To use Gamma AI, sign up free at gamma.app, open your dashboard and choose Create New AI. Pick Generate to start from a topic, Paste to format your own text or Import to convert a file or web page. Then edit any card with the sparkle icon and export to PowerPoint, PDF or PNG.
Gamma makes presentations, documents and simple websites from a prompt or your own notes. Gamma's own help centre says the newest version starts with a conversation, where its agent asks a few quick questions and then builds the whole thing, while the classic generator is still there if you prefer it. Here's how to get a good first deck, and how to make your free credits last.
Step 1: Choose how you'll create
| Mode | Best for | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Generate | First drafts and brainstorming | Enter a topic and Gamma builds a structured draft |
| Paste | Notes or text you already have | Gamma formats your text into a clean layout |
| Import | Existing files and web pages | Upload a PowerPoint or document, or enter a URL, and Gamma restyles it |
If you've already written your talk or proposal, Paste or Import almost always gives a better result than Generate, because the ideas are yours and Gamma only handles the design. Gamma itself suggests you can draft an outline in another tool such as ChatGPT and paste it in.
Step 2: Pick how Gamma builds
In the composer there's a mode picker. Plan lets you review the template and plan before it builds. Express skips the review and goes straight to your gamma. Research pulls sources from the web first, and only works with Plan. I'd use Plan for anything client-facing, so you can fix the structure before any credits go on slides you don't want.
Copy this prompt
A 10-slide presentation for small business owners called Five ways to get more Google reviews this month. Friendly tone, one idea per slide, a short example on each, and a final slide with a simple weekly checklist.
You can also choose Don't add images for a clean, text-only deck, or the option that leaves empty image spaces for your own photos, which is what I'd pick for anything showing your products or team.
Step 3: Edit with AI, or by hand
Click the sparkle icon at the top left of any slide to edit it with AI. Gamma suggests layout changes and content improvements, and you can ask for specific changes like make this shorter or turn this into three columns. Editing several slides at once uses the sparkle icon at the top right and is a Pro feature. You can always edit text, images and layouts by hand, and change the theme at any time with Theme at the top right.
A handy detail: on any gamma made with AI, click the three-dot menu at the top right and choose View Source Prompt to see the prompt you used. That's useful when a deck works well and you want to repeat the recipe.
Carousels and single graphics
Gamma isn't only for slides. It can make a carousel, which Gamma describes as a series of square or vertical cards designed to be exported as images and posted as a swipeable set on LinkedIn or Instagram. For a one-page poster, infographic, logo or social post, use Imagine instead: from your dashboard click Create, then Create graphics. Imagine uses credits and is available on every plan except Business and Enterprise.
Step 4: Export or share
Click Share at the top right, then Export, or use the three-dot menu. You can export the whole gamma or a single slide.
- PDF, PNG or PowerPoint (PPTX).
- Google Slides, by uploading the PPTX file.
- Direct to LinkedIn, without exporting a PDF first.
Choose All cards in the export dropdown, or you may only export the current one. Tables export to PowerPoint as editable tables by default. Exports match how the deck looks in Present Mode, not Edit Mode.
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How credits work on the free plan
Every AI action in Gamma uses credits, and on the free plan they don't refresh. As of October 2026, Gamma's pricing page lists the free plan with 400 credits at signup and up to 10 slides per prompt. Here's what's worth knowing:
| Free plan rule | What Gamma says |
|---|---|
| Starting credits | 400 at signup |
| Refresh | Free credits don't refresh |
| Earning more | 200 credits for each friend who signs up through your referral link |
| Cap | Up to 2,000 credits at once on a free account |
| Failed actions | No credits used when an action fails or asks you a question |
Paid plans refill credits monthly on your billing date and let unused plan credits roll over up to double the plan size. On Gamma's pricing page, Plus is listed at $9 per seat a month and Pro at $18 per seat a month, in US dollars, as of October 2026.
The watermark, and a legitimate way around it
PDF and PPTX exports from a free workspace carry a Made by Gamma badge. Any paid plan removes it from future exports, but not from files you've already exported. Gamma's help centre also notes that printing from your own editor with Cmd+P or Ctrl+P while signed in doesn't add the badge on any plan, which is useful for a personal printed copy.
My verdict
Gamma is at its best when you paste in your own outline and let it do the design. Use Plan mode, leave empty image spaces for anything showing your own business, and spend your 400 starting credits on real decks rather than test prompts. My Gamma vs Canva comparison helps if you're choosing between the two, and my roundup of AI presentation makers covers other options.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gamma AI free?
Yes. As of October 2026, Gamma's free plan gives you 400 credits at signup and up to 10 slides per prompt. Free credits don't refresh, but you can earn 200 more per referral.
Can I export Gamma to PowerPoint?
Yes. Click Share, then Export, and choose PowerPoint (PPTX). Tables export as editable tables by default.
How do I remove the Made by Gamma badge?
Subscribe to any paid plan to remove it from future PDF and PPTX exports. Exports already made on the free plan keep the badge.
Do Gamma credits roll over?
On paid plans, unused plan credits roll over up to double your plan size. Free credits don't refresh at all.
Can Gamma turn my existing document into slides?
Yes. Use Import to upload a PowerPoint or document, or enter a URL, and Gamma restyles the content into a new layout.
