Choose your tool

Below, we compare four popular presentation packages: PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides and Readymag. Learn about the pros and cons of each package to help find the one that best meets your needs and streamlines the process of creation so you can start turning slide decks into captivating interactive experiences.

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OS compatibility

Responsive design for different screen sizes

Workflow and collaboration

Animation options

Publishing presentations

Sharing presentations with selected audiences

Updating presentations after publication

Tracking and boosting presentation performance

1

OS compatibility

First off, you need to decide which device you’re going to use to make your presentation— since some of the most popular tools are fully compatible only with their native environments (and you need to upload program updates manually). Web applications are independent from this condition: they are cloud-based, which means that you can run them right in the browser, regardless of your operating system.

PowerPoint

Part of the Microsoft Office suite, PowerPoint is available for both Windows and Mac, though the Windows version is more robust.

Keynote

A native Mac app, Keynote doesn’t play nicely with other operating systems.

Google Slides

A cloud-based web application that runs in any browser, regardless of the operating system.

Readymag

An online design tool that runs in most web browsers, except Internet Explorer.

We don't build presentations, we build microsites. Our microsites are built for our international clients and we use them to share our research or strategy projects in granular detail.

I hate the fact that so much B2B work is hidden, poorly shared and rarely seen beyond immediate project teams. Our microsites make the minutiae of our work shareable, while walking clients through the key components of the project.—Tarik Fontenelle, Director, ON ROAD

2

Responsive design for different screen sizes

There are space limitations on devices with smaller screen sizes: whether your presentation will be shown on a desktop, mobile or tablet, you need to ensure correct slide proportions and properly place key design elements. Before you start your presentation, you should always know where and how it is going to be seen in the end. Responsive design options can make your life a lot easier.

PowerPoint

Currently provides the same options as Keynote.

Keynote

No responsive design option. There are only several slide proportions to choose from: Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9).

They do not ensure an optimal viewing experience for mobile devices.

Google Slides

Choose from Standard (4:3), or two options that favor horizontal measurements: Widescreen (16:9) or Widescreen (16:10).

Readymag

Offers three layout formats: Desktop, Mobile and Tablet. Height is fully adjustable in all three. First, create the desktop version of your presentation, then rework it for the other two formats.

A strong argument for the mobile experience is important for obvious reasons: there are more chances that people will check a pitch deck on a mobile device than a desktop.—Ric Bell, Creative Director, and Christina Twigg, Designer at POST Studio

Mobile view of Tracksmith presentation

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Workflow and collaboration

Whether you plan to share your slides later, or you just want to collaborate with a coworker, it should be easy to share presentations and collaborate in real-time. However, your workflow can get quite cumbersome in software-based tools. That’s because synchronization occurs through third-party cloud storage, adding an extra step for your device to process.

Keynote

You can invite other people to edit your presentation in real time, so everyone working can see changes as they’re made.

You can’t leave comments.

When you aren’t connected to the internet, you can continue to work—changes are uploaded to iCloud automatically the next time you’re online.

Google Slides

The app allows multiple people to edit the same file, making instant changes easy and building a collaborative, real-time workflow.

Readymag

You can invite collaborators and iterate faster with the help of Comments mode.

There’s also a Layout locked mode that enables you and your collaborators to edit content without the chance of accidentally disrupting the overall design.

All changes appear instantly for all members, which comes in handy when you make edits right before meeting with a client (or during).

PowerPoint

Collaboration works the same way as Keynote, except that you need to connect the software with OneDrive instead of iCloud.

Comments are also unavailable.