2018-06-07
Note: This content was written prior to BrainStory, the brand that followed Slide Lab.
Before getting into the battle between Prezi and PowerPoint, and before you choose which one to use for your next presentation, we’re going to explain more clearly the numbers surrounding the world’s two most popular presentation tools. Then, we’ll analyse the advantages and disadvantages of both so we can help you make an informed decision.
PowerPoint doesn’t need much in the way of introduction, but it is important to know that it is a program created in 1990 by Microsoft that serves to create, edit and display graphic presentations. We were not able to obtain exact numbers on how many people use PowerPoint today, but we know that this software is installed in over one billion computers all around the world and BBC tells us that, every day, over 30 million presentations are being created in PowerPoint. These are impressive numbers.
Then we have Prezi, also well known, which according to what we find on Wikipedia, is a software developed in HTML5 that operates on the cloud and is used to create non-linear presentations.
Now, let’s analyse in greater detail the advantages and disadvantages of both programs.
Advantages of PowerPoint
Easy to use – At school, we are taught how to work with Microsoft Office tools, and PowerPoint is one of them. We already know it. Therefore, it’s easy to use right from the start.
Highly customisable – PowerPoint has an immense number of font types, colours, formats, backgrounds, animations and options for transitioning between slides, which one can choose when using this program.
Links and incorporations – The software allows for the insertion of links to webpages or to different parts of the presentation itself. It also allows the direct incorporation of videos stored in our computer or the cloud.
Tables and charts – There is a wide variety of tables and charts, and it is possible to directly link to data we have in Excel, facilitating the automatic updating of numbers.
Animations – It allows us to make very complex animations that are similar to video animations, without the need to actually create a video.
Online Publishing – It allows for online publishing in various formats and on various platforms, such as Slideshare, thus promoting information sharing.
Disadvantages of PowerPoint
Presentations are very similar – Due to the recurrent use of pre-defined layouts, we often end up seeing presentations that are almost always alike, with little effort being spent on the preparation of each slide.
Very large file – If we create a presentation with many slides, and especially if we insert a video, audio and high-quality images, the final result is a very heavy file.
It’s difficult to reach its full potential without specific training – PowerPoint is a very powerful tool that enables making animations and very interesting and appealing effects, but someone without specific PowerPoint training generally doesn’t know about them and can’t make them work on their own, so they end up using only the most basic effects, which greatly detracts from the presentations.
Paid software – Yes, we normally tend to ignore this fact, but to use PowerPoint, at some point, we had to pay to use Windows Office.
Advantages of Prezi
Fluid presentations – Anyone, even someone without much knowledge of the platform itself, can build a presentation with dynamic animations in a simple manner. That’s because the animations and sequences are already pre-defined.
Easy to share – The presenter can share online presentations with up to 10 people of their choosing, making working as a team or sharing information much easier.
Free of charge – Prezi allows anyone to make a presentation without having to purchase any software licence.
Disadvantages of Prezi
Free service = sharing – Of course, not everything is a bed of roses, and to be able to use the software at no cost, you will have to allow your presentation to be available on the Prezi website. (But if you pay, you can always keep your presentation private.)
Difficult to update – Prezi is not easily editable. In other words, when you make a first draft of your presentation and then need to change text, charts, numbers… these small changes can become a nightmare on Prezi.
Limited options – As opposed to PowerPoint, which has an enormous panel of options for backgrounds, shapes and images… Prezi offers a small number of background types which can be used, and each of them already has colours and fonts assigned to it.
Dizziness – When presenters make an exaggerated use of the zoom-in feature, the audience may become more confused than enlightened and even begin to feel nauseous or dizzy.
Not optimised for printing – Unlike PowerPoint, Prezi “slides” are not easily printable.
You have to be online – If you want to work on your presentation on the airplane or train without internet, this will not be possible (unless you download the paid version on your computer).
So, which one should we choose?
To be totally honest, there isn’t a right answer. It all depends.
Prezi is the ideal software for someone who wants to have a more dynamic presentation without a lot of content and who does not want to spend a lot of time creating a good PowerPoint. This is due to the fact that, on Prezi, it’s much easier to achieve a dynamic and fluid presentation without professional help.
However, in the corporate world, it is advisable to work in PowerPoint and with the help of a good presentation design agency, if one is not totally comfortable with the software. We recommend PowerPoint. Firstly, because the potential of this tool is far greater than that of Prezi, when it comes to animations, transitions and the inclusion of other elements. Secondly, because PowerPoint enables editing at any time by the presenter, in a simple, quick manner. Thirdly, because you can easily print your presentation to practice or to share with the audience.
In the end, we can create and present an excellent presentation with both programs. But it is important to note that it is not the software that makes a presentation good or bad; it’s the structure, the story, and the presenter.
