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How to Get PowerPoint for Free (And New Alternatives)

Get free PowerPoint access as well as free templates and resources to get you started. Plus, learn about a new and powerful PPT alternative you’ll want to use.

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Think PowerPoint is reserved for those with the Microsoft 365 subscription only? Well, it's not.

Ever since Google Slides were created, the Microsoft team needed to keep up their game. Read on to learn how you can access MS PowerPoint 100% free of charge.

How much does MS PowerPoint cost?

Microsoft 365 plans cost from $69.99 per year for personal use and from $5 per month per user for business use.

Now, that might not be a lot of money but considering Google’s powerful, 100% free-to-use alternatives for most of MS flagship products, it’s understandable a lot of users would pick the free option.

However, there’s an odd chance you’ll need to edit or modify a file in the PPT format. Sometimes, there are some layout issues when transferring files across MS PowerPoint and Google.

Maybe you’re required to send a PPT file as your client won’t accept any other format.

Relax. There are 2 ways to use Microsoft PowerPoint for free, on any device. In this piece, I’ll show you how to do it.

(Caveat: both options require an Internet connection)

Option 1: the free online version of MS PowerPoint

Perhaps the easiest way to use MS PowerPoint for free is directly via the MS Office website. All you need to do is:

Create a free account on the MS Office website.
Go to the /apps page: https://www.office.com/apps.
Pick PowerPoint from the list of apps you’ll see.

It will look like this:

Of course, the MS website will want you to install the desktop version and, in the process, buy the Office 365 subscription but it’s totally optional and you can use the in-browser, free version without any limitations.

Any file you work on will be automatically saved to OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service—yours will be created automatically as soon as you register your account.

If you’re wondering why you never heard of this option before, it's because Microsoft really try to be low key about it. No wonder, they’d prefer you to buy their desktop product.

Option 2: free mobile PPT versions for Android and iOS

That’s right, perhaps following Google’s example, the Microsoft team launched free mobile apps for most of their suite. That, obviously, includes PowerPoint. You can install them for free and use them as long as you’re connected to the Internet. Here are the download links:

And here is, more or less, what you can expect from the UI:

Inserting a YouTube video into PowerPoint

Out of the two, I’ve only tried the free PowerPoint on iOS and, to be frank, I was surprised at how smooth it was.

Obviously, it came with all the typical PPT frustrations, but creating presentations wasn’t any more difficult than on desktop.

Some advanced features aren’t available, but for an average day user, the free mobile PPT will certainly do the job.

The thing is—

PowerPoint, in itself, is an outdated tool, based on 40-year-old technology. It’s not suited for modern-day use, when your audience has limited attention span and is used to being bombarded with animated visuals all the time.

That’s why, we created Storydoc, a perfect alternative to PowerPoint and other kinds of static presentation software.

Storydoc: the perfect alternative to PowerPoint

With Storydoc, you can easily create beautiful, interactive presentations that really engage your readers. Plus, the editor is so easy and intuitive that you can make changes in seconds while being sure the design and layout will stay perfect.

On average, it takes 3x less time to create a slide deck in Storydoc in comparison to PowerPoint. And, we offer a free 14-day trial so you can see for yourself.

Just have a look at how much better Storydocs look compared to PowerPoints:

Static

Interactive

If you want to look into other PowerPoint alternatives, here’s a guide where we compile and compare the best 6 options on the market: The Best Online Presentation Software.

And to check out some of our other guides with amazing free templates for PowerPoint (and other presentation tools, for that matter), make sure to check out one of these:

Takeaway

To sum up: you can get access to free PowerPoint either via their browser app or by downloading PowerPoint for mobile—works on both Android and iOS devices.

However, if you’re looking for a modern web presentation maker that lets you create stunning decks, there are better alternatives to look into.

Thanks for reading my guide and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your presentation!

Dominika Krukowska

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.