TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Powerpoint

    Score7.9 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft 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

    SmartDraw

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/ASmartDraw is a diagramming and flow chart building tool from SmartDraw Software in San Diego, California.

    $131.40

    per year (for a single user on an individual plan)

    Pricing
    Microsoft PowerpointSmartDraw
    Editions & Modules
    One Time Purchase
    $139.99
    Team
    $119.40
    per year per user (3 minimum)
    Individual
    $131.40
    per year single user
    Enterprise
    Contact Sales
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft PowerpointSmartDraw
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft PowerpointSmartDraw
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    SmartDraw Software
    Chose SmartDraw
    SmartDraw is NEXT LEVEL! Microsoft is yesterday's news when it comes to creating charts. SmartDraw allows you to create and deliver dynamic charts and diagrams that truly convey the data you are inputting turning it into a stunning visual explanation.
    Incentivized
    Chose SmartDraw
    Better priced and easier to work with.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    64 Answers
    88%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    61 Answers
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    62 Answers
    75%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    42 Answers
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    50 Answers
    86%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft PowerpointSmartDraw
    Small Businesses
    Adobe Presenter
    Score9 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Microsoft Powerpoint Online
    Score7 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Adobe Presenter
    Score9 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft PowerpointSmartDraw
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.4
    (63 ratings)
    2.8
    (14 ratings)
    Usability
    8.9
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.5
    (4 ratings)
    8.4
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft PowerpointSmartDraw
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    The learning curve with Microsoft Powerpoint is not too steep, and most everyone can create really nice-looking presentations. The thing I like most about the new advancements in Microsoft Powerpoint comes to formatting. If you are creating a newsletter, don't get bogged down by all of the annoying formatting rules and issues you would have if creating in Publisher or Word. Microsoft Powerpoint makes it very simple. You can add text boxes and move them anywhere on the page. The templates are a nice touch, but they could use more, as most of these are outdated. I believe there are many free websites for downloading more templates.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    I believe SmartDraw is a great tool for small- to mid-sized organizations for simplifying the production and management of org charts. We've also had the PMO experiment with the use of some of their flow charts as well. If an organization has an HCM with the capability of producing (good!) org charts, that is likely the best option... but many that I have used in my 30-year HR career don't. So there is definitely a need for SmartDraw in the market!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Insert Photos from my computer and from the web with ease.
    • Auto arrangement of graphics and texts is made available through suggested formatting.
    • Spell check as I type is very valuable to me. It autocorrects many words. I like for my presentation to be accurate.
    • The ability to change any font or any size of font is very valuable to me.
    • The ability to cut and past from Microsoft Word is valuable to me. It also allows me to import tables I have already created in Word.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    • Provides examples to work off of--these are helpful when you don't know exactly where to start.
    • Provides a number of stylistic options without making things too complex, so you can be creative without getting overwhelmed.
    • Provides a wide variety of templates, meets a wide variety of needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • 3D objects that can be manipulated in slideshows by presenters
    • AI tool to cleanup presentations
    • AI tool to create graphics
    • AI tool to create photo-realistic images
    • AI tool to create vector art
    • AI tool to create videos
    • Blender 3D object importer
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    • A month-to-month plan would be ideal for users that don't have a need to create many projects
    • The sidebar navigation can be a little confusing with all of the tools listed.
    • Offering customizable plans with only the feature you need would simplify navigation
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Microsoft
    It’s great overall! I can think of a few improvements that would make it a 10, for example: better Smart Art graphs, automatic distribution of columns and rows in tables, and being able to more easily save templates for graphs. For example, if I could determine that a same brand name in all graphs would have a specific color, it would be great
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    I rated 8 because its simple to use and easy to create network topologies quickly. I liked the drag and drop option which makes designing the network topology and flow chart easier. In general its does what it needs to.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    I've never had any issues with its availability. As it is installed on my machine, it's ready when I need it, online or offline. Creating large slide decks with complex elements like video and audio doesn't affect its stability. The only limitation would be the capability of your own computer, as far as I can tell.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Microsoft
    The performance is very strong. It loads reasonably quickly. Large presentations load relatively quickly too, given their complexity, and once loaded each slide is readily available. It's easy to scroll up and down through your slide deck and go to the slide you want. Videos, pictures and music all load on demand, controllable by clicks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    I have never had to use the actual support. Most of my questions are "how to" questions and there is a rich internet full of users sharing their tips and tricks with this application. Sometimes I find the answers on Microsoft support site but often I don't
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    They are always very helpful, we get computers every two years and I have to call them to move the license from one computer to another and they do it with a smile in their voice!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    We have used Corel Draw and Adobe Acrobat. Both of those tools were good when they came out but the abilities of SmartDraw far outweigh both those tools. Corel Draw was also more complex to operate and do tasks, as was Adobe Acrobat in which some basic tasks took additional steps to complete.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    Scaling up use of Microsoft Powerpoint would be a simple case of buying further licences. The software is intuitive and therefore training demands from scaling it to more departments or more individuals would be relatively straightforward. Google Slides may be easier to share among those organisations that use Google's suite of apps, however.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    • SmartDraw has provided good return for our internal purposes. Using it to understand an organization's structure and inner workings has been valuable. On the client side, creating steps and businesses processes has also been a big plus. It has helped decrease confusing reporting structures and has provided a detailed map for individuals to understand where they fit within their organization.
    • Unfortunately, SmartDraw has been somewhat inefficient with some of the more complex projects on our plate and has really deterred certain employees from even wanting to use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    SmartDraw Screenshots

    Screenshot of where to create diagrams, including: flowcharts and swimlanes, organizational charts, mind maps, CAD drawings & floor plans, project charts, network diagrams, and wireframes & mockups.Screenshot of a workspace that combines brainstorming with technical diagrams. SmartDraw can be used to visualize processes, organizations, roadmaps, and even generate diagrams from data.Screenshot of SmartDraw's templates and tools used to make flowcharts, swimlanes, and process maps.Screenshot of the org chart tool, used to document organizational structure and work as a team to plan for growth or manage change. Data can be imported to generate a chart automatically.Screenshot of the CAD drawing and floor plan tools, used to design a home or optimize office space to improve traffic flow in a retail space.Screenshot of an example of the built-in templates for landscapes, gardens, backyards used to design outdoor spaces. Users can drag-and-drop flowers, shrubs, and other plants, or add sprinkler systems, lights, and walkways, and apply photo-realistic textures for a professional finish.