Aslope Word and Excel, Microsoft'southward PowerPoint has been a regular fixture in many people's lives for more than than 30 years. It'southward changed a lot in that fourth dimension, but retains the aforementioned cadre function - producing compelling and middle-communicable slideshow presentations.

For many years, paying for Role outright was the only mode to access Excel. However, that all changed with the release of Role 365 (now Microsoft 365), which offered admission to all the apps and regular updates in exchange for a monthly fee.

But Microsoft continues to release new standalone versions of Office apps every few years. The latest of these is Office 2021. Hither are 3 potential free methods, plus the central details if you practise stop up paying.

Option 1 - Spider web version

Accessing Microsoft PowerPoint and other cadre Office programs is free via the spider web, and all you'll need is a Microsoft business relationship.

Head over to Part.com and click 'Sign in' to enter your details. If y'all don't yet accept an account, choose 'Sign up for the costless version of Office' and follow the instructions.

PowerPoint for Free

Once that's consummate, you'll be taken to your primary office homepage. From the left pane, choose 'Create' then 'Presentation' to open a new PowerPoint document.

PowerPoint free

Equally you can see, at that place'due south also the option to create documents in Discussion and PowerPoint here, alongside Outlook and a free version of Microsoft Teams. These are all 'Web Apps', meaning you can only utilize them via your browser and not a desktop app. When yous work on a file here, information technology will exist saved to OneDrive, Microsoft'due south cloud storage service.

In fact, you lot probably have Google to thank for this software beingness available in spider web app form, as its free Docs, Sheets and Slides software and their integration with Google Drive fabricated it difficult for Microsoft to keep request users to pay.

Check out our guide to the all-time cloud storage services to see how both compare to the rest of the competition.

The web version of PowerPoint is a more stripped-dorsum version of the software, so the comparison to Google Slidesis more reasonable than the full desktop program. Nonetheless, both services should provide everything a casual user is looking for.

In fact, you lot probably accept Google to thank for this software being available in spider web app form, as its complimentary Docs, Sheets and Slides software and its integration with Google Drive fabricated it hard for Microsoft to keep asking users to pay.

Option 2 - Utilise on mobile

Perhaps once more in response to Google, Microsoft's Office mobile applications are completely costless and available across modern mobile devices.

Y'all can download the Microsoft PowerPoint app forAndroid and iOS. While Microsoft understandably reserves some premium features for its Office 365 subscription, the mobile apps are still very capable and offer integration with OneDrive.

Option 3 - Cheque if your school or workplace gets it free

Many employers offer Microsoft 365 apps to their employees complimentary of charge. Even if your piece of work electronic mail address ends with the name of the visitor, it may withal exist used to sign into a Microsoft account. Of course, you may exist working in an office job where Excel and the like are already the defaults.

If your school has signed up to Microsoft 365 Education, all staff and students should be able access Office apps for gratuitous. To cheque, enter your teaching email address on the Microsoft website.

Simply if your school isn't still signed upward and you're in a position to change that, compare plans and begin the sign-up process here.

Option 4 - Pay full toll

However, these free options aren't suitable for everyone. If you demand more than just basic PowerPoint functions and the app isn't available to y'all via schoolhouse or work, the but alternative is to pay full toll.

At the time of writing, the cheapest Microsoft 365 subscription is Personal, which £5.99/United states of america$6.99 per month or £59.99/US$69.99 per year. Stepping up to the Family plan gets 2-6 people access for £7.99/US$ix.99 per calendar month or £79.99/Usa$99.99 per year. Both offering a one-month free trial.

  • Compare Microsoft 365 plans in the UK
  • Compare Microsoft 365 plans in the United states of america

Your other option is to pay for Part 2021, the latest standalone release. This is a one-off payment of £119.99 in the UK or $149.99 in the U.s.a.. Unfortunately, there'south no style to pay for PowerPoint on its own.

Larn more in our full Microsoft 365 buying guide.