Trending December 2023 # Overview And Top 8 Alternatives Of Blender # Suggested January 2024 # Top 15 Popular

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Overview of Blender Alternatives

Blender is a 3D computer graphics program for creating animated films, 3D models, video games, 3D programs, and motion graphic videos. The most important feature of Blender is that it is free of cost and has many features that make it a perfect 3D animation and modeling program.

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The software was created initially by Ton Roosendaal, but presently it is owned by Blender Foundation. It was released in 1988 and is compatible with Linux, Mac OS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows Operating Systems. The program is written in C, C++, and Python language.

Blender supports UV Unwrapping, texturing, rigging, and skinning of 3D models, fluid and smoke simulations, match moving, motion graphics, video editing, sculpting, soft body simulations, and compositing. Blender also has a default Internal render system and ambient occlusion that can be transported to other formats. It can also bridge and merge with other render engines with the help of various plugins and media libraries.

Blender also supports Camera and object followers and is based on Python language that helps create custom tools and functions, which is very useful for users. It also supports video and audio editing, which is non-linear in nature. All in all, Blender is an amazingly created program for 3D artists and compositors which proves to be very useful and helpful for them.

Blender Alternatives

Following are the main alternatives for Blender which are as follows:

1. Autodesk Maya

Maya is a famous 3D animation, modeling, visual effects, and rendering program used by 3D artists. Mac, Windows, and Linux support it. However, Maya is a part of Autodesk and comes with a cost of $50 on a monthly basis. Mainly used for 3D sculpting, keyframe animation, and texturing, Maya is a powerhouse of tools and features and a bit of complex software. Still, once learned, it is the best alternative to Blender software.

2. Natron

This is an open-source program generally used for nodal compositing requirements. Being a cross-platform software, some of the features of Natron include animation using f-curves, rendering, and a 2D tracking system. The program creates a project in the form of an XML file. However, the program does not support scripting but has animation tools such as keyframes and motion graphics rendering. The program is free of cost and supports video filters and many features used for 3D modeling and animation.

3. ZBrush

This program has proved very useful and influenced the 3D industry to many extents. ZBrush is a special program with impressive features and toolsets mainly used for digital sculpting and painting purposes. It also has a unique and efficient workflow and offers its digital users the latest and updated set of tools. Zbrush has proven extraordinary in every way, mainly used for scripting, 3D sculpting, texturing, and other programs.

4. Cinema 4D

This is a commercial and professional alternative to Blender. It is a dynamic 3D program that can perform various functions such as animation, lighting, texturing, rendering, and polygonal modeling. 3D artists and painters commonly use Cinema 4D, primarily for its Body Paint 3D feature. The workflow of the program is also user-friendly and very efficient. Although this program still comes with a handful of money, it is worth buying.

5. Modo

This program exhibits a fast-paced and highly dynamic nature. The fantastic features of the program include the best sculpting tools available, Modelling techniques, and the support of Keyframe animation makes Modo a highly demanding program. It has a user-friendly workflow and toolsets and focuses on creativity and ideas. You can operate it on Mac, Linux, or Windows operating systems.

6. Rhinoceros

7. Bforartist

This complete 3D program comprises all the tools and functions for creating 3D materials. The software can be used for modeling, rendering, skinning, UV Unwrapping, texturing, simulations, and other 3D compositions. You can install the program on Mac, Windows, Linux, MorphOS, and Amiga OS operating systems. The software is based on Python scripting language and is the most lightweight 3D program. It is also available free of cost and is an open-source program.

8. SketchUp

One of the most robust software yet having the easiest of tools is the Sketch Up Program. CAD drawings and compositions primarily use it. It is available both in a free version and a paid version. With SketchUp, the artist can create video games, films, engineering projects, interior designing, and other CAD drawings. The benefit of this program is that it has various pre-installed 3D models that the users can use and upload their original models.

This is the list of some of the alternatives to the Blender program. The user can use any of the programs mentioned above without Blender. Some programs offer extra functions, while others are the same as Blender. The user can choose any program as per his need and requirement; also, the most important benefit of Blender is that it is open-source software that offers a perfect set of tools and features.

Top 12 Alternatives Of Signalr

Definition of SignalR Alternatives Top 12 Alternatives of SignalR

SignalR is used for client and server communication. It plays a pivotal role in making bidirectional networking between both, especially by pushing the content over the server. It is a real-time backend or API techstack for manipulation.

Pusher

MQTT

RabbitMQ

WebRTC

GRPC

Kafka

WCF

Firebase

Telepat

Realtime Framework

SockerCluster

PubNub

Bastly

1. Pusher

Pusher is one of the signalR alternatives in the category of building delightful APIs in terms of real-time web development activities, which makes most of the functionalities and API easy for communication.

Pusher as a signal Alternative comes into the picture when it is simple and has free plans for the fallback of SSE to make the frame and log polling also available to the developers for troubleshooting as well.

It mostly gels with the chúng tôi project where the live streaming with the chatbots and chats need to be maintained for making it use accordingly.

When compared to SignalR, it becomes costly, thus increasing the number of servers or clients for communication.

2. MQTT

MQTT is a very lightweight messaging transport protocol used to publish or subscribe to any application following the protocol for ease of communication over the network.

MQTT gels quite well with the IOT hub and helps in making the interconnection between the components by sending signals to the server as per requirement.

It makes the entire tech stack strong when any IOT project comes into the picture.

3. RabbitMQ

RabbitMQ software is used for getting the messages reflected or helps in establishing the communication between the client and server by making the environment compatible with all the components in place.

It is often alternatively called as “distributed message broker” that is written in erlang language.

It helps in providing efficiency to complex and dynamic routing protocols like AMQP, which is configured with reliable server sources as well.

RabbitMQ, when compared to signalR, is more convenient to use because it gets adjusted very nicely with the distributed form of network. It can act as a perfect intermediator as a bus if in case the requirement arises to make it placed within the huge complex set of network hierarchy or stack.

4. WebRTC

WebRTC is a new and powerful API that allows the real-time live streaming of audio and video without making much more intervention in terms of data sharing between peers and also supports many more streaming API’s for a user to make full use of it.

It supports both the success and failure scenarios with the help of handlers when it comes to making the transitions.

The signal server is used only once initially while setting up the ICE; once the valid set of candidates are found, then communication is easy between both the parties of client and server for signaling via signal R hub.

5. gRPC

gRPC is a high-level open-source RPC framework that is also used in the networking that can run with any service making it aid when it comes to live streaming and integration with pluggable HTTP/2 based transport layer protocol.

It can be perfectly used as a signalR alternative because it provides automatic client and server stubs for services to interact with other languages as well.

6. Kafka

Apache kafka is another streaming platform supporting distributed events which is quite different in its behavior as it provides raw throughput, not just the flexible routing.

Apache kafka is written combine with java and Scala programming language whose main goal is to build software based on distributed append log only where the logs and messages are appended at the end of logs.

When compared to signalR, it helps in providing more ease and flexibility when incorporated with a stack because it provides a better format of logging.

7. WCF

WCF stands for Windows Communication Foundation, which is used to send any message over the network whether from the system, local or remote and then use signalR for displaying it over the browser.

It also helps in some of the value addition of processes, like it helps in making the central messaging and logging as well.

8. Firebase

Firebase is another SignalR alternative that is mostly hosted over the cloud-based platform, which gives cloud-related services as well as collaborative applications for mobile and web.

On the other hand, SignalR mostly serves for the server-side software system, which is designed for writing any browser or internet-related applications on web servers.

9. Telepath

Any IOT based application, mobile or web, uses an API-centric backend which is used for instantly delivering data, updates, and messages anywhere over the network.

10. Realtime Framework

Realtime Framework is used in a place where there is a need for a cloud-based message broker, thus giving developers the ability to build cross-platform applications that require communication and streaming with real-time data.

11. SockerCluster

Socketcluster is used as another alternative to SignalR when it comes to open source websocket framework, especially for chúng tôi in web development.

12. PubNub

Pubnub is considered one of the good alternatives to SignalR because it comes to the rescue when secured data streams get exchanged over the network with API that helps in connecting with the applications to the real-time one.

Conclusion

SignalR software is used for making both the client and server interact with each other in a proper manner. It helps for entire tech stack to interact and make secure data streaming efficient. All SignalR alternatives help in boosting and making the environment user-friendly as it provides a lot of ease. All alternatives to SignalR are compatible.

Overview Of Aws Database And Its Types

The term database alludes to an assortment of information that is usually coordinated and organized as tables or assortments. These tables or assortments can have various qualities characterized in the sections or archives, and we need to set the qualities against these properties in the lines or key-value pairs. An information base is outfitted with a database management system (DBMS), essentially a foundation programming application liable for overseeing tasks over the information inside a data set. Utilizing DBMS, you can play out all CRUD (create, read, update, delete) procedures on your database.

AWS Database

Amazon Web Services give a wide variety of database answers for its clients. Contingent on the idea of the information and the expense limitations of the client, these different data set types serve all clients likewise. AWS is a bunch of cloud administrations given by Amazon, which likewise gives different information bases as a component of its administration suite. These databases permit clients to assemble use-case-explicit information models, including a social diagram, wide-segment, etc. AWS deals with these data sets, liberating clients from undertakings, such as server provisioning, fixing, and reinforcement, which are inconceivably tedious.

Types of AWS Databases Amazon Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB)

Amazon QLDB is a serverless data set that gives programmed versatility, is not difficult to set up, and incorporates checking capacity. Quantum record information bases are renowned for giving permanence, straightforwardness, certain exchange logs, and history. The utilization cases can be banking exchanges, production network frameworks, enlistments, or anything requiring putting away history and logging records.

Amazon Aurora

Aurora is an AWS-claimed innovation that offers help for either MYSQL or PostgreSQL. It is costly compared with other RDS data sets yet gives better execution regarding accessibility, versatility, and read imitations. It can likewise give programmed monitoring facilities, backups, and instantaneous fail-over. In different capacities, you can utilize our Aurora serverless, Aurora multi-expert, and Aurora worldwide.

Amazon Timestream

It is a time series-based database, which is planned and upgraded to store time series in key-esteem matches. It can follow all information properly aligned grouping, which is restricted in normal social data sets. It is completely serverless and simple to send without overseeing a complex foundation. It is explicitly intended for various IoT tasks to gather sensor information in cutting-edge IT frameworks. It is fit for taking care of an exceptionally huge number of solicitations daily.

Amazon Redshift

It is a quick and completely overseen information stockroom administration in the cloud. Amazon affirms that the Redshift information warehouse centre conveys multiple times quicker execution than different information stockrooms using AI procedures. The Redshift information warehouse centre can be increased to a petabyte or more according to the prerequisites.

Amazon Keyspaces

This is a completely overseen and serverless database application for Apache Cassandra and makes it simple to send Apache Cassandra. It is a non-social data set with a wide-section mapping. It uses Cassandra Query Language (CQL) to perform the tasks of the data set. It additionally gives programmed scaling as per application traffic reaction. It is profoundly accessible, can handle countless demands, and guarantees security.

Amazon Neptune

This is explicitly intended for the visual portrayal of information utilizing diagrams. You can run custom analyses on various datasets and show results on the dashboards as diagrams. The assistance gives multi-zone accessibility, read replication, encryption, reinforcement, and recovery. The utilization cases can be checking network security, investigating the consequences of an AI calculation, or some other performance matrix.

Amazon DocumentDB

It is a NoSQL database and has a reported pattern. It utilizes the JSON configuration to store information in the data set. It is completely viable with MongoDB. So if you have any application running with MongoDB, you can rapidly move it to AWS DocumentDB. It is a serverless contribution by AWS, so it can scale naturally, as required. The main highlights are understood copies, programmed fall flat over capacity, well-being checking, reinforcements, depictions, and information encryption.

Amazon RDS

It is an overseen database help given by AWS, and it isn’t itself a data set. All things being equal, it empowers you to run different social data sets as needed. The RDS will convey the data set, database security and accessibility, network, versatility, read copies, backup, and maintenance. It will keep your database financially effective.

Amazon ElastiCache

Amazon ElastiCache is a completely overseen reserving administration that offers superior execution and practical and versatile string arrangements. Amazon ElastiCache gives two storing motors, specifically, Memcached and Redis.

Response Time − ElastiCache diminishes the reaction time by recovering information from a quick in-memory framework. It diminishes the reliance on circle-based data sets, which are normally slower.

Scalability − Amazon ElastiCache is intended to have the option to adjust itself naturally, and it can scale out or increase contingent upon the fluctuating app prerequisites.

Complete Management − Amazon ElastiCache is completely made due, so the normal authoritative errands, for example, equipment provisioning, disappointment recuperation, reinforcements, and more, are robotized.

Amazon DynamoDB

It is a non-social or NoSQL data set, so it isn’t great to run joins and connections between tables given key-esteem matches. It is a completely serverless help by AWS, so you don’t need to stress over scope quantification and scaling, and it can deal with a huge number of solicitations. It additionally gives security, encryption, worldwide accessibility, reinforcement, and reserving skills.

Conclusion

8 Best Macbook Air Alternatives You Can Buy

Let’s all take a minute and agree on the fact that Apple’s MacBook Air is ageing. It’s pretty much certain that Apple just doesn’t care about this line-up anymore. Well, that doesn’t mean the MacBook Air is mediocre by any means. When Steve Jobs unveiled the original MacBook Air seven years ago, it revolutionized the entire laptop industry, making way for a whole new category of compact, light-weight and super-thin laptops which are now widely known as ultrabooks. Now, it’s just a thing of the past. Take a look at the last MacBook Air model for example, it’s just the same old MacBook Air from 2010 except for some hardware changes under the hood. This clearly shows that it’s about time people started to look elsewhere for alternatives and that’s exactly what we’re going to help you out with. Well, let’s proceed to the exciting part where we discuss about the 8 best MacBook Air alternatives you can buy:

1. Microsoft Surface Laptop

Microsoft recently announced their latest Surface laptop, which is primarily aimed towards students. The company plans to take on the Chromebooks and MacBook Air laptops with its ultra-thin form factor and capable hardware. The Surface Laptop looks completely futuristic, unlike the ageing MacBook and at 14.48 mm thin, it’s much thinner than the thickest point of the MacBook Air. It’s also lighter than the MacBook Air, weighing at just 1.25 Kg. Microsoft’s new laptop can be configured with a 7th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor depending on your budget. The MacBook Air on the other hand packs an older and inferior Intel Core i5 processor and there’s no i7 variant available. Microsoft claims an exceptional 14.5 hour battery life for their new laptop, but we’ll have to wait and see how it fares in real-world usage.

You will able to purchase the Surface Laptop in 128GB, 256GB or 512GB SSD variants depending on your preferred price point. Apart from this, the base configuration of the laptop packs only 4GB RAM compared to the 8GB offered by the MacBook Air. However, you can increase it up to 16GB if your budget permits. Surface Laptop will be running on Windows 10 S operating system, which is essentially is stripped down version of regular Windows 10. Not much to worry about here, as you’ll be able to upgrade to the regular Windows 10 Pro for free, if you purchase the laptop by the end of this year. As far as pricing is concerned, it’s pretty similar to the MacBook Air, starting at $999. It’s currently available for preorder and it will start shipping on June 15th.

2. Dell XPS 13

Straight out of the future. That’s all I have to say about the looks of Dell’s XPS 13 laptop. Just take a look at those tiny bezels, which Dell proudly calls “Infinity Display“. It literally puts the MacBook Air to shame in terms of design, by making it look like a laptop from the past decade in comparison. It’s not just the design that the XPS 13 excels in, as it packs some serious power in a thin form factor. The base configuration of the laptop comes with a 7th Generation i3-7100U processor, 4GB DDR3-1866Mhz RAM and 128GB SSD. If that’s not good enough for you, the laptop can be configured with up to i7-7560U, 16GB RAM and 1 TB PCIe SSD. It outshines the MacBook Air in terms of battery department as well, by offering an impressive 13 hour battery life for normal web browsing. Now you’re excited, aren’t you?

At 1.22 Kg, it’s lighter than both the MacBook Air and Surface Laptops. Due to the reduction of bezels, it’s much more compact as well. The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best built laptops out there, featuring an aluminium chassis on the outside and a soft-touch carbon fiber finish on the inside. The webcam is weirdly priced at the bottom of the display, but that’s the price you’re paying for a laptop with super-thin bezels and I’ll take it any day. Pricing starts at $799, which is considerably lower than the MacBook Air, but that’s for a mediocre base configuration. It might even exceed $2000 if you’re opting for the highest-end configuration.

Buy from Dell: (Starts at $799)

3. Razer Blade Stealth

The laptop looks pretty much like an imaginary matte black variant of the MacBook Air, if you take a look at those huge bezels in particular. The Blade Stealth is extremely thin at 13.2 mm, which makes it substantially thinner than MacBook Air’s thickest point. It also has a superior build quality, made out of anodized aluminium which is almost as good as the build quality of Apple’s laptop. That being said, the battery on the Razer Blade Stealth should be good enough to last you for about 7 hours.

The lowest end variant of the Razer Blade Stealth features a 7th generation Intel Core i5-7200U dual core processor with 8GB DDR3-1866Mhz RAM whereas the higher end variants feature the i5 7500U dual core processor with 16GB DDR3-1866Mhz RAM. It doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, instead it utilizes Intel’s integrated HD Graphics 620 for the graphical horsepower required. However, you can make use of the included thunderbolt 3 port and connect your desktop graphics card using an optional Razer Core External GPU enclosure, if you’re looking forward to game on this machine.

Buy from Amazon: (Starts at $899)

4. MacBook Pro 13-Inch (2023)

The display on the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro boasts a native resolution of 2560 x 1600 for all the eye candy that you’ll need. Under the hood, the base configuration of the laptop features a 6th generation 2.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB PCIe SSD for blistering fast performance. As far as battery life is concerned, it should last you for about 10 hours of regular web browsing, which is slightly lower than the 12 hours offered by the MacBook Air. If this configuration doesn’t impress you, you can go for the higher end variants if you can push your budget. Pricing starts at $1449 for the base model and goes up to $2000 depending on the hardware you prefer.

Buy from Amazon: (Starts at $1449)

5. HP Spectre x360 13-Inch

The highly popular HP Spectre x360 is a convertible laptop, which is currently available in 13 and 15-inch variants, but we’ll focus on the 13-inch variant, considering that’s a better alternative to the MacBook Air. The x360 name comes from the fact that this laptop has a 360 degree hinge design, thereby making it a convertible laptop. This laptop sits at the top of HP’s consumer range and includes all the necessary features to justify the price as well. It packs some serious power in a thin and light form factor, despite the fact that it has an impressive battery life lasting well over a whopping 14 hours.

Under the hood, the base model of this laptop features a Full HD display along with the i7-7500U dual core processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 256 GB PCIe SSD. With a thickness of 13.8 mm and a weight of approximately 1.29 Kg, the HP Spectre x360 is not only significantly thinner, but also lighter than the MacBook Air. As far as pricing is concerned, the base variant starts at $1199 and goes upwards depending on your hardware demands.

Buy from Amazon: (Starts at $1199)

6. Asus ZenBook UX330

Asus have been recently known for making some great affordable ultrabooks and the ZenBook UX330 is no exception. It replaces the older UX305 laptop which was already considered as a worthy MacBook Air alternative. Similar to most of the ultrabooks that we mentioned above, this one’s thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air, weighing at 1.2 Kg and having a thickness of just 13.5 mm. Asus claims the battery on this ultrabook should be good enough to last up to 12 hours of web browsing, which is quite similar to what you can expect from the MacBook Air. So, we got no complaints on that front.

Buy from Amazon: (Starts at $699)

7. Samsung Notebook 9 13-Inch Laptop

This laptop from Samsung might not be one of the latest in the list, but it still packs quite a punch and that’s exactly why we consider it as a worthy MacBook Air alternative. With a thickness of 13.46 mm and weighing about 1.27 Kg, the Notebook 9 is thinner and lighter than the Apple’s counterpart. The design looks quite similar to Apple’s MacBook laptops and other Windows laptops that ripped off Apple’s design, so nothing special here. Samsung claims a battery life of up to 10 hours on the Notebook 9, but that’s slightly lower than the 12 hour life offered by the MacBook Air.

As far as hardware is concerned, the laptop features a Full HD display powered by a 6th generation Intel Core i5-6200U processor with a stock clock speed of 2.3 GHz and turbo boost up to 2.8 GHz, so you don’t have to worry about the performance at all. Apart from this, 8GB RAM comes and 256 GB m.2 SSD comes as standard. The laptop is only available in a single configuration, so you don’t have to worry about hidden costs. For a price tag of $999, which is same as the MacBook Air, this laptop is good enough to give Apple a run for their money.

8. Acer Swift 7

Last but not the least, it’s about time you guys meet the showstopper. Introducing the world’s thinnest laptop ever made, the Acer Swift 7. But, what if we tell you that the world’s thinnest laptop is also one of the world’s most affordable ultrabooks? Well, we understand your excitement, so let’s get down to what this laptop boasts about. At 9.9 mm, this ultrabook is as thin as a smartphone available today. Weighing at approximately 1.13 Kg, it puts the MacBook Air and several other ultrabooks to shame. With a Full HD IPS display, you can expect great viewing angles on this laptop. Acer claims the battery on the Swift 7 should be good enough to last up to 9 hours, which is quite decent for a laptop, this thin.

However, what we’re not impressed about this laptop is the hardware. For the sheer thickness and weight, you’ll be sacrificing a chunk of performance. The Acer Swift 7 is powered by the 7th generation Intel Core i5-7Y54 or i7-7Y75, both of which are underpowered processors. So, don’t expect anything exceptional, just because it’s a Kaby Lake processor. The i5 processor clocks at 1.2 GHz and goes up to 3.2 GHz on turbo boost, whereas the i7 processor clocks at 1.3 GHz and goes up to 3.6 GHz on turbo boost. Apart from this, the laptop packs 8GB DDR3 RAM and a 256 GB SSD, which is decent for an ultra-thin laptop. It’s the price tag which gets us all excited about this laptop, which starts at just $799, thereby making it a much better alternative to the MacBook Air, if you’re keen on having a thin and light-weight laptop.

Buy from Amazon: (Starts at $799)

The Best MacBook Air Alternatives You Can Buy

8 Alternatives To Microsoft Powerpoint You Need To Try

Microsoft PowerPoint carved out a niche for itself in the sphere of presentation. However, many people now see PowerPoint as outdated and expensive, especially given that the platform hasn’t really evolved with the times. As more people look for ways to engage audiences with narrative storytelling over boring slide presentations, they seek alternatives to PowerPoint that let them have greater control over their presentations. After all, shouldn’t we all be looking for cost-effective solutions as we choose value over dogma? Then look no further than these great alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint.

1. Google Slides

Google Slides helps you tell stories that matter while enabling synchronization. It’s an incredible PowerPoint alternative that costs absolutely nothing to use.

You can create easy-to-use visual presentations on Google Slides with its simple user interface. The PowerPoint-like design makes it a breezy transition for experienced PowerPoint users, but it’s also easy to navigate through the menus if you are new to making presentations.

With Google Slides, you have complete control over the page size and formatting. Although the text options are limited, there are many other standout design features included. You can choose from the preformatted slide themes or import your own backgrounds, then add slide transitions or object animations to enhance your presentation.

You’re free to work from anywhere, as Google syncs all of your work to Google Drive, and you can gain access to your presentations from any device. Easily share presentations on the Web through the custom link or via email. You can even set the presentation up to allow multiple users editing privileges that sync in real time, which means you never have to worry about which version is the most recent.

The best part? Google Slides is a completely free-to-use app – all you need is a Google account.

2. Prezi

If you want something a little less traditional than PowerPoint, Prezi is a great option. Many claim Prezi is more engaging and persuasive.

Prezi takes a completely different approach to digital presentations. For instance, you can build a complete presentation structure on a single canvas, zooming in and out as you emphasize and de-emphasize facts. This way, you are controlling and guiding what your audience sees.

Unlike most other presentation software tools, Prezi gives you the option to make video presentations, interactive reports, infographics, and more.

Prezi is cloud-based presentation software, so you can access your presentations across many platforms. You can try Prezi for free, but it is extremely limited. For instance, you won’t be able to download your work or save it as a PDF. You can, however, create a presentation from scratch and use your laptop to quickly present it to your team. If you need more, you’ll have to upgrade. Prezi has three different pricing tiers for individuals: Standard ($5/mo), Plus ($15/mo), and Premium ($59/mo).

3. LibreOffice Impress

LibreOffice Impress is a part of the LibreOffice suite, an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. When considering alternatives to PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress is right up there with Google Slides, as it lets you open and save files in PowerPoint format or convert them to the OpenOffice extension.

On the surface, LibreOffice looks very similar to PowerPoint. It offers many of the same tools, and even the menu options and ribbon appear very similar to the well-known Microsoft product.

Format text, add images, set slide transitions and more with LibreOffice. You can also select from different aspect ratios, which can be important when using a different projector. Best of all, LibreOffice Impress is free to use!

4. Keynote

Keynote, Apple’s alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint, offers a sleek, sophisticated approach to presentation design. Keynote users agree that it’s intuitive and easy to use.

You can create beautiful presentations in Keynote without wasting time surfing for unique templates. This presentation tool has many eye-popping templates to choose from and offers most of the same features as PowerPoint, making it a great alternative.

Unlike PowerPoint, though, Keynote provides much more control over the text, images, and objects you insert into your presentations. Furthermore, you can save completed presentations in a variety of formats or export the files into images or a PDF.

The only drawback to Keynote is its exclusivity, as it’s only available on Apple devices. However, it is native to macOS, meaning it is free for Mac users who need presentation software.

5. Slidebean

If you only have a little time on your hands to design eye-popping PowerPoint slides, then Slidebean will be a good fit for you!

With Slidebean, you only input content, while the software helps you design and format your content. You can also choose from hundreds of preformatted templates or start your own presentation from scratch.

6. Canva

Within the “Presentation” section of Canva, you have the option to select different types of presentations, including widescreen (16:9), fullscreen (4:3), mobile-friendly, or game-like presentations. Then choose from the hundreds of predesigned templates or create your own presentation from scratch.

As far as the interface goes, the presentation creator works similarly to the rest of the Canva platform. You can add images or graphics, format text, and even insert audio or video. Furthermore, you can add animations, slide transitions, and even set the presentation to run automatically with timed slides.

Since Canva is Web-based, you can present your creations from anywhere as long as there’s an Internet connection. Unfortunately, Canva does not let you download your presentations as PowerPoint files – only image files or PDFs.

Canva does offer a free version with some limitations. If you decide you need more than that, upgrade to the Pro plan for $12.99/month.

7. Beautiful.ai

Like Slidebean, chúng tôi is an alternative to PowerPoint that is designed to make your presentation design process take minutes, not hours.

Unlike most presentation programs, chúng tôi is a tool that streamlines your design process. Set all of the formatting upfront, then put in your text while the tool helps you determine the best design. It adjusts your design in real time as you add elements to each slide so that you don’t have to ever worry about making everything fit.

Of course, Beautiful.ai’s primary goal is to help you create outstanding, appealing presentations that capture your target audience’s attention. Unfortunately, all of this comes at a premium. chúng tôi doesn’t offer anything more than a 14-day free trial. After that, pricing starts at $12/month (billed annually).

8. Zoho Show

Zoho is a leader in software solutions, and their PowerPoint alternative, Zoho Show, is no different.

Zoho Show is a Web-based alternative to PowerPoint that lets you create stunning presentations your way. Its setup is much the same as PowerPoint itself, and it offers all of the same features.

Frequently Asked Questions Can I open .ppt files in any programs besides PowerPoint?

Several of the PowerPoint alternatives listed in this article, such as Google Slides, Keynote, LibreOffice Impress, and Zoho Show, will open PowerPoint files (.ppt) files and allow you to edit them. However, you may run into formatting issues that you have to correct.

Is there a way to use PowerPoint for free?

Although Microsoft Office requires a subscription, you can use Office online or on your mobile device for free. There are also other workarounds that grant you free access to Microsoft Office.

Image credit: Canva Studio via Pexels. All screenshots by Megan Glosson.

Megan Glosson

Megan Glosson is a freelance technology writer based in Nashville, TN. She has extensive experience working with everything from printers to smart home systems, and serves as the go-to “tech guru” for a small business that sells digital products. Megan has created thousands of articles for online publications and company blogs, including How-To Geek, Clean Email, and Review Geek.

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Top 4 Helpshift Alternatives For Customer Service

Customer service software is an indispensable asset as 90% of customer service leaders report customer expectations are higher than ever. With the rising expectations and the need for efficient and omnichannel support, selecting the tool that fits business needs best can be challenging and time-consuming for companies.

There are several common features of popular customer service software such as:

Ticketing system to manage and track customer queries.

Multichannel support that allows customers to reach out to the support teams through various channels, including email, phone, social media, live chat, and more.

Automation that enables streamlining the customer service process.

Analytics and reporting that provide insights into the performance of the customer service team, common issues faced by customers, resolution times, and more.

Knowledge base and self-service portal that enables customers to find solutions to their issues themselves with FAQs, guides, and forums.

When a company decides to implement customer service software, it’s important to consider its unique needs, customer base, and the channels most frequently used by its customers. However, it can be difficult for companies to distinguish among popular tools as each customer service software has its own strengths and special features.

Technical buyers shortlisting customer service vendors will probably come across Helpshift, which is one of the most popular tools within the customer service software landscape. In this article, we’ll examine the potential drawbacks of Helpshift according to user reviews and explore top alternatives to help tech buyers in their decision.

Overview and shortcomings of Helpshift

Helpshift is a digital customer service platform allowing businesses to deliver support across multiple channels, focusing on in-app support for mobile applications. Some of the features it offers are:

It also offers a 30-day free trial with a starting price of $150/month.

On the software review platforms we analyzed, Helpshift is listed on G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius, but not on Gartner Peer Insights and Peerspot. And on the platforms where it is listed, it has the lowest number of reviews compared to the other tools discussed in this article (Table 1). These suggest that Helpshift is not as popular as other tools on the market.

Table 1. The total and average number of reviews of customer service tools

HelpshiftFreshdeskIntercomSalesforceZendesk Total reviews*41669264188370611,001 Average reviews13813858377412200

*Review counts are from software review platforms Capterra, G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Peerspot, and TrustRadius as of 2023/07/04.

On the platforms it is listed, its overall user ratings are:

G2: 4.3/5

Capterra: 3.9/5

TrustRadius: 7.9/10

User reviews highlight two significant areas where the platform could improve:

Analytics and reporting

Multi-channel support

Analytics and reporting

Some users have been dissatisfied with the lack of depth in Helpshift’s analytics and the limited ability to track individual and team performance. They complain about the lack of basic information such as time spent by an agent on a ticket or an agent’s resolution rate per hour. The lack of these crucial metrics restricts managers’ ability to gain actionable insights and improve service quality.

Users also express a need for enhanced search capabilities within the analytics, specifically around tags. Some have resorted to external services like Power BI to compensate for these deficiencies, but even then, the integration with Power BI has been described as challenging to work with.

Multi-channel support

Helpshift’s multi-channel support capabilities are another area of concern for many businesses. Users highlight a lack of support for some text-based communication channels such as WhatsApp, and Apple Business Chat. They also point out missing integrations with popular platforms like Telegram and TikTok.

The absence of these channels forces businesses to rely on separate platforms to cater to their customers, causing fragmentation of resources and focus. This lack of seamless multi-channel support can make managing customer interactions challenging and inefficient.

Top 5 Helpshift Alternatives 1. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer service and support application that helps businesses deliver customer service across various channels.

Salesforce Service Cloud is built on the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform, enabling seamless integration with other Salesforce products. It also leverages AI through Salesforce Einstein to offer automated suggestions, route cases, predict customer behavior, and provide intelligent insights for increased productivity. Some of its features are:

Intelligent chatbots

Customer feedback and survey tools

Software integrations (Contact Salesforce for details)

30+ supported languages

Self-service options

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube integration

Salesforce Service Cloud’s starting price is €25 per seat/month and offers a 30-day free trial.

Its overall user ratings on different software review platforms are:

G2: 4.2/5

Capterra: 4.4/5

TrustRadius: 8.9/10

Gartner Peer Insights: 4.4/5

Peerspot: 4.1/5

Based on user reviews, here’s how Salesforce Service Cloud addresses Helpshift’s limitations in terms of:

Analytics and reporting

User feedback highlights the platform’s robust and efficient capabilities in providing in-depth reporting and meaningful analytics. Service Cloud allows businesses to track key performance metrics such as response times and customer satisfaction rates, providing valuable insights into customer behavior and helping identify areas for improvement.

Users also commend the accessibility and clarity of these analytics, noting the ease with which they can track the success of sales cadences, configure dashboards, and quickly access crucial data. The reporting and analytics tools of Service Cloud help businesses to make data-backed decisions, thereby optimizing their customer service operations.

Multi-channel support

Service Cloud provides a unified platform where customer service agents can engage with customers across various channels including phone, email, chat, social media, and SMS. Users have acknowledged Service Cloud’s omni-channel support and call routing capabilities for resolving operational issues.

The platform’s design supports multiple channels, enabling greater reach and improved documentation of customer interactions.

Furthermore, Service Cloud offers a mobile-first approach, aiming to cater to customers over their preferred channels.