PowerPoint suits teams that share decks across Windows, Mac and phones and want Copilot, Designer and Speaker Coach built in, and Microsoft lists a free PowerPoint plan. Keynote suits Apple users: it's free on the App Store, and Apple says creating, editing and real-time collaboration need nothing extra. If someone on your team uses Windows, Keynote for iCloud runs in a browser there too.
Mac owners ask this one a lot, usually right before an important pitch. I read Apple's Keynote support pages, the Keynote for iCloud guide, the App Store listing and Apple's Creator Studio page, plus Microsoft's PowerPoint page, and everything below comes from those pages.
Keynote and PowerPoint side by side
| Keynote | PowerPoint | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Yes, free on the App Store (with in-app extras) | Yes, Microsoft PowerPoint Free |
| Devices | Mac, iPad, iPhone; Keynote for iCloud in a browser on Mac or Windows | PCs, Macs, phones and tablets |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes, you control who can edit or view | Yes, share with anyone and work together |
| AI help | Intelligence features through Apple Creator Studio | Copilot in PowerPoint and Microsoft Designer |
| Rehearsal tools | Presenter notes and controls in a separate window | Speaker Coach on pace and vocabulary |
| Templates and extras | Themes; premium content through Apple Creator Studio | Thousands of free templates, Cameo video, handwriting to text |
| Accessibility help | Not covered on the pages I read | Accessibility Assistant |
Keynote: built for Apple devices
Every Keynote presentation starts with a theme, and you swap in your own images, text and slides. When you present in a video call, Keynote can keep your presenter notes and controls in a separate window on your Mac, which is handy when you're sharing your screen.
Keynote for iCloud lets you create, edit and collaborate in a web browser on a Mac or a Windows computer, and you decide who can edit and who can only view. The App Store lists Keynote as free with in-app purchases, rated 4.4 from 84K ratings.
PowerPoint: built for mixed teams
Microsoft's PowerPoint page lists a free PowerPoint plan alongside Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium, which let you sign into 5 devices at once across PCs, Macs, phones and tablets. Copilot can edit slides and add new ones from a description, and Microsoft Designer suggests layouts.
The extras are aimed at the person presenting. Speaker Coach gives feedback on your pace and vocabulary as you rehearse, Cameo adds a recorded video of you to your slides, and the Accessibility Assistant suggests changes to format, colour and wording. You can also write or draw on a slide and turn it into text or shapes.
What Apple's Creator Studio changes
Here's the detail that's easy to miss. Apple now offers a plan called Apple Creator Studio, bundling Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro with premium content and intelligence features in Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform. The App Store listing is clear that creating, viewing and editing presentations, and collaborating in real time, still work without it.
So the core Keynote app stays free, and the plan is about extras. On PowerPoint, Microsoft says the people you share with can work with you in real time without Microsoft 365 of their own.
Who each presentation app suits
Keynote suits Mac and iPad users who present on their own or with other Apple users. PowerPoint suits businesses with Windows machines, clients who send PowerPoint files and anyone who wants rehearsal feedback. If you'd like AI to draft the deck, try these free AI presentation makers, or compare Google Slides alternatives.
My advice for your next deck
Check what your clients and colleagues use before you start. If they all send PowerPoint files, build in PowerPoint and save yourself conversion fiddles. If you work alone on a Mac, Keynote is free and quick, and Keynote for iCloud covers the odd Windows reviewer. Rehearsing a big talk? Speaker Coach in PowerPoint is worth a run-through either way.
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I covered the follow-on problem in How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation With Voice and Camera.
Frequently asked questions
Is Keynote free?
Yes. Apple's App Store lists Keynote as free with in-app purchases, and says creating, editing and real-time collaboration don't need Apple Creator Studio.
Is there a free version of PowerPoint?
Yes. Microsoft's PowerPoint page lists a free PowerPoint plan alongside the Microsoft 365 plans.
Can I use Keynote on Windows?
Yes, in a browser. Keynote for iCloud lets you create, edit and collaborate from a web browser on a Mac or Windows computer.
Does PowerPoint have AI?
Yes. Microsoft lists Copilot in PowerPoint for editing and adding slides, plus Microsoft Designer for layout suggestions.
What is Apple Creator Studio?
It's an Apple plan bundling Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro with premium content and intelligence features in Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform.
