Gliffy vs. Microsoft Powerpoint

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Gliffy
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
Gliffy is an online diagramming tool with collaboration features from the San Francisco company of the same name, offering standalone versions of Gliffy and integrated versions for Jira and Confluence.
$6
per month
Microsoft Powerpoint
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software designed to allow users to create slide-based presentations including video and images, as well as slide transitions and animations.
$139.99
Pricing
GliffyMicrosoft Powerpoint
Editions & Modules
Professional
$6
per month
One Time Purchase
$139.99
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
GliffyMicrosoft Powerpoint
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsFor Enterprise pricing, please reach out.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
GliffyMicrosoft Powerpoint
Considered Both Products
Gliffy
Chose Gliffy
It really all comes down to ease of use. The way you can make diagrams and how Gliffy integrates with Confluence is very important for our way of working.
Chose Gliffy
Gliffy is easier to use together with Confluence since it provides an integration where you can edit an image directly on the page. Visio and PowerPoint is better drawing tools but we have moved away from them since there isn’t a good way to keep track of the original file of …
Microsoft Powerpoint
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
PowerPoint is easier to use than the alternatives I’ve tried and this makes it the obvious choice even if the alternatives might seem less expensive initially.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
GliffyMicrosoft Powerpoint
Small Businesses
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.4 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.4 out of 10
Mentimeter
Mentimeter
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.4 out of 10
Mentimeter
Mentimeter
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
GliffyMicrosoft Powerpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(11 ratings)
9.0
(54 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
GliffyMicrosoft Powerpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
Gliffy
Gliffy is great if you have a need to show images directly on a Confluence page. It’s also good for people that just want to illustrate something that would be harder to draw with a strict modeling tool. Gliffy is less appropriate if your personnel are skilled modelers and appreciate the modeling functionality provided by a real modeling tool.
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Microsoft
[Microsoft Powerpoint] is very well suited for preaching and teaching. I find it easier to describe what I am trying to get across with a graphic. [Microsoft Powerpoint] is the most effective way to present material. I have also used it do graduation videos for our preschool. The integration of music with the graphics provides a first rate presentation.
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Pros
Gliffy
  • First it's important to point out that Gliffy has priced itself incredibly well for small to medium sized businesses. Most other similar solutions are so expensive that organizations will avoid getting workflow software overall. Gliffy can take pride in knowing they're helping small business operate better.
  • Gliffy is incredibly easy to use for a first time user. I rarely have to train someone on how to use it. It's a lot of fun to see people get excited about systems and processes when using Gliffy. If you need to get up and running quickly I can't think of a better solution for workflow visualization.
  • I also like using Gliffy for mindmapping. I'm sure some mindmapping experts can tell me how I'm doing that incorrectly, but it just works for me. This points to the ease with which Gliffy allows you to get your thoughts down quickly and easily.
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Microsoft
  • Powerpoint is excellent for structuring your ideas as you before you present them
  • Powerpoint should be used as s skeleton for your presentation for maximum effectiveness, rather than just "reading off the slides"
  • Powerpoint on a high DPI system with screencasting software and microphone allows you to record a high resolution product demonstration video quickly.
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Cons
Gliffy
  • I have had some trouble saving complex diagrams and viewing them on the fly. On a handful of occasions, diagrams are unable to save, which means I either need to try to "save as" a separate diagram, or I am perpetually stuck trying to "load" recent changes. Overall, this means I always have a slight lingering fear that my diagrams aren't fully saved or recoverable. Support has been pretty responsive helping me to reload corrupted diagrams.
  • Adding Text, Notes, and Images can be a challenge. While laying out objects with simple text is a strength, adding formatted text and commentary can be a challenge. I often find my objects ghost-moving all over the screen and lost. I'd love a drag-and-drop way to load images in to diagrams. The process is a bit cumbersome with the file upload wizard.
  • Template environments - I struggled a bit to try to create a default starting point for my diagrams. I've tried to load common libraries and ignore others, those settings are often ignore upon reload. I'd love to use the same 10 objects and ignore the rest, I am not able (yet) to create this scenario, though there may be more to learn.
  • Searching, Indexing, Retrieving my diagrams. As part of an enterprise plan, I find there are too many clicks required to a) find/search for my diagrams and b) save diagrams into my Gliffy folder. In our implementation I can see all folders for all of my colleagues, and need to drill down a bit before I get to my folder, where I can actually search my documents in a list. I'd prefer a more intuitive way to land on my diagrams and to organize them (e.g., by customer) so that I can access them more quickly.
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Microsoft
  • The "remove background" feature could be a bit more user friendly - it tends to take up too much space and you're forced to start over and over again and take smaller areas to adjust which takes up quite a bit of time.
  • I could use some more design templates with less feminine features like flowers and swirls. More industry-themed ones would be great to use.
  • More adaptability to the "slide master" selection. It is extremely laborious to change each slide generated from the master slide.
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Likelihood to Renew
Gliffy
Because of its great versatility and ease of use. From diagramming to roadmpas and even user interface wireframes. Once a draft or first version is done we like to use the Confluence integration so we can collaborate and have one single source of truth
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Usability
Gliffy
I didn't bother answering all of the other questions because all you need to know is that Gliffy is incredibly easy to use. It's perfect for first-timers or really anybody who wants to view a process visually and quickly. It's simply fantastic from a user-friendly standpoint. Keep up the great work!
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Microsoft
Very intuitive interface especially if you are familiar with tools like Word and Excel.
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Support Rating
Gliffy
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
I've never contacted Microsoft support directly; I've only Googled the answers to my questions. But just the fact that there are thousands of posts on boards with people having random issues with PPT is a bit indicative of the state of the support for their product.
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Alternatives Considered
Gliffy
The Gliffy platform supports only web whereas Lucidchart and Zoho Creator both support web, iPhone App and Android App. Gliffy is geared toward SMB and MSB whereas their competitors also market to freelancers and Enterprise customers providing solutions for each. Gliffy only offers online support whereas their competitors offer phone support, online support, knowledge base and video tutorials
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Microsoft
Adobe Illustrator is an excellent software but it's not easy to use for [everyone without] having any training or previous experience in working with illustrator. Microsoft Powerpoint is very easy to use and it's fantastic as it saves time more than illustrator. Another thing is it takes small space while illustrator takes a significant amount of space in the business machine
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Return on Investment
Gliffy
  • Gliffy had a positive ROI on our initial efforts in getting team members to map out their workflows, provide them in confluence through its integration and get them distributed to our organization. The ease of use was a huge success for adoption.
  • Gliffy did seem to have unfriendly costs. Even as a customer for years that signs year-long contracts the price needle did not move much. Enterprise-wide software is expected to have discounts at a bulk buy within the industry.
  • Gliffy for the first time provided a tool for us to put our thoughts in a shareable format. It paved the way for increased organization and getting to buy into pre-existing processes.
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Microsoft
  • Helped reduce time we spend modifying and sharing back and forth different versions.
  • Saved us the frustration of having to work with an online program with limited functionalities.
  • Macros make it easy to share data in one excel file and automatically update presentation.
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ScreenShots