PowerPoint add-ins are apps that work inside of PowerPoint to add new functionality and features to Microsoft PowerPoint. The best add-ins can simplify the process of building professional slide decks, help you add interactive features to slides, and give you access to high-quality graphic assets.
But with hundreds of add-ins to choose from, it can be tough to find ones that are actually useful for slide creation and presentations. We’ve done the legwork and put together a list of 6 add-ins that will instantly improve your slide decks and make it faster to create new presentations.
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1. Plus AI is the best PowerPoint add-in for creating professional, AI-generated presentations
Plus AI is a PowerPoint add-in that can create a presentation in minutes. While there are dozens of AI presentation makers on the market, Plus stands out as a native add-in to PowerPoint.
Plus AI offers several ways of creating slide decks. The easiest — and the best if you’re not sure where to start — is to enter a prompt describing your presentation’s topic. Alternatively, if you have documents, notes, or transcripts, you can upload a doc (or copy-paste text), and Plus AI will convert your document into a PowerPoint.
Note that Plus AI’s focus isn’t solely on the slide content either. Plus AI gives you professional presentations you can use in a work or school setting without worrying about formatting, poor color choices, or boring graphics. You can pick from a collection of professionally-designed templates, and add corporate logos, custom fonts, and colors as needed.
Plus AI also helps you format and revise the slides after it makes them, and you can also use its editing features on existing PowerPoint presentations.
Plus AI costs $10-20 per month and lets you create unlimited PowerPoint presentations with AI using prompts and text. All plans come with a 7-day free trial.
2. Mentimeter is the best add-in for interactive PowerPoint presentations
If you ever have to do a poll or quiz during a presentation, Mentimeter is a great app. This add-in integrates into PowerPoint to create an array of question-and-answer format slides, such multiple choice, wordcloud, scales, and others. You can populate the content as needed based on the question you wish to ask the viewers and set the response parameters to your liking. The design of Mentimeter’s slide will automatically match your slide deck’s theme, but you’re free to customize it, too.
When it’s time to present, the audience can access the survey or quiz by scanning the QR code on the slide and answer questions from a mobile device. Their answers will show up in real time on the screen. The only downside to Mentimeter — and it’s a small one — is that it only works in the desktop PowerPoint app, as the web version is not yet supported.
Mentimeter’s pricing comes in three tiers. The free version allows you to quiz up to 50 participants at a time, but you can have an unlimited number of respondents once per month. The Basic version costs $12/month, but comes without restrictions on the number of participants and enables you to export results to Excel. Finally, the $25/month Pro plan has the same features as the Basic version but includes corporate branding and collaboration between teams.
3. Pexels gives you easy access to a catalog of graphic assets
Pexels is the best PowerPoint add-in for getting free image assets. The well-known stock photography provider gives you a quick and easy way to search for images right in PowerPoint — no need to open a separate tab to browse images on Pexels.com. Once you’ve found an image you like, you can download it and then add into PowerPoint. You can even let PowerPoint’s Designer provide multiple design options for you.
One inconvenience of the Pexels add-in is that you need to download the photos before inserting them into the slide. That said, you can drag-and-drop the image directly into the slide if you’re working with the desktop version of PowerPoint.
4. Web Viewer lets you access the web right from a slide
Microsoft’s Web Viewer add-in may seem simplistic at a glance, but it lets you add a live website to your presentation. This is a useful feature if you’re showcasing a website as part of your presentation — for instance, if you’re pitching your e-commerce business to prospective investors.
Any secure website — one starting with “https” — should work, apart from search engines. Just insert the add-in into the target slide, then enter the website URL, hit Preview, and the site will appear. When you present, the slide with the Web Viewer add-in should show the website. You will be able to navigate the website in presenter mode — just like you would through a browser.
The Web Viewer add-in is completely free to use in PowerPoint.
5. Emoji Keyboard lets you add emojis and other symbols
Emoji Keyboard is a minimal but handy add-in that lets you add emojis to your presentation for free. This app only has two functions. First, it lets you browse through a library of emojis. This selection is quite large, with smileys and other icons suitable for any occasion. All you need to do is scroll through this catalog and pick out emojis that suit the context — or sentiment — of your slides. Second, you can select the size of the emoji before it shows up on the slide. Sizes range from XS (16 pixels) to XXL (1024 pixels). It’s a great way to add some emotion to your presentation!
6. Todo List Pro helps you track progress as you create your PowerPoint presentation
If you like to make checklists to track a project’s progress, Todo List Pro is the add-in for you. It’s a free, straightforward app that allows you to create custom checklists for your presentation. You can use these checklists to make sure that all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted, and the slide deck is presentation-ready when you’re done with it. For example, you could include simple items surrounding best practices for slide creation, like formatting checks, or more complex items, like citing important sources or adding key bits of info into the presentation. Once you’ve built out the checklist, go ahead and tick off each item as you work on the slide deck.
How to install a PowerPoint add-in
The web-based and desktop PowerPoint apps have slightly different procedures for installing add-ins.
If you’re using the web application:
- Go to Home and click the Add-ins button on the ribbon.
- Find the add-in you need. You can look up an add-in in the search bar or scroll through the popular add-ins below.
- Click “Add” next to the add-in you want to install. Some add-ins will install right away, while others will need you to register or choose a pricing plant. Once installation is complete, all add-ins will show up under “My Add-ins.”
That’s it, you’re done!
Now, if you use the desktop PowerPoint version:
- Go to Insert > Add-ins > Get Add-ins.
- Look up add-ins and install ones you like by clicking “Add”.
- To access your add-ins, go to Insert > Add-ins > My add-ins.
- Your add-ins will show up; simply click on the one you wish to use.
FAQs
How do I make my PowerPoint look good?
If you’re not an expert presentation creator, making your PowerPoint look good might not be the easiest job. Instead of laboring over your next PowerPoint manually, you can use a PowerPoint add-in like Plus AI. Plus creates presentations automatically based on your prompts and choice of template, so you don’t have to worry about the consistency of colors, fonts, or other formatting elements.
How can I spice up my PowerPoint presentation?
Here are a few easy ways to spice up a PowerPoint presentation:
- Structure the presentation as a story: Presenting the information you want to deliver as a narrative will help you keep viewers’ attention.
- Sprinkle in a few interactive elements: Engage with the audience by asking them to participate in surveys or quizzes during the presentation.
- Use real-life examples: Inject a few real-life examples or anecdotes connected to the slide subject matter into the speech.
- Insert funny visual elements: Graphics like GIFs and memes help the viewers relate to the presentation and jazz up the presentation with unexpected moments of humor.
How can I quickly create a new PowerPoint presentations?
If you need a last-minute PowerPoint presentation, you should try using an AI presentation maker. We've reviewed dozens of different AI presentation makers to find the best one for every type of user. If you want to use the AI PowerPoint maker with the best PowerPoint integration, you should try Plus AI.
