Why People Use Google Slides More Than PowerPoint

If you have Microsoft 365 Basic and a full desktop license, you get all the features of PowerPoint . It's clearly better. However, when it comes to presentations, many people choose Google Slides .

5. Don't get interrupted when opening Google Slides

Google Slides gives users less than 30 templates to choose from, and honestly, that's perfect. You launch the app, click on the template gallery, and within seconds, you'll find the right template for your presentation.

PowerPoint is a completely different story. On mobile, you have some pretty cool slide themes, but they're not full templates. You still have to design everything from scratch.

The web version gives you templates, then redirects you to the desktop app to use. And if you're only on the Microsoft 365 Basic plan, then you're out of luck.

Even if you could access PowerPoint's full template library on the desktop app, it would still be overwhelming. There are hundreds of options, each of which requires you to download, preview, and possibly delete if it doesn't suit you.

4. Easier on-the-go editing

At first glance, Google Slides and PowerPoint look pretty similar on mobile. Both let you edit presentations, add text, and insert images. All the basic features are available.

Once you actually start using it, however, Google Slides feels more intuitive—probably because we've been living in the Google ecosystem on mobile for years. You're constantly switching between Docs, Sheets, and Gmail on your phone, so switching to Slides feels like second nature.

PowerPoint on mobile isn't bad, but you always have to adjust a bit every time you have to use the app on your phone.

3. You never forget the versions because there is really only one

Anyone who has ever collaborated on a PowerPoint presentation knows the nightmare of version control. Someone downloads the file, edits it offline, then emails it back with the subject line 'Final version edited by Mike .' Meanwhile, three other people are working on the actual version online, and now you have to manually try to merge everyone's changes.

Google Slides solves this problem completely. Just one presentation, period. Everyone edits the same document in real time, regardless of their tech savvy. There is no option to download the file and edit it on the desktop app.

2. Slides make it easier to collaborate quickly on social media

There is a social barrier to collaborating on PowerPoint that we rarely talk about. When you share a PowerPoint file, you are essentially asking someone to jump through hoops. Download the file. Make sure you have the right software and sign up. Find a way to send changes back to each other and hope that nothing goes wrong along the way.

None of these steps are particularly difficult, but they create enough of a barrier to make people hesitate.

With Google Slides, you just send them a link and they can view your presentation instantly. As long as they're logged into a Google account, which most people are, they can leave comments right in their browser and you'll see a response immediately.

1. People prefer integrating Gemini into Slides over Copilot in PowerPoint

Neither app offers full AI support on mobile, but the desktop experience is a different case.

To get Copilot to work with PowerPoint, you need the appropriate subscription (Microsoft 365 Copilot or Copilot Pro). Alternatively, you can use PowerPoint online with the Edge browser to access the free version. However, Copilot feels like it's anchored to one side of the screen. It works, but it doesn't feel like it belongs there.

Gemini in Google Slides is the complete opposite. As soon as you open a presentation, Gemini is ready to help. It pops up and immediately starts suggesting ways to improve the work you're doing.

Sometimes the best tool is the one that makes it easy to use, not the one with the most features. Compared to PowerPoint, Google Slides often lets you focus on the actual message instead of struggling with the software. It often does exactly what you need it to do.

David Pac

Update 17 July 2025