- Six places to get slide decks for PowerPoint and Google Slides
- Slide template sites side by side
- Slidesgo and SlidesCarnival licence terms
- Fonts shift between apps, and the credit slide must stay
- What makes a deck template worth using
- Customising a deck from master slides out
- AI slide makers, Slides basics and pitch decks
- Frequently asked questions
The short version: Slidesgo, SlidesCarnival, Microsoft Create, the Google Slides template gallery, Canva and Adobe Express all give you free presentation templates in 2026. Slidesgo and SlidesCarnival both allow commercial use, but both expect you to keep their credit slide, and fonts can change when you move a Google Slides template into PowerPoint.
A good template doesn't make a good presentation, but a bad one can make a good presentation look tired. When I'm putting together a talk or a client deck, a clean free template saves an hour of fiddling with layouts. The trick is knowing the strings attached, because two of the most popular sites ask for something in return.
Six places to get slide decks for PowerPoint and Google Slides
In no particular order:
- Slidesgo: best for themed decks that work in Google Slides, PowerPoint and Keynote.
- SlidesCarnival: best for clean designs under a Creative Commons licence.
- Microsoft Create: best for PowerPoint templates from Microsoft itself.
- Google Slides template gallery: best for simple templates already inside Slides.
- Canva: best for designing and presenting from the same tool.
- Adobe Express: best for short visual decks and social-style slides.
Slide template sites side by side
| Source | Works in | What you owe |
|---|---|---|
| Slidesgo | Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote | Free users keep the credits slide |
| SlidesCarnival | PowerPoint, Google Slides | Keep the SlidesCarnival credit (CC BY 4.0) |
| Microsoft Create | PowerPoint | Nothing extra |
| Google Slides gallery | Google Slides | Nothing extra |
| Canva | Canva, export to PowerPoint | Check the content licence |
| Adobe Express | Adobe Express | Check the content licence |
Terms change, so read the site's FAQ before you use a template for a client.
Slidesgo and SlidesCarnival licence terms
Slidesgo's FAQ says you're free to use its templates for both personal and commercial purposes. You can't sublicense or redistribute them, or offer the templates themselves for download. And if you're a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear.
SlidesCarnival uses the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Its FAQ says you can use any template for personal or commercial projects, change colours, delete slides and even publish on platforms like SlideShare, as long as you keep the SlidesCarnival credit somewhere in your presentation. It even says you can use its templates in teaching materials you share or in a video course, provided you add your own content. The one thing you can't do is pass on the unmodified templates themselves.
The two built-in options are simpler. In Google Slides, go to Slides on your computer, click Template gallery at the top right, and pick a template. A copy opens for you to edit. Google notes some template features are only available on work or school accounts. Microsoft Create has a dedicated presentation templates section for PowerPoint.
Fonts shift between apps, and the credit slide must stay
Fonts. Slidesgo explains that Google Slides pulls fonts directly from Google Fonts, so you don't need to install them there. Open the same template in PowerPoint and you might need to install those fonts on your computer, or PowerPoint will swap them for something else and your layout shifts. If you're presenting from a different machine, download the fonts first or stick to the app the template was built for.
The second catch is the credit slide. It's easy to delete it when you're tidying the deck at midnight. On Slidesgo as a free user, and on SlidesCarnival under its licence, removing the credit breaks the terms. Move it to the end and shrink it, but leave it in.
What makes a deck template worth using
Most free decks are built to look good as a thumbnail, which isn't the same as working in a meeting room. Before you commit, check four things. Is the body text big enough to read from the back of a room? Are there layouts for the slides you'll need, like a chart, a quote and a single big number? Does it use one or two fonts rather than five? And does it rely on photos you'd have to replace anyway? A template that passes all four will save you time. One that fails two or more will take an evening of fixing.
It's also worth checking the master slides before you start. Slidesgo explains that master slides hold the layout, format and structure for every slide, and you reach them in Google Slides through Slide, then Edit master, or in PowerPoint through View, then Slide Master. Change the colours and fonts there once, and the whole deck updates.
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Customising a deck from master slides out
- Decide the app you'll present from before you pick a template.
- Choose a template with few fonts and plenty of white space.
- Copy it to your Google Drive or download it, then delete slides you won't use.
- Edit the master slides first, so colours and fonts change everywhere at once.
- Keep the credit slide where the licence requires it.
- Rehearse once on the device you'll present from to catch font swaps.
AI slide makers, Slides basics and pitch decks
If you'd rather have AI build the slides, see my list of free AI presentation makers. New to Slides? My Google Slides tutorial covers the basics, and if you're pitching to backers, my pitch deck templates guide walks through every slide.
My advice: pick a plain template and let your content do the work. People remember your point, not the background.
Run a free template site that belongs on this list? See how to get it featured.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free presentation templates?
Slidesgo, SlidesCarnival, Microsoft Create, the Google Slides template gallery, Canva and Adobe Express all offer free presentation templates.
Can I use Slidesgo templates for commercial use?
Yes. Slidesgo says you're free to use its templates for personal and commercial purposes. Free users must keep the slide where the credits appear.
Does SlidesCarnival need a credit?
Yes. SlidesCarnival templates are under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, so you keep the SlidesCarnival credit somewhere in your presentation.
Why do my template fonts look different in PowerPoint?
Slidesgo explains that Google Slides gets fonts directly from Google Fonts, but in PowerPoint you might need to install those fonts on your computer.
Where are Google Slides templates?
Open Google Slides on your computer and click Template gallery at the top right, then choose a template and a copy opens.
