iA Presenter vs Microsoft PowerPoint

iA Presenter

• Speakers who would rather write a script than arrange slides
• Markdown users who want slides and a readable handout from one text file
• Teachers and lecturers who keep detailed notes behind sparse slides

Microsoft PowerPoint

• People who need a full desktop presentation app on Windows or Mac
• Teams that already share files through OneDrive or SharePoint
• Presenters who want to rehearse with feedback on pace and filler words
• Occasional users who only need the free browser version

iA Presenter

• There is no free plan: after the 7-day Mac trial it needs a subscription or a one-time purchase, and one-time purchases are charged per platform.
• The pricing page lists Mac, iPad and iPhone only; there is no Windows, Android or web version on it.
• Web Sharing runs from the Mac app and is not included with App Store purchases; one-time Mac licenses get a short trial of it.
• iA says a one-time payment covers the current version and major updates may cost extra. PowerPoint export is labeled beta.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• The Windows and Mac apps need a Microsoft 365 subscription or a one-time Office purchase; Microsoft lists the free plan for web, iOS and Android.
• PowerPoint for the web lacks some desktop features: password-protected and digitally signed files open only in the desktop app, and macros do not run.
• Copilot needs a paid subscription, has usage limits, and on shared plans works for the subscription owner only.
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7.00 per user / month paid yearly, or $5.40 without Teams) includes only the web and mobile versions of PowerPoint.

iA Presenter

Text-first editor

A talk is written in a Markdown editor. Titles and visuals show on the slide, while regular paragraphs stay as speaker notes that only the presenter sees.

Automatic layouts

The app analyzes each slide's content and chooses a layout that adapts to the display. Fixed aspect ratios are also available, including 16:9, 4:3, 9:16 and square.

Themes and custom themes

Built-in themes can be adjusted for fonts, colors, headers and footers, and every slide updates to match. Custom themes can be written from scratch in HTML and CSS.

Teleprompter

Presentation mode shows the script on a teleprompter beside the slides the audience sees, with a timer. On iPhone and iPad, speaker notes appear as subtitles instead.

Tables and charts

Tables are written in Markdown, and adding a line of metadata turns a table into a chart that stays in sync with its data. CSV blocks handle larger datasets.

Export and Web Sharing

Exports to PDF, PowerPoint (beta), HTML, images and Markdown. Web Sharing, in the Mac app, publishes a deck as a link that stays available for one year by default.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Copilot in PowerPoint

Rewrites, reorganizes and adds slides from a written request, leaving the changes for review. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, and usage limits apply.

Designer

Suggests finished layouts for the content placed on a slide. In the desktop apps only Microsoft 365 subscribers get the suggestions; in PowerPoint for the web they are open to everyone.

Speaker Coach

Listens to a rehearsal and reports on pacing, pitch, filler words and reading straight from the slide, then shows a summary with recommendations. It currently understands English only.

Cameo

Places a live camera feed on a slide, where it can be styled, resized and animated like a picture. It is for Microsoft 365 subscribers on Windows, macOS and the web.

Co-authoring

Several people can edit a presentation saved to OneDrive or SharePoint at once. Indicators show which slide each person is on, and changes that do not conflict are merged automatically.

Templates

Microsoft offers thousands of customizable templates as starting points for a slide show. The free plan includes a basic set of templates, fonts, icons and stickers.

iA Presenter

• Yearly$3.95

  per month, billed yearly ($47.40)

  Subscription bought from iA that covers Mac, iPad and iPhone and includes 1 GB of Web Sharing.

• Quarterly$8

  per month, billed $24 every 3 months

  The same subscription billed every 3 months: Mac, iPad and iPhone with 1 GB of Web Sharing.

• One-Time Payment: iPad and iPhone$19.99

  one-time payment on the App Store

  The iPad and iPhone app, sold on the App Store only. App Store copies do not currently include Web Sharing.

• One-Time Payment: Mac$89

  one-time payment, bought from iA

  The current Mac version for one user, with a one-month Web Sharing trial. Web Sharing after that is a separate add-on at $9.99 a year per GB.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• Free$0

  PowerPoint for the web for 1 person, with sharing, real-time collaboration, basic templates and 5 GB of cloud storage. Works on web, iOS and Android.

• Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  1 person on up to 5 devices at once, 1 TB of cloud storage, and the PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot.

• Microsoft 365 Apps for business$10.00

  per user / month, paid yearly

  Desktop versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook for up to 300 employees, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user.

• Microsoft 365 Family$12.99

  per month, or $129.99 per year

  Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of storage per person. AI features are for the subscription owner only.

• Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99

  per month, or $199.99 per year

  Everything in Family, plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features such as advanced research and analytics.

• Office Home 2024$179.99

  one-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac

  Classic 2024 desktop versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel and OneNote, with no upgrade path to the next major release.

iA Presenter

• Annual discount

  Yearly plan marked as 50% off

  The pricing page labels the Yearly plan "SAVE 50%": $47.40 a year ($3.95 a month) against $24 every 3 months ($8 a month) on the Quarterly plan.

• Education

  Student and faculty discount

  Students and faculty get a discount on non-renewing yearly subscriptions bought from iA, on request. App Store purchases are not eligible, and schools can buy multiple licenses.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% by paying yearly

  Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 against $12.99 and Premium $199.99 against $19.99.

• Education

  Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal

  Verified college and university students get Microsoft 365 Personal at half price. Student status has to be re-verified each year to keep the discount.

• Education

  Office 365 A1 free for eligible schools

  Educators and students with an eligible education email address get Office 365 A1 at no cost, which includes the web versions of PowerPoint and the other core apps.

• Nonprofit

  Nonprofit staff pricing on Microsoft 365 E3

  Eligible nonprofits can buy Microsoft 365 E3, with desktop, web and mobile versions of PowerPoint, for $9.75 per user / month paid yearly.

• Lifetime license

  Office Home 2024 one-time purchase

  $179.99 buys the classic 2024 desktop versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel and OneNote for 1 PC or Mac, with no subscription.