alternatives to classroom presentations

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7 alternative presentation tools for classroom use.

To learn about more alternatives to the typical presentation, check out this on-demand training video,  Alternatives to Slide Presentations – Free Tools for Student Projects . Join technology trainer Lauren Boucher as she introduces free tools for student projects that go beyond the slide show. In addition to sharing the free tools, Lauren provides project ideas and classroom tips that can be used across curriculum and grade levels.

Which of these tools are you planning on using first? Let us know how you like to present information in your classroom — please leave a comment on this article below.

Kimber Thompson is a Lead Moderator for SimpleK12 webinars and a Contributing Editor for SimpleK12.com. She writes frequently about education topics, and is passionate about tools and techniques that inspire young learners. You may reach her with ideas and comments at [email protected] .

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3 Alternatives to Classroom Presentations

Rae Hughart December 7, 2019 Blog , Engage Better , Innovate Better , Lesson Plan Better

In This Post:

• A warning against  always doing formal classroom presentations.
• Alternative options for classroom presentations that still encourage understanding & allow for assessment!

I was writing this blog while hanging out after school with a few students. I asked them if they had ever had to do a formal presentation in a classroom. Suddenly groans filled the room.

“ Ugh, I hate those! ”

To be honest, I hated those growing up as well. It didn’t matter how confident I felt with the material, sharing in front of all of my peers gave me stage fright!

After sharing our horror stories and embarrassing moments of formal classroom presentations, I asked them a simple question I wish we’d all ask our students more often… “ How would you fix it? ”

Here were their ideas:

Video Explanation: Share your thinking via video! Choose a tech tool like Flipgrid or Screencastify and ask students to share their presentation in a video. This medium allows for students to not only share the information they have learned, but also practice other skills like video editing, appropriate body language, tone, and more! An added benefit is that they are able to go back and watch. Then they can reflect on how well they did and what they could improve.

Small-Group Sharing: Is it always necessary to present to a whole class? Consider allowing students to share with a small group of their peers. Depending on what you are grading, these sessions are a great opportunity to videotape students. This still allows students to continue to practice their presenting skills, but more than one student can present at a time!

Illustration on PowToon: Consider illustrations as a way for students to share their learning! These can be done on programs like PowToon or Scratch. If you are not assessing speaking and listening skills, then could you adjust medium in which the information is presented? Programs utilizing coding can offer students a multitude of options to use their creativity while they share their learning.

There is no doubt that classroom presentations have a place and time. The skill of sharing one’s thoughts and insight in front of a crowd is a skill that students must practice. However, we have more than formal presentations at our fingertips to challenge our students, thanks to a new 21st-century focus on technology and collaborative classrooms.

Share out which strategy you use with #TeachBetter as you explore new ways to tackle presentations with students!

About Rae Hughart

Rae Hughart is a Middle-Level Math and Writing Educator in Illinois and the Director of Training and Development for the Teach Better Team. In 2017, Rae was honored with the Illinois State University Outstanding Young Alumni Award – inducting her into the University Hall of Fame. In 2018, Rae was honored again by the Henry Ford Innovator Award for her work within educators communities to build unity between local businesses and schools.

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8 Digital tools for engaging classroom presentations

By Diana Zinveliu

Whether online or face-to-face, teachers are always looking for ways to create engaging learning experiences. Integrating presentations in teaching is an accessible way to bring technology to the classroom and make the best digital tools available. A slideshow lesson conveys information effectively and supports learning since most of it is done visually.

Teachers and students can use presentations to support learning and develop creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. However, the final goal is to make information clear and easy to remember, as visuals complement words. For this reason, presentations should remain simple, focused on images and keywords. To achieve this, you need more advanced tools.

Digital tools for engaging classroom presentations

Here are eight digital tools to look for when creating the best presentations for your classroom: 

Google Slides  

Google Slides is a free app that allows teachers and students to create and edit presentations using many features such as the multimedia embedding option and the variety of themes available. Users can also import their favorite themes from an outside source.

Creating new presentation templates can be time-consuming, so teachers can import other presentations they already have. Google Slides allows you to open, edit, and save Microsoft PowerPoint files. You can also present and share presentations on any device, browser, and even Chromecast Hangouts and Airplay.

Tip : Google Slides promotes collaboration and helps you assign teamwork. Students can work with Google Slides at the same time, and changes are saved automatically. Teachers, group coordinators and team members can leave comments and chat.

Read more: 4 Ways to promote collaboration in digital spaces

Microsoft's Sway has a user-friendly interface compatible with any device to help users create striking presentations.

 Sway offers easy editing, like drop-in photos, videos, and other multimedia files. You can choose from three available layouts, seven core styles with different content laying, decorators, image captions, color, and textures.

Users benefit from additional design options in the Customize style panel and can explore different styles on the spot with the Remix button.

Tip : Sway presentations can be co-edited for instant collaboration and visualized on any device or screen size via an automatic optimization feature. It’s perfect for teachers who want to organize their lessons and synthesize information for students. 

Nearpod gives users the possibility to create interactive slide-based lessons boosted by the extra tools available. Teachers can add a quiz, a poll, and open-ended questions to any slide-based lesson.

You can also customize any lesson from the Nearpod Lesson Library, including hundreds of already made slide-based lessons. A Nearpod lesson is easy to create using the drag and drop option, allowing users to import Google Slides, PDF files, or PowerPoint presentations.

Tip : Nearpod is helpful when you want to provide extra support for students, guide teaching, check for student understanding and improve student outcomes. Also, Nearpod helps students make real-world connections in integrated VR, PhET simulations, and Immersive Reader.

Read more: 5 Benefits of including VR in classroom activities

Pear Deck is an add-on tool for Google Slides that makes any presentation interactive. Teachers can present their content, include tasks for students to solve online, and check for understanding through questions and quizzes. Pear Deck offers a library of templates from which teachers can choose to support the learning objectives.

Tip : Pear Deck is perfect for online classes because you can invite students to actively participate in the lesson, monitor their work and offer instant feedback. 

Haiku Deck  

Haiku Deck is suitable for any web browser, iPad, iPhone, and Chromebook and makes presentations straightforward.

Due to their professional design with stylish fonts, layouts, and image filters, each presentation will be beautiful on any screen. Teachers can also ensure a learning continuum using clear and consistent formatting options.

Tip : You can create meaningful presentations by emphasizing images over words which simplifies the message of any lesson and makes it easier to remember. Teachers and students alike can select from many templates and access over 40 million Creative Commons-licensed images with automatic attributions upon import, promoting digital citizenship.

Read more: Meeting the needs of Gen Z students with visual learning

Sutori allows teachers to offer lessons that focus on collaborative learning as well as promote research, inquiry, critical thinking, and collaboration in any school subject. Using Sutori in the classroom will enhance student literacy, creativity, and communication skills, providing the perfect ground for self-reflection.

With access to many templates and lessons, every presentation will provide structure to learning with the benefits of its versatility and simplicity.

Tip : Teachers can also add social media in their slideshows or scroll down presentations making the best visual quality and connecting to the digitally native world. 

Prezi helps you create meaningful learning experiences through memorable presentations while providing information, explaining an assignment, or boosting test preparation in face-to-face or online classrooms. Also, students can use Prezi slideshows in the flipped classroom to access the resources needed to get ready for class.

Teachers can foster interactions and leverage emotional connections with their lessons using visuals and stories.

Tip : Prezi is perfect for online teaching, allowing teachers to present information in a slideshow while simultaneously interacting with students.

Read more: Creating more interactive learning spaces in the new school year

Canva helps users design powerful and engaging presentation slides that provide a great visual component to support lessons.

Teachers can choose from hundreds of beautiful layouts, a wide range of presentation templates in various styles and themes, add animations, videos, and audio for the best slide-based lessons, which they can easily share with students.

Tip : Save the slides and use them as handouts. 

Presentations are easy to integrate into face-to-face, hybrid and online lessons. With so many online tools available, teachers can share information with students, assist them in the learning process, ensure they understand and remember key concepts, and provide support.

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Three PowerPoint Alternatives You Need in Your Classroom

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1. Prezi  Rather than the traditional slide structure of PowerPoint, with Prezi you create a nonlinear story with audio, texts, images (pretty much all the same elements you find in PowerPoint) and place them on top of a canvas. It also increases student engagement by zooming from one point to the next and increasing interactivity. The built in interactivity and movement make for an easy transition into an engaging video clip to send to your students. We’ve seen many teachers take their Prezi presentation and record their screen/audio as they move through the canvas. For instance, in this example,  Ms. Bryan uses Screencast-O-Matic to record talking over her Prezi covering the Renaissance.

Powtoon is an easy way to make professional-looking videos or presentations. Because you are creating a learning object that is much more interactive and exciting, Powtoon is fantastic for story telling (whereas PowerPoint is a bit more suited for fact telling). 

We’ve seen Powtoon used by teachers for a catchy introduction to the beginning of class, flipped classroom videos, unit summaries, and project based learning activities. We’ve talked in earlier posts about the value of student-created videos , and Powtoon is the perfect medium for students to create a presentation, commercial, or class review, among other activities.  

Click below for an example of a sample Powtoon: 

3. Google Presentation  I like to think of Google Presentation as a lightweight version of PowerPoint. It is not as beautiful and flashy as software like Prezi or Powtoon, but it has all the basic functionality you need for a standard presentation. More than that, like most Google products, it requires no installation and there is no associated fee.

The strength of Google Presentations really come down to the collaboration features. Just like Google Docs, you can easily work with your teacher friends in real-time on the same presentation and even communicate with one another in the chat box. When done, you have a link for easy sharing with students. 

Here is a Google Presentation I made a few days ago for Flipped Classroom Professional Development .

Notice that you can access the presentation without installing any fancy software or plugins. Even though Google Presentation does not have all of the same bells and whistles as PowerPoint, the slides looks identical in quality and design to most presentations created in PowerPoint. Also, if I decide at a later time to make edits to my presentation, the changes will appear to anybody with my link. 

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Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, presentation software: options beyond powerpoint.

While PowerPoint remains an industry standard for creating effective and engaging presentations, several new and innovative options enable students and teachers alike to create presentations for in-person and virtual audiences.

The free versions of these platforms are not as robust as the paid versions, but there’s a lot you can do without spending a dime. All of the options outlined below allow us to create interactive presentations that can be viewed on computers, offering students a unique way to culminate and present a research project, and enabling teachers to walk students through difficult content.

Prezi is popular in educational and business settings. The creators of this software call it a “blank canvas” as opposed to a slide-based platform, emphasizing Prezi’s ability to illustrate relationships between larger and smaller ideas through a variety of technical options.

Users can pick from a variety of ready-made designs or create a template all their own that is visually interesting and engaging. From there, they can zoom in and out to demonstrate relationships using a variety of information sources.

Prezi allows users to get creative with the canvas while integrating the support of images, texts or videos from YouTube. Users also can add voiceovers to make the presentations more accessible online. Visit the website .

Attempting to break free from the presentation slide box, the makers of PowToon wanted to create presentation software that was user friendly and captivating to its audience. Users start by selecting from a variety of templates, which come with a number of premade slides. From there, students can select any field to edit or reformat the text as needed. The characters, other images and colors are also customizable, allowing students to make their design suit the precise needs of their presentation.

Users also can create their own templates and use a voiceover to guide the audience through the presentation. The creators advise students to first write a script, then generate the presentation and finally record it. Visit the website .

Like Prezi and PowToon, Storify provides free and for-pay options, enabling users to determine their needs and what they are willing to pay for. What makes Storify unique is the blog-like format, which is noted for its ability to create content and tell a story rather than just “reblog” or post images and videos.

Recognizing that multimedia sources are often a part of the story, Storify provides many options to bring in news and information from a variety of sources, including tweets, live TV and other social media sources.

Users can add voiceovers to walk the viewer through the story, increasing the interactive nature of this type of presenting. Many students will enjoy this medium because the presentation format resembles a social media timeline. Visit the website .

Online tools take some of the stress out of presentations

Ultimately, a great deal goes into making an effective presentation: audience awareness, knowledge of subject matter, ability to maintain tone and appropriate pacing, as well as many other factors. While none of these options will compensate for a lack of presentation skills entirely, the presentations themselves are engaging, ultimately promoting the audience’s interest. Reducing this stressor from their minds will help presenters focus more deeply on their content and delivery, ensuring a more effective speech.

Caitrin Blake has a BA in English and Sociology from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Colorado Denver. She teaches composition at Arapahoe Community College.

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15 PowerPoint Alternatives for High-Stakes Presentations

Learn what the best PowerPoint alternatives are and discover slides tools to create cool presentations that are way better than PowerPoint.

Dominika Krukowska

14 minute read

Short answer

What are the best alternatives to PowerPoint?

The best alternatives to PowerPoint are:

• Beautiful.ai
• Microsoft Sway

Your presentations deserve more than just PowerPoint

Remember the last time a PowerPoint presentation truly wowed you? Hard to recall, right? That's because most slide decks, no matter how well-intentioned, tend to blur together after a while.

As a result, your message goes unnoticed, your efforts wasted, and those high-impact opportunities? They slip right through your fingers.

But here's some good news: a new era of interactive presentation tools is here, ready to transform the way we share ideas. By choosing these dynamic alternatives to PowerPoint, you can truly engage your audience, make your message resonate, and achieve your goals.

Let’s dive in!

What’s wrong with PowerPoint?

PowerPoint has long been the presentation tool of choice, but it's starting to show its age. Here's why:

Standardized slide set with a 16:9 aspect ratio

PowerPoint's 16:9 aspect ratio is familiar, but it can limit creativity. When every presentation looks the same, it's hard to stand out.

No mechanisms to keep you from breaking the design

While PowerPoint offers design freedom, it lacks safeguards. This can lead to cluttered slides that confuse rather than clarify.

Generic templates

Relying on the same templates can make your content feel stale. Freshness matters, and predictability can lead to disinterest.

Limited interactivity options

Modern audiences expect to interact with content. PowerPoint's limited interactive features can't match today's dynamic tools.

Passive engagement

PowerPoint often results in a one-way flow of information. Without deeper engagement, your message might just skim the surface.

If you want to learn more, check out our article on why PowerPoint is bad for the job .

What makes modern alternatives better than PowerPoint?

The world of presentation platforms is evolving, and modern tools are stepping up in ways PowerPoint can't match.

Here are the main features that make these PowerPoint alternatives a better choice:

Rich library of pre-built templates: Dive into diverse designs, ready to customize and make your own.

Data visualization options: Turn complex data into clear, compelling visuals with ease.

Multimedia: Embed videos, audio, and more for a multi-sensory experience.

Interactive elements: Engage your audience with clickable features and dynamic content.

Narrated design (Scrollytelling): Guide viewers through a visual journey and let them explore at their own pace.

Collaboration options: Team up in real-time, making content creation a collective effort.

Optimized for mobile: Make sure your content shines, whether on a desktop or a smartphone.

Software integrations: Seamlessly connect with other tools and optimize your workflow.

Content analytics: Gain insights into viewer engagement and adjust for maximum impact.

AI-guided content: Let artificial intelligence steer your content strategy for optimal results.

AI-guided design: Benefit from AI-driven design suggestions, enhancing visual appeal.

Personalization with dynamic variables: Connect to your CRM and tailor content to individual viewers with just a few clicks.

Centralized content management: Keep all your materials in one organized, accessible place.

Web-based content: Access and share your content from anywhere, anytime.

Version control: Maintain authority over your final version and keep the design consistent.

Access control: Set parameters like gated access, time limits, or location-based viewing.

Here's what a static PPT and an interactive deck look like side by side:

Is there a free alternative to PowerPoint?

Absolutely! While some presentation tools like Storydoc or Visme offer free trials or basic plans, there are platforms like Zoho Show that are entirely free to use. Exploring these PowerPoint alternatives can provide fresh, dynamic ways to present without breaking the bank.

In a world where innovation drives success and audiences crave novelty, relying solely on traditional tools like PowerPoint may not cut it anymore. The landscape of presentation software has evolved, offering diverse alternatives that cater to different needs, styles, and functionalities.

These alternatives not only challenge the status quo but also redefine the way we present and engage with our audience.

If you're looking to step up your presentation game and explore beyond the limitations of PowerPoint , let's dive into the top alternatives:

Jump ahead to page section:

1. Storydoc

Storydoc is reshaping how we create presentations, all thanks to AI. This interactive presentation maker turns your usual slides into engaging, interactive stories.

With its unique approach to narrated design, or "scrollytelling," it breaks away from the constraints of conventional presentations, letting your audience dive into the content at their own speed.

And with AI by your side, Storydoc helps fine-tune your brand's appearance and offers content suggestions, making sure you have a top-notch presentation ready quickly.

Once done, you can integrate it with your CRM and use dynamic variables to create countless personalized versions in just a few clicks. And the cherry on top? After sharing, you can peek into the analytics to gain insights on what's clicking with your viewers and what's missing the mark.

• AI-backed design suggestions
• Personalize presentations at scale
• Perfect for any device
• Integrates with tools like calendars and live chats
• Dive deep into presentation analytics
• The charm of interactivity might not translate well in printed versions
• Might take a minute for those used to traditional tools
• 14-day free trial
• Starter: $30/month per user (billed annually)
• Pro: $45/month per user (billed annually)
• For teams: Reach out to sales

2. Mentimeter

Mentimeter is all about transforming passive listeners into active contributors. It's not just about presenting; it's about conversing. With tools like real-time word clouds, polls, and quizzes, it makes sure that everyone's voice is heard, making sessions more interactive and memorable.

Whether you're conducting a business meeting, teaching a class, or running a workshop, Mentimeter adds that spark to make it lively, inclusive, and productive.

• Tools like word clouds and live polls keep the audience engaged
• Creates a sense of inclusivity and participation
• Versatile for various settings: work, education, or workshops
• Seamless integration with platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams
• There's a learning curve for those new to interactive presentation tools
• Some might wish for more customization in templates
• Free plan available
• Basic plan: $11.99 per presenter/month
• Pro plan: $24.99 per presenter/month
• Campus plan: Reach out to sales
• Discounts for teachers and students

Canva is more than just a presentation tool; it's a one-stop-shop for all your creative projects. Whether you've been designing for years or you're just dipping your toes, Canva's user-friendly interface makes the process a breeze.

From social media graphics to business cards, Canva has a template for almost everything, but presentations remain one of its strongest assets. Thanks to the drag-and-drop feature and a rich library of elements, there’s no fumbling around; just pick, place, and voila! Your design is ready.

Beyond just design, Canva promotes collaboration. Teams can come together, working on a project at the same time. And since it's cloud-based, you can access your designs anytime, anywhere.

• Wide range of design options for various needs
• Simple to use, great for both beginners and seasoned designers
• Work on your designs from any device with Internet access
• Solid free version to get you started
• Premium design elements are reserved for Pro users
• With so many design choices, it might feel a bit much for some
• Pro plan: $14.99 billed monthly or $119.99 billed annually
• Canva for Teams: Talk to sales
• Free for education and NGOs

4. Beautiful.ai

Beautiful.ai is a presentation tool that takes the guesswork out of presentation design. It starts you off with smart templates, so you're never faced with the scary blank slide.

As you add content, the platform’s AI adjusts everything – from layout spacing to color choices. It's like having a designer by your side, making sure your slides always look polished.

Need to collaborate? Share slides with your team and get everyone on the same page. Want to keep your brand consistent? The brand control feature guarantees your slides always match your company's look.

Beautiful.ai does most of the work for you, but you’re always in the driver’s seat.

• AI-driven design that simplifies slide creation
• Templates that adapt, making design intuitive
• Collaborate seamlessly with shared slides
• If you're a design purist, the automation might feel limiting
• Customization has its limits, so ultra-specific designs might need more tweaks
• Might not be the fit for super-detailed slide decks
• Free 14-day trial
• Pro plan: $12/month (billed annually)
• Team plan: $40/user/month (billed annually)
• For a single project: $45
• Enterprise plan: Talk to sales

5. Slidebean

Slidebean is a game-changer for those diving into the world of startups. It's an AI-driven platform that makes the process of crafting pitches easy.

Start with a basic outline using its user-friendly editor, and watch as Slidebean turns your content into slides that resonate.

While AI does the initial setup, you're always in control, tweaking slides or using their templates to shape your presentation just right.

• Tailored for startup challenges
• Perfect blend of AI automation and user customization
• Collaborate with experts to refine your pitch
• Might be too much for basic presentation needs
• Some design elements could use an update
• Basic plan: Free
• All-Access plan: $199 annually
• Accelerate plan: $499 annually

6. Zoho Show

Zoho Show is a presentation tool that effortlessly blends functionality with flair. Its intuitive interface lets you easily craft slides, and with a collection of over 100 templates, you're set for any occasion, be it a startup pitch or a business proposal.

Collaboration is a standout feature in Zoho Show. Work on slides in real-time, receive instant updates, and exchange feedback. Want to add a touch of creativity? There are animations, custom shapes, and multimedia options to explore.

Got an existing presentation? No worries. Slidebean smoothly imports PPTX, PPT, and other popular formats, making sure your transition is seamless.

• Simplified design for easy slide creation
• Real-time collaboration tools to keep teams in sync
• Compatible with popular presentation formats
• A price tag that's hard to beat: Free
• Template variety might feel limited to some
• There are tools with more advanced features out there

Visme is a go-to tool for building presentations from scratch using an extensive collection of industry-specific templates, which means that your content always feels fresh.

If visuals are your thing, Visme's got you covered with over 1.5 million crisp images, vibrant charts, and engaging data widgets. And, if you want to add a touch of your brand's essence, you can customize decks with your unique fonts and colors.

Plus, with handy tools like presenter notes and a special mode for presenting, you're all set to win over your audience, whether they're right in front of you or tuning in online.

Just a heads-up: while there's a sea of design choices, a few templates lean more towards style than clarity. But with a bit of tweaking, you'll find the sweet spot.

• Intuitive with a wide range of templates
• Team collaboration made easy
• Branding tools for that consistent look and feel
• Might be overwhelming for newcomers due to the variety of design choices
• Some designs prioritize style over clarity
• Premium features require a paid subscription
• Starter plan: $12.25/month (billed annually)
• Pro plan: $24.75/month (billed annually)
• Visme for Teams: Talk to sales

8. Microsoft Sway

Microsoft Sway is where creativity meets simplicity. This digital storytelling app is designed to help you craft interactive reports, presentations, newsletters, and more.

Its built-in design engine makes your content look professional, whether you're using images, text, videos, or other multimedia. The best part? Sway makes sure your creations are optimized for any screen size.

Plus, with seamless integration with Office 365, you can easily transform content from Word or OneNote into a dynamic Sway presentation.

• Easily integrates with Office 365 tools
• Adapts to any screen for optimal viewing
• Share or co-edit with just a URL
• Requires a Microsoft account to use
• Limited customization options
• Cannot be used offline
• Available with Office 365 subscriptions; the price depends on your plan
• Specific details can be found on the Microsoft Office website

9. DesignCap

DesignCap is a versatile platform that brings your visual ideas to life. Need a captivating presentation? Or perhaps an infographic that speaks volumes? DesignCap's got you covered.

Explore its template library, and you'll find designs tailored for every occasion. But it's not just about templates. With a variety of stock images, icons, and customizable modules, you have all the tools at your fingertips to craft unique visuals.

The best part? Its intuitive interface means you spend less time figuring things out and more time designing.

• Variety of resources: stock images, icons, and customizable modules
• Intuitive drag-and-drop design experience
• Affordable pricing makes it perfect for beginners
• Better suited for beginners, as it lacks more advanced features
• It’s more geared towards creating flyers than presentations
• Limited image bank
• Basic plan: $4.99/month (or $59.88 billed annually)
• Plus plan: $5.99/month (or $71.88 billed annually)

Ludus is a presentation tool that focuses on teamwork. Whether you're collaborating in real-time or sharing resources among teams, Ludus makes the process easier.

Dive into their platform, and you'll find a range of features, from templates to start with or the option to create from the ground up. Ludus comes with a rich set of tools, including the ability to integrate content from platforms like YouTube, Unsplash, and design apps like Figma.

Want to add a personal touch? Record your voice over your slides. Plus, with live collaboration and custom blocks, Ludus gives you the flexibility to design the perfect presentation.

• Real-time collaboration for team projects
• Integrations with platforms like YouTube, Unsplash, and Figma
• Custom domains for a branded presentation experience
• Advanced design tools for creative freedom
• Slight learning curve for those new to the platform
• Extensive feature set could be overwhelming for those seeking basics
• Some users might experience performance issues with content-heavy presentations
• 30-day free trial
• Teams of 1-15 people: $149.99/year
• Teams of 16 people and over: Talk to sales

Vyond is your go-to platform for making animated videos that turn complex messages into relatable tales. With a wide collection of templates, it's a breeze to create anything, from a corporate presentation to an explainer video or an educational clip.

But, Vyond doesn't just stop at animations; it lets you enhance your stories with a blend of photos, videos, and even 3D elements. And if you've got a unique voice to share? You can use their voice-over tools and create customizable characters to match your narrative.

• A variety of templates for every story you want to tell
• Enrich animations thanks to content integrations
• Voice-over tools and character customization to make your story truly yours
• Premium features might stretch your budget
• There's a learning curve, especially if you're new to video editing
• Basic plans are limited to single users
• Essential plan: $25/month for 1 user (billed annually)
• Premium plan: $54/month for 1 user (billed annually)
• Professional plan: $92/month per user (billed annually)
• Enterprise plan: Contact sales for details

12. Powtoon

Powtoon is where creativity meets animation. This platform lets you create lively presentations and videos, blending your messages with vibrant animations.

With Powtoon's intuitive drag-and-drop interface, even those without a design background can whip up eye-catching animations in no time. For a personal touch, you can also integrate voice-overs, embed videos, or even play around with customizable characters to make your content pop.

And if you're aiming for a unique look, Powtoon lets you tweak characters down to their outfits. Once you're set, exporting your creations as videos means your story can reach audiences far and wide.

• Customize characters to resonate with your narrative
• More cost-effective than hiring a professional video agency
• Versatile enough for various industries and purposes
• No free version on offer
• Custom character features exclusive to the Business plan
• Seasoned designers might need more advanced animation options
• Lite plan: $15/month (billed annually)
• Professional plan: $40/month (billed annually)
• Business plan: $125/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise plans: Reach out to sales

13. FlowVella

FlowVella offers a fresh approach to slide design, allowing you to stitch together text, images, and videos into a cohesive narrative.

But it doesn't stop there. You can also embed interactive links and galleries, giving your audience the opportunity to be a part of the journey. Need to share detailed data? No worries, as you can easily incorporate PDFs.

And for those looking to transform public spaces like museums or exhibitions, FlowVella's feature to turn iPads into interactive kiosks is a game-changer.

• Intuitive editor that's easy to use
• Functions both offline and online for flexibility
• The option to share presentations with custom URLs
• The free tier includes FlowVella's branding
• Might leave design pros wanting a bit more
• Premium plan: $60/year (billed annually)
• Pro plan: $200/year (billed annually)

14. SlideDog

SlideDog is a presentation tool that blends various presentation elements for a smooth delivery. Think about merging PowerPoints, Prezis, PDFs, and other media without the awkwardness of toggling between programs.

It lets you curate a playlist of all your presentation elements, with a smooth transition between each. No more awkward pauses or switching between apps. Plus, its live sharing feature means your audience can tune in from their devices in real-time.

And if you're looking to set up continuous slideshows in public spaces, SlideDog doubles up as a digital signage solution.

• Combine diverse file types into a single presentation
• Boost engagement with real-time sharing
• Manage your presentation from any device with web access
• On-the-fly edits can be a bit challenging
• Available exclusively for Windows users
• Monthly plan: $19 for 2 seats
• Annual plan: $99 for 2 seats (first year, with a 20% renewal discount)
• Lifetime plan: $299 for 2 seats

Pitch is a presentation platform that's all about efficiency, collaboration, and aesthetics. Whether you're starting with a template or crafting from scratch, Pitch offers smart editing features to guide your creative process. Each slide becomes a visual journey, enriched with photos, icons, and videos.

Teamwork is a breeze with real-time editing and feedback loops. And once you're ready to share? Just send a link and tap into the power of real-time analytics to understand how your content resonates with your audience.

• Collaborate in real-time with ease
• Affordable, making it a top pick for individuals or small businesses
• Analytics panel offers insights into how your presentation is received
• Limited range of templates
• Lacks AI assistance
• Advanced analytics require a plan upgrade
• Starter plan: Free
• Pro plan: $8/member per month
• Enterprise plan: Contact sales

How to choose the best PowerPoint alternative for your needs?

Navigating the world of presentation tools can be a bit overwhelming, especially with so many great options out there. But don't worry, here's a simple guide to help you pinpoint the best fit based on your specific needs:

For personal use

When it's just you, or perhaps a small group, you'll want a tool that's straightforward, yet versatile. Look for platforms that offer a range of templates, are user-friendly, and won’t break the bank.

Tools like DesignCap and Canva shine here. They come with intuitive interfaces and a variety of design options, making it easy to craft presentations, even if you're not a design pro.

For business

In the business world, presentations often serve as a bridge between you and potential clients, investors, or stakeholders. You'll need a platform that's not only visually appealing but also offers features like analytics, real-time edits, and integration options.

Storydoc is a front-runner here. Its AI-powered design capabilities and focus on storytelling make sure that your presentations are not only informative but also unforgettable. Plus, with features like CRM integrations and robust analytics, you're always a step ahead.

For education

Engagement is the cornerstone of effective learning. Tools that offer multimedia embeds, interactive quizzes, and dynamic animations are essential.

Mentimeter shines in this space, offering a range of education templates, the option to host Q&A sessions, brainstorm ideas, and gather immediate feedback from students.

Interactive presentation templates

Ditching PowerPoint doesn't mean you're diving into the unknown. Interactive presentation templates are your safety net, making your shift seamless and straightforward.

These templates are designed to feel familiar right off the bat, so you won't spend ages trying to figure things out. They're not your typical PowerPoint slides either. They come packed with stylish designs, captivating interactive features, and a flow that naturally steers your storytelling.

Grab one and see for yourself.

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Rock Your School Presentation: Best Alternatives to Powerpoint

Does anyone actually want to sit through another boring Powerpoint presentation? Powerpoint presentations went out of fashion maybe four decades ago. (What? Of course I know that Powerpoint was only founded in 1990.)

Anyways! Here is a list of eight Powerpoint alternatives sure to make your big presentation a hit!  

This is one of the more popular Powerpoint alternatives, this is a dynamic presentation software that’s beautiful to look at and fairly easy to customize! (Oh no, I’m starting to sound like a commercial again… )

Prezi is cloud-based, syncable across all your devices, and it already has 50 million users! All of its presentations involve a lot of motion–zooming in, sliding sideways, etc–so it’s easy to keep your audience engaged. Plus, the blank template basically allows you endless possibilities as far as design goes.  

2) Slidedog

This is a seamless presentation software which can really keep your classmates on their toes! Slidedog is different from other presentation-makers because it’s basically a playlist of your digital media. It’s not exactly a slideshow-maker, but you can integrate previous Prezi or Powerpoint files into your Slidedog playlist–plus any other files you want to include. You can even have your classmates follow along on their own tablets or computers–and have them respond to polls, etc.  

This is a different take on presentations–instead of a traditional slideshow, Animoto lets you create an engaging video slideshow for your next project! This one’s pretty cool–and it can still be pretty flexible. It’s technically a video, but that doesn’t mean you can’t talk during your presentation. You can pre-record your voice for your slideshow (using a separate program) or mute the volume and talk live. There are tons of sample presentations on the website, and they’re all beautiful.  It’s also an app, so you can work on this on your phone or tablet!  

Yet another video creation website that can help you make some dynamic presentations! WeVideo is pretty easy to use and employs a storyboard-style development process which is easy for beginners to use. Better yet–if you’re working on a group project, WeVideo has a collaboration feature, so your friends can pitch in. Let’s just hope you don’t end up like this poor girl.

Canva is kind of like a Renaissance man–er, website. It’s a little bit of everything. You can create flyers, posters, graphics, etc–but for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on its presentation-creating software. It’s amazingly simple to design clean, visually-pleasing slideshows with this website. You can collaborate with anyone, anywhere–and design across platforms on its app.  

Powtoon is really, really awesome. This is another video presentation website, but the difference here is that you can customize fun animations into your video. You can animate  figures to talk and present an idea… You can literally make your bullet points pop and move and captivate your audience. The options are endless. The result is a nifty, engaging video that you can have lots of fun with. There are over 11 million Powtoons created so far, so they’re obviously doing something right–try it out!  

7) Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is an absolutely gorgeous and easy-to-use presentation maker! Really painless and especially useful if you’re in a rush and don’t have time to learn and use something more complex. Making presentations on this site is actually–dare I say–fun? You can work on either your computer or iPad; select from tons of eye-catching images; and browse through the Gallery to get inspired by other presentations.  

Okay, this one is a really cool find. Using Projeqt , you can make non-linear presentations by connecting live tweets, blog feeds, Youtube videos, audio notes, etc. You can weave together multiple presentations and customize this across multiple platforms. It’s pretty easy to use, and it’ll definitely make you stand out, as opposed to a typical Powerpoint presentation.  

Part of really setting yourself apart in the classroom (and eventually in the workforce!) is constantly seeking newer and better ways to accomplish a task. If you really want to get that “A” while flooring your teacher in your next presentation, trying one of these out (or something else new) might serve you well!

Did it work out well for you? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear your success stories.

Maddi is currently a high school junior in southern California. She is an avid freelance writer and has been featured in multiple literary publications and anthologies. When she isn’t writing, she loves traveling, doodling, and most of all, sleeping. Through her own experience and passion, she hopes to help guide fellow students through the roller coaster that is SAT and college admissions…that is, as long as she survives the journey herself!

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2 responses to “Rock Your School Presentation: Best Alternatives to Powerpoint”

Hey  Slideflight is also a great tool which send your presentation to the smartphones of your classmates 🙂 

At first, I had no options… NOW I HAVE TOO MAANNNYYYY!

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• Creating Presentations
• Last Updated: August 16, 2022

7 Popular PowerPoint Alternatives to Make Your Presentations Sparkle

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If you’re creating an online course , then you may be considering producing lecture-style videos. Often these videos will use PowerPoint. It’s a great piece of software offered by Microsoft Office and used by millions around the globe.

There’s a certain look and feel to many PowerPoint presentations, however, with a little effort, you can create something unique with this tool. If you don’t like PowerPoint or just want something different, then take a look at the PowerPoint alternatives we’ve rounded up here.

Table of Contents

Moovly Studio  provides web-based tools to create unique presentations and videos. It’s also an animation presentation software program, cloud-based, and absolutely free. Additionally, the Moovly App is available for both iOS and Android mobile devices.

In comparison, the mobile app gives you access to a variety of pre-animated templates, fully customizable, like the desktop version. While their mobile application allows for viewing, editing, presenting, recording, capturing, uploading and cloud syncing on-the-go, it does not include the Video Generator. The Video Generator automatically generates video presentations from other content videos from any source. Unlike standard PowerPoint presentations, Moovly adds creative flair to your message and aids to engage your audience more efficiently.

Subscription and education  plans range from a free trial to customized annual billing.

Top Moovly Features:

• Complete HTML5 cloud-based editor
• Over 1 million free videos, images, and sounds
• Over 170 million premium videos, images, and sounds
• Social media publishing
• Download and export capability
• Video quality up to HD 1080p
• The ability to create templates
• Numerous group features
• Multiple account option

Next up is Keynote, Apple’s version of presentation software. It’s a powerful PowerPoint alternative which comes as part of Apple’s iWork Office Suite. In more ways than one, Keynote features resemble PowerPoint. Comparable to PowerPoint, Keynote allows for unique effects and transitions of slides. It also comes with pre-made templates. On the other hand, Keynote remains a slightly more advanced PowerPoint alternative, due to its high-quality models, interactive templates, and cloud-based services.

With its brilliant effects and powerful tools, Apple’s Keynote resources allow for a compelling presentation. Unlike PowerPoint, Keynote’s clean interface, and critical tools stand front and center.  Subsequently, team members can easily edit and add text, charts, photos or cinematic effects effortlessly. With current slides, clock, and notes all in one view, Keynote lets you rehearse on the go with your iPad or iPhone.

While this PowerPoint alternative provides productive tools, pre-made templates exceed completely customizable options, and only MAC users benefit from this software. Nonetheless, Keynote remains a  PowerPoint friendly software  which supports importing and editing of PowerPoint files.

The software comes with MAC OS X Mavericks free, otherwise, you may purchase Keynote for under $20.

Top Keynote Features:

• Over 30 eye-catching themes give your presentations a professional look
• 30+ cinematic transitions and effects
• Over 700 customizable shapes
• Instant sync with Apple devices
• Real-time, live presentations people can view while in different locations
• Compatible with Apple Pencil
• Collaborate with anyone anywhere around the world

Engaging, persuasive, and more effective than PowerPoint is the interactive tool, Prezi. Prezi is a PowerPoint alternative that zooms in and out of subtopics instead of multiple slides. It’s a powerful tool for people who are not presentation designers. Like Moovly, designers can create and collaborate in the cloud or on the desktop.

Unlike PowerPoint, Prezi presentations allow users to organize presentations as a whole. The program incorporates Smart Structures which make it easy to arrange content with a simple drag-and-drop, without disrupting the layout. Although Prezi is effective, efficient, and an excellent alternative to PowerPoint, it needs time to master. Prezi tutorials  are completely free, and the software comes with a 30-day free trial.

Top Prezi Features:

• Accessible over multiple platforms
• Available offline
• Create and collaborate in the cloud

4. Haiku Deck

Create amazing presentations easily on the web, iPad or iPhone with Haiku Deck. Although  Haiku Deck  is an acceptable alternative to PowerPoint, it’s extremely simplistic and offers limited customizable features. Haiku Deck allows presenters to add images, insert text, choose a master layout, insert new slides, present and export presentations for free.

In over 21,000 schools, Haiku Deck makes presentations fast, easy and professional-looking for educators and students. Haiku Deck provides teachers with sample student presentations, tips for the classroom and information blogging with their software.

Haiku Deck Classroom  makes classroom integration easy and affordable with their classroom management dashboard. It’s possible to share with LMS systems, course galleries for presentation viewing, and the optional combination of Google Classroom.

Top Haiku Deck Features:

• Simple to use
• Popular tool for educators and students
• Built-in professional guide for professional slides every time

Another of the top PowerPoint alternatives, is Visme. Visme has the reputation of creating the most engaging presentation designs that catch people’s eyes. For instance, it provides icons, graphs, and charts, and allows for uploading video and audio files into the present design.

Comparable to  Canva , Visme has over 100 fonts, millions of free images, and numerous templates to choose from. In addition to stunning flexible templates, Visme allows for full control and interactivity. You can change your presentation and objects to fit specific needs. Designers can add interactivity and links to different objects.

Visme built-in analytics feature time spent and views. Unless a person pays for outside analytics that measures content performance, this service might not be readily accessible. Likewise, this platform syncs with MailChimp allowing users to collect emails from those who visit their content.

Unfortunately, users may only create three presentations free, and they include the Visme watermark. Visme logo does not appear in the presentation after purchasing an upgrade. Pricing for premium templates varies from about $14 to $75 per month, not including customizable business and educational plans.

Top Visme Features:

• Powerful interactivity platform
• Hundreds of pre-designed professional templates
• Millions of images, icons and fonts
• One click share and download

6. SlideDog

Although a few identify  SlideDog  as an alternative to PowerPoint, it does provide a different perspective in comparison to traditional presentations. Unlike other presentation platforms, SlideDog allows for smooth integration of PowerPoints, Prezi, PDF documents and various other elements into your presentation. With such a unique platform, the presenter never has to switch between various programs during a presentation. SlideDog does not misformat playlists, and each screen displays as expected. After uploading documents, content replays as one seamless file.

Prezi and SlideDog both focus on interactive presentations, but SlideDog raises this to another level. Presenters have the option of audience feedback via live chat or questionnaire. SlideDog has a long list of features which also include real-time sharing, remote control via  SlideDog remote app , live stream presentations, three categories of interactive elements, and dual screen support. Above all, this professional software alternative is free with the option of a Pro license.

Top SlideDog Features:

• Supports various file uploads
• Presentation feedback, polls and live chat interactive tools
• Live stream presentations
• SlideDog app remote control
• Customizable playlists

7. Google Slides

Lastly, Google Slides offers several advantages over PowerPoint. Built for collaboration,  Google Slides  allows team members to make edits that sync instantly. Due to its web-based structure, files easily back-up into the cloud with instant access via any device. While PowerPoint files are simple to import, they often require some rework. The more complex the imported PowerPoint file, the more modification required.

Nonetheless, with Google Slides, you can build professional training modules, project presentations, pitch decks and more. Even better, no special software is needed, and each change is automatically saved. If you choose to take advantage of  Google Slides tutorials , learning basic software navigation takes approximately 10 minutes.

When Google Slides first launched, it was an unpopular alternative because viewing presentations outside of PowerPoint was unusual. However, this disadvantage is slowly fading as technological understanding increases. Furthermore, the software is compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint, ODP, Text file, PDF, JPEG, Png and Scalable Vector Graphics. Although user-friendly alternatives come recommended, people have successfully created engaging professional-looking presentations with Google Slides.

Top Google Slides Features:

• Variety of portfolios, pitches and pre-made presentations
• Access, create, and edit presentation from anywhere on phone, tablet or computer
• Offline access
• Multi-user, same-time access with auto sync
• Compatible with PowerPoint
• Free Google Slides Learning Center

If you’re planning on creating a presentation and want to wow your viewers, consider one of the PowerPoint alternatives listed above. Whatever tool you decide to use, it’s probably wise to stick with it until you master it. That’s because mastery of presentation software will only lead you to create better presentations with every new project you complete!

Lisa Parmley

Lisa Parmley is the founder of coursemethod.com. After gaining a Master's degree, she worked in research for about seven years. She started a training company in 2001, offering a course helping people pass a professional exam. That course has earned multiple 7 figures. She created SEO and authority site building training around 2007 which went on to earn well into the 6-figure mark.

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Blog > Interactive PowerPoint presentations in class

Interactive PowerPoint presentations in class

03.08.2023   •  #powerpoint #tips.

Presentations can be a great way to make your lessons exciting and informative and to informative and to better communicate information to your students. Many students do not feel engaged and integrated enough with normal presentations. To increase the attention span and arouse enthusiasm, interactive elements such as quizzes, word clouds or feedback rounds can help, to significantly increase learning success.

Common problems that arise during presentations in class

Presentations are a central element of the learning process, but they often involve challenges that need to be overcome. We have highlighted four common problems that often accompany presentations in class:

1. Lack of interaction

Standard PowerPoint presentations offer limited opportunities for audience interaction and engagement. They lack features to gather feedback or answer questions in real time and respond to requests.

2. Student passivity

Students are often forced into a passive role when the focus is only on the slides and the presenter simply delivers them in a heavy-handed manner.

3. Time managementt

Creating good presentations can take a lot of time and can be a difficult task for some.

4. Information Overload

Too much information at once, without a break can overwhelm and scare away younger students in particular. It's hard to focus on what's important and grasp the key messages.

4 ideas for interactive presentations in classes

Interactive presentations demonstrably increase learning success and retention. This is also confirmed by a study of the Keele University . The results here show very clearly to what extent involving the audience increases attention as well as knowledge transfer. It was found that the grades of the participants improved by 3.7%, as well as and the failure rate was reduced by 4.4% over the whole school year. were reduced.

1. Interactive classroom engagement

Students can ask questions anonymously and provide interactive feedback. This encourages active participation in the classroom and creates an open learning environment. Teachers could respond spontaneously to questions or interesting discussion points and customize lessons.

Here are some ways to better engage students in the classroom:

• Voting on the desired teaching material : Teachers can include an interactive survey where students choose from a variety of topics they would like to learn more about in class. This allows students to help shape the lesson and contribute their interests.
• Surveys in which subject areas the students need more support : Teachers can start a survey to identify areas where students are having difficulty or need more explanation. This can help to tailor the lessons to the needs of the students.
• Anonymous questions about ambiguities in specific subject areas : For example, students can use SlideLizard to anonymously ask questions about topics they didn't fully understand. These questions can then be discussed in class to clarify misunderstandings and deepen understanding.

2. Brainstorming and unleashing creativity

Interactive slides enable teachers and students to collaboratively brainstorming sessions into the presentation, and to create a presentation. The feature allows ideas to be collected and structured on virtual pinboards. and structure them. The result is an interactive collaboration that unleashes creativity and promotes the exchange of ideas. encourages.

Here are some ideas on how to incorporate brainstorming in the classroom:

• Brainstorming for possible solutions : When addressing complex problems or challenges, teachers can ask students to brainstorm different solutions together on an interactive slide. This encourages teamwork and creative thinking.
• Collection of ideas for projects : Teachers can use an interactive slide where students can collect creative ideas for upcoming projects. These ideas can then be discussed and developed together.
• Solutions for social challenges : Students can brainstorm and discuss ideas for addressing real-world social problems such as poverty, inequality, or pollution.

3. Learning with quizzes

Interactive quizzes are a highlight of PowerPoint presentations. Teachers can check what students have already learned in a playful way and track the learning success. The students in turn experience a motivating sense of achievement when they answer the quiz questions correctly. This makes the learning process not only entertaining, but also effective.

Here are some concrete ideas for how teachers can use quizzes in a meaningful way in the classroom:

• Short knowledge tests during the presentation : Teachers can include a short quiz after each section of a presentation to ensure that students understand the key concepts before moving on to the next section.
• Preparation for exams : Teachers can create more comprehensive quizzes that cover the entire subject matter and help students prepare for upcoming exams.
• Continuous knowledge checks : Teachers can create regular, short quizzes to ensure that knowledge learned builds and deepens consistently over time.

4. Flexibility in teaching through discussions

Additional slides can also be used or set aside to be be flexible to the needs of the students. Teachers can react spontaneously to respond spontaneously to questions or interesting discussion points and individually.

Here are some ways teachers can use discussions to engage students more fully in the classroom:

• Small group discussions : Teachers can divide students into small groups and have them discuss on different slides. Each group can then present their findings or conclusions.
• Feedback and reflexion : After a presentation or lecture, teachers can ask questions on a slide that encourage students to reflect on what they have heard. These questions can then be discussed together.
• Visualize discussions as a word cloud : The students' contributions and thoughts from a discussion can be visualized on a slide as a word cloud. Frequently mentioned words are displayed larger, which draws the focus to dominant topics or trends. This provides a visual summary of the discussion and encourages analysis of the most important aspects.

Tips: Create interactive presentations

One tool that can help you create interactive presentations is SlideLizard. SlideLizard offers a wide range of interactive features, such as word clouds, polls, quizzes or feedback rounds for your teaching. You can integrate the interactive slides directly into your PowerPoint presentation and the results of polls or word clouds during the lesson are automatically visualized in real time. Learn more about interactive teaching with SlideLizard here.

Using interactive PowerPoint presentations with SlideLizard allows teachers to take teaching to a new level and overcome these problems. By combining word clouds, quizzes, interactive feedback sessions, and brainstorming sessions, SlideLizard creates an inspiring learning environment where students can actively participate in the classroom and unlock their potential. Let's use this creative and innovative approach to unleash the potential of visual connection and take teaching in schools to a new level. Learning can be so much fun!

Related articles

About the author.

Annika Fachberger

Annika is dedicated to graphics and videos. At SlideLizard she supports the design team with her creative ideas.

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Persuasive presentations.

A persuasive presentation is made, for example, to introduce an amendment. There are usually several options to choose from. It is particularly important to provide good arguments and reasons.

Hybrid Audience

A mix between in-person and virtual participants for an event or a lecture is called a hybrid audience. Working with a hybrid audience may be challenging, as it requires the presenter to find ways to engage both the live and the virtual audience.

Eulogy Speech

A eulogy speech is given at a funeral. It is given by familiy members or friends of the deceased. The aim is to say goodbye and pay tribute to the person who has passed away.

Written Communication

The goal of written communication is to spread messages clear and explicit. Written Communication can be: emails, a contract, a memo, a text message or a Facebook Post.

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The best presentation software

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 been using 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 the top presentation software solutions out there to bring you the best of the best.

Beautiful.ai for AI-powered design

Prezi for non-linear, conversational presentations

Powtoon for video presentations

Genially for interactive, presenter-less presentations

Pitch for collaborating with your team on presentations

Zoho Show for a simple presentation app

Gamma for generative AI features

What makes the best presentation app?

How we evaluate and test apps.

Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog .

When looking for the best presentation apps, I wanted utility players. After all, slideshows are used for just about everything, from pitch decks and product launches to class lectures and church sermons. With that in mind, here's what I was looking for:

Pre-built templates. The best presentation tools should have attractive, professional-looking templates to build presentations in a hurry.

Sharing and collaboration options. Whether you plan to share your webinar slides later, or you just want to collaborate with a coworker on a presentation, it should be easy to share files and collaborate in real-time.

Flexibility and customization options. Templates are great, but top presentation apps should enable you to customize just about everything—giving you the flexibility to build exactly what you need.

Affordability. Creating compelling presentations is important, but you shouldn't have to bust your budget to make it happen. With capable free tools on the market, affordability is a top consideration.

Standalone functionality. There's no reason to use multiple tools when one can do it all, so I didn't test any apps that require and work on top of another presentation app like PowerPoint or Google Slides.

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

While many apps now offer AI features in one way or another, I found many of these features to be lacking still—they're often slow, struggle to pull in relevant imagery, and yield wildly inconsistent designs. For that reason, I opted not to make AI features a strict requirement (for now!), and I've still included apps that don't offer AI. (Of course, if you opt for one of those, you can still easily get AI-generated images from a separate tool and copy them into your presentation app of choice.)

Beyond that, I also looked for presentation apps that brought something unique to the table—features above and beyond what you can get for free from a legacy solution like PowerPoint or Google Slides. (And I opted not to test any brand new apps that are still in beta, since there are so many established options out there.)

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, interactive content, and more. With that, these are the best presentation apps I found—each one really brings something different or radically easy to the table.

The best presentation software: at a glance

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

Canva pros:

Excellent free plan

Tons of amazing templates for all use cases

Feature-rich

Canva cons:

The Magic Design AI tool is still inconsistent and not super impressive

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.

Canvas has added a number of AI-powered tools , but I wasn't super impressed by them yet. When I asked the Magic Design tool to generate a presentation from scratch, for example, the result was a bunch of unrelated images, inconsistent design, and surface-level copy. These features will likely improve in time, but for now, you're better off starting from one of Canva's many great templates.

Canva pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $119.99/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

Beautiful.ai (web, mac, windows).

Beautiful.ai pros:

True AI design

No fussing around with alignment

Still allows for customization

Beautiful.ai cons:

No free plan

Generative AI features aren't great yet

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 UX 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 23 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 did test the newly released generative AI feature (called DesignerBot) and felt it wasn't much to write home about. 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 generate a quality presentation from scratch.

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

If you're a founder looking for an AI presentation tool for your pitch deck, Slidebean is a great Beautiful.ai alternative for startups. The app offers a number of templates; a unique, content-first outline editor; and AI design help that you can toggle on or off for each slide. I didn't include it on the list mainly because of the price: the free plan is quite limited, and the paid all-access plan starts at $228/year.

The best presentation app for conversational presentations

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

Prezi pros:

Doesn't restrict you to standard presentation structure

Lots of customization options

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

Prezi cons:

Steep learning curve

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

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

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

Prezi pricing: Free 14-day trial and a free plan that includes up to 5 visual projects; paid plans start at $5/month and include additional features like private presentations and Prezi Present.

The best presentation app for video presentations

Powtoon (web, ios, android).

Powtoon pros:

Timing automatically changes based on the content on the slide

Can toggle between slideshow and video

Can orient presentation as horizontal, vertical, or square

Powtoon cons:

Limited free plan

Powtoon makes it easy to create engaging videos by orienting the editor around a slide deck. Editing a Powtoon feels just like editing a presentation, but by the time you finish, you have a professional video. 

You can edit your slides at any time, and when you hit play, a video plays through your deck—the feel is almost like an animated explainer video. Each slide includes the animations you choose and takes up as much time as is needed based on the content on the slide. Powtoon figures the timing automatically, and you can see in the bottom-right of the editor how much time is used on your current slide versus the total presentation. If you ever want to present as a slide deck, just toggle between Slideshow and Movie.

You'll likely need to subscribe to a paid plan to get the most out of Powtoon—like creating videos longer than three minutes, downloading them as MP4 files, and white-labeling your presentations—but doing so won't break the bank. Plus, you'll unlock tons of templates complete with animations and soundtracks.

One of my favorite Powtoon features is the ability to orient your video: you can choose horizontal orientation (like a normal presentation) or opt for vertical (for mobile) or square (for social media). When your presentation is ready, you can publish straight to YouTube, Wistia, Facebook Ads, and any number of other locations.

Powtoon pricing: Limited free plan available; paid plans start at $20/month and include white-labeling, priority support, additional storage, and more.

The best presentation app for interactive presentations

Genially (web).

Genially pros:

Don't need a presenter (it's interactive)

You can set universal branding guidelines

Unlimited creations on the free plan

Genially cons:

Free plan has some limitations worth looking into (e.g., can only make public presentations)

While many presentation apps are built for presenter-led decks, Genially 's interactive features and animated templates make it easy to build a self-led presentation. A variety of interactive buttons allow you to show viewers additional context on hover, have them skip to any page of your deck, and let them navigate to external links.

This presentation program offers a bunch of searchable templates, including some for business proposals, reports, social media presentations, and more (though most of those are available on premium plans only). Genially also includes Smart blocks —templated blocks of content for elements like data visualizations and image galleries.

My favorite feature is the brand settings. Premium users can set universal branding guidelines that include your logo, color scheme, fonts, images, and backgrounds, among other options. Think of them like a custom template, created and customized by you, that the whole team can use. Once set, your team can easily create on-brand presentations that automatically apply your brand settings, without even thinking about it.

Plus, Genially supports additional content like training materials, infographics, and interactive images—all subject to your brand presets.

Genially pricing: Free plan available with unlimited creations and views and access to templates; paid plans start at $7.49/month and include additional download options, privacy controls, offline viewing, premium templates, and more.

The best presentation app for collaborating with your team

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

Pitch pros:

Google levels of collaboration

Assign slides to specific team members

Start live video calls straight from decks

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, react, 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.

The "Go live" feature is a personal favorite—with just a click on the camera icon in the top-right, you can start a live video call. Any team members who open the presentation can hop in and collaborate in real-time. 

Pitch pricing: Free plan offers unlimited presentations, custom templates, and live video collaboration; paid plans start at $8/user/month for additional workspace features, presentation analytics, and more.

The best simple presentation app

Zoho show (web, ios, android, chrome).

Zoho Show pros:

Simple and easy to use

Version history and ability to lock slides

Completely free

Zoho Show cons:

Templates are pretty basic

If you're looking for a simple, yet capable presentation app that's a step up from Google Slides, Zoho Show is a great option. It's completely free to use, offers a clean, intuitive editor, and includes a number of great templates.

While the handful of "Themes" offered are on the basic side, Zoho templates boast a more modern and professional design than much of what Google Slides or PowerPoint offer. And I love that you can set the font and color scheme for the whole template, right from the start.

The app doesn't skimp on collaboration or shareability either. You can invite collaborators via email or shareable link, and comments and version history make it easy to work together on presentations. Once you're ready to share, you can even broadcast your presentation to a remote audience right from within Zoho. Plus, you can one-click lock slides to prevent any more editing or hide individual slides to customize your presentation for different audiences.

You can even connect Zoho Show to Zapier , so you can do things like automatically create a presentation when something happens in one of the other apps you use most.

Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with 6,000+ apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization's technology stack. Learn more .

Zoho Show pricing: Free

The best presentation app for generative AI

Gamma (web).

Gamma pros:

Creates fully fleshed-out presentations from a prompt

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 generative 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 produced the most useful jumping-off point of all the AI presentation apps I tested. 

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

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

Gamma pricing: Free plan includes unlimited users, 1 custom theme, 400 AI deck credits, and basic view analytics; upgrade to the Pro plan ("coming soon," as of this writing) for $10/user/month to get additional AI credits, advanced view analytics, custom fonts, and more.

What about the old standbys?

You might notice a few major presentation players aren't on this list, including OGs Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Google Slides. These apps are perfectly adequate for creating basic presentations, and they're free if you have a Windows or Mac device or a Google account.

I didn't include them on the list because the presentation space has really developed in the last several years, and after testing them out, I found these behemoths haven't kept pace. If they weren't made by Microsoft/Apple/Google, I might not even be mentioning them. They're pretty basic tools, they're behind the curve when it comes to templates (both quantity and design), and they don't offer any uniquely valuable features like robust team collaboration, branding controls, video, and so on.

Some of these companies (think: Microsoft and Google) are openly working on some pretty impressive-sounding AI features, but they haven't been widely released to the public yet. Rest assured, I'm watching this space, and the next time we update this article, I'll retest tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides to see what new features are available.

In any case, if you're reading this, you're probably looking for an alternative that allows you to move away from one of the big 3, and as the presentation platforms featured above show, there's a ton to gain—in terms of features, usability, and more—when you do.

Related reading:

8 Canva AI tools to improve your design workflow

The best online whiteboards for collaboration

How to share a presentation on Zoom without sharing your browser tabs and address bar

This post was originally published in October 2014 and has since been updated with contributions from Danny Schreiber, Matthew Guay, Andrew Kunesh, and Krystina Martinez. The most recent update was in May 2023.

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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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I Used To Create Long Slideshows. Here's 4 Things I Do Instead

Here are 4 alternatives to PowerPoint slideshows that are more engaging and easier to implement.

For a while now my LinkedIn bio has began, “I'm an educator, journalist, author, and recovering PowerPoint user.” 

It's true. A few years ago, I vowed never to use PowerPoint or any similar slideshow for my presentations and lectures. This was in part due to an honest self-assessment: I was objectively bad at creating any. No matter how hard I tried not to, I violated every rule in the avoiding death by PowerPoint handbook. My slides were text heavy and visually unappealing, powered by equal parts insecurity and the self-aggrandizing fear that I might leave out something "important.” 

On top of these personal failings, I realized that I disliked the vast majority of slideshows I had to sit through. Even the rare good ones I've seen still suffer from near-constant technical difficulties. (I estimate that the fail rate of a slideshow presented in a new location is 90+ percent.) We’ve all seen a frustrated presenter clicking in vain at a screen frozen on one slide, or showing up to a lecture only to find they didn’t have access to the projector, even though the organizer said they would. 

Finally, my sense is that slideshows can encourage participants to be less active and engaged as they just wait for the link to the slideshow or take photos of the slides. This likely hurts learning as research shows that when students take notes they learn more than when they photograph or revisit slides .  

For all these reasons, I’ve stopped using PowerPoint and other slideshows. Here are the techniques I use in my classes as alternatives to slideshows. I find these methods not only to be more effective and engaging, they’re also easier for me to put together. These also foster more discussion and allow for more spontaneity than traditional slideshows. 

1. Slideshow Alternatives: Handouts 

It’s basic. It’s low-tech. But it works!

While printing for large groups isn’t practical and a waste of paper, when presenting workshops for a small number of participants, I find handing out a packet outlining the highlights and key portions of my presentation can be a great strategy. If I am actually able to gain access to the projector in the room, as the organizers told me I would be able to, I will throw the presentation up on the screen. If not, it’s no big deal. 

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An additional advantage is the handout gives participants something tactile to hold onto and use to take notes. I’ve also found old handouts from presentations I’ve long since attended and that can be a nice reminder of a positive educational experience. 

2. QR Codes 

The digital successor the print handout, QR codes let me quickly create a handout in Google Docs, then generate a code for it, and share with students or lecture participants. I end up looking like a tech genius but this is easier than connecting to WiFi at Starbucks! 

Using QR codes has most of the same advantages of a print handout except it saves paper and requires less pre-planning on my part. I generate the QR code using Google Chrome’s QR code generator, which is integrated into Chrome, but there are many free QR code generators available. 

Once the code is generated, if I am actually able to gain access to the projector in the room (as the organizers promised!), I can share it on the screen. If not -- as you might be beginning to suspect has happened to me more than once -- I can share it from my phone, my laptop, or if I really want to get fancy, from a printed flyer. 

3. Surveys and Quizzes  

Generating a quick survey about the topic you are speaking of can be an interesting way for students or participants in a workshop to learn from one another. It also helps you determine where your audience is coming from, and gets them actively involved in the discussion. Short quizzes provide similar benefits and, in addition, pre-testing and quizzing has been shown to help participants learn more. 

In my case, when teaching students in an introductory course about journalism, I might start with a quick quiz on journalism jargon terms such as the inverted pyramid, the nut graph, and lead. Students won’t know what these mean and many will do poorly on the pre-test, but it doesn’t count against their grade and research shows taking the test will help them focus when I explain the terms. 

I've also polled students about topics such as their opinions on bias in the media and whether objective reporting is even possible. The digital survey gets them thinking about these issues and helps jumpstart the discussion. 

4. Objects, Giveaways, and Fun Things People Can Touch IRL 

Whether you’re presenting to young students or seasoned colleagues, we all like to play. Providing participants with something they can hold in their hand can enhance learning and liven up the presentation. This could be an object related to science or history that you hand around, fun and not too expensive giveaways, or some type of art and craft related to the topic at hand. 

A professor friend of mine has his journalism students explore actual physical newspapers as one class activity, and since many of them are digital natives, it can be a novel experience for them. I once gave a workshop on writing about food and the highlight was not the slideshow that took me eight hours to put together on a Sunday that I should have been spending outside. Instead it was the pastries from a local bakery I picked up on the way to the workshop on a whim. I asked participants to try the pastries and then write about their flavors. They started writing like seasoned food critics. Each bite was worth a thousand slides! 

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Erik Ofgang is Tech & Learning's senior staff writer. A journalist,  author  and educator, his work has appeared in the Washington Post , The Atlantic , and Associated Press. He currently teaches at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA program. While a staff writer at Connecticut Magazine he won a Society of Professional Journalism Award for his education reporting. He is interested in how humans learn and how technology can make that more effective. 

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Alternatives to Traditional Classroom Learning

Whitney p. gordon.

• November 27, 2019

The traditional classroom was wrought with straight rows and teacher-centered activities. It emphasized delivering information and often neglected to invest in learning engagement. While it behooves us to glean from the practices that preceded us, research suggests that a fresh, student-centered approach yields higher achievement. Below are some practical alternatives to the traditional classroom that will boost learning engagement and student performance.

How Alternative Learning Activities Engage Students

Alternative learning strategies are techniques that consider the students that you serve above all else. This approach requires a teacher to know his or her students and use this knowledge to drive instruction. As our society has evolved over time, our students have also changed. While we are not entertainers, it is our job to prioritize engagement in order to create a successful learning environment.

These strategies engage students through movement and cultural relevancy. They empower students to take ownership of their learning by understanding how they learn and implementing strategies for success. Alternative learning prepares students for a future where they can effectively discuss, process, work, and be life-long learners.

Alternative Learning Strategies

Flipped classroom.

As its name suggests, a flipped classroom inverts the structure of the traditional classroom. In a flipped classroom, students receive instructional content outside of the classroom. This replaces lectures and presentations that teachers would typically deliver during class time. Students are introduced to content at home, often through technology. During class time, students use their newly acquired knowledge to engage in collaboration, discussion, projects, and more.

Alternative Discussion Strategies

For classroom discussion to be effective students must be trained and engaged. Intentionally structuring your classroom discussion is key. Coming into a discussion armed with only a list of questions will often prove ineffective. First off, it assumes that students will be willing and able to discuss. More importantly, it leaves some students behind as there is no plan to integrate reluctant speakers.

One way to enhance your discussions is to add movement. Allow students to move around the classroom in small groups and discuss posted questions, or dust off the old faithful four corners game and add group and classroom discussion in. You can also implement what I call the “speed dating” discussion. In this discussion, students discuss a question or topic one-on-one for an allotted amount of time, then move on to another partner for the next discussion. Set up desks in two rows facing each other, or even go outside and have students face each other in two lines. Movement keeps students from becoming restless, and it’s a great way to stimulate your kinesthetic learners.

Innovative Homework

Homework and busy work should never be synonymous. Homework must be purposeful in order to be effective. Assigning homework that is an extension of classwork ensures that students understand your expectations and are prepared to do the work. This will yield higher performance on homework.

Another alternative to traditional homework is assigning homework that is relative and applicable to students’ home lives. This will require you having knowledge of the resources available to your students (i.e. technology). Assign a writing assignment that requires students to incorporate items in their home, for example, or assign math problems where they can locate certain angles or measure objects. This will make homework more engaging and increase real-world application.

Alternatives to Lecturing

It’s no coincidence that “boring classroom” scenes in movies always include a lecture. While lectures can disseminate a grand amount of information in a short amount of time, a lecture is not productive if students are not engaged and thus do not retain the information. Alternatives to lecturing should activate your students and shift your role from orator to facilitator.

Students can gain information through project-based learning, games, collaboration, and more. Technology like Skype and Google allows you to bring experts into your classroom and attend virtual field trips. When determining how your students receive information, it is important to know your students’ learning styles. Because all students do not learn the same, you must be intentional about differentiating your approach.

Why Differentiating will Maximize your Effectiveness

You can be honest – you have indubitably grown tired of hearing the word differentiation. When teachers have a clear understanding of what differentiation is , however, its importance is undeniable.  Gone are the days when teaching was delivered in one fashion and students failed when that method did not align with their learning style. Differentiation considers each student’s needs and embeds those needs into instruction. It does not create different assignments for every child, but rather draws on each student’s strengths while building upon their weaknesses. Modifying the process by which students learn, the method in which students receive content, or the product that students produce for evaluation are all ways to differentiate. When breaking the mold of traditional education, a teacher must differentiate consistently.

The traditional classroom is the building block upon which we all stand. As modern-day educators, it is important that we build upon the wisdom of our predecessors with new strategies that are effective for today’s students. In a field that is ever-changing, the stagnancy of teachers will stall progress.

• #alternativelearning , #classroomlearning

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Top 10 Powerful Mentimeter Alternatives in 2024 (In-Depth Analysis)

Mikel Resaba

Seeking effective Mentimeter alternatives to enhance your presentations? You’re in the right place! This post offers a comprehensive exploration of the best alternatives, each with unique attributes to boost engagement and interaction. In this guide, you’ll uncover:

• Detailed insights into top Mentimeter alternatives
• Their key features, pros, cons, and who they’re best suited for
• A comparative look to help you make an informed choice

Curious to find the perfect tool for lively, interactive sessions? Dive in to discover which alternative aligns best with your educational goals!

Table of Contents

Mentimeter alternatives at a glance, considering alternatives to mentimeter: key factors.

While Mentimeter is a popular tool for interactive presentations and classroom engagement, there are several reasons why educators and presenters might seek alternatives:

• Feature Limitations: Mentimeter has its strengths in polling and real-time feedback, but users might require more diverse features, such as advanced quiz types, gamification, or in-depth analytics that other platforms offer.
• Cost Considerations: Mentimeter operates on a freemium model with its most robust features locked behind a paid plan. Users seeking a more cost-effective solution or different pricing structures may explore alternatives.
• User Interface and Experience: Some users may find Mentimeter’s interface less intuitive or not tailored to their specific needs. Alternatives might offer a more user-friendly experience or a design that better aligns with their presentation style.
• Integration Capabilities: Mentimeter may not integrate seamlessly with certain presentation tools or platforms. Users who frequently use tools like PowerPoint or Google Slides might prefer an alternative that offers tighter integration.
• Platform Compatibility: Mentimeter’s functionality may vary across different devices or operating systems. Educators or presenters needing a more universally compatible or platform-specific solution might consider other options.

10 Mentimeter Alternatives to Supercharge Your Presentation

Best for all-in-one interactive presentation: ClassPoint

Best for quick polling: Poll Everywhere

Best for Q&A: Slido

Best for classroom without device: Plickers

Best for interactive presentation templates: AhaSlides

1. ClassPoint

ClassPoint stands out as a prime Mentimeter alternative, specifically tailored for educators seeking to integrate interactive teaching techniques within Microsoft PowerPoint. Its design transforms traditional presentations into lively, engaging, and interactive learning experiences, promoting real-time participation and a deeper level of student engagement.

Key Features

• Seamless PowerPoint Integration: ClassPoint is expertly integrated into PowerPoint, enabling educators to add interactive elements like quizzes and polls directly within their PowerPoint slides .
• Interactive Quizzes and Polls: ClassPoint offers a broad spectrum of interactive quiz types , including multiple-choice , short answer , word cloud , slide drawing , image upload , fill in the blanks , audio record , and video upload , transforming static slides into immersive learning activities.
• Gamification Elements: Gamification is at the heart of ClassPoint, with features such as awarding stars , levels and badges , and leaderboards . This approach not only engages but also motivates students through a competitive and fun learning environment.
• Advanced Annotation Tools: ClassPoint enriches presentations with advanced annotation tools , including text boxes , shapes , timers and stopwatches , random name pickers , and whiteboard backgrounds , enhancing the visual appeal and interactivity of lessons.
• ClassPoint AI: A standout feature, ClassPoint AI , harnesses advanced AI technology to instantly generate quiz questions from any PowerPoint slide. This cutting-edge feature, powered by OpenAI , swiftly analyzes slide content, crafting pertinent quiz questions and offering exceptional flexibility in quiz customization​​​​.
• Multi-Language Support: Understanding the diverse linguistic needs of global classrooms. ClassPoint supports major languages, including English, Portuguese, Chinese, French, and 30 more, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for users worldwide​​.
• Enhances engagement in PowerPoint presentations
• User-friendly with a familiar interface
• Flexible features for diverse teaching methods
• Requires Microsoft PowerPoint
• Limited to Windows OS
• Free Basic Plan: Offers most tools with limitations like a cap of 5 questions per presentation, a maximum of 3 saved classes, and up to 25 students per class.
• Pro Version ($8/month or $96/year): Provides unlimited questions, Quiz Mode with detailed student performance data, support for up to 200 students per class, unlimited class saves, and additional advanced features.

Kahoot! is a popular game-based learning platform that offers an exciting and interactive alternative to Mentimeter. Known for its engaging approach, Kahoot! is particularly effective for creating interactive quizzes and fostering a lively, fun learning environment.

• Quick and Easy Creation: Creating a Kahoot! quiz is swift and straightforward. Educators can craft a quiz from scratch, utilize an extensive question bank, edit templates, or customize kahoots made by other users​​.
• Live and Virtual Hosting: Kahoot! supports live class sessions and virtual connections via video conferencing tools. The platform enables the display of questions and answers on shared screens or directly on students’ devices, catering to diverse teaching settings​​.
• Student-Paced Learning: Kahoot! facilitates student-paced learning, where questions and answers are displayed on individual screens. This feature is ideal for distance learning or as a review and formative assessment tool, with integration options like Microsoft Teams​​.
• Diverse Question Types: Kahoot! allows combining various question types—quizzes, polls, puzzles, type answers, word clouds, and open-ended questions—in a single game, offering versatility in assessment and engagement methods​​.
• Customizable Timers and Feedback: Educators can adjust timers based on the complexity of questions and gather student feedback through polls, enabling tailored pacing and instant pulse-checks during lessons​​​​.
• Reports and Analytics: Kahoot! provides both basic downloadable reports and visual reports with actionable insights, helping teachers track class progress and understand student engagement levels​​​​.
• Fun, engaging format
• Easy-to-use interface
• Diverse question options
• More gamified than formal
• Basic analytics
• Potential connectivity issues
• Basic Plan: Free, with multiple-choice questions and up to 40 players per game.
• Kahoot!+ Start: $3.99/month or $48 annually, allowing up to 100 participants per session​​.
• Kahoot!+ Premier: $7.99/month or $96 annually, supporting up to 200 participants per session​​.
• Kahoot!+ Max: Discounted to $7.92/month or $96 annually from the regular $12.99/month, accommodating up to 400 participants per session​​.

3. Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere emerges as a diverse alternative to Mentimeter, catering to both educational and corporate environments with its real-time engagement capabilities. This platform offers a range of interactive features, such as live polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions, ensuring active participation and immediate feedback.

• Live Polls, Surveys, and Q&A: Enables engaging and interactive sessions with real-time polls, surveys, and Q&A, fostering a dynamic communication channel between presenters and participants.
• Integration with Presentation Tools: Poll Everywhere integrates seamlessly with major presentation platforms, including PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides, enhancing the interactivity of presentations without the need for additional software.
• Custom Branding and Templates: Offers personalized branding options and a variety of custom templates, allowing users to tailor their activities to align with their brand or presentation style.
• Participant Tracking and Moderation: Features like registered participant tracking and moderation tools ensure controlled and insightful interaction during presentations​​.
• Wide array of question types
• Seamless software integration
• Suits various audience sizes
• Limited features in free version
• Learning curve for beginners
• Internet-dependent for responses
• Free Intro Plan: Unlimited activities with a cap of 25 responses per activity, including basic features like integrations and downloadable results​​.
• Paid Plans: Starting from $10/month (billed annually) for more responses and email support, up to $199/month (billed annually) for teams needing customized branding​​​​​​.

Slido emerges as a formidable alternative to Mentimeter, particularly renowned for its capacity to enhance audience interaction in live settings. It specializes in invigorating events and webinars with live polls, Q&A sessions, and interactive quizzes, making it an ideal choice for event organizers and educators alike.

• Diverse Live Poll Types: Slido offers a range of poll types including multiple choice, word cloud, rating poll, open text, and ranking poll. These polls are instrumental in capturing audience opinions, preferences, and knowledge in real-time, making interactions more dynamic and inclusive​​.
• Interactive Quizzes with Gamification: The platform allows the creation of live quizzes complete with timers and leaderboards. This feature brings a competitive edge to presentations and lectures, enhancing engagement and retention​​.
• Audience Q&A Management: Slido facilitates anonymous or named Q&A sessions, enabling participants to ask and upvote questions. This feature is especially useful in all-hands meetings, Ask Me Anything sessions, or post-presentation Q&As​​.
• Integrated Surveys: Users can conduct surveys before, during, or after their events, enabling efficient feedback collection and analysis. This feature supports informed decision-making and helps in understanding audience sentiment​​.
• Analytics for Insightful Feedback: Slido Analytics captures key takeaways and measures participant engagement. It provides tools for analyzing Q&A sentiment, sharing poll results, and generating comprehensive data reports​​.
• Wide-Ranging Integration: Slido integrates seamlessly with popular presentation and video conferencing tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, Webex, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, ensuring a smooth user experience across different platforms​​.
• Boosts audience interaction
• Easy setup and usability
• Ideal for events and webinars
• Basic plan limitations
• Complex setups challenging
• Requires reliable internet
• Basic Plan: Free with essential features.
• Engage Plan: $12/month ($144/year), ideal for engaging teams and audiences.
• Professional Plan: $60/month ($720/year), suitable for larger events and more advanced features.
• Enterprise Plan: $200/month ($2400/year), offers extensive customization and support for large organizations.
• Education-specific Plans: Discounted rates for educational institutions, with the Engage Plan at $6/month ($72/year) and the Professional Plan at $10/month ($120/year)​​.

5. AhaSlides

AhaSlides is an innovative interactive presentation tool designed to enhance audience engagement through real-time polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions. It offers a user-friendly platform for educators and event organizers, allowing them to create dynamic, engaging presentations. With its variety of question types and live participation features, AhaSlides is well-suited for interactive learning environments and professional presentations.

• Real-Time Slide Engagement: Enables instant audience participation with live polls, quizzes, and interactive questions on slides.
• Diverse Question Types: Supports multiple-choice, open-ended, and image-based questions, catering to varied presentation needs.
• Interactive Q&A Sessions: Facilitates live Q&A, allowing audiences to submit and upvote questions, fostering active involvement.
• Intuitive User Interface
• Versatile Interactive Elements
• Instant Feedback with Analytics
• PowerPoint and Google Slides add-ins available
• Comes with ready presentation templates
• Requires PowerPoint slides import to use all features
• Limited Free Version Features
• Internet Dependency
• Initial Learning Curve
• Essential: $7.95/month
• Plus: $10.95/month
• Pro: $15.95/month

6. Pear Deck

Pear Deck is a cloud-based student engagement platform designed to make teaching more efficient and effective. It allows educators to create custom courses with interactive questions, polls, and quizzes, and monitor student participation in real-time. Pear Deck’s Instructor-Paced Mode enables teachers to control slide progression and display student responses to the class. The Teacher Dashboard offers individual feedback capabilities, while students can participate anonymously, fostering a safe learning environment.

• Custom Course Creation: Interactive questions, polls, and quizzes for personalized learning.
• Instructor-Paced Mode: Control over slide progression and display of student responses.
• Teacher Dashboard: Monitor student answers and provide individual feedback.
• Facilitates targeted questions and activities
• Seamless connection with Google tools for education
• Track student progress and comprehension
• Supports diverse learners with inclusive features
• Limited question types
• Internet dependency
• Individual Premium: $149.99/year​​
• Schools & Districts: Custom pricing with premium features, support, and LMS integrations.

7. Plickers

Plickers is a unique, cost-effective educational tool that enables teachers to quickly assess student understanding using paper-based response cards, known as “paper clickers.” This system is particularly valuable in classrooms where student devices are limited or non-existent. Teachers use the Plickers mobile app to scan the student cards, allowing for instant collection of answers to multiple-choice and true/false questions. The tool’s simplicity and offline capability make it an excellent choice for a variety of educational settings.

• Paper-Based Responses: Utilizes simple, scannable cards for student answers.
• Mobile App Scanning: Teachers scan cards with a mobile app for instant results.
• Offline Capability: Functions without an internet connection, enhancing accessibility.
• Ideal for settings with limited student device access
• Instant feedback
• Automatically saves data for each student on Plickers.com.
• Time-consuming setup
• Free basic version available
• Plickers Pro: $71.88 per user per year, with discounts for bulk purchases by schools or districts​​.

8. Google Forms

Google Forms is a versatile tool that simplifies the creation of surveys, quizzes, and forms. It’s widely used for its ease of use, customization options, and seamless integration with other Google Workspace tools. As a Mentimeter alternative, it excels in creating straightforward, easy-to-analyze surveys and quizzes, making it ideal for educators and professionals seeking a no-frills solution for gathering feedback and conducting assessments.

• Customizable Form Templates: Offers a variety of pre-made templates for surveys, quizzes, and forms, which can be customized to suit specific needs.
• Real-time Response Collection and Analysis: Automatically collects responses and provides real-time analysis, making it easy to track and understand feedback or quiz results.
• Integration with Google Workspace: Seamlessly integrates with other Google Workspace tools like Sheets and Drive, enabling efficient management and sharing of forms and data.
• Free to use
• User-friendly interface
• Diverse question types
• High customisation
• Ready templates
• Limited visual presentation capabilities
• Basic analytics features
• Less interactive than some alternatives

Vevox is a real-time audience engagement app specializing in polling and Q&A sessions. It stands out as a Mentimeter alternative with its emphasis on real-time feedback, making it highly suitable for interactive meetings, classes, and webinars. Vevox’s user-friendly interface, along with its anonymous polling feature, encourages honest and uninhibited participant responses, thereby fostering a more engaging and open communication environment.

• Live Polling and Q&A: Facilitates real-time polling and Q&A sessions, making meetings and classes more interactive and engaging.
• Anonymous Feedback Option: Provides an option for participants to submit feedback anonymously, encouraging more honest and open responses.
• PowerPoint Integration: Allows integration with PowerPoint, enabling presenters to embed live polls and Q&A directly into their presentations.
• Encourages interactive participation
• Real-time results and analysis
• Enhances presentations and meetings
• PowerPoint add-in offers live polling and Q&A features
• Limited free plan features
• Requires internet connection
• Potentially complex for first-time users
• Free basic plan; paid plans vary

10. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a widely recognized tool for creating sophisticated surveys, offering robust features for customization, distribution, and data analysis. As a Mentimeter alternative, it’s ideal for users requiring in-depth survey capabilities and detailed analytics. SurveyMonkey’s comprehensive set of tools and templates caters to a broad range of use cases, from customer satisfaction surveys to educational research, making it a versatile choice for detailed data gathering.

• Advanced Survey Customization: Offers extensive customization options for surveys, including a wide range of question types and design elements.
• Detailed Analytics and Reporting: Provides comprehensive analytics tools for an in-depth analysis of survey results, including trends, patterns, and demographic breakdowns.
• Wide Range of Question Types: Supports a variety of question types, such as multiple-choice, open-ended, and matrix questions, accommodating diverse survey needs.
• Extensive customization options
• Powerful data analysis tools
• Diverse templates and question types
• More complex than some alternatives
• Basic features in the free version
• Pricing can be high for advanced features
• Free basic plan; premium plans with advanced features available

Find Your Ideal Mentimeter Alternative

In your quest for a mentimeter alternative and the ideal interactive presentation tool, it’s crucial to weigh factors like ease of use, integration capabilities, and how each tool engages your students. Reflect on what resonates most with your teaching approach and the unique needs of your classroom. 

The right choice will not only complement your educational style but also invigorate your students’ learning experience. Now, embark on enhancing your teaching with the tool that best fits your vision and goals.

About Mikel Resaba

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ClassPoint Alternatives | Top 5 Tools For Interactive Learning | 2024 Reveals

Quizzes and Games

Jane Ng • 26 Mar 2024 • 7 min read

Looking for ClassPoint Alternatives ? In the digital age, the classroom is no longer confined to four walls and chalkboards. Tools like ClassPoint have revolutionized how educators interact with their students, turning passive listeners into active participants. But the challenge now is not in finding digital resources, but in selecting the ones that best fit our educational approaches and the diverse needs of our students.

This blog post will help you find the best ClassPoint alternative, and provide a curated list of tools that promise to continue the evolution of classroom engagement.

Table Of Contents

What makes a good classpoint alternative, #1 – ahaslides – classpoint alternative, #2 – kahoot – classpoint alternative, #3 – quizizz – classpoint alternative, #4 – pear deck – classpoint alternative, #5 – mentimeter – classpoint alternative, bottom line.

Let’s explore the key features differentiating high-quality interactive learning tools and the criteria educators should consider when seeking a ClassPoint alternative.

• Ease of Use: The tool should be user-friendly for both educators and students, with minimal learning curves.
• Integration Capabilities: It should easily integrate with existing systems and platforms to streamline the educational process.
• Scalability: The tool must be adaptable to different class sizes and learning environments, from small groups to large lecture halls.
• Customizability: Educators should be able to tailor content and features to suit specific curriculum needs and learning objectives.
• Affordability: Cost is always a consideration, so the tool should offer good value for its features, with transparent pricing models that fit school budgets.

Top 5 ClassPoint Alternatives

Best For: Educators and presenters looking for a straightforward, user-friendly tool to create interactive presentations with a variety of engagement options.

AhaSlides is particularly noted for its ease of use and versatility, offering features like quizzes , polls , Q&A , and interactive slides with ready-to-use templates . It supports a variety of question types and real-time interaction, making it a solid choice for dynamic presentations and meetings.

• Slido Alternatives
• Videoscribe Alternatives

Pricing Tiers: AhaSlides offers several pricing options to suit different needs:

• Free Plan : Up to 7 live participants
• Paid Plan : Start at $14.95/month 
• Educational Plans: Available at a discount for educators

Overall Comparison 

• Flexibility vs. Integration: AhaSlides stands out for its versatility and easy access on any device, making it suitable for various interactive scenarios. In contrast, ClassPoint only excels in integrating with PowerPoint.
• Usage Context: AhaSlides is versatile, and ideal for both educational and professional settings, whereas ClassPoint is designed specifically for the educational sector, leveraging PowerPoint for classroom engagement.
• Technical Requirements: AhaSlides works with any web browser, offering universal accessibility. ClassPoint relies on PowerPoint.
• Cost Consideration: Both platforms have free tiers, but differ in pricing and features, affecting scalability and suitability based on budget and needs.

Best For: Those aiming to boost class engagement through a competitive, game-based learning environment that students can also access from home.

Kahoot! is widely recognized for its gamification of learning, using quizzes and games to make education fun and engaging. It allows educators to create their quizzes or choose from millions of pre-existing games on various topics.

• 24+ Similar Alternatives to Kahoot | 2024 Top Choices
• Alternative to Kahoot! | AhaSlides | Your 2024 Top Choice

Pricing Tiers

• Paid Plan : Start at $17/month 

Key Considerations

• Gamification vs. Enhancement: Kahoot! excels at gamified learning with a focus on competition. ClassPoint is better for interactive enhancements within your existing PowerPoint lessons.
• Flexibility vs. Familiarity: Kahoot! offers greater flexibility with standalone presentations. ClassPoint leverages the familiar PowerPoint environment.
• Audience size: Kahoot! handles much larger groups for school-wide events or competitions.

Best For: Educators seeking a platform for both in-class interactive quizzes and homework assignments that students can complete at their own pace. 

Similar to Kahoot!, Quizizz offers a game-based learning platform but with a focus on self-paced learning. It provides detailed student performance reports, making it easier for teachers to track progress and identify areas of improvement.

Pricing Tiers: 

• Paid Plan : Start at $59/month 

Key Considerations:

• Game-like vs. Integrated: Quizizz excels at gamification and student-paced learning. ClassPoint focuses on adding interactivity to existing PowerPoint lessons.
• Independent vs. PowerPoint-Based: Quizizz is standalone, while ClassPoint depends on having PowerPoint.
• Question Variety: Quizizz offers slightly more diverse question types.

Best For: Google Classroom users or those who want to make their existing PowerPoint or Google Slides presentations interactive.

Pear Deck is designed to work seamlessly with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing educators to add interactive questions to their presentations. It emphasizes formative assessments and real-time student engagement.

• Paid Plan: Start at $125/year
• Workflow: Pear Deck’s integration with Google Slides provides greater flexibility if you don’t exclusively use PowerPoint.
• Student-paced vs. Teacher-led: Pear Deck promotes both live and independent student-paced learning. ClassPoint leans more towards teacher-led presentations.

Best For: Lecturers and educators who prioritize instant feedback and enjoy using live polls and word clouds to encourage class participation.

Mentimeter is excellent for fostering active participation and gathering instant feedback from students.

• Paid Plan: Start at $17.99/month
• Versatility vs. Specificity : Mentimeter excels at standalone presentations for various purposes. ClassPoint is designed specifically for enhancing existing PowerPoint lessons.
• Audience Size: Mentimeter generally works better for very large audiences (conferences, etc.).
• AhaSlides | Best Alternative to Mentimeter | Top Choice in 2024
• Best Mentimeter Alternatives | Top 7 Choices in 2024 for Businesses and Educators

By carefully assessing what each platform brings to the table, you can make informed decisions, ensuring they select the best Classpoint alternative to engage your audience and enhance the learning experience. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a dynamic, interactive, and inclusive environment that supports learning and collaboration in any context.

A writer who wants to create practical and valuable content for the audience

More from AhaSlides

5 Better Alternatives To Google Slides

I f you're looking to create a compelling presentation to showcase a new idea or persuade others, Google Slides may be the first option that comes to mind. But with few built-in templates, basic themes, and a limited graphics collection, you'll likely have a hard time making your presentation stand out against others.

If you want to make your presentation truly stand out, there are several alternatives to Google Slides that offer extra perks and features to give your presentations an edge. While Google focuses on integrating Slides with its other work-based apps like Sheets and Docs, other presentation apps focus more on design elements, transitions, and themes to help you convey your brand or personal image throughout your presentation.

We've tested these Google Slide alternatives to give you an idea of other available options to deliver impactful presentations. If you're looking for a way to make boring information more fun and engaging, here are the best presentation apps to replace Google Slides.

Read more: Major Graphics Card Brands Ranked Worst To Best

Microsoft PowerPoint

There's a reason so many businesses around the globe use Microsoft PowerPoint. Building its reputation as the go-to option for delivering high-quality presentations, the software generated $100 million in annual sales only three years after its initial release in 1990.

Microsoft PowerPoint may be Google Slides' largest competitor, but there are plenty of unique features that can add an extra flourish to your slides. PowerPoint excels in its impressive library of custom animations and slide transitions, which are fairly limited in Google Slides. Another unique feature is its AI-powered Designer tool. This provides professional design schemes that mirror the words used in your slides. For instance, if your title slide is named "Basketball Team 2024," Designer will automatically suggest pictures and slide layouts associated with basketball.

As PowerPoint has been in development longer than Google Slides, it naturally offers more nuanced features if you're looking for something specific. For example, you can save individual slides as an image file (using .png or .jpeg formats) or as a separate presentation file. There's also a large library of free PowerPoint templates designed to speed up your workflow. Moreover, PowerPoint integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams with its PowerPoint Live function, allowing you to easily share your presentation with your co-workers.

Prezi offers an innovative approach to showing presentations with its unique canvas feature. Unlike traditional presentation software, Prezi lets you zoom and pan around a flexible canvas. The canvas may feel distant to something of a presentation program, but there is still some linear order provided thanks to the Timeline view.

Finding ways to visualize data is one of the biggest challenges when dealing with presentation software. Prezi resolves this struggle with the help of its Story Blocks: a series of infographics available in multiple designs to visually represent data. You can easily edit infographics and even add animations to individual shapes. This can help add a story to your presentation and help you emphasize key points.

To further enhance your presentation visually, Prezi offers several topic path settings, which let you change how Prezi transitions from one topic to another. These options include subtopics, which are super helpful for breaking large chunks of information down. If you're looking for a unique, modern approach to presenting information, Prezi is a top pick.

If you're looking to create a professional presentation to convince potential clients about your business idea, Slidebean is a popular choice among professionals with plenty of customization options. One of the issues with Google Slides is its fairly limited template library, which is filled mostly with basic designs. Slidebean offers a better alternative with a broad selection of innovative templates split into categories for convenience.

The app's user interface is easy to navigate so that you can create slides in less time. Each slide has a dedicated Design and Outline tab. You can use the Outline tab to quickly edit the information on each slide without being distracted by all the visual elements. Another productivity-enhancing feature is the ability to generate a presentation theme from your website. Simply enter your URL, and Slidebean will automatically apply the theming to your presentation.

Slidebean is another presentation app to take advantage of AI. Using the Auto-Design feature, you can generate recommended slide layouts based on your existing content. It also features AI text suggestions designed to suit different industries. Overall, Slidebean offers a quicker, more efficient method for creating stunning presentations compared to Google Slides.

Canva is a well-known app among graphic designers, but it's also capable of making stunning presentations. The app also has mobile editions, so you can easily create and edit presentations on your Android phone , iOS device, or tablet. As long as you have an internet connection, you can modify your designs wherever you are.

To get started, head to Canva's online presentation maker . Canva offers a vast range of templates categorized by topic, which easily surpasses the simple templates in Google Slides . While some of the templates are only available to Canva Pro members, there is an ample amount of free templates to help you get started. You'll also find a large selection of stock photos, shapes, and illustrations to create beautiful customized slides.

Because Canva is built for graphic designers, you can access several features to give your presentation consistent theming. These include color palettes, font sets, and even a brand kit that allows you to add your company's fonts (available to Pro members only). One time-saving feature is Canva's Uploads tab, which lets you access recently uploaded media files. This offers a convenient way to copy content between different presentations.

Visme is a powerful visual design tool able to create videos, infographics, and presentations. One of the perks of using Visme is the company's free educational content, which offers advice on how to create impactful content to boost your brand. After signing up, the company also asks whether you're using Visme for your business, education purposes, or personal use to offer personalized tips.

In terms of charts and graphs, Visme offers some of the most impressive features we've seen from a presentation app, so you can effortlessly convey important statistics. From the Data tab, you can access dozens of graph styles to visually represent your data. Then, simply double-click a chart inside your presentation to edit the values instantly in a simple table format.

Another area that Visme excels in is collaboration. You can either generate a link to publish your presentation on the web or share your presentation privately with others. For each team member, you can choose who can view, edit, and comment slides for a seamless workflow. There's also a Slack integration that lets you receive messages whenever changes are made to your presentation. Visme is free for all users, with limited features available in its premium plans.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

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Best Classroom Wireless Presentation Alternatives to Vivi

The BenQ WDC20E is the newest Vivi alternative for a wireless presentation system  designed specifically for classrooms. Both offer the ability to wirelessly stream between a computer and mobile device to whiteboards and projectors, offer centralized management, and are very affordable for nearly any school looking to eliminate the health and technology risk of fixed cables. Which one is right for you?  We want to give a fair comparison to help you understand the key differences between the two products by looking at:

• How easy is each system to set up and deploy in a school environment?
• How much bandwidth is required to operate each classroom?
• How easy is it for teachers and students to use?
• What devices do these systems support?
• How much do they cost over time (TCO)?

What Is the Vivi Wireless Classroom Presentation System?

Vivi is an Australian startup that has created a network based wireless presentation system for education. While it is similar to both the Mersive Solstice and Airtame systems, the Vivi is designed for classrooms and uses a small receiver typically connected to the school's network infrastructure and a special software application that is loaded onto the presenter’s device to wirelessly transmit content to a display. But the impact on your network traffic, app requirements, and lower video frame rates are three reasons many district IT managers may want to look at alternatives to Vivi. 

How Easy Are They to Set Up and Install?

Setting up a wireless screen mirroring correctly usually falls to the IT team to ensure that the system works – and is secure. The Vivi system has detailed network deployment guides outlining the ports that need to be opened and other network requirements such as bandwidth availability. For example, the Vivi system requires configuring a dozen different networking ports and requires the IT Manager to deploy proprietary applications on any device that is connecting to the receiver.

BenQ InstaShow WDC20E  is the easiest Vivi alternative to set up and operate. The button connector means there are no apps or network configurations needed to get it working.  You simply connect the receiver to the display and set the button on the teacher's desk. You can check out how the  Commercial Integrator  magazine testing team was able to set up the system in minutes – without any IT support.  

How Much Bandwidth Is Required to Operate Each Classroom?

After COVID-19, classroom bandwidth is a precious commodity . Between video conferencing software and the large number of student Chromebooks, school networks are working harder than ever. The Vivi system often uses the school’s network infrastructure to wirelessly mirror a teacher or student's device on the display. Some features, such as split-screen, can require more network bandwidth to be used in a classroom. This forces IT managers to choose between network bandwidth usage – and the quality of wireless streaming.

By contrast, the BenQ InstaShow WDC20E is designed to operate without using the school network - freeing bandwidth for more important learning activities. Here is an overview of how these Vivi alternatives stack up on network bandwidth.

How Easy Is It for Teachers and Students to Use?

Teachers have a lot on their plate – so how easy are these Vivi alternative wireless screen mirroring for teachers and students to use? Here are how they work.

For teachers to set up the Vivi system, a seven-step process is used to set up each teacher's laptop that will need to be done by either the teacher or IT. Mersive and Airtame have similar complicated setup processes that involve network login and configuring the app. Depending on the system, this could also apply to any substitute teacher or student who wants to mirror their screen.

• Download the app from the website or app store
• Login and connect the same network running the Vivi (or other receivers)
• Find their display on the network and configure their app to connect
• Type in a code or enter location information from the display.

The BenQ InstaShow WDC20E is simpler for teachers and students to use. You simply plug in the button to the HDMI port on your device and tap the button when you are ready to present.The process takes only seconds – and there are no apps to load. The buttons are available in standard HDMI or (coming soon) USB-C connectors that work with the latest MacBooks and Chromebooks.  Miracast and Airplay are also supported for mobile devices.  

What Classroom Devices Can Be Used With Each System?

Both the Vivi and the BenQ InstaShow support mainstream notebooks, mobile devices, and tablets. But what about wirelessly streaming document cameras, classroom television systems, and media players?

Because the Vivi system relies on apps to connect a device to the receiver, it cannot be used with common classroom devices such as digital microscopes or document cameras. The BenQ InstaShow WDC20E can be used with any device that outputs a standard HDMI signal – enabling it to wirelessly connect with an HDCP copy-protected classroom television receiver . With split-screen technology, you can combine images on these devices with other documents for increased classroom productivity .

How Much Do They Cost Over Time?

The Vivi system uses an annual subscription model with the published cost of $195 licensing per room for the first year and typically requires a three-year licensing commitment. The BenQ InstaShow WDC20C has a single unit price of $699 – and no recurring licensing fees or subscription, and special pricing options if you are buying a large quantity. In addition, the Vivi wireless presentation system can have other costs that drive up the cost of ownership over time for schools.  Let’s take a look at some of these costs using the COSN Total Cost of Ownership model, which calculates identified recurring costs and estimated labor costs (IT managers don’t work for free) to support these devices.

Annual Licensing Fees

The Vivi typically requires a three-year licensing commitment, which is a recurring cost and significantly increases the cost of ownership for these devices over time. For a three-year window, the cost could be as high as $585 per classroom and higher for a seven-year or longer deployment. These licensing fees can change over time.  The BenQ has no recurring licensing fees – and free lifetime customer support for all its education products.

Device and Centralized Management

Both BenQ and Vivi have centralized management software available for their systems. This system supports BenQ, Epson, and other projector brands, BenQ interactive displays, and of course, the InstaShow WDC20E classroom presentation system. BenQ does not charge any licensing fees for schools to use this software.

The Vivi centralized software system will control their receivers, but there may be an extra licensing cost associated with this software.

Human Labor Costs

The InstaShow is specifically designed to avoid the IT labor cost of re-configuring the school network, resolving problems associated with port conflicts, and eliminating the cost and time spent deploying a specialized app on hundreds of different teacher and student devices across the district. The InstaShow’s simple app-free design also minimizes the cost of training teachers and students on how to use the system. Just Tap & Present.  

Other recurring costs to consider

The biggest unknown cost for the Vivi system is the use of school network bandwidth for wireless presentation. With up to 18 MB/s per receiver, this extra bandwidth could force IT managers to either upgrade their internet service, network switches or reduce image quality to the display to avoid overloading the network. Also, the Vivi system may not support the wireless transmission of copy-protected HDCP content. The BenQ supports wireless HDCP content from any device – and doesn’t use the school’s bandwidth.

Comparison Table

Bottom Line – Try It Out Risk-Free and Come to Your Own Conclusions

The new InstaShow WDC20E is a very attractive Vivi alternative for many reasons. It delivers a classroom wireless presentation system that eliminates the need to manage bandwidth requirements and deploy software on each user notebook. The InstaShow is easy to install and set up without IT support and enables a teacher or student to connect to any device in just seconds – without any software hassles.

How well will it work in your classrooms? Just fill out the form below, and we’ll send you one to try out for 30 days – and if you like it, you can save $200 when you buy it.  

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‘Why are CAO points so high if there are so many pathways to careers nowadays’

The points race is no longer the be-all and end-all thanks to the growth of alternative routes.

There have never been so many routes to your dream job outside the CAO points race. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

I’ve heard commentators say there’s no need to worry about CAO points and that school leavers have lots of pathways to their dream jobs. I find it hard to believe. Lots of courses are still on 500 points or more for the simple reason, presumably, that it is the best way into a profession. We’re kidding ourselves if we say otherwise.

I’ll have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. The era when students’ Leaving Certificate results, translated into CAO points, determined their career prospects is over.

There are no occupations beyond the reach of students who can secure matriculation requirements plus the minimum entry requirements set out for particular courses. It may require a more scenic route, but it is possible.

It may, for example, require a student to start their third level education on a level six or seven programme (advanced certificate/ordinary degree) as opposed to a level eight (honours degree) course.

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Throughout my long teaching career, the CAO points race shaped almost every aspect of second-level education

Alternatively, there are further education colleges where students can start a level five/six course and apply the following year to their preferred third level course through the CAO’s round zero offers in early August.

There are also up to 70 different apprenticeships these days, many of which provide access to a college degree as well .

A groundbreaking development is the 40 or so courses that lead to college degrees offered through the National Tertiary Office such as nursing, engineering and others. Entry requirements do not depend on CAO points scores.

Yes, some CAO courses are in the 500 point-plus range and there are limited alternative pathways. However, these courses are invariably offered across EU universities – through English – with lower entry requirements in areas such as medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, physiotherapy and others.

[  CAO 2024: Applications up for high-points courses such as veterinary science, dentistry and pharmacy  ]

Throughout my long teaching career, the CAO points race shaped almost every aspect of second-level education. The system grew out of the fact that universities needed an efficient process to select applicants as more and more students sought to go to third level.

Any activity that did not contribute towards higher points was regarded as a distraction by parents, students and many teachers. Grind schools that focused exclusively on exam subjects sprang up like mushrooms.

Given the speed at which alternatives to the CAO have developed in the past decade, there could well be a renaissance in our education system, free of the stress and anxiety to which the points race applied. For teachers to be able to engender a love of their subject among students will be a liberation, but also a challenge. I am hopeful we can foster a system based on the intrinsic joy of learning for its own sake, free of the fear engendered by CAO cut-off points for the past 50 years.

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How-To Geek

Officesuite review: a fair alternative to microsoft office (for less money).

An OfficeSuite Personal Subscription gives you everything you need to create PDFs, documents, presentations, and spreadsheets with little headache.

Key Takeaways

• OfficeSuite is a cross-compatible, cheaper alternative to Microsoft Office with useful features and similar apps.
• Some minor inconveniences exist in OfficeSuite apps, but the overall functionality is impressive and comparable to popular suites.
• OfficeSuite provides a full suite of productivity apps, including Documents, Slides, PDF, and Sheets, with 50GB of cloud storage included.

If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to widely used office suites like Microsoft Office you'll soon realize how few options are worth your time. OfficeSuite , however, is cross-compatible with Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, and iWork and is a truly respectable alternative to popular app suites if you can deal with a few minor inconveniences.

As an avid user of productivity software, such as Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 , I want dependability and function. Next in the line is cross-compatibility, which makes it easy to transfer old files made with Office to something like OfficeSuite or OpenOffice. MobiSystems, the developer of OfficeSuite, touts its software as "the best alternative" to Microsoft Office, and I am inclined to agree after spending some time with the five apps in the software's annual subscription plan. If you're someone who's sick of paying for Office or 365 or just sick of the frankly sorry state of OpenOffice (let's be honest), then OfficeSuite is probably the best option you have, unless you'd rather use Google's free productivity apps online, which isn't too helpful if you want to work without depending on Wi-Fi.

OfficeSuite is offering How-To Geek readers 50% off on a Home & Family or Business subscription . Sign up via the link before June 2024 to enjoy the discount.

OfficeSuite Personal

An OfficeSuite plan makes an excellent alternative to other productivity suites. It's cross-compatible with Microsoft Office and OpenOffice files and has many similar features in its Documents, Slides, PDF, and Sheets apps.

• A full suite of productivity apps
• PDF features like annotation, virtual signature, and export included
• 50GB of cloud drive space in MobiDrive
• File conversion at your fingertips in MobiDrive app
• Some features in the apps require a bit of searching and extra clicks
• No automatic word count in Documents app
• The Email app could stand improvement
• Limited compatibility for macOS

OfficeSuite is a Thoughtfully Designed, Compatible Alternative

After receiving a one-year OfficeSuite Personal subscription, I downloaded the software. Then I entered the verification code I received and quickly verified the account via email. I had OfficeSuite up and running in just a few minutes. Once installed, I downloaded several of my existing files from Google Docs and Google Sheets to get myself working, as well as some existing documents on my laptop.

If you don't know how to use all the features of Google's free productivity apps, check out our beginner's guides for both Google Docs and Google Sheets .

When I downloaded a file to my laptop, the corresponding OfficeSuite app gave a helpful pop-up asking me if I wanted to open what I'd just downloaded. This feature, as simple as it was, was one of my favorites since it boosted my efficiency by saving me extra clicks.

But I digress. Each app in OfficeSuite looked very familiar—since I'm used to using Microsoft Office. I was pleased that things weren't too different, and at times, looked nearly identical. However, differences exist in the location of particular actions in most of the apps. For the most part, though, if you've ever dabbled in Microsoft's productivity apps or even Google's suite of online applications, you won't feel thrown out to sea. Each app has a simple, user-friendly interface without looking outdated or cheap (again, sorry, OpenOffice...).

The primary difference is the organization. While Microsoft uses tabs with easier-to-access buttons, OfficeSuite uses drop-down menus, so an action like inserting a table in Sheets will involve finding the "Insert" drop-down menu and selecting "Table," rather than looking for a "Table" button under the "Insert" tab.

All the Apps You Need, With Some Limitations

As a writer, I use word processors a lot. Since I'm also a freelancer, I frequently use PDFs and spreadsheets. And let's not even talk about email—my inbox sometimes gives me nightmares. At any rate, productivity apps are non-negotiable for me; I use them daily for just about everything, from budgeting to tracking invoices to drafting projects.

I had high expectations for OfficeSuite. At the very least, I wanted to see that these apps were workable for someone like me who relies on them regularly. For the most part, I was impressed with the functionality of OfficeSuite's apps and file compatibility, but some definite weaknesses could sway your decision to subscribe. A glaring problem for some users is that OfficeSuite doesn't have a full suite of apps for Mac users yet. The website says the developer will add more modules and features to the macOS version in the future, but since it's unclear when that is, if you're strictly a Mac user, you might want to skip OfficeSuite for now.

OfficeSuite Documents

Although I wasn't impressed by one rather thoughtless design element, OfficeSuite's Documents app was easy to use and had all the helpful features I expected it to have. This included all the basics, like different headers, a format painter tool, a table insert tool, the ability to track changes and add comments to your document, and more. It also has a built-in AI assistant for paraphrasing sentences.

My biggest gripe with Documents was the word counter—at first glance, there isn't one. I was expecting to find one at the bottom of the program, like its location in Microsoft Office, but it seems OfficeSuite had other ideas. Does Microsoft own the rights to word counters at the bottom? I don't know. What I do know is that, as a writer, word count is essential to me. So I hunted through tabs and finally found it nestled underneath the "Review" tab. Upon discovery, I found out there's also a keyboard shortcut to open it (Control-Shift-G). However, while it displays the word and character count, keeping it visible is impossible. So I had to open it every time I wanted to see what stage my draft was at. For me, this was a significant pain point.

Other useful features seemed to be well-organized and easy to find. A few actions required a couple of extra clicks than seemed necessary. For instance, accessing "merge formatting" or inserting a link didn't have buttons—I had to dig for them. The alt key codes I usually use to insert symbols like em dashes didn't work in Documents. Instead, I had to use the Unicode keys in the Symbols menu.

OfficeSuite PDF

Using OfficeSuite's PDF was a pleasure because it was clearly laid out and easy to locate helpful tools like highlighting, export buttons, and a digital signature tool. I wasn't able to edit PDFs with my membership, as that's not included without purchasing a license for PDF Extra ($50 per year or $100 lifetime license). I didn't find this to be bothersome, since I could easily convert a PDF to a Word document and then save it as a PDF again if I needed a new version of it.

The signature tool and the ability to export watermark-free PDFs as Word docs, Excel docs, PowerPoints, or ePub files were the highlights for me. And I must add that Adobe's free version doesn't let you add a signature to a read-only PDF file.

Since I often have to sign PDFs but don't pay for an Adobe membership, I'm typically paying one-off fees for online services to add electronic signatures, and this small feature is a major win, if you ask me.

OfficeSuite Slides

While I don't make that many presentations these days, OfficeSuite's Slides offers a convenient alternative to the Microsoft PowerPoint app. I downloaded old college presentations I had saved and opened them with zero difficulty. I was also able to edit those, and I found most of the Slides tools were well organized.

As far as creating a new presentation goes, Slides doesn't have very many preset layouts—13 in total. The presets it does have are nice, but if you like a lot of design options like me, I'd suggest downloading compatible themes. I downloaded some for free from Slidesgo, such as this cherry blossom theme .

Other helpful editing tools that gave presentations more panache were easily accessible, such as transitions, animation options, and the ability to insert music, photos, and videos. I could see Slides working well for people who are educators, trainers, and students, and I was unable to tell that much difference between Slides and Microsoft's alternative barring some organizational differences.

OfficeSuite Mail

If I had to pick my least favorite app that comes with OfficeSuite, it would be the Mail app. Personally, this might be a bias because I never like to use email apps that conglomerate all my mail into one inbox. I prefer Gmail's organized categorization, and I'm also a little bit over-the-top with how many labels I create to store important emails for later. Nonetheless, the Mail app does its job, with limitations.

For instance, I couldn't see a reply in a thread after just sending a response to someone, as I would be able to do with Gmail. I also noticed a particular lethargy the app seemed to have when opening any of my labels. It was slow to load folders of emails, but pretty fast to load individual ones that were in my inbox, which wasn't a huge deal but enough to make me wish I was in my Gmail browser window instead since it's generally speedy.

The layout itself was fairly benign and easy to understand, so if you're someone who likes to link to multiple email accounts (OfficeSuite's Mail lets you link up to 10 email accounts) and have them all in one place, you might be okay with this app. Sadly, I just didn't prefer it, and I found it to be more annoying than helpful. It's something akin to Microsoft's preinstalled Mail app on a Windows PC. If you like that, you might like this one.

The best aspect, in my opinion, was the Mail app's calendar sync, which links to your Google Calendar (or other calendar apps). I easily edited events, deleted events, and also got a cute little reminder that dinged its way onto my screen to remind me my work shift was starting. The Mail app is also PC-only, so it's limited in its helpfulness if you're on the go.

OfficeSuite Sheets

Using Sheets was almost as efficient as Excel, but I did notice a tiny lag when entering data. It was negligible enough to overlook, however, and I used Sheets to continue budgeting and freelancing spreadsheets, as well as track my submissions to literary magazines and shamelessly color code blocks of data.

Highlighting a single column of text gave me the expected figures for average, count, and sum, and when I pulled up Excel to get a side-by-side glance at the layout, most major items were in similar spots on the Sheets version. Which is probably why everything was so easy for me to find. For my purposes, Sheets performed just as well as using Google Sheets or an Excel spreadsheet, with the small issue of data entry speed being off by a hair. If you live and breathe spreadsheets, then the small differences in drop-down menus instead of tabs might be enough to make you wary, but for the casual and moderate spreadsheet creators, the differences are easily ignored.

MobiDrive Cloud Storage: 50GB Included and a Convenient App

Having 50GB of included cloud storage was a helpful feature that I appreciated—especially since that meant I could access important files on my smartphone via the MobiDrive app. I had to download MobiDrive separately on both my computer and phone to get the most out of it. But after I did, I was able to save files to my MobiDrive while working on my laptop, then switch to the MobiDrive app on my phone and edit the same files. This sort of flexibility is something I find priceless, and I think many other professionals do, too.

Its biggest strength is the instant file conversion you can access straight from your smartphone. Looking at a list of experts I made for an interview piece, I tapped the three-dots option to the right of the file in the MobiDrive app and then tapped "Convert."

Then, a list of various file types came up, including go-to basics like HTML, JPG, MP3, PDF, PNG, and RTF. After selecting "PDF," it took less than one minute to convert and show up in my MobiDrive files.

Should You Buy an OfficeSuite Premium License?

OfficeSuite isn't perfect, but if you prefer to save some money and still enjoy a full suite of productivity apps installed on your PC, it's worth the subscription fee. Not only does it cost less than alternatives, but it also functions reasonably well for heavy word processing, PDF editing, creating presentations, and making spreadsheets. It seems to be one of the best options available if you want to avoid Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365, and its few flaws shouldn't be too significant of an issue for most users.