How is SWAY different than PowerPoint`

Question

I would like to give SWAY a chance. It seems close to PowerPoint. What is the difference?

Answer 1

Hello there,

Thanks for reaching out here regarding this concern.

The short answer: Not all presentations are created equal, and the two programs ultimately serve different purposes. Both can create content beyond just presentations.

PowerPoint is still the king of the slide deck and works best for content that will have a presenter. It can also be used to make simple videos, including screen recordings. Its presentations can only be created in slideshow format, though.

Sway can be used to create interactive presentations and content that don’t need a presenter. Sway works well with both image heavy (like portfolios) and text-heavy content (like reports). It offers three different layout options for how the content is presented: vertical (like scrolling through a webpage), horizontal (continuous scroll sideways), and Slideshow (similar to PowerPoint). You can switch between layouts in the “Design” tab (click “Styles”).

However, it is much more limited in available templates. There are a couple dozen available on the My Sways page. You can also save a Sway as a template.

Sway is free by anyone as you can access it on the web or via an iOS app (there currently isn't an Android option), or on Windows 10/11. It can also be used as part of an Office 365 plan for businesses and schools. It DOESN'T have an offline option.

Conclusively, there are no hard and fast rules about when to use Sway vs. when to use PowerPoint. Each has their strengths, but ultimately it comes down to how you build your presentation and how it’s being presented

Hope the info helps.

Warm regards, Albert

Answer 2

Sway is a web page designer that runs in a web browser under maOS and Linux. In Windows, more users use the web browser version, but there is also an app available for desktop use (You can get this in the Microsoft App Store).

Sway content is only available online. Sway has many AI design options, but those designs are not user-customizable the way PowerPoint templates and themes are. I think it's a good app for home office users who don't have a budget for hiring a real designer. I wouldn't recommend it to a corporation, where brand consistency is important.