Updated October 14, 2026. Written for DeckCraft 0.6.1 (what changed since). Prices in USD.
- The deck goes back and forth with PowerPoint users: PowerPoint for the web, free with a Microsoft account.
- Your team already works in Google Drive: Google Slides.
- You have an Apple Account, on a Mac or a Windows PC: Keynote for iCloud.
- No account, or the file shouldn't be uploaded anywhere: DeckCraft, which runs on this site and keeps the deck on your computer.
| Editor | Account | Where the deck is kept | PowerPoint files | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PowerPoint for the web | Microsoft account | OneDrive (5 GB free) | Opens and saves .pptx | Page designed for users in the US |
| Google Slides | Google account | Google Drive | Opens .pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, .potx, .odp and more; downloads .pptx | Converting turns charts and videos into images |
| Keynote for iCloud | Apple Account | iCloud Drive | Uploads PowerPoint files; downloads .pptx or PDF | You upload first and edit the iCloud copy |
| DeckCraft | None | Your computer only | Opens .pptx, .potx, .ppsx; exports a .pptx copy | Alpha; substitute fonts in the browser; no .ppt |
PowerPoint for the web: the same PowerPoint, in a tab
Microsoft gives PowerPoint for the web away with a free Microsoft account, alongside Word and Excel. Because it is Microsoft's own editor, a .pptx comes back the way a PowerPoint user expects, and it can create and play Morph. The cost is where the file lives: decks are saved in and shared from OneDrive, with 5 GB of free space, and Microsoft's free-tier page is written for users in the United States. If you send decks to PowerPoint users every week and a Microsoft account is no problem, start here.
Google Slides: best when the team is in Drive
Google Slides opens a PowerPoint file when you double-click it in Google Drive, and it reads most of the family: .pptx and .ppt, macro-enabled .pptm, .ppsx shows, .potx templates and OpenDocument .odp. Converting to Slides changes the file, though: embedded charts and videos become images and SmartArt becomes Google Drawings. To edit without converting, Office Compatibility Mode keeps the .pptx as it is, but only in Chrome on a computer with Google's Office Editing extension. Either way, a .pptx is the PowerPoint format you can download back, and a password-protected deck opens only if it is a .pptx, not an old .ppt.
Slides is the one to pick for comments and live co-editing with people who already use Google Drive, and it can be set up to work offline.
Keynote for iCloud: for Apple users, on any computer
Apple's presentation app also runs in the browser. Keynote for iCloud works in a supported browser on a Mac or a Windows PC once you sign in with an Apple Account. You upload a PowerPoint file to iCloud Drive, edit it, and download it as PowerPoint, PDF or Keynote. Keynote's counterpart to PowerPoint's Morph is Magic Move. It makes sense if you already keep files in iCloud or switch between a Mac and a PC.
DeckCraft: no account, no upload
DeckCraft is an open-source editor built to work like PowerPoint, ribbon and shortcuts included, and this site runs it in your browser. There is nothing to sign up for: the .pptx is opened, edited and saved on your computer, so it suits a contract deck you'd rather not put in a cloud account, or a school or work machine where you can't install software. It has all 48 of PowerPoint's transitions, Morph among them, slide masters, about 150 preset shapes, charts, tables, audio and video, and it presents full screen. The same app is a free desktop download for Windows, macOS and Linux if you later want it offline with more fonts.
What to know before you rely on it:
- It is alpha software. Its developers put it at 79% of PowerPoint's features by breadth, and its PowerPoint import hasn't yet been checked against a large set of real-world decks.
- The Save icon writes DeckCraft's own .deckcraft file. To send a PowerPoint file back, use Export, which writes a .pptx copy, or a PDF with notes or handouts.
- The browser version has one Latin typeface, Inter, so text set in Calibri or a brand font is shown in Inter and can wrap differently.
- Old .ppt files, .odp files and password-protected decks don't open, and nothing is saved between visits.
For a deck that will be opened, fixed and sent on the same afternoon, those limits rarely matter. For a 60-slide corporate template edited over a month, use one of the other three.
When paying for PowerPoint makes sense
If you present every week, rely on Presenter View, or receive decks that must look exactly the way their authors made them, the desktop app pays for itself. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and includes the PowerPoint desktop app. Free desktop suites such as LibreOffice Impress are covered in the guide to free Office alternatives, which also handles Word and Excel files.
The close call is a one-off deck from a PowerPoint user when you have no account anywhere. A free Microsoft account gets you the most faithful editor, and the file goes into OneDrive. If that isn't acceptable, open the .pptx in DeckCraft, make your changes, and export a .pptx copy before you close the tab.