Table of contents
TL;DR
PowerPoint and Google Slides don’t always play nice. From broken fonts to lost animations and charts turned to images—conversion chaos is real. We break down the differences, what gets lost in translation, and how to avoid the mess. If your team switches between platforms, you’ll want to read this.
PowerPoint and Google Slides don’t always play nice. From broken fonts to lost animations and charts turned to images—conversion chaos is real. We break down the differences, what gets lost in translation, and how to avoid the mess. If your team switches between platforms, you’ll want to read this.
Amélie Laurent
Product Manager, Sisyphus
“I created our board deck in PowerPoint, and when my team converted it to Google Slides for collaboration, everything seemed to be out of place. Reformatting everything was a tedious and time-consuming task.”
Sounds relatable?
When it comes to presentation design and collaboration, the age-old debate often centers around PowerPoint vs. Google Slides. Both platforms are popular in the corporate world for creating engaging presentations, with Microsoft PowerPoint boasting over 500 million users and Google Slides being used by over 6 million businesses.
Yet, they have different strengths and weaknesses that can significantly impact the outcome when converting files from PowerPoint to Google Slides and vice versa.
Based on our experience as a powerpoint design firm creating presentation and pitch decks on both platforms, as showcased in our presentation designer portfolio here are the findings, outcomes, and tips to reduce the compatibility issues in conversion from PowerPoint to Google Slides.
So, if you are a C-level executive, Founder, Consultant, or anyone regularly designing presentations in either PowerPoint or Google Slides, these findings will be very useful.
Fonts
PowerPoint: Supports system and custom fonts which are easy to install, use, and embed.
Google Slides: Only support fonts available in the Google library.
Outcome: Glitch in formatting changing the look of your design.
Charts
PowerPoint: Editable only in Microsoft Excel with pattern fill customization.
Google Slides: Only supports Google Sheets. Pattern fill lost in transition. The chart transforms into an image.
Outcome: The platforms don’t support live graph editing during conversion.
Tables
PowerPoint: Offers more flexibility in creating and editing tables.
Google Slides: Has limited table styling options. But adapt colors and are easily editable.
Outcome: No major transition loss; tables are editable on both platforms.
Custom Shapes
PowerPoint: Allows custom shape placeholders with merging shape options.
Google Slides: Doesn’t support customization, converting custom shapes into default shapes.
Outcome: Custom placeholders can’t be transformed or created in Google Slides.
Transitions
PowerPoint: Has a vast transition preset library.
Google Slides: Has limited transition options.
Outcome: Transitions get lost during conversion due to limited options in Google Slides.
Animations
PowerPoint: Supports delaying animations.
Google Slides: Doesn’t support the delay animation option.
Outcome: Advanced delays or timings get removed, altering the presentation flow.
Picture Format
PowerPoint: Has an option for easy removal of logo background color using the ‘Set Transparent Color’ option.
Google Slides: The object/image will not apply the same effect.
Outcome: Images remain unaltered in Google Slides.
Pro Tips for Seamless PowerPoint to Google Slides Conversion
- Use Google Fonts to avoid font issues
- Avoid heavy customization; keep tables, vectors, animation, and transition simple
- Charts, Graphs, and Custom Placeholders are not compatible and will need recreation in Google Slides
Choosing the Right Platform for Your Needs
When working on a deck that will be presented or shared, it’s crucial to choose a platform that is compatible with the end-use scenario. This is especially important when dealing with charts and other complex graphical elements. By selecting the appropriate platform at the outset, you can reduce compatibility issues.
At M’idea Hub, top presentation design agency, we specialize in crafting high-quality presentation designs and offer powerpoint template design services that communicate your ideas effectively, regardless of the platform – PowerPoint or Google Slides.
Just contact us or book a discovery call, and let’s begin!
FAQs
1. What is the main difference between PowerPoint and Google Slides?
The main difference lies in how the tools are used rather than what they can technically do. PowerPoint is typically preferred for high-stakes, offline, or design-heavy presentations, while Google Slides is built for speed, collaboration, and cloud-based workflows. The choice often depends on context rather than features.
2. Which tool is better for investor or executive presentations?
PowerPoint is generally better suited for investor and executive presentations where design control, formatting precision, and offline reliability matter. These presentations often require custom layouts, complex charts, and strict brand consistency, which is why many teams treat them as part of a broader presentation design service approach.
3. When does Google Slides make more sense?
Google Slides works well for fast-moving teams that need to collaborate in real time. It is commonly used for internal reviews, early drafts, working documents, and situations where multiple stakeholders need to comment or iterate quickly without worrying about version control.
4. Can PowerPoint and Google Slides be used together?
Yes. Many teams draft and collaborate in Google Slides, then move the final version into PowerPoint for polishing and delivery. This hybrid workflow allows teams to benefit from collaboration early on while still producing a refined final deck for external audiences.
5. Is one platform better for visual storytelling?
PowerPoint generally offers more flexibility for advanced visual storytelling. Custom charts, animations, and layouts are easier to control, which matters when the presentation needs to guide attention and reinforce a narrative. Reviewing real-world examples of visually refined decks, such as those found in curated portfolio work, can help teams see where these differences show up in practice.
6. How do startups typically choose between PowerPoint and Google Slides?
Startups often default to Google Slides early because it is fast and accessible. As presentations become more critical, such as during fundraising or enterprise sales, many teams transition to PowerPoint to gain more control over design, structure, and polish.
7. Does the choice of tool affect how a deck is received?
The tool itself rarely determines success, but how well it is used does. A clear, well-structured deck will outperform a cluttered one regardless of platform. That said, the expectations for investor and board presentations often align more closely with PowerPoint-based workflows.
8. Are templates transferable between PowerPoint and Google Slides?
Some templates can be shared between platforms, but formatting and layout issues often appear during conversion. Teams that rely heavily on templates usually benefit from starting with a format that aligns with their primary presentation tool, especially when consistency matters across decks and teams.
