FreeShow

Whether you are an intern having to showcase the latest product development blueprint to the regional manager, a student needing to present the final project for being graded on a subject, or a priest preparing to deliver a sermon, you might find yourself in need of a program that can aid you in the presentations you are about to make.

If Microsoft PowerPoint’s layout feels too convoluted, or the idea of purchasing subscriptions for professional-grade software seems like overkill, then FreeShow’s presentation program focused on simplicity and speed may be the best fit for you.

The application’s design philosophy begins at its very core by using the lightweight Electron development framework, featuring a highly customizable and neatly organized layout. In the upper left corner lies a list of the projects, titled according to the day in which they are meant to be presented. Underneath, a multi-tabbed pane outlines the content types that can be added to each project.

The bottom right corner outlines basic details regarding the slideshow’s properties, such as the number of words and slides, the template used and the category it fits in. The right side features an advanced editor that automatically detects the options which can be applied to the type of content selected for modifying, along with a live preview of the way the presentation is going to be projected.

When selecting a project, the middle of the screen becomes populated with the various content meant for presenting. Dragging and dropping videos and pictures into the app’s window instantly adds them to the slideshow. Full-blown text processing is available when editing slides, while overlapping, transitioning and metadata for each project can be changed on the fly.

Overlaying, audio, live-streaming and online video support can be added to a project, with the app also having a dedicated tab with Scripture excerpts using API.Bible. Custom templates can be saved for instantly generating similar presentations in the future.

In terms of customization, each section can be resized, the app’s font and color schemes can be personalized, the default output screen can be chosen for setups with multiple monitors, and the presentations can be broadcast to other computers connected to the same local area network. One caveat is that the software may be unstable at times, so users are advised to save their progress often in order to avoid data loss.

If you are looking for an open-source and lightweight alternative to PowerPoint, FreeShow’s clean user interface, intuitive layout and wide array of features can be compelling enough for use in any type of environment or occasion.