Microsoft PowerPoint vs Google Slides vs Canva: which presentation software is best for a small team in 2026?
Every price and fact below was checked on each company's own website on October 11, 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom. No company pays to appear.
The short answer
Microsoft PowerPoint is the best fit for people who need the full desktop app and offline editing, from $99.99 a year on Microsoft 365 Personal or $7.00 per user a month on Business Basic (web and mobile apps only). Google Slides is best for teams already on Google Workspace, which lists Business Starter at €6.80 per user a month on annual billing. Canva is best for designers and marketers who want templates and brand tools, from $144 a year for Pro, with a free plan at $0.
Side by side
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Google Slides | Canva | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #1 | #2 | #3 |
| Best for | People who need the full desktop app, offline editing and Office compatibility | Teams already on Google Workspace that edit decks together | Marketers and non-designers who want templates and brand kits |
| Entry price | PowerPoint Free on the web at $0. Microsoft 365 Personal $99.99 a year | No standalone price. Included in Google Workspace plans | Free plan at $0. Pro US$144 a year for one person |
| Team and business pricing | Business Basic $7.00, Apps for business $10.00, Standard with Copilot $23.50, Premium with Copilot $32.00 per user a month, paid yearly | Business Starter €6.80, Standard €13.60, Plus €21.10 per user a month on annual billing. Enterprise is quote only | Business US$250 a year per person. Enterprise price not published |
| Desktop app | Desktop app included in Personal, Family, Premium, Apps for business and the Standard and Premium with Copilot plans. Business Basic is web and mobile only | Not mentioned on the pages read. Slides runs in the browser and on mobile apps | Not mentioned on the pricing page |
| Free plan | PowerPoint for the web, 1 person, basic templates, 5 GB cloud storage | Not mentioned on the pages read | Free plan with 1,000+ design types and 5 GB cloud storage |
| Real-time collaboration | Sharing and real-time collaboration on the free web version | Live editing and comments | Collaborate in real time included on Free and Pro |
| Team seats | Family covers 1 to 6 people, with AI for the subscription owner only | Business Starter, Standard and Plus can be bought for up to 300 users | Only one person can use a Pro account. Inviting team members is not on Free or Pro |
| AI features | Copilot in PowerPoint generates an outline and formats slides | Gemini in Slides can generate images. Gemini features vary by Workspace plan | Free allows up to 20 AI uses a month. Pro allows up to 200 Premium AI uses |
| Free trial | 1 month on Personal, Family and Premium. Business plans list a trial | 14 days for Google Workspace | Free trial offered on Pro and Business, with the AI allowance of the Free plan during the trial |
The winner, by what you need
Staying on a tight budget
Canva
Canva has a $0 Free plan with 1,000+ design types, and Microsoft's free PowerPoint is web only.
Full desktop app with offline editing
Microsoft PowerPoint
The desktop app is included from Microsoft 365 Personal at $99.99 a year. Google's Slides page describes offline access and Canva's pricing page does not mention a desktop app.
Teams editing one deck together
Google Slides
Google describes live editing and lets Business plans reach 300 users from €6.80 per user a month.
Branded marketing decks and templates
Canva
Canva Pro lists 3.6M+ templates and 5 Brand Kits, against 1 Brand Kit on Free.
Worth knowing
- Google Workspace prices were shown in euros on the pricing page when read, and Microsoft and Canva prices in US dollars. They are not converted.
- Google and Microsoft both showed promotional first-months discounts. The prices above are the standard list prices shown after any offer.
- Canva lists a per-person yearly price and Microsoft lists Business plans per user a month on annual billing. Monthly billing prices differ.
- Prices are list prices as shown on 11 October 2026 and can change at any time.
See all eleven in the full ranking: Microsoft PowerPoint vs Google Slides vs Canva: 11 Best Presentation Software 2026.
Sources
- Microsoft PowerPoint free web plan, Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium prices, Business plan prices per user a month, desktop apps, Copilot in PowerPoint, 1 month trial: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/powerpoint
- Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium yearly and monthly prices and 1 month free trial: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products
- Google Slides live editing, offline access, Gemini image generation, PowerPoint import, Workspace plans: https://workspace.google.com/products/slides/
- Google Workspace plan prices per user a month, 300 user limit on Business plans, 14-day trial, Enterprise contact sales: https://workspace.google.com/pricing
- Canva Free, Pro and Business prices, templates, Brand Kits, AI allowance, real-time collaboration, single-user Pro, free trial: https://www.canva.com/pricing/