[Presentation AI]Presentation AI Showdown (Copilot vs Gamma.app vs iFlytek Zhiwen)

Summary: One table to understand text-to-PPT quality and ideal scenarios across mainstream presentation AI tools.

⚠️ Pricing Disclaimer: Every pricing figure in this article is compiled from each vendor's public information as of 2024–2025. The presentation-AI space is extremely crowded — new version launches, membership tier changes, and plan-price adjustments are essentially the norm. Always confirm against the official pricing page before you pay.

1. Pain Points: Where Exactly Does Making a PPT Get Stuck?

Monday morning, 9 AM. Your manager calls you into the office: "We have a quarterly review meeting at 3 PM. Put together an 8-page deck on last quarter's sales data, and use our company template." Your stomach drops — on your desk you still have three stale weekly reports and one unsorted Excel sales breakdown.

Anyone who's worked in an office knows this scene. Let's count exactly where this whole PPT-making business actually gets stuck:

  1. Fear of the blank page: Open PowerPoint and stare. What goes on page one? How many sections in the agenda? How should the pages transition? You stare for an hour and still can't write a 5-page outline.
  2. The wrong template: Slap the company template on, and the logo sits crooked. Pick one yourself that looks nice, and the moment you change the font, everything falls apart.
  3. Drawing real charts is hard: Your sales-detail Excel holds 30,000 rows; you need four comparison charts — one bar chart and one trend line per quarter. Manual charting starts at 30 minutes.
  4. Chinese fonts get mangled: You finish the deck at home, open it on the office PC, and your Songti has turned into Microsoft YaHei — and the Chinese font sizes mysteriously shift.
  5. You rewrite it three times after you're "done": The boss says "key points don't pop," "the colors are too loud," "redo page two." Welcome to the overtime feedback loop.

Making a PPT used to be pure manual labor: write the outline, find a template, pour in the data, adjust the layout, then fiddle with font sizes and colors. Since 2024, AI for PPT has been able to swallow the entire pipeline — outline → page split → imagery → data charts → template application — in one shot. But here's the rub: there are dozens of presentation AIs out there. Which one actually fits a Chinese office scenario?

2. Goal & Output: What You'll Be Able to Do After Reading

  • No more tool-selection paralysis: know which AI is the easiest pick for a Chinese-context PPT.
  • Understand seven dimensions: text-to-PPT quality, template variety, data-chart support, Chinese-font compatibility, secondary-editing freedom, team collaboration, and pricing tier — all on one table.
  • Be able to use at least two tools: one free tier, one paid tier.
  • Avoid the gotchas: membership systems, export limits, and licensing issues — all explained in one read.

3. Case Study: Who Builds the 8-Page Quarterly Sales Review Fastest and Best?

Let's use a realistic workplace task as the test prompt: "Last quarter's total sales: ¥120M, QoQ growth of 18%, of which East China contributed 42%, and new product A drove 30% of the increment. Generate an 8-page quarterly sales review PPT, including data charts."

This task simultaneously tests five capabilities: long-text understanding → outline splitting → data-chart generation → template application → PPTX export for secondary editing. We're putting seven contestants in the ring.

3.1 Test Design

Contestant Type Entry point
M365 Copilot (PowerPoint) Microsoft Office built-in PowerPoint → Copilot sidebar
Gamma.app Standalone web platform gamma.app
iFlytek Zhiwen (讯飞智文) Domestic standalone web zhiwen.xfyun.cn
Meitu AI PPT (LivePPT, 美图 AI PPT) Domestic standalone web www.designkit.cn/ppt/ (Meitu Design Studio)
AiPPT.cn Domestic standalone web aippt.cn
WPS AI (Presentation) WPS Office built-in WPS Presentation → AI Assistant
Qwen / ChatGPT general assistant Generic chat + PPT plugin Web/App + third-party plugin

Note: This article does not benchmark "which model is smarter" paper metrics. It only looks at real-world office experience — how fast the output lands, whether you can export straight to .pptx for editing, and whether fonts and charts end up mangled.

3.2 Comparison Table

The table below compares seven dimensions. Each row uses a ⭐ rating (max 5 stars) so you can scan to your needs.

Dimension M365 Copilot (PPT) Gamma.app iFlytek Zhiwen Meitu AI PPT AiPPT.cn WPS AI (Presentation) Qwen / ChatGPT general assistant
Text-to-PPT Quality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Steady outlines, human-sounding prose ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Flexible writing, but its Chinese-language templates skew Western ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strongest in Chinese official-doc / reporting scenarios ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Looks great for marketing scenarios ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Templates lean formulaic ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Workmanlike, template-driven ⭐⭐⭐ You write the outline yourself, then apply a third-party plugin
Template Variety ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Microsoft official templates + Designer polish ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Massive library, constantly updated ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 100+ industry templates ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very "down-to-earth" templates + marketing style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 100k+ templates, claimed industry-leading ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Classic templates do the job ⭐⭐ Only the few shipped with the plugin
Data-Chart Support ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reads Excel tables to generate charts ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tables convert straight to charts with good results ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Supports data input to generate charts ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strong data visualization ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strong data visualization ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Flexible table-to-chart conversion ⭐⭐⭐ Only generates tables; you make charts manually
Chinese-Font Compatibility ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ .pptx export preserves fonts ⭐⭐⭐ Fonts occasionally replaced after PPTX export ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native Chinese-font support ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native Chinese-font support ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native Chinese-font support ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Native Chinese-font support ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Depends on the export path
Secondary-Editing Freedom ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Export .pptx, edit freely in PowerPoint ⭐⭐⭐ PPTX export occasionally shows layout drift; rework needed ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Export .pptx editable, but some charts are bound ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Export .pptx editable ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Export .pptx editable ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Export .pptx fully editable ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Depends on the export tool
Team Collaboration ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deep integration with OneDrive / SharePoint ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Real-time collaboration (Pro and above) ⭐⭐⭐ Supports multi-user online commenting ⭐⭐⭐ Multi-user collaborative editing ⭐⭐⭐ Multi-user collaboration ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deep integration with WPS collaboration ⭐⭐ Requires plugins
Pricing Tier (2024–2025 public data) Copilot Pro ≈ $20/mo (individual); M365 Copilot ≈ $30/user/mo (enterprise, requires E3/E5 base); Copilot Business ≈ $21/user/mo (SMB from 2025-12) Free 400 credits (one-time); Plus in the single-digit USD/month range, Pro around ten-plus USD/month (annual-billing terms), higher tiers several tens of USD/month — tiers and prices change frequently; go by the live prices at gamma.app/pricing before ordering Free tier gives 1000 credits (each generation consumes 50); Unlimited Card: ¥199/2 yr, ¥119/yr, ¥78/quarter Free tier: 4 generations/day (~40 "meidou" credits); Monthly subscription ¥30/mo; Quarterly ¥68/quarter; Annual ¥218/yr Free tier: 3 generations/day (cumulative 9); ¥49/mo, ¥99/yr, ¥169/2 yr, ¥399 lifetime WPS: AI membership available standalone or bundled with the Major Membership (per official pricing); monthly subscription ¥35/mo Qwen PPT creation: completely free; ChatGPT Plus ≈ $20/mo
Ease of Onboarding Low (click directly inside PowerPoint) Very low (no tutorial needed) Low (Chinese UI) Low (Chinese UI) Low (Chinese UI) Low (click directly inside WPS) Medium (you write the outline yourself)
One-Line Verdict Pricey but effortless — enterprise top choice International teams' first pick, very modern palette Chinese official docs / reporting in a class of its own Marketing scenarios top pick Personal cost-performance king All-in-one domestic office bundle The free-tier champion

⚠️ Pricing Notes: The "Pricing Tier" row above is compiled from each vendor's public information as of 2024–2025. Specific purchase amounts, renewal rules, and refund policies can change at any time — please confirm against whatever you see on the official page at the moment of purchase. Some Gamma.app tier prices (e.g., around $8 vs $10, and $15 vs $20) vary across sources and are subject to official confirmation. Full M365 Copilot enterprise users must also purchase the E3/E5 base (~$36–57/user/mo), bringing the total cost up to ~$66–87/user/mo at the high end.

3.3 Hands-On Example: Hand the Sales Data to the AI

We'll use M365 Copilot (PowerPoint) as the main walk-through (the flow is essentially identical for the other tools). Three steps to produce that 8-page quarterly review PPT.

Step 1: Clean up the source materials first.

Open PowerPoint → New Blank Presentation → upload the sales-breakdown Excel to OneDrive (note: Copilot only reads files on OneDrive/SharePoint; files on your local disk must first be synced to the cloud — this trips up many first-time users).

Step 2: Issue the prompt in the Copilot sidebar.

Open Copilot (the "Copilot" button in the upper-right of PowerPoint → "Create a new presentation with Copilot"), and enter the prompt:

请基于季度销售数据生成 8 页 PPT，主题是"2024 Q3 销售复盘"：
1. 封面：标题 + 汇报人 + 日期；
2. 目录页；
3. 整体业绩：销售额 1.2 亿，环比增长 18%（柱状图，对比 Q1/Q2/Q3）；
4. 区域表现：华东区占 42%，其他区域占比（饼图）；
5. 产品表现：新品 A 贡献 30% 增量（条形图，按产品排序）；
6. 关键洞察：3 条以上；
7. 问题与挑战：至少 3 条；
8. 下季度计划与目标。
风格：商务简约，主色用公司深蓝（#003366）。

This sample Chinese prompt is preserved verbatim because the test scenario itself is Chinese-context. iFlytek Zhiwen and Meitu AI PPT only consume Chinese prompts natively; M365 Copilot and WPS AI handle Chinese prompts equally well. For English-context runs, just translate the same structure verbatim.

Step 3: Inspect the output and apply secondary editing.

Copilot generates 8 slides directly inside PowerPoint, each with Designer-suggested polish. Your job is to:

  1. Read through end-to-end and double-check the numbers — AI occasionally "hallucinates confidently."
  2. Swap the charts to your company's template styling (heading size, palette, logo).
  3. Add speaker notes (Copilot can generate speaker notes in one click, but verify them manually).
  4. Inspect Chinese fonts — if the .pptx export shows font drift on older PCs, embed fonts locally.

The same prompt, sent to Gamma.app, iFlytek Zhiwen, or Meitu AI PPT, follows an essentially identical flow: enter prompt → pick template → generate PPT → edit online or via export. Gamma.app's signature trait is a very smooth interaction (card-based, generates 10 pages at once, can rewrite any page in one click). iFlytek Zhiwen and Meitu AI PPT's signature trait is far more native Chinese-context phrasing (for example, they automatically drop in lines like "工作举措" and "下一步计划").

3.4 One Recommendation: Free Tier + Paid Tier Combo

If you're like me — "a heavy PPT user who only does presentations occasionally" — try a combo:

  • Qwen PPT Creation (free) + WPS AI (free tier): the budget-first pick. Qwen's basic tier is free (credit/quota-based), but its styling is a touch weak; WPS AI covers the template gap.
  • iFlytek Zhiwen free tier (the 1000 credits go a long way) + Meitu AI PPT free tier (4 generations/day): zero-cost combo for domestic users, but availability isn't guaranteed — credits run out and you pay up.
  • M365 Copilot + Gamma.app Pro: the enterprise + international combo — Copilot edits your internal documents; Gamma delivers to clients.

4. Principle Recap: Why the Presentation-AI Experience Varies So Much

One sentence: the closer the AI sits to the PPT engine, the steadier the layout. The farther away, the more manual styling you'll need to add.

  • M365 Copilot (PowerPoint) is Microsoft's own GPT-4o wired into the PowerPoint engine to generate content. It directly reads and writes .pptx layouts, theme colors, placeholders, and master slides (a "master slide" is the behind-the-scenes style sheet that defines the whole PPT's colors, fonts, and logo), so what comes out is a formatted slide.
  • WPS AI (Presentation) has Kingsoft wire the Qwen/Qwen model family into the WPS Presentation component. It's essentially the same "hugging the editor" approach as Copilot, but the underlying model is a touch weaker, so text quality falls slightly behind.
  • Gamma.app takes a "web-native card" approach. What it generates is not a traditional PPT but a "scalable web card." The upside is gorgeous styling and fluid interaction; the downside is that PPTX exports occasionally show layout drift.
  • iFlytek Zhiwen, Meitu AI PPT, and AiPPT.cn are domestic standalone web platforms, mostly built on Chinese foundation models (Spark, Spark/Qwen, Qwen respectively) and feel most native to the Chinese context. Their template libraries are very rich, but export quality is uneven.
  • Qwen / ChatGPT general assistants are essentially "chat box + third-party plugin." What they output is Markdown or plain-text outlines; the styling is fully decoupled from your PPT file — what you get is a "half-finished product" you need to manually apply.

So the conclusions are simple:

  • To grow AI directly "inside" PPT, pick M365 Copilot or WPS AI.
  • For beautiful styling, customer demos, and international reach, pick Gamma.app.
  • For Chinese official docs, reports, and marketing scenarios, pick iFlytek Zhiwen or Meitu AI PPT.
  • For free, zero-cost, pick Qwen PPT Creation, or a ChatGPT + plugin combo.
  • For cost-performance and long-term use, pick AiPPT.cn (the ¥399 lifetime deal is almost a giveaway).

5. Pitfall Guide: 6 Lessons That Will Save You Three Days of Headaches

① Pricing tiers vary wildly — calculate the "Total Cost of Ownership" first.

Full M365 Copilot enterprise users must purchase the E3/E5 base ($36–57/user/mo) plus Copilot's own $30/user/mo — the total cost can run up to $66–87/user/mo — and that doesn't even include OneDrive storage or Teams calling add-ons. For individuals, start with Copilot Pro ($20/mo) or M365 Premium ($19.99/mo); for SMB, Copilot Business at $21/mo (from 2025-12) is the best price-performance point.

② Gamma.app's PPTX export occasionally "goes off the rails."

Because Gamma.app uses a "web-native card" approach, fonts, layouts, and animations can drift after PPTX export. If your client insists on a .pptx file, open the export inside PowerPoint first and double-check; if the client accepts a "web link to share" or PDF, Gamma is a delight.

③ Don't get greedy with the "free tiers" of iFlytek Zhiwen and Meitu AI PPT.

iFlytek Zhiwen gives you 1000 credits at sign-up (50 credits per generation = 20 generations). Meitu AI PPT gives you 4 generations per day (~40 "meidou"). Once they're used up, you pay. Heavy users are better off subscribing: iFlytek Zhiwen's Unlimited Card at ¥119/yr (¥0.33/day); Meitu AI PPT's annual subscription at ¥218/yr (¥0.6/day, about $0.08).

④ For Chinese AI tools, look closely at "template copyright" and "commercial licensing."

Whether commercial use requires extra payment, whether the file carries a platform watermark, and whether you can resell the output — each platform has different rules. Always read the Terms of Service before commercial use. AiPPT.cn's lifetime membership includes a "personal commercial license" as a highlight, but the exact scope is subject to the official description.

⑤ Don't hand data-chart design entirely to the AI.

AI-generated chart defaults look "generally nice," but company-report scenarios usually need to match brand colors. After exporting .pptx, always adjust manually: color (use a color picker), font size (legend ≥ 10 pt), and axis labels (avoid abbreviations). AI-generated charts frequently use inconsistent thousand-separators and percentages — double-check them yourself.

⑥ Chinese-font compatibility: if you have the source file locally, embed the fonts.

When sending a .pptx to someone else, remember to tick "Embed fonts in the file" in PowerPoint (File → Options → Save → Embed fonts in the file) and save — otherwise, on a PC without your fonts installed, Chinese text may fall back to the default Songti. This is one of the most common reasons a Chinese PPT goes wrong. No need to worry about PDF exports: exporting to PDF embeds fonts automatically.

6. Advanced Extensions: Take This Combo to the Limit

If you've already mastered presentation AI, here are ways to level up next:

  1. API batching: iFlytek Zhiwen, Meitu AI PPT, AiPPT.cn, and Gamma.app all expose APIs (e.g., iFlytek's Spark interface, Gamma Pro API). Pricing can be as low as a fraction of a cent per 1k tokens (a token is the unit AI models use to measure text — longer text means more tokens and higher cost). To batch-generate 100 client-proposal decks (each swapping only the recipient name and an image), let a script call the API.
  2. VBA + AI chaining: Use a PowerPoint VBA macro to read sales data from Excel → call Gamma or iFlytek's API → automatically pour the AI-generated content back into the right slide. This makes "100 personalized sales decks in one click" possible. The combo has detailed walk-throughs in our series' B track (B17 First Command, B18 Batch Script).
  3. Multi-AI compare-and-combine: Send the same sales data to three AIs at once (Gamma + iFlytek Zhiwen + Meitu), then merge and rework the three decks — often better than any single AI — this is a routine move in pro design teams.
  4. VBA + design template (Master Slide): First build your company template using PowerPoint's "Slide Master" (master slide), then use AI to fill in the content. This is the most reliable way to keep template consistency.
  5. Cross-link to other tools: After AI generates the PPT, you can chain PPT → Word → Excel — for example, a PowerPoint VBA macro exports speaker notes to a Word document in one click, or exports the PPT data charts to an Excel archive.

One-Page Quick Card

Your Scenario Recommended Tool
Edit your own documents directly inside PowerPoint M365 Copilot (enterprise top pick) or WPS AI (domestic office)
International client demo, web share Gamma.app
Chinese official document, policy interpretation, annual report iFlytek Zhiwen (Unlimited Card ¥119/yr)
Marketing scenarios, product launch, visual impact Meitu AI PPT
Heavy long-term personal use, cost-performance first AiPPT.cn (lifetime ¥399)
Pure free, never pay Qwen PPT Creation (completely free)
WPS all-in-one bundle user WPS Major Membership (Super Membership + AI Membership bundle, per official pricing)
ChatGPT ecosystem + international team ChatGPT Plus + third-party PPT plugin

One final reminder: all pricing, membership tiers, and model versions in this article are compiled from 2024–2025 public information. The presentation AI track iterates extremely quickly — new version launches, membership-tier changes, and pricing adjustments are essentially the norm. Before purchasing, please open the relevant official page to verify the latest offer.

Author: He Xun · vba.net "AI-Powered Office: From Beginner to Expert" series · Article Code D3