Apple Keynote vs Microsoft PowerPoint
Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Apple Keynote
Apple's presentation app with polished themes and animations, free on Apple devices.
Microsoft PowerPoint
The standard slide app whose .pptx files every company and conference expects.
The short answer
PowerPoint and Keynote are the two leading desktop presentation apps. PowerPoint is the cross-platform standard, essential if you exchange .pptx files in corporate settings. Keynote is free on Apple devices and known for polished themes and smooth animations such as Magic Move, but it has no native Windows or Android app, so it fits best when you present yourself from a Mac, iPad or iPhone.
Apple Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint: our take
Both are full-featured. PowerPoint offers slide masters, animations and transitions, Morph, presenter view with notes, rehearsal coaching, live captions and recording to video, with Designer layout suggestions and Copilot drafting in paid plans. Keynote offers clean themes, cinematic animations that are easy to apply, presenter notes and rehearsal, live video from a camera, iPhone remote control, presenting in video calls and multi-presenter slideshows. Many people find Keynote quicker to make attractive slides with; PowerPoint gives more control over corporate templates and branding.
Cost differs. Keynote is included with new Apple devices; an optional Apple Creator Studio subscription adds premium themes and AI tools, but the core app stays free. PowerPoint for the web is free, while the desktop app comes with Microsoft 365, starting at $9.99/month for Microsoft 365 Personal, with a one-month trial.
Reach is the deciding factor for many. PowerPoint runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web, and .pptx files open correctly almost everywhere. Keynote runs on Mac, iPad, iPhone and Vision Pro, with Keynote for iCloud letting Windows users edit and present in a browser. It imports and exports PowerPoint files and supports most transitions and builds, but Keynote-only effects don't always survive the export.
Choose Keynote if you work on Apple devices, present your own decks and want good-looking results without paying. Choose PowerPoint if colleagues or clients expect .pptx files, your organisation uses Microsoft 365 templates, or people on Windows and Android need to edit the same decks.
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple Keynote if…
- Apple users who want great-looking slides and animations without paying
- Polished themes and some of the best built-in animations
- Free and preinstalled on Apple devices
Choose Microsoft PowerPoint if…
- Anyone who has to send, receive or present .pptx decks in corporate settings
- You need Windows and Android, which Apple Keynote doesn't list
- The reference .pptx format, so decks open correctly everywhere
- Slide masters, Morph and presenter tools are mature
About each app
What is Apple Keynote?
Keynote is Apple's presentation app, known for clean themes, smooth transitions such as Magic Move, and cinematic animations that are easy to apply. It supports presenter notes, rehearsal, live video from a camera, remote control from an iPhone, presenting in video calls, and multi-presenter slideshows, plus collaboration over iCloud. A browser version through iCloud.com lets people on Windows PCs edit and present shared decks. It imports and exports PowerPoint files and supports most PowerPoint transitions and builds. Keynote comes free on every new Mac, iPad and iPhone; since 2026 an optional Apple Creator Studio subscription adds premium themes and AI tools such as drafting a deck from an outline, while the core app stays free. The main limitation is reach: there's no native Windows or Android app, and decks with Keynote-only effects can look different when opened in PowerPoint.
What is Microsoft PowerPoint?
PowerPoint is the presentation app most organisations run on, and its .pptx format is what clients, conferences and colleagues usually ask for. The desktop version covers everything from quick slides to heavily branded corporate templates, with slide masters, animations and transitions, Morph, presenter view with notes, rehearsal coaching, live captions and recording to video. Designer suggests layouts, and Copilot can draft decks from a prompt or document in paid plans. A free web version handles everyday editing and real-time co-authoring with a Microsoft account, while the full desktop app comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription. It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web. The drawbacks are the familiar ones: it is easy to make cluttered, template-heavy slides, the Mac and web versions lack a few Windows features, and large decks with embedded media get heavy to share.
Side by side
| Attribute | Apple Keynote | Microsoft PowerPoint |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, Web | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Apple users who want great-looking slides and animations without paying | Anyone who has to send, receive or present .pptx decks in corporate settings |
| Status | Active | Active |
Apple Keynote vs Microsoft PowerPoint pricing
Apple Keynote: free plan + paid
- Price: Included with new Apple devices source
Microsoft PowerPoint: free plan + paid
- Free version: PowerPoint for the web source
- Free trial: 1 month (Microsoft 365) source
- Starting price: $9.99/month (Microsoft 365 Personal) source
Platforms
| Platform | Apple Keynote | Microsoft PowerPoint |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android |
Apple Keynote facts
4 of 4 verified- Price
- Included with new Apple devices
- Checked Oct 25, 2026support.apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform are included with every new iPhone, Mac, and iPad.”
- Platforms
- Mac, iPad, iPhone, Vision Pro
- Checked Oct 25, 2026support.apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Keynote 15.4 (Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro)”
- Web version
- Keynote for iCloud, works on Windows
- Checked Oct 25, 2026apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “collaborate on shared presentations from a web browser on your Mac or Windows computer.”
- PowerPoint support
- Most transitions and builds
- Checked Oct 25, 2026apple.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Keynote supports the majority of PowerPoint transitions.”
Microsoft PowerPoint facts
4 of 4 verified- Free version
- PowerPoint for the web
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Get free access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint using Microsoft 365 for the web (formerly Office).”
- Desktop app
- Included in Microsoft 365 Personal
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Word, Excel, 3 PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote desktop apps”
- Free trial
- 1 month (Microsoft 365)
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Or buy at $9.99/month Try free for 1 month”
- Starting price
- $9.99/month (Microsoft 365 Personal)
- Checked Oct 25, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/month”
Pros and cons of Apple Keynote
- Polished themes and some of the best built-in animations
- Free and preinstalled on Apple devices
- iPhone remote, multi-presenter and live video features
- No native Windows or Android app
- Keynote-only effects don't always survive PowerPoint export
- Newer premium themes and AI tools need a subscription
Pros and cons of Microsoft PowerPoint
- The reference .pptx format, so decks open correctly everywhere
- Slide masters, Morph and presenter tools are mature
- Free web version with real-time co-authoring
- Full desktop app needs a Microsoft 365 subscription
- Mac and web versions lag Windows on some features
- Easy to end up with cluttered, template-heavy slides
Other apps to consider
- De
GammaInstead of Microsoft PowerPoint
Generates a full first draft from a prompt when you don't want to build slides by hand.
LibreOfficeInstead of Microsoft PowerPoint
Impress is a free desktop slide app that opens and saves .pptx.
ONLYOFFICEInstead of Microsoft PowerPoint
Open-source presentation editor with a PowerPoint-like interface.
Apple Keynote vs Microsoft PowerPoint: common questions
Is Apple Keynote better than Microsoft PowerPoint?
PowerPoint and Keynote are the two leading desktop presentation apps. PowerPoint is the cross-platform standard, essential if you exchange .pptx files in corporate settings. Keynote is free on Apple devices and known for polished themes and smooth animations such as Magic Move, but it has no native Windows or Android app, so it fits best when you present yourself from a Mac, iPad or iPhone.
Is Apple Keynote free?
Apple Keynote has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Microsoft PowerPoint free?
Microsoft PowerPoint has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Apple Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Apple Keynote and Microsoft PowerPoint support?
Apple Keynote: macOS, iOS and Web. Microsoft PowerPoint: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.