Nobody likes making slides. Not the marketing manager building a quarterly review. Not the student presenting a group project. Not the founder pitching investors. AI presentation tools promise to eliminate the grind — and some of them actually deliver.
We tested the major options with real presentations (not the "make me a 3-slide deck about dogs" demos that every review uses) and here's what actually works.
Gamma — Best Overall
What it does: Describe your presentation topic and key points. Gamma generates a full deck with layouts, visuals, formatting, and structure. Edit anything, add your own content, present directly from the browser.
What impressed us: The generated structure is genuinely good. Gamma understands that a presentation isn't just text on slides — it creates visual hierarchies, breaks content into digestible sections, and picks layouts that match the content type (comparison? → side-by-side. Timeline? → sequential. Data? → charts).
Where it struggles: Brand customization. If you need slides in your exact brand template with your specific fonts and colors, Gamma's customization options feel limiting. It's great for content-first presentations, less great for pixel-perfect brand compliance.
Free tier: Unlimited presentations with Gamma branding. Paid removes branding and adds export.
Best for: Internal presentations, pitches, educational content, and anyone who cares more about substance than corporate template compliance.
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Beautiful.ai — Best for Corporate Teams
What it does: AI-powered presentation builder with smart formatting. Every time you add or edit content, the slides automatically adjust layout, spacing, and alignment. Impossible to make ugly slides.
What impressed us: The constraint-based design. You literally cannot break the layout. Move a text box and everything else repositions to maintain good design. For teams where "Dave in accounting" consistently produces visual crimes against humanity, this is the solution.
Where it struggles: Creative freedom. The smart formatting is a blessing and a curse — it prevents bad design but also prevents unusual or highly creative layouts. If you want full control, this tool will fight you.
Pricing: $12/month for individuals, $40/month for teams.
Best for: Corporate teams that need consistent, professional slides without a design department.
Tome — Best for Storytelling
What it does: AI-generated presentations that feel more like interactive documents. Includes AI-generated images, embedded media, and dynamic layouts that go beyond traditional slide decks.
What impressed us: Tome thinks differently about presentations. Instead of "title + bullets + image" on every slide, it creates narrative flows with mixed media. The AI-generated visuals are integrated, not clip art afterthoughts.
Where it struggles: Traditional business contexts. If your audience expects a standard PowerPoint deck, Tome's format might confuse them. It's innovative but not always appropriate.
Free tier: Limited AI generations. Pro at $16/month.
Best for: Creative pitches, portfolio presentations, and contexts where standing out matters more than conforming.
ChatGPT + Google Slides/PowerPoint — The Free Hack
What it does: Use ChatGPT to generate your presentation outline, talking points, and slide content. Then paste into Google Slides or PowerPoint. No special tool needed.
The workflow:
1. "Create a 12-slide presentation outline about [topic]. For each slide, give me a title, 3-4 bullet points, and a suggested visual."
2. Copy the content into your preferred presentation tool
3. Apply your company template
4. Add actual images (don't use AI-generated images in a business presentation unless the quality is clearly sufficient)
Why this works: You skip the hardest part — figuring out what to say and how to structure it. The actual slide creation is fast once you know the content.
Why dedicated tools are better: They handle design automatically. The ChatGPT approach still requires you to make things look good manually.
Best for: Anyone with a template they like who just needs content help.
Slidebean — Best for Pitch Decks
What it does: AI-assisted pitch deck creation with built-in investor deck templates. Provides structure, design, and content suggestions specifically for fundraising presentations.
What impressed us: The templates are based on actual successful pitch decks. The AI doesn't just format your content — it coaches you on what information investors want and what order to present it in.
Where it struggles: Non-pitch contexts. This is purpose-built for fundraising. Using it for a team all-hands or a conference talk is possible but not its strength.
Pricing: Plans from $29/month.
Best for: Founders and startups preparing investor pitches.
How to Pick
| You need... | Use this |
|-------------|----------|
| Quick presentation from scratch | Gamma |
| Corporate consistency | Beautiful.ai |
| Creative storytelling | Tome |
| Free option | ChatGPT + Google Slides |
| Investor pitch deck | Slidebean |
The Honest Take
AI presentation tools save you 60-80% of the time on slide creation. They don't save you from bad content. A beautifully designed presentation with nothing to say is still a waste of everyone's time.
Use these tools to eliminate the formatting and design busywork. Spend the saved time on knowing your material, practicing your delivery, and anticipating questions. That's what makes a presentation good — not the slide transitions.
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