Presentation programs: The best tools 2024

Are you looking for the best presentation programs? Depending on what you are looking for, there are a variety of options. Whether in video conferences or in the conference room – a professionally created presentation is the be-all and end-all for a successful meeting. We show you the 5 best presentation programs 2024 so that you can find the right tool for your purposes. Of course, you will also find the presentation technology you need to hold presentations in an appealing and professional setting.

 - Presentation programs: The best tools 2024
What makes a good presentation program?

A good presentation program is characterized by several features. At the top of the list is, of course, user-friendliness. The tool should be as easy to use as possible so that you as a user can concentrate on the content of your presentation instead of having to operate tricky functions.

To ensure that you can present your content accurately, a good presentation program should offer a variety of design options. This will ensure that you keep the attention of your audience and that the information conveyed really sticks. The use of different layouts, fonts and colors is popular here.

At least as important is the functional integration of multimedia. Without images or short videos, a presentation is usually not very appealing, and graphics and images often also serve to illustrate further information. A good presentation tool should therefore offer the integration of these media as easily and reliably as possible.

Based on these criteria, we have selected the 5 best presentation programs 2024 for you.

The 5 best presentation programs 2024

1. Prezi

Prezi is a desktop and web-based presentation program that is becoming increasingly popular. This is mainly due to the non-linear structure of the individual slides. Compared to its competitors, this means that with Prezi you can insert content at any point on the blank slide. So you start with a kind of blank canvas and are less limited in the design of your presentation. What's more, the tool is free and web-based, which means you can access it from any web-enabled computer or device. There is no longer any need to store your presentations locally.

One disadvantage of Prezi, however, lies in its area of application. The program requires some training before you get the hang of it. Once you have familiarized yourself with the presentation tool, it becomes easier to work with time and creating presentations becomes more and more intuitive. It is not without reason that Prezi is one of the best presentation programs of 2024.

 

2. MS PowerPoint

A popular classic to this day is the MS Office presentation program PowerPoint. Most of you will probably already be familiar with the advantages of this presentation tool. The program is best known for its numerous design options and animations. But the integration of external media is also very easy. As most of us have already worked with PowerPoint several times, using the tool is nothing new, making it very easy and intuitive to create presentations.

However, there is increasing criticism of the presentation program. The main criticism is that PowerPoint takes a lot of time if you really want to make your presentation appealing. In addition, unlike some of its competitors, the tool is costly – an investment that you have to be prepared to make. Nevertheless, we can say that PowerPoint still fully meets our evaluation criteria for a good presentation program in 2024 and will probably remain one of the most popular presentation tools.

 

3. Google Slides

Google Slides is Google's version of PowerPoint and is hosted in Google Workspace. The tool is particularly popular for the simple option of collaborative working - a key problem with other programs such as PowerPoint. With Google Slides, several people can easily work on one presentation. Another plus point is that the tool is available for free.

However, Google Slides has a clear disadvantage in the area of design options. There are few customization options, a limited number of fonts and fewer functions for the user than the competition offers. Nevertheless, Google Slides is an excellent tool, especially for presentations that need to be created quickly, and is one of the best of 2024.

 

4. Canva Presentation

Canva is probably known to most as a design platform for images and the like. But the site also offers the opportunity to create presentations. Here, all the advantages of the graphic design program meet the world of presentations. You can easily enhance your slides with a wide selection of fonts, images, colors and graphics and design them professionally. This is also a web-based tool that you can use with any web-enabled device.

Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that Canva still lacks some features for the creation of technically sophisticated presentations. The focus of the program is on the design level and accordingly you have the most advantages in this area.

 

5. keynote

For all Apple fans, Keynote is an absolutely recommendable presentation program. Especially if you are already familiar with Mac programs, Keynote should be easy to use. You can choose between numerous designs and layouts in this tool and easily use exciting animations to make your presentation more captivating. The integration of images or short YouTube videos is also extremely simple and reliable.

The decisive disadvantage of Keynote is that the app is only available for MacOS. In addition, using the program may prove to be rather complicated for all Apple newcomers. Nevertheless, Keynote offers a variety of design options and is therefore ideal for creating interesting presentations.

The best presentation programs 2024: advantages and disadvantages at a glance

 

  Advantages

  Disadvantages

Prezi

  • Free of charge
  • Web-based
  • Various design options
  • Longer training period
  • Presentations cannot be saved locally

PowerPoint

  • Simple and intuitive
  • Infinite design possibilities
  • Animations
  • Time-consuming
  • Updates become more irregular
  • Costly

Google Slides

  • Collaborative work on the presentation possible
  • Free of charge
  • Fewer design options

Canva presentation

  • Professional design possible
  • Various design options
  • Web-based  
  • Focus on design level, therefore not suitable for sophisticated presentations
  • Full version subject to a charge

Keynote

  • Numerous designs and layouts
  • Diverse animation area
  • Free of charge
  • For MacOS only
  • More complicated to use for newcomers