interface, how many apps they came with, and how smoothly they performed. Importantly, we looked at whether the Microsoft Office alternatives could open Microsoft file formats, like DOX and DOCX, and if there was an option to edit these files. 

We also used the different suites to assess how easy the collaboration was with them and whether the tools could be run on web browsers, among other things.

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

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Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing, technology, and marketing titles. He has been interviewed multiple times for the BBC and been a speaker at international conferences. His specialty on techradar is Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, covering everything from office suites to IT service tools. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, published as Brian G Turner.

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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

What makes the best presentation app, how we evaluate and test apps.

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).

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, .css-yjptlz-link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentcolor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='ocean']{color:#3d4592;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='ocean']:hover{color:#2b2358;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:#3d4592;outline-color:#3d4592;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='white']{color:#fffdf9;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='white']:hover{color:#a8a5a0;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='white']:focus{color:#fffdf9;outline-color:#fffdf9;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='primary']{color:#3d4592;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:#2b2358;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:#3d4592;outline-color:#3d4592;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='secondary']{color:#fffdf9;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:#a8a5a0;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:#fffdf9;outline-color:#fffdf9;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-yjptlz-link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} 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 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.

The best presentation app for AI-powered design

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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.

The best presentation app for conversational presentations

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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.

The best presentation app for video presentations

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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.

The best presentation app for collaborating with your team

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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.

The best presentation app for conversational AI

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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.

The best presentation app for audience engagement

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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.

The best presentation app for generative AI

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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.

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.

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.

Related reading:

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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Word to PPT converter features

Can i export a word document to powerpoint.

Microsoft's support documentation states you can click File -> Export -> Export to PowerPoint from within Word, but this option does not appear for most users.

If your Word doc is primarily text content that would require you to make slide designs from scratch, we would recommend using an AI presentation builder like Plus AI  to convert it into slides.

Can I convert Word to PowerPoint for free? 

Yes, you can use Plus AI's free Word to PPT tool to convert a Word doc into a presentation.

Why can't I convert Word to PowerPoint?

It appears that only certain file types and versions of Word allow users to export their documents to PowerPoint.

If you need to transform text content into a presentation format, try using an AI presentation tool like Plus AI instead.

How to convert Word to PPT using AI?

With an AI tool like Plus AI, you can write an outline, take an existing essay, or use notes in a document to create a presentaton.

Just install Plus AI, upload your Word doc in document to presentation mode, select a template, and Plus will generate a presentation in minutes.

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• The best thing I liked about this software is the perfect integration between different devices.
• I hate how difficult it is to import your own music. If the music is not on my computer it is very hard to import it.
• The worst thing about powerpoint is watching a powerpoint... powerpoint is were presentations go to die. Its it mind numbingly boring and dry.
• WordPerfect is easy to use, with menus and commands that are clear, and graphic and tabular information is easy to integrate.
• The ease of use is wonderful. I get all my reports done with ease and if I need to seek help the feature is readily available to access.
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Link or embed a PowerPoint slide in a Word document

When you want to create a dynamic link between the content of your document and the content in a PowerPoint presentation, insert the content as an object . Unlike when you paste content (such as by pressing Ctrl+V), when you insert it as a linked or embedded object, you can still work with the content in the original program where it was created.

If you insert the slide into the document as a PowerPoint object, Word runs PowerPoint when you double-click the slide, and you can use PowerPoint commands to work with the slide.

When you insert an entire PowerPoint presentation as an object, the document displays only one slide. To display different slides, double-click the PowerPoint object, and then press Enter to run the slide show.

Insert a linked object or embedded object

You can link or embed one or more slides, or you can embed an entire presentation. When you embed a PowerPoint presentation object in your document, Word runs the PowerPoint slide show when you double-click the presentation object in the document. You cannot edit the presentation within the document. The presentation object can be embedded only, not linked.

Open both the Word document and the PowerPoint presentation that contains the slides that you want to create a linked object or embedded object from.

Switch to PowerPoint, and then select the entire presentation or the slides that you want.

Note:  To select slides, in Slide Sorter view, click the slide that you want. To select a range of slides, hold down Shift while you click the first and the last slides of the range. To select multiple slides that are not next to each other, hold down Ctrl while you click the slides that you want.

Press Ctrl+C.

Switch to the Word document, and then click where you want the information to appear.

On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow under Paste , and then click Paste Special .

In the As list, select Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation object or Microsoft PowerPoint Slide object .

Select Paste to insert an embedded object, or select Paste link to insert a link to the object, and then click OK .

Alternatively, you can insert a link to the object as follows.

On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click the arrow next to Object , and then select Object .

Click the Create from File tab, and browse to the location of your presentation.

Select Link to file or Display as icon , and then click OK .

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Update linked objects

By default, linked objects are updated automatically. This means that Word updates the linked information every time you open the Word file or any time the source PowerPoint file changes while the Word file is open. However, you can change the settings for individual linked objects so that the linked object is not updated or so that it is updated only when the reader of your document chooses to manually update it.

You can also prevent Word from automatically updating links in all the documents that you open. You can do this as a security measure, to prevent updating documents with files that are potentially from an untrusted source.

Important:  When you open a document that contains linked objects, Word prompts you to update the document with data from the linked files. If you suspect that the linked files may be from an untrusted source, click No in this message.

In addition, you can permanently break the connection between a linked object and its source PowerPoint file. When the connection is broken, you can no longer edit the object in the document; it becomes a picture of the PowerPoint content.

Manually update a linked object

Right-click the linked object, click Linked Slide Object or Linked Presentation Object , and then click Links .

Click the link that you want to update manually, and then under Update method for selected link , click Manual update .

Prevent a linked object from being updated

Click the link that you want to prevent from being updated, and then under Update method for selected link , select the Locked check box.

Note:  To unlock the link, clear the Locked check box.

Prevent Word from automatically updating links in all documents

On the File tab, click Options ..

Click Advanced , and then scroll down to General .

Clear the Update automatic links at open check box.

Break the connection between a linked object and its source

Click the link that you want to disconnect, and then click Break Link .

Change linked or embedded objects

Right-click the linked object, and then click Linked Slide Object or Linked Presentation Object .

Click Open or Open Link , depending on whether the object is embedded or linked, and then make the changes that you want.

If the object is embedded, the changes are only in the copy that is in the document. If the object is linked, the changes are made to the source file.

The differences between linked objects and embedded objects

The main differences between linked objects and embedded objects are where the data is stored and how you update the data after you place it in the destination file.

You place either a link to the object or a copy of the object in the document. You can insert content this way from any program that supports the technology of linking and embedding objects (object linking and embedding, or OLE).

For example, a monthly status report may contain information that is separately maintained in a PowerPoint slide. If you link the report to the slide, the data in the report can be updated whenever the source file is updated. If you embed the slide in the report, your report contains a static copy of the data.

1. Embedded object

2. Linked object

3. Source file

When an object is linked, information can be updated if the source file is modified. Linked data is stored in the source file. The Word file, or destination file, stores only the location of the source file, and it displays a representation of the linked data. Use linked objects if file size is a consideration.

Linking is also useful when you want to include information that is maintained independently, such as data collected by a different department, and when you need to keep that information up-to-date in a Word document.

When you embed a PowerPoint object, information in the Word file doesn't change if you modify the source PowerPoint file. Embedded objects become part of the Word file and, after they are inserted, they are no longer part of the source file.

Because the information is totally contained in one Word document, embedding is useful when you don't want the information to reflect changes in the source file, or when you don't want the document recipients to be concerned with updating the linked information.

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Word equivalent of Master Slides in PowerPoint?

I was planning on designing an A4 document in PowerPoint because I could use the master slides feature to lock down certain elements to prevent users from messing up the templates.

I was going to have a bunch of different page layouts that the users could switch between depending on what background they wanted, as well as how they wanted the elements on the page to be laid out

But I realised I can't do that because I need to have reams of text spanning multiple pages, which would be very tricky in PP.

So now I'll probably have to use Word, but am I right in thinking there is no way to create different page layouts that the user can switch between? Can it only have different headers / footers using section breaks?

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There are things you can do but there is no equivalent.

First there are Templates which can be very flexible and powerful.

You can use the Group Content Control to lock certain areas of templates but allow editing within other Content Controls in the grouped area as well as outside the grouped area. The entire document/template can be the grouped area.

You can use AutoText and other Building Blocks to create sections for insertion, which can have content controls including the group content control. Automated Boilerplate Using Microsoft Word These can be stored in the template and require no macros or vba. They can be used with the Building Blocks Gallery Content Control.

You can create macros and userforms to the point that your template becomes a Wizard to construct documents. Create a Simple Userform by Graham Mayor, MVP , Create & Employ a Userform by Greg Maxey , https://wordmvp.com/FAQs/Userforms.htm  These can call up and insert your building blocks if you want. The drawback is that the user has to permit macros to run. A userform can change the very layout of a document (portrait/landscape, columns, page size).

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How to use Copilot in Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and more

How to use copilot in microsoft teams, word, excel, and more work smarter across your entire microsoft 365 workflow with these expert tips..

From everyday prompt engineering to specialized functionalities across Teams, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, Microsoft Copilot is designed to save you time. Integrated directly within Teams and the Microsoft 365 (M365) suite, Copilot accelerates processes and helps you get a head start on your tasks.

But when a new tool claims it can do it all, figuring out how to start is overwhelming. This is especially true with generative AI, and Copilot is no exception.

With practice and a little know-how, Copilot can make quick work out of repetitive, time-consuming tasks and improve the way you collaborate, communicate, work, and present.

SHI’s Microsoft experts are here to show you how to effectively use Copilot across Teams and M365.

Start by writing good prompts

No matter how you use Copilot , your results will only be as good as your prompts, which are the written commands that send Copilot to action.

As a generative AI built on large language models (LLMs), Copilot performs at its best when your prompt includes four key aspects: the task , the persona , the context , and the format .

Depending on your use case, some of these aspects may not be as necessary as others. For example, you likely won’t need to give Copilot a persona to summarize your Outlook inbox, and formatting may not be important if you’re asking simple questions.

But for complex or creative requests, you’re more likely to get your desired result when you give Copilot an explicit task to perform, a specific persona to align with, context for why Copilot is performing the task, and a precise format in which Copilot should deliver its results.

As we explore how to use Copilot across Teams, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, we’ll include sample prompts to help you get started.

Collaborate better in Teams

For knowledge workers, Microsoft Teams is by far the most popular application for using Copilot. Whether you’re returning from vacation to a bazillion notifications or need notes from an hour-long meeting, Copilot simultaneously simplifies and enhances collaboration within Teams.

In Teams, you can use Copilot to:

• Generate a bulleted recap of your messages.
• Suggest future meetings and action items based on your message recaps.
• Schedule meetings based on the best mutual availability of all attendees.
• Summarize meetings based on their transcriptions.
• Provide meeting notes, recaps, action items, and even highlight where attendees had differing opinions.

Sample prompts for Teams

To best leverage Copilot in Microsoft Teams, experiment with prompts like the following:

Recap messages: Provide a bulleted summary of all my messages from the past week, highlighting any action items or potential future meetings.

Schedule a meeting: Schedule a meeting next Tuesday to discuss the department-wide Copilot rollout. Include myself, Jane Doe, and John Doe, and select a time during which we all have zero scheduling conflicts.

Give meeting notes: Provide notes for Tuesday’s Copilot meeting, highlighting any action items for myself, Jane, or John. Include a bulleted list and headers to denote when our discussion changed subjects.

Craft the perfect response in Outlook

Everyone has botched an email. Whether responding to a client, contacting a prospective customer, or replying to a thread, it’s been a rite of passage for people to fail at conveying humor, misinterpret and respond angrily to a casual message, or mess up a thread by accidentally replying to a weeks-old email.

Copilot puts an end to the embarrassment, helping you manage your inbox, craft the perfect response, and stay organized and in the know. In Outlook, use Copilot to:

• Craft emails with professional grammar and your intended tone.
• Recap your inbox after a long absence.
• Summarize long email threads.
• Contextualize emails with Teams messages from the same contact or group.

And because Copilot is integrated within your existing M365 tenant, it can pull from your contacts, SharePoint files, and groups to write and manage emails with depth and precision.

But remember: while Copilot is great for quickly starting tasks or creating a first draft of a response, it’s by no means a replacement for human thought. Trust your final discretion to determine whether an email generated by Outlook actually matches the messaging you want to convey, and adjust accordingly.

Sample prompts for Outlook

If you want to take the legwork out of managing your Outlook inbox, prompts like these can be great starting points:

Craft an email: Write an email to Jane Doe with the subject line, “The AI webinar you won’t want to miss.” Jane is an IT professional in the pharmaceutical industry, and through this email, we want her to register for our upcoming webinar titled “How to use AI like a pro.” Use a friendly, casual tone and include a bulleted list of ways AI benefits her role within her industry.

Recap your inbox: Catch me up on all my emails from the past week. Highlight any internal emails from my management, action items from my team, and external emails from my customers.

Summarize email threads: Summarize the email thread with Jane Doe about the AI webinar. Highlight any action items or potential future meetings.

Jumpstart your first draft in Word

The empty stare of a blank page in Microsoft Word can often be the biggest obstacle when writing statements of work (SoWs), reports, or documentation. With Copilot and a strong prompt, creating your first draft can become the easiest part of your project.

And if you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum, and you’ve been tasked with reviewing a 50-page proposal by the end of the workday, Copilot can also summarize and answer questions about existing documents.

Use Copilot in Word to:

• Create a first draft for SoWs, reports, documentation, blogs, and more.
• Summarize and answer queries about documents.
• Generate content according to your chosen persona and tone.

As you use Copilot in Word, it’s important to consider any content it generates as a first draft . Take time to edit the content, make it yours, and verify any factual statements. Generative AI can be a terrific way to end writer’s block or start your projects, but you should never submit its content as a final product.

Sample prompts for Word

Don’t let blank pages and novel-length documents drag you down. Get a head start on your projects with prompts like these:

Draft a report: Write a report about our AI webinar leveraging information from the email thread “AI webinar retrospective.” Write it from the perspective of an IT Systems Admin in an informative and concise tone. Include analyses of our data usage, adoption rate, and helpdesk SLAs.

Summarize a document: Summarize this document with bulleted lists categorized by headers that match those found in this document.

Answer questions about a document: What is the most expensive line item in this statement of work and to which service is it aligned?

Generate entire presentations in PowerPoint

When you’ve spent days or weeks compiling information for a client, manager, or partner, the last thing that’s on your mind is what it all should look like when you’re presenting it. You know exactly what you need to say – and with Copilot, you don’t need to think about how it all comes together on a slide deck.

In PowerPoint, Copilot enables you to:

• Create a first draft of a presentation with just a prompt.
• Generate custom images for your slides.
• Create a presentation using a Word document as an outline.
• Add slides to existing presentations.

Just like when using Copilot for Word, you should consider any slide Copilot creates in PowerPoint as a first draft . Review it, fact check it, and tinker with the visuals to align with your organization’s branding – and never move forward with an unedited presentation from Copilot as your final draft.

Sample prompts for PowerPoint

Use prompts like these to save time and brainpower when making your next presentation:

Create a first draft of a presentation: Create a 10-slide presentation about AI. I’m an IT professional presenting to a tech-savvy audience. My audience particularly cares about data center sustainability and the amount of power and cooling AI demands. Conclude the presentation with a Q&A slide .

Generate custom images: Generate an image of a data center server rack in the style of a surrealist painting. Add the image to Slide 4.

Create a presentation from a Word document: Create a 15-slide presentation from the attached document, which is a quarterly helpdesk SLA report. I’m an IT helpdesk professional presenting to my direct manager. Emphasize my high satisfaction survey scores, fast time to resolution, and high percentage of issue resolutions.

Refine spreadsheets in Excel

For many knowledge workers, Excel is a keystone application for their workflows. But as spreadsheets grow and data becomes more complex, it can be far too easy to get bogged down in the details.

With Copilot, you can apply revisions, additions, filters, and more to your spreadsheets by simply using natural language in your prompts – which can be a huge advantage for those who get a migraine from formulas, conditional formatting, and other features that make Excel a great but intensive program.

In Excel, you can use Copilot to:

• Analyze data and generate charts in your spreadsheet.
• Create new columns with custom formulas.
• Highlight specific data points via conditional formatting.
• Automatically sort individual columns.

As you tinker with Copilot in Excel, it’s important to remember generative AI tools aren’t quite the mathematicians we’d all like them to be. These tools are getting better at math skills over time, but you should review formulas before applying them to your spreadsheet to ensure Copilot understood and correctly equated your prompt.

Luckily, Copilot in Excel provides formulas and the logic behind their generation before you apply them to your spreadsheet, making it easy to discard results that aren’t ideal.

Sample prompts

To get started with Copilot in Excel, try using prompts like the following:

Analyze data: What is the average duration of page view time in seconds?

Create a formula column: Add a column for the percentage of page viewers who filled out the form to the nearest whole number.

Highlight specific data: Add green, yellow, red conditional formatting to the page view time column, in which green is any duration above 60 seconds, yellow is any duration between 30 and 59 seconds, and red is any duration less than or equal to 29 seconds.

Successfully adopt Microsoft Copilot with SHI

Microsoft built Copilot to save you time across your entire Teams and M365 workflow – including in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. You can use Copilot to:

• Summarize lengthy Teams meetings.
• Craft emails in Outlook.
• Draft reports in Word.
• Draft presentations in PowerPoint.
• Create new formulas in Excel.
• And so much more!

But without strong governance and thorough adoption, your organization risks entering the AI future with insecure data and an uninformed userbase.

With SHI’s M365 Copilot Enablement program , our Microsoft experts will help drive successful, widespread Copilot usage while preventing unintended access to the data Copilot creates.

During our M365 Copilot Enablement program, we’ll work with your teams to:

• Gather requirements, plan for AI integrations, identify goals and outcomes through stakeholder discovery sessions, and activate Copilot.
• Train users on prompt engineering and using Copilot for M365 and lead the way for change management and messaging.
• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of data usage and health status within M365 and prepare your data and people for the use of AI.
• Evaluate AI priority personas, roll out Copilot for M365 to test groups, and establish early adoption frameworks and education.
• Implement production persona scenarios for AI, deploy Copilot for M365 to your organization, and provide a clear path forward to solidify tool adoption.

Learn more about our M365 Copilot Enablement program or contact us to adopt Copilot like a pro!

Start using Copilot like a pro with SHI!

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A Brief History of the 2,000-Pound Bombs Central to U.S.-Israeli Tensions

The one-ton Mark 84 bomb was designed shortly after World War II. Adding guidance kits has kept it in use for more than 70 years.

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By John Ismay

Reporting from Washington

When President Biden threatened to pause some weapons shipments to Israel if it invaded the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the devastating effects of one weapon were of particular concern to him.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs,” Mr. Biden said in remarks to CNN this week.

He was referring to U.S.-made 2,000-pound aerial weapons, the largest in the Pentagon’s Mark 80 series of bombs.

In the military’s banal lexicon, the Mark 80s are “general purpose” bombs, meaning that they can be used on almost any target the military typically expects to encounter in war. In addition to the 2,000-pound Mk-84, they also come in 250-pound, 500-pound and 1,000-pound versions — the Mk-81, Mk-82 and Mk-83.

The president has already delayed a shipment to Israel of 3,500 bombs in the Mark 80 series that he feared could be used in a major assault on Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians have taken refuge.

A New York Times investigation in December found that American 2,000-pound bombs were responsible for some of the worst attacks on Palestinian civilians since the war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

According to a U.S. Army office that manages ammunition for the Pentagon, the ideal targets for weapons of that size are “buildings, rail yards and lines of communication.”

However, Defense Department data indicates that U.S. warplanes typically use far less powerful munitions for supporting ground troops engaged with enemy fighters.

The explosive warheads of these bombs have changed little since the U.S. Navy created them shortly after World War II, but the Pentagon has kept them in service by developing new parts and pieces that can be attached for a variety of purposes.

About 40 percent of each one’s weight is composed of a high explosive mixture; the rest comes from its steel case. When detonated, the bomb’s smooth skin shatters into razor-sharp fragments that can shred human bodies and unarmored vehicles alike.

Course guides used in teaching American troops how to call in airstrikes state that anyone within 115 feet of a 250-pound bomb’s impact has a 10 percent chance of being incapacitated or killed. That lethal radius jumps to nearly 600 feet for a one-ton version that explodes just above the ground.

For a time, the United States held a monopoly on these bombs. But now Mark 80s are made and sold by a number of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Pakistan, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Israel makes its own versions, but export data suggests that the country purchases most of its bombs from the United States through an annual $3.5 billion grant of American taxpayer money.

How have the bombs evolved?

Classified through much of the 1950s, the Mark 80 came fully into public view during the Vietnam War.

Most Mark 80s dropped over Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos from 1965 to 1973 were unguided weapons that cost a few hundred dollars each. Under the best of conditions, about half of them could be expected to land within 400 feet of their target.

When they missed, whether because of pilot error or winds pushing them around after being dropped, they sometimes killed American troops in large numbers in addition to killing civilians .

The use of radar signals to better determine the right place to drop these unguided bombs sometimes failed spectacularly, such as one incident when five jets flying in bad weather mistakenly dropped 34 Mark 82 500-pound bombs on the American air base in Da Nang.

But in the late 1960s, Texas Instruments developed a kit called Paveway that gave the Mark 80 far greater accuracy by adding parts to the bomb’s nose and tail that allowed the bomb to steer itself to a target using lasers shined from warplanes above. That shrank the average miss distance to about 10 feet. Because of their high cost, though, Paveways made up only a tiny fraction of the bombs dropped by the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.

These weapons were commonly called “smart bombs” during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 , and the term has endured to describe a host of guided weapons fielded in the decades since.

But the laser-guided weapons often failed in bad weather and sandstorms, leading military officials to develop a new guidance kit for the Mark 80 in the early 1990s. Called JDAM — for Joint Direct Attack Munition — they cost half as much as Paveway and used radio signals from the military’s nascent constellation of GPS satellites in outer space to guide them. They can generally hit within 30 feet of their targets.

How often are 2,000-pound bombs used?

For American forces, not that often.

During the Vietnam War, Air Force warplanes dropped more Mark 82s than all other kinds of aerial weapons combined, including cluster bombs — and usually reserved Mark 84s for destroying large buildings or infrastructure like bridges. In the decades since, the Mark 82 has remained the most commonly used warhead by Americans in combat, especially when combined with a Paveway or JDAM guidance kit.

By comparison, Israel reaches for its 2,000-pound bombs far more often.

In the first two weeks of the war, roughly 90 percent of the munitions Israel dropped in Gaza were satellite-guided bombs of 1,000 to 2,000 pounds , according to a senior U.S. military official. The rest were 250-pound small-diameter bombs .

Israel also uses a slightly different kind of 2,000-pound bomb called the BLU-109 that can penetrate underground to reach buried targets like Hamas tunnels. Like all so-called bunker-busters, most of that weapon’s weight comes from a much thicker steel case than general-purpose weapons, and it explodes with the force of just 525 pounds of TNT — far closer to the power of the 1,000-pound Mark 83.

Are there even larger bombs?

The United States makes very few conventional bombs larger than 2,000 pounds. Israel has acquired one of them, an even thicker-cased 5,000-pound bomb built for attacking targets deeper underground.

Israel purchased 50 such bombs from the United States in 2015. Each carries the equivalent of just 625 pounds of TNT.

The other two weapons have never been sold or provided to allies.

One is a 21,000-pound bomb called the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, which explodes just above the ground with the force of 18,700 pounds of TNT and can only be dropped from cargo planes. It was used once in Afghanistan in 2017 , in what is the sole publicly acknowledged use of that weapon in combat.

The service also has a 30,000-pound bomb called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator capable of punching even farther underground before exploding, but it can only be carried by the B-2 stealth bomber. It explodes with the force of 5,600 pounds of TNT.

What’s the opposition to Israel’s use of the Mark 84?

Many politicians and activists say 2,000-pound bombs are too powerful to be used responsibly in Gaza, a densely populated enclave.

“The U.S. cannot beg Netanyahu to stop bombing civilians one day and the next send him thousands more 2,000 lb. bombs that can level entire city blocks,” Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont posted on social media on March 29 , referring to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “This is obscene,” he added. “We must end our complicity: No more bombs to Israel.”

In May 2021, Mr. Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, attempted to block a $735 million sale of American bombs to Israel for similar reasons.

Israel has used these weapons before. Israel relied on Mark 80s during another “all-out war” against Hamas in 2008 and used them again in 2021 to destroy a building in Gaza City that housed the offices of The Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other news media organizations.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to multiple calls and emails asking for comment on transfers of American-made bombs, including questions about the provision of Mark 84s.

John Ismay is a reporter covering the Pentagon for The Times. He served as an explosive ordnance disposal officer in the U.S. Navy. More about John Ismay

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Israel said that it would send more troops to Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza and the current focal point in the war between Israel and Hamas. Fighting in the city has closed off a vital border crossing, forced hundreds of thousands to flee  and cut off humanitarian aid.

President Biden is pushing for a broad deal that would get Israel to approve a Palestinian nation  in return for Saudi recognition of Israel. But officials need to overcome Israeli opposition.

The Arab League called for a United Nations peacekeeping force to be deployed in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank until a two-state solution can be negotiated , in a statement that also called for the U.N. Security Council to set a time limit for that process.

FIFA Delays a Vote: Soccer’s global governing body postponed a decision to temporarily suspend Israel  over its actions in Gaza, saying it needed to solicit legal advice before taking up a motion submitted by the Palestinian Football Association.

PEN America’s Literary Gala: The free-expression group has been engulfed by debate  over its response to the Gaza war that forced the cancellation of its literary awards and annual festival. But its literary gala went on as planned .

Jerusalem Quartet Will Perform: The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, said that it would allow the Jerusalem Quartet to perform , two days after it had canceled the ensemble’s concerts amid security concerns.

A Key Weapon: When President Biden threatened to pause some weapons shipments to Israel if it invaded Rafah, the devastating effects of the 2,000-pound Mark 84 bomb  were of particular concern to him.

MSDS Student Experience: 2024 INFORMS Analytics Conference

As our graduation day quickly approaches, it seems like a good time to take stock of our experience in the residential M.S. in Data Science program at UVA. A true highlight moment was attending the 2024 INFORMS Analytics Conference in Orlando in mid-April. For both of us, it was our first professional conference in the data science/analytics space, and it was exciting to be among thought leaders and innovators.

We first learned about INFORMS , an international association for professionals in analytics and Operations Research (O.R.), from our MSDS Residential Program Director Dr. Prince Afriyie . We were humbled to receive a nomination from him for the Early Career Professionals’ Network (ECPN) , an exclusive 1-day workshop within the conference. 

ECPN is designed to help those beginning their journey in analytics/O.R. build professional networks and learn the practicalities of working in the field. During the workshop, we rotated through a number of small group coaching sessions, each led by an experienced practitioner who shared insights and perspectives on early careers and best practices. We also had a role-playing exercise, where our groups were tasked with developing a strategy to improve supply chain logistics and day-to-day operations for a hypothetical client. 

One of the conference highlights was being selected to present our work at the student poster competition. We shared our findings from our project, an analysis of the average annual income gap between white and minority-owned businesses in the US. We received valuable feedback from attendees and engaged in enriching conversations with other presenters. Discussing the thinking behind our process and the conclusions we drew with an engaged audience was just the motivation and assurance we needed!

The bulk of the conference consisted of speaker sessions in various tracks, led by accomplished professionals with years of experience in research and industry. The myriad topics were so intriguing that we wanted to be everywhere all at once. It was difficult to choose from the seemingly infinite sessions, so we made a pact to mostly attend different ones and exchange our new knowledge with each other afterward. 

Ethan: “I may be biased, but one of my favorite sessions was on Public Affairs and Advocacy in the Analytics Landscape. In the session, we got the opportunity to discuss data analytics work that is often taking place between public sector groups (NGOs, non-profits, etc.) and all levels of government. That talk was fascinating, not just because I had the chance to learn about many tools for data advocacy available to me, but also because of the others I met in the audience. Many of us got to talking about side projects for the public good and other work we can get involved in and we created a group chat to share ideas. It was great meeting enthusiastic colleagues who are also passionate about the type of public sector work I am interested in!”

Tatev: “I attended a particularly impactful session on effective communication in the workplace that reminded me of the power of language. The open dialogue and solidarity I witnessed among the women there were nothing short of inspiring and empowering. We learned techniques for exuding confidence, making switches in our verbal and non-verbal communication, and being advocates for ourselves and others in professional settings. I was pleased to discover opportunities for further discussion and mentorship offered by the Women in OR/MS (WORMS) division of INFORMS, which I happily attended. Beyond that, I also enjoyed a talk on assessing and improving workplace conditions based on employee feedback through NLP. Many of the techniques discussed were ones I used in my capstone project, so I was eager to learn about disparate applications and pick the speakers’ brains about the technicalities of their work.”

We believe the format of the conference lent itself well to forming new connections. Each meal and coffee chat served as a built-in opportunity to meet and network with people from around the world. The denouement of the event was the Edelman Gala, where everyone came dressed to the nines to celebrate the finalists and crown the winner of the renowned Franz Edelman Award . 

We both agree this trip was the cherry on top for our MSDS experience. We became fast friends with peers from top university programs, received valuable feedback and advice from the people at INFORMS, and exchanged ideas and thoughts with others along the way. We look forward to continuing our involvement with the organization, attending similar events in the future, and keeping in touch with all our new contacts. A sincere thank you to the faculty at UVA School of Data Science whose enthusiastic support and encouragement made this trip possible!

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