Google Slides vs SoftMaker Presentations (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Google Slides if

• Fits if a few of you need to build and review the same deck at the same time
• Works for companies already paying for Google Workspace, since it's part of every plan

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want to record yourself presenting for free, as recording is kept for some Workspace plans
• Skip it if you build slides on an iPhone or iPad, as reviewers say the app leaves out much of the web version
• Pricey if you only want Gemini's help, because that starts on Business Standard at $14 a user a month
• Watch out: each recording stops at 30 minutes and can only be made in Chrome or Edge
• Tight if you work offline on a computer, as there's no desktop app and you need Chrome or Edge with an extension

Pick SoftMaker Presentations if

• Fits if you want an offline PowerPoint-style program on Linux or Mac
• Works for a household that wants one license for 5 computers

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: it is only sold as part of the Office suite subscription
• Watch out: the yearly plan covers 5 household computers but a company license covers 1
• Watch out: AI text, image and translation use is capped by included allowances
• Pricey if you need volume, as 5 computers cost $199 a year

Google Slides

• There is no standalone paid Slides plan; the business version comes only as part of Google Workspace, with Gmail, Drive and Meet.
• Gemini in Slides is not in Business Starter; it starts at Business Standard, $14 per user / month on a 1-year commitment.
• Slides recording and speaker spotlight are not available with a free personal account; Google limits them to some Workspace plans.
• Google's help lists Slides for computer browsers, Android, iPhone and iPad; no Windows or Mac desktop app is listed.

SoftMaker Presentations

• Presentations is sold only as part of the Office suite subscription, not by itself.
• The yearly plan covers 5 household computers, but a company license covers 1 computer.
• AI text, image and translation use is capped by included character and image allowances.
• Volume licenses are priced separately, for example 5 computers for $199 a year.

Google Slides

Co-editing and revision history

Several people can work on the same slide at the same time. Sharing settings control who can view, comment or edit, and revision history restores earlier versions.

Gemini in Slides

Generates new slides and images from a prompt, summarizes a presentation, rewrites text and can draw on files in Drive. It requires an eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan.

Slides recording

Records a presenter talking through a deck and saves the video to Drive for sharing. Each recording is limited to 30 minutes and can only be made in Chrome or Edge.

Presenting in Google Meet

Slides and Meet controls appear in one place during a call, and speaker spotlight places the presenter's video inside the slide. Both are limited to some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.

PowerPoint and Canva files

PowerPoint presentations can be edited directly without making a copy, or converted to Slides format. Canva presentations can also be imported.

Offline editing

Presentations can be opened, created and edited without a connection. On a computer this requires Chrome or Microsoft Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension.

SoftMaker Presentations

PPTX as native format

Slides are saved as PPTX, so files open in PowerPoint without conversion.

Animations and transitions

The vendor says it offers animations and slide transitions beyond what PowerPoint provides.

AI slide drafting

Presentations can turn a topic into slides with headings and text, and summarize long decks.

Five platforms

The suite runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android under one subscription.

Local processing

The vendor says the suite runs on your own device with no forced cloud connection.

Included allowances

The yearly plan lists 5 million characters of AI text and 100 AI images, plus translation characters.

Google Slides

• Personal Google Account$0

  Create, edit and present slides in a browser or the mobile apps, with co-editing, comments, templates and offline access.

• Business Starter$7

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)

  Google Workspace with Slides and 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Gemini in Slides is not included.

• Business Standard$14

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)

  2 TB of pooled storage per user. The lowest Business edition that includes Gemini in Slides.

• Business Plus$22

  per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)

  Everything in Standard with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, plus Vault, eDiscovery and advanced endpoint management.

• EnterpriseCustom

  No minimum or maximum user count, with data loss prevention, context-aware access and data regions; priced through Google sales.

SoftMaker Presentations

• Office NX Universal, yearly$49.90

  per year, licensed for 5 computers

  Whole suite, including Presentations; for 5 computers of one household or 1 company computer.

• Office NX Universal, monthly$4.99

  per month, billed monthly

  Same suite on a rolling monthly subscription.

Google Slides

• Annual discount

  Save 16% with a 1-year commitment

  Business Starter is $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan against $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.

• Nonprofit

  Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0

  Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.

• Education

  Education Fundamentals at no charge

  Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Slides, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.

SoftMaker Presentations

No public discounts listed.