The Best Free PowerPoint Presentation Templates

PowerPoint is arguably the most powerful and popular slideshow tool on the planet. However, the templates that come with the program don’t always look impressive or match the tone of the talk. Fortunately, there’s a wide selection of free PowerPoint presentation templates out there.

PowerPoint has been around since 1987, when it was called Presenter and made exclusively for Macintosh computers. Now, the software is used by 500 million people each day to give 35 million presentations. It drives much of the meetings surrounding the business world. Because of its popularity, there are hundreds of free templates for it online. We’ve sorted through and found you the top 16 solutions.

If none of these PowerPoint presentation template styles work for you, you can always make your own. Simply choose a blank template and then customize the background under the Design tab. Start with a free seamless pattern background and then add embellishments and details that make sense for your particular project.

1. Colorful Roadmap

In addition to the designs that already come loaded on PowerPoint, Microsoft offers additional free PowerPoint presentation templates on their website. The template named Colorful Roadmap helps tell a story with images. If you’re presenting the timeline of a product’s development, for example, this option would be a good choice. Notice how the timeline snakes around for the cover. You can click on any of the circles to pull up additional information about a point in time.

2. Corporate Presentation

One of the most popular forms of PowerPoint presentation templates is for in-house presentations. It offers a chance to include both images and text in a number of creative ways. Add a photo of the new office space concept or of a client you’re trying to impress, and take this slideshow into the meeting.

3. Molecule

Science teachers and other individuals presenting information on anything chemical will appreciate PowerPoint presentation templates like Molecule. The underlying tones of the images are a deep pink, but the color pops against the white portions of the background.

4. Montana

Want to present a travel proposal or show your family details about an upcoming trip? Out of all the PowerPoint presentation templates in this list, Montana is probably best suited for highlighting vacation or business trip plans. The images included in this theme bring to mind adventure. The template would also work well for geography teachers and students.

5. Diet Fitness Sports

Fitness instructors may want to show potential clients the possibilities with their program, and this theme is perfectly suited for health gurus. You can create infographics, charts and diagrams as well as adding images at will. Each slide varies, but they all pull together with an overreaching theme of health and fitness.

6. BeMind Minimal

If you’re looking for something quick and simplistic, you’ll love that this theme puts the full focus on the information itself rather than the design. Keep things fresh and light with minimalism. The template has good readability for bigger presentations where people in the back of an auditorium need to see the slides on a big screen.

7. Project Status

Do you need to present a quick project status update to your team? PowerPoint presentation templates are sometimes pretty complicated, but this simple theme will let you update others on where you’re at in your work and get everyone on the same page with project management and tasks that still need completing. The template features a blue background with gradients of red and white and black letters that pop against the faded background.

8. Think Bigger

Sometimes you don’t really need a full collection of PowerPoint presentation templates. There are times when you need a single slide to flesh out a presentation that’s almost finished, or perhaps you simply want to highlight an oral presentation with a single slide or two. Think Bigger is an infographic-style slide that will let you highlight the concept of taking an idea and running with it. This slide would work well during motivational speeches.

9. Real Estate House Key

Real estate professionals will appreciate this template for highlighting key points in meetings with others on their team. This template is in a medium blue with features such as house images and keys to keep the theme going. The template would also work well for a teacher talking about real estate information or building industry statistics.

10. Kamsupay

This particular presentation template works for Google Slides but will also work as PowerPoint presentation templates. The colors are vivid and bright and have an ungeometric design. This look works well for daycares, preschools and elementary schools. It might also serve the purposes of a paint and sip type of business.

11. Chamomile

If you’re looking for something light and summery, you’ve found it. This theme features beautiful yellow flowers arranged in the shape of a heart. Garden clubs could put the design to good use. It might also work well for flower shops and wedding planners.

12. Gradient Wavy Pattern

If you’re looking for PowerPoint presentation templates that are fun and whimsical, start with this gradient wavy patterned slideshow. The title page has a full background and then the background reduces down to a border for subsequent pages. Gradients are trending right now, so this template will make you look modern.

13. Heart

Do you need to find a background for a presentation at a wedding or engagement party? This heart template is elegant but whimsical at the same time. A red heart breaks into pieces and turns into beautiful butterflies on the main screen. Set on top of a white background, the effect is striking. The design would work well for a wedding planner or jewelry shop at Valentine’s Day.

14. Floral Spring

When you’re talking to a group of women, you might want to make the slideshow a bit more feminine. This template features beautiful spring flowers for a light and airy look. Even if you’re giving a talk on empowering women in the workplace, this presentation template might work to highlight what makes women unique without detracting from their skills.

15. Tables

Do you have a lot of data to present and want to organize it in an easily viewable format? Tables features nicely laid out columns, so you can present a lot of information without overwhelming the viewer. If you’re making a pitch for a new product line, marketing campaign or business, this template can help you organize your ideas and get others on board.

16. Flint

Want to pitch the idea of a corporate retreat or perhaps get students on board with a camping trip? This presentation template has a subtle great outdoors background that doesn’t detract from the content on the slides. The main page features a full forest background at the bottom with a soft transition into a neutral color at the top. Additional slides repeat that look but reduce the size of the forest down or allow you to use a photo for the background.

Finding the Perfect Template

Figuring out which template works best for a particular project isn’t an easy task. Fortunately, hundreds of free templates are available. That said, don’t get so caught up in finding just the right one that you spend endless hours searching. Sometimes a template that’s good enough will let you get the task done and present the information without getting bogged down in details. The perfect template for you is the one that matches the tone of your presentation and is a quick and easy find.