Presentations are a pivotal part of communication across countless industries and settings. Whether pitching a business idea, teaching a lesson, or reporting data – impactful presentations can make or break your message.
With traditional slideshows no longer cutting it for increasingly visual audiences, the demand for dynamic, engaging presentation tools continues to grow. Fortunately, modern software makes creating sleek, professional presentations easier than ever.
When evaluating presentation makers, there are a few key criteria to look for:
Ease of Use
The interface and editing features should be intuitive enough for users of all skill levels. Complex, hard-to-navigate software defeats the purpose.
Customization
Robust design functionality allows you to tailor the look and feel to fit your brand. This includes color schemes, fonts, logos and more.
Collaboration
Real-time co-editing streamlines teamwork and workflow. Colleagues can simultaneously contribute to a central presentation.
Animation Capabilities
Eye-catching transitions, motion graphics and animated effects can boost engagement significantly.
Sharing Options
Easy exporting and sharing make presenting seamless across devices. This includes PDF, PPTX, video files and links.
Based on these criteria, here are 14 top-rated tools for creating stunning online presentations:
Canva
Canva makes graphic design accessible for non-designers. Their easy-to-use presentation maker features a drag-and-drop interface and library of over 8,000 templates to choose from.
You can customize each layout with your own color schemes, fonts, logos and media. Animation capabilities also allow you to add transitions between slides.
For collaborating with team members, Canva even offers real-time editing and commenting tools. And presentations can be shared via exportable PDF or PPTX files.
Pricing: Free plan with Canva watermark. Paid plans starting at $12.95 per month remove watermark and unlock more features.
Visme
Visme is an AI-powered presentation tool used by both individuals and organizations like Amazon, Dell, and PayPal.
The software makes it simple to create pro-quality visuals with no design experience required. It‘s equipped with a massive library of templates, illustrations, photos and animations to choose from.
You can also upload your own media, charts/graphs and corporate branding elements. Other handy features include slide transitions, real-time collaboration with team members, and advanced analytics for optimizing engagement.
Presentations can be shared as interactive HTML files or static PDF/PPTX files. Visme also offers video recording and screen capture capabilities for virtual presentations.
Pricing: Free version includes 2 presentations. Paid plans start at $19 per month for more presentations and premium assets.
Venngage
Venngage is an infographic style presentation maker perfect for creating visually compelling slides. The drag-and-drop editor makes building sleek designs simple, with plenty of professionally designed templates to start customizing.
Personalize color schemes, rearrange layouts, input data visualizations, add illustrations – all in just a few clicks. You can also upload company fonts and logos to match existing branding.
For sharing, presentations can be exported as PPTX files or as sharable links and PDFs with embed features. Venngage also offers real-time co-editing functionalities.
Pricing: Free version for basic projects. Premium plans start at $19/month for more features and design assets.
Zoho Show
Zoho Show simplifies building creative presentations through smart recommendations and AI. Simply input your content and let Zoho curate visually impactful designs tailored to your message.
The minimalist interface reduces clutter so you can focus on key tasks easily. Import PPTX files for additional editing capabilities, including slide customization tools and animation effects. You can also embed videos for more dynamic slides.
For seamless presenting, Zoho Show offers mobile connectivity and smart device integrations like remote clickers. And real-time co-editing streamlines collaboration.
Presentations are shareable through virtual meeting platforms or exportable offline as PPTX or PDF files.
Pricing: Free version supports basic features. Paid plans start at $3 per month per user (annual billing).
Genial.ly
Genially takes presentations beyond static slides, allowing you to create vivid animated scenes that capture attention.
Choose from a wide selection of animated templates across various categories and use drag-and-drop tools to customize each scene. You can incorporate videos, gifs, charts plus voiceovers and soundtracks for added dynamics.
Other immersive features include timelines with scrollable motion, interactions powered by triggers, and parallax effects. For collaborating in real time, Genially provides project milestones and commenting abilities.
Presentations can be shared through links, embeds or exports tailored for virtual meetings, websites and more.
Pricing: Free forever plan has branded templates. Premium plans without Genially branding start at $8 per month.
Biteable
Biteable specializes in video presentation creation for modern-day viewers. Their library of professionally designed animation templates turn messages into visually compelling scenes.
Customize each template by uploading your own media, logos, graphics and text. You can also select professional voiceover recordings and soundtracks to complement the visuals using Biteable‘s integrated options.
The software makes it easy for novices and experts alike to produce polished video presentations in just minutes. Other handy features include slide handoff cues, text prompts and consistent branding capabilities.
Presentations can be shared as video files or embed links across devices and platforms. Downloadable MP4 files are also available for offline presentations.
Pricing: Free version includes Biteable watermark. Paid plans removing watermark start at $19 per month.
Renderforest
Renderforest is a simplified online platform for crafting visual presentations and explainer videos tailored to your brand.
Start by selecting a professionally designed template as your canvas. Each layout can contain up to 100 customizable slides ready for your own media uploads and graphic edits. Renderforest‘s drag-and-drop functionality also makes animating slides simple.
Further personalize presentations with color palettes and font styles to match company branding. Embed company logos onto title slides for consistency. Videos and voiceovers can also be incorporated for enhanced dynamics.
Download or share presentations directly from Renderforest in various formats including PDF, JPG, and video files (without watermarks on paid plans).
Pricing: Free version includes Renderforest branding. Paid monthly plans starting at $9 remove branding.
Beautiful.ai
Beautiful.ai empowers teams to create presentations aligned with company branding guidelines for consistent messaging.
Start crafting compliant slides using Beautiful.ai‘s professionally designed templates encompassing modern layouts and stylish graphic elements. Customize templates further with brand colors, fonts, logos along with your own text/images.
Their brand continuity features allow managers to predefine design standards for colors, fonts, etc. so employees can build compliant slides easily. Templates also come with auto-populated example content to demonstrate best practices.
Presentations are exportable as PPTX files or shareable PDF links. Beautiful.ai offers real-time co-editing with inline comments to streamline collaboration.
Pricing: Free version provides basic access. Team plans start at $12 per member per month, billed annually.
Maglr
Maglr takes an interactive approach to presentation building, allowing you to create feature-rich sales decks and product demos.
Import your existing PowerPoint slides to start enhancing content on Maglr‘s easy drag-and-drop editor. Embed dynamic elements like countdown timers, quizzes and clickable navigation menus using their library of widgets.
You can also incorporate gated content only revealed through user interactions for added impact. Video embeds help further engage your audiences.
For presenting, Maglr provides real-time viewer metrics so you can optimize content. Password protection and disabling rights also allow better management over who views/edits projects.
Presentations are accessible through private links which viewers access live using any device. You can toggle elements during the presentation and push updates in real time.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, followed by paid plans starting at $19 per month.
Microsoft Sway
Microsoft Sway builds visually striking presentations by automatically applying animation effects and smart layouts based on the content you provide.
Simply input text, images, videos and data visualizations piece-by-piece while Sway‘s AI platform structures narrative flow and overall aesthetics. This allows creators of all levels to make high-quality designs easily.
Tailor the automatically generated presentations further by manually adjusting graphic elements like text boxes, shapes and more. Preview your Sway on mobile to ensure responsive design on all devices.
When ready, presentations can be shared through a live embed link for access across browsers and operating systems. Download static PDF snapshots as well.
Integrates with Microsoft Office 365 and OneDrive for seamless importing.
Pricing: Free with Microsoft 365 subscription. Otherwise, premium plans start at $5 per user monthly.
Powtoon
Powtoon provides templates and tools for creating lively animated video presentations your audiences won‘t forget.
Choose from their ever-growing library of video templates spanning categories like marketing, internal communications, training, and more. Each professionally designed template has its own visual theme and scene sequencing to clearly convey messages.
Personalize scenes using Powtoon‘s expansive media library of characters, illustrations, logos and more. Their text-to-speech generator converts scripts into voiceovers automatically. You can also upload custom soundtracks.
Presentation analytics help you measure audience engagement levels and drop-off rates. Videos are shareable through custom links or embed codes for virtual meetings, websites and social channels.
Pricing: Free education plan. Paid plans start at $19 per month for business and professional use with more capabilities.
Slides
Slides is a presentation maker built to help teams construct media-rich slides together.
Start crafting impressive designs using Slides‘ visually striking templates encompassing modern graphics, photo layouts, colorful charts plus cinematic widescreen formats. Easily customize templates by uploading new images/logos and rearranging elements as needed.
Their integrated stock media library provides quick access to over 500,000 images, videos and vectors as you build. Slides presentations are also optimized for retina displays across desktop, mobile and tablet for seamless viewing during meetings or webinars.
Pricing: 14-day free trial followed by paid plans starting at $20 per month for core features.
Prezi
Prezi takes an infinite canvas approach to presentation design, allowing you to plot ideas in a mind map format instead of static slides.
Visually arrange topics using zooming animations and motion paths to reveal ideas bit-by-bit to your audience. This helps concepts feel interconnected. Prezi‘s graphic tools make building sleek zoomable canvases intuitive through smart recommendations.
Incorporate Prezi‘s extensive media library of icons, shapes, frames plus upload your own. Slick transitions captivate viewers as you present concepts one-by-one in almost film-like fashion compared to traditional slides.
Present directly in Prezi‘s cloud-based editor or export shareable PDF/PPTX files for offline access. Their real-time collaboration dashboard even allows remote teams to co-edit simultaneously.
Pricing: Free public plan to build basic graphics. Paid subscriptions start at $7 per month for premium features.
Haiku Deck
Haiku Deck streamlines designing creative presentations through artificial intelligence.
Simply provide topic details like industry, audience, goals, etc. and Haiku Deck automatically generates customized templates using predictive algorithms. This gives you a beautifully formatted slide foundation to tweak further.
Input your own text, images, logos and media atop the AI-generated template for full personalization. Animation and transition suggestions keep each slide engaging.
Downloaded PPTX files make presenting simple across devices. Embeddable links also help you share creations digitally through emails and websites.
Haiku Deck‘s one-click optimization ensures readable text sizing when presenting on monitors or projectors.
Pricing: 14-day free trial, followed by paid subscription for $10 per month with annual billing.
Presentation Creation Simplified
Thanks to intuitive software, building sleek presentations is easier for professionals across all industries to amplify messaging and visually engage audiences.
The right tools allow you to develop polished designs that reinforce branding consistency and showcase creativity. Template libraries, drag-and-drop editing, dynamic effects plus built-in media assets help streamline the entire process.
Focus on strategy and content while letting your tech stack handle the aesthetics through automation. With sharing and exporting capabilities too, modern presentation makers empower impact no matter the audience size or platform.
