Let’s face it: PowerPoint is great, but it does have its limitations. If you really want to impress your audience, you have several other great solutions at hand—and all of them guarantee a different kind of wow-factor. However, if you are a hardcore Powerpoint fan, we won’t let you down, either. We’ll introduce you to some tricks to supercharge your next presentations.
7 best PowerPoint alternatives
1. Prezi: Show them the bigger picture and the smaller details
Prezi takes presentations to the next level. Rather than going back and forth between slides, Prezi lets you work on a big canvas where you choose what direction your presentation will take. It’s like showing the bigger picture and being able to zoom into the essential details. You can add movements, graphs, video and audio just like you would on your previous presentation.
Still not sure how this works? Watch Prezi’s example presentation:
[arve url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0k3giXi8eM"/]
2. Timeline JS: Embed a stylish timeline on any website
If your goal is to showcase a timeline, progress, or development, Timeline JS may be the right solution for you. It’s pretty simple: Start a new Google Drive spreadsheet and enter your milestones based on the template provided on their site. Add dates, text, videos, and pictures if you like. Every line represents a step on your timeline. (Click the screenshots for a larger view.)
Once finished, use the link to your spreadsheet to create the right code for your timeline—this code you can then embed on your website.
You can find all the instructions to do this right on Timeline JS.
3. Bunkr: Assemble images, video, and other snippets and let Bunkr create a presentation for you
Bunkr is a French startup that sets its goal to simplify the creation of presentations. All you do is collect the material you want to work with, whether it’s text, images or video; save it in your Bunkr folders and once complete, have Bunkr assemble the info and put it into a presentation for you. You can then save it, download it and even edit it in Powerpoint if you like.
4. TinderBox: Create a proposal in form of an online presentation
TinderBox is just starting out, but definitely heading in the right direction. Essentially, it is a proposal creator. What you can do is create a password-protected page within your TinderBox account for every client proposal. You pick your design, add your logo, color scheme, and background. Then you can customize the sections of your proposal—from an introduction letter all the way to your fee proposal and your terms and conditions. You can create templates and reuse sections in other proposals for even faster completion.
Your client can easily browse through your proposal, ask questions, and instantly decline or accept it.
What’s also great about TinderBox is the dashboard. Your client doesn’t know, but you will get a very precise report of his interaction with your document. You will know when he opens it, how long he stays, and what sections he views the longest. This way you can better tailor your follow-up discussion!
5. Bidsketch: Create a PDF proposal that can do so much more
Bidsketch sticks with PDF. It lets you add clients and create projects to start a new proposal. It’s like a tutorial for creating proposals that walks you through every section of the proposal one by one. You choose the opening sections, the deliverables, the fees, and the closing sections before going into preview. You can then save the proposal and send it to your client.
Bidsketch helps you keep an overview of all your proposals and their status. It tells you how many proposals there are left to complete. You can add tags to each proposal to find them faster later. Just like in TinderBox, here you’ll also be able to track client activity on the document.
6. Business Model Fiddle: Lay out your business model on a canvas
If you have trouble writing a solid business plan, then BM Fiddle is for you. Your computer screen turns into a canvas which is divided into the main elements of a business plan. It helps you visualize your concept and add notes to each element.
If you are just starting to develop a business idea, Business Model Fiddle can be a great help!
7. HotGloo: Build interactive prototypes and wireframes of apps and websites
Why draw something with pen and paper, if you can create a fully-functional prototype of what you want to build? In this case, HotGloo is the right tool for you. In the editor mode, you can construct pretty much any functionality you like – including dropdown menus, mouse-over actions, buttons, and signup mockups. Then, in the review mode, you can test your brandnew functionality on the spot. You can also collaborate with others, add notes, and share ideas.
It’s the best wireframing tool we’ve seen so far. Seriously.
Can’t get enough?
There are many more tools and apps out there that can simplify your life tremendously (and make your presentations so much more impressive!). Stay tuned for more, as we are embarking on a series of how-to articles on using apps & web tools for business!
