- What's included with free PowerPoint
- Free PowerPoint vs Microsoft 365
- The catch: Copilot isn't part of free PowerPoint
- How to use PowerPoint for free
- When paying for PowerPoint makes sense
- Free PowerPoint for common small business jobs
- Before you rely on free PowerPoint: a quick checklist
- My advice
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use PowerPoint for free on the web with a free Microsoft account, and Microsoft also offers free web and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The full PowerPoint desktop app, and Copilot inside it, need a paid Microsoft 365 subscription.
If you only make the odd presentation, a pitch deck or a slide or two for a webinar, you probably don't need to pay for PowerPoint at all. Here's what the free version does, and where it stops.
What's included with free PowerPoint
- PowerPoint for the web, through Microsoft 365 for the web (formerly Office)
- Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and Outlook
- 5 GB of OneDrive cloud storage with a free Microsoft account
- Use across your browser and iOS and Android devices
Free PowerPoint vs Microsoft 365
| Free (web and mobile) | Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPoint | Web and mobile versions | Desktop app as well |
| Cloud storage | 5 GB | Much more, depending on plan |
| Copilot inside PowerPoint desktop | No | Yes, for the subscription owner |
| Copilot chat | Free version, with limits | Higher usage than free |
| Trial | Not needed | One-month trial, where offered |
The catch: Copilot isn't part of free PowerPoint
Many people now want PowerPoint for its AI features, such as turning a document into slides. That's where free stops. Microsoft lists the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot as part of its paid individual plans, and says AI features are only available to the subscription owner and can't be shared. If you're on someone's Family plan, you'll get PowerPoint but not Copilot in it.
You can still use free Copilot alongside free PowerPoint. Microsoft says the free version of Copilot is available at no cost for general questions, writing help and web-based tasks, with usage limits. Ask it to draft your slide outline, then paste that into PowerPoint for the web. Here's more on how Copilot in PowerPoint works if you do subscribe.
How to use PowerPoint for free
- Create a free Microsoft account, or sign in with one you have.
- Open Microsoft 365 for the web in your browser and choose PowerPoint.
- Start from a blank deck or a design, and your file saves to OneDrive automatically.
- Share the deck with a link for comments or editing, so nobody needs to email files around.
- Download it as a PowerPoint file when you need to present offline or send it on.
If you'd rather not use PowerPoint at all, I've compared free presentation software that works well for small businesses, and you can check whether the rest of Microsoft Office is free too.
When paying for PowerPoint makes sense
- You present often and want the full desktop app and its offline features.
- You want Copilot built into PowerPoint to draft and redesign slides.
- You need more than 5 GB of storage for decks full of images and video.
- You already need the desktop versions of Word and Excel for your business.
Free PowerPoint for common small business jobs
- Pitch decks and proposals: the web version handles text, images and simple layouts well.
- Webinar slides: build them in the browser, then download a copy to present from if your connection is shaky.
- Social graphics: PowerPoint is a handy free design tool for quick square or vertical images.
- Shared decks with your team: everyone edits the same file in OneDrive instead of emailing versions around.
Because the free version saves to OneDrive, keep an eye on your 5 GB if your decks are full of high-resolution images or embedded video. Compress pictures before you insert them and you'll rarely hit the limit.
If you need Copilot help with presentations but don't want to pay yet, use the free version of Copilot in your browser to draft the outline and speaker notes, then build the slides yourself. Microsoft says free Copilot is ideal for writing, brainstorming and summarising, which covers most of the planning work.
Before you rely on free PowerPoint: a quick checklist
- Sign in with the Microsoft account you'll use for business, since your decks save to its OneDrive.
- Compress large images before inserting them to protect your 5 GB.
- Download a copy of important decks before you present in case your connection drops.
- Use free Copilot in the browser for outlines rather than paying for Copilot in PowerPoint straight away.
- If you share a Family plan, remember only the owner gets Copilot in the desktop apps.
Free PowerPoint also pairs well with free Word and Excel on the web, so a small business can run its everyday documents, spreadsheets and presentations on Microsoft's free tools for a long time before paying.
A final point on the trial: Microsoft says trial availability, length, eligibility and whether payment details are needed all vary by offer and region. Read the trial terms on screen before you start, and put a reminder in your calendar a few days before it ends so you decide on purpose rather than by default.
My advice
Use PowerPoint for the web free until it gets in your way. For most small business decks, it's plenty, and free Copilot can help you plan the content. If you start presenting every week or want AI to build the slides for you, take the one-month Microsoft 365 trial, use it on real work, and decide then.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use PowerPoint on my phone for free?
Yes. Microsoft's free account benefits include web and mobile versions of apps including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, across iOS and Android.
Is PowerPoint for the web the same as the desktop app?
Not quite. The web version covers everyday decks, while the desktop app and Copilot inside it come with a paid Microsoft 365 plan.
Is PowerPoint free to use?
Yes, on the web and on mobile with a free Microsoft account. Microsoft offers free web versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint through Microsoft 365 for the web.
Is the PowerPoint desktop app free?
No. The full PowerPoint desktop app comes with a paid Microsoft 365 plan such as Personal, Family or Premium.
Does free PowerPoint include Copilot?
No. Copilot inside the PowerPoint desktop app comes with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium, and Microsoft says AI features are only for the subscription owner.
How much storage comes with free PowerPoint?
A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of OneDrive cloud storage, which is where your PowerPoint files are saved.
Is there a free trial of Microsoft 365?
Microsoft offers a one-month trial of Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium, though availability and terms vary by offer and region.
