Creating a presentation can feel like a big task—writing content, designing slides, and making it all look good takes time. That’s where AI slide makers come in. These smart tools use artificial intelligence to help you build presentations faster and easier. Whether you need to write text, design layouts, or create a full slide deck from scratch, they’ve got you covered.
In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at three popular AI slide makers: Skywork, Manus, and ChatGPT. We’ll break down what they do well, where they fall short, and who they’re best for. Plus, we’ll mention a few other tools worth checking out. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of which one fits your needs. Ready? Let’s get started!
What Are AI Slide Makers?
AI slide makers are tools that use artificial intelligence to make creating presentations simpler. They can do things like:
- Write text, outlines, or bullet points for your slides.
- Design layouts with visuals like charts or images.
- Build entire presentations just from a short prompt or idea.
- Let you tweak things to match your style or brand.
These tools are a lifesaver if you make presentations often—think business meetings, school projects, or training sessions. They cut down the busy work so you can focus on your message.
Meet the Top AI Slide Makers
Here’s a quick intro to the three tools we’re comparing:
- Skywork: An open-source AI suite with a slide-making agent. It’s great for detailed, professional presentations.
- Manus: An autonomous AI from Monica that makes slides (and more) with a chat interface. It’s fast and creative but needs some polishing.
- ChatGPT: A conversational AI from OpenAI that helps with text and ideas. It doesn’t make slides on its own but works with other tools to get the job done.
Each one brings something different to the table. Let’s dive into the details!
Comparing Skywork, Manus, and ChatGPT
Skywork
What It Is
Skywork is an open-source AI productivity suite launched in May 2025. It’s got a special agent just for making slides, plus tools for documents, spreadsheets, and even podcasts. It’s built for people who want structured, professional presentations without spending hours on them.
What It Does Well
- Deep Content: Skywork shines at creating detailed slides packed with info. For example, it can whip up a 19-slide deck on “Prompt Engineering” that covers basics, advanced tricks, and even ethical stuff—all well-researched.
- Solid Design: You get consistent 16:9 layouts, smooth animated transitions, and a professional look that works for business or school.
- Speedy: It’s fast—like, 12 slides from a 30,000-character script in under 10 minutes fast.
- Customization: Since it’s open-source, you can tweak it on GitHub if you’re tech-savvy.
- Extras: It’s not just slides—Skywork also does documents and podcasts. New users get 2,500 free credits to start, plus 1,000 daily credits to play around. There’s even a DeepResearch Mode for super detailed slides with charts and tables.
Where It Falls Short
- Design Style: The visuals are good but not super sleek compared to some flashier tools.
- Bugs: There are occasional hiccups, though not as many as with some other tools.
- Tech Skills Needed: If you want to customize it, you might need to know a bit about coding.
Who It’s For
Skywork is perfect if you need in-depth, research-heavy presentations for work or school. It’s a solid all-in-one option.
Manus
What It Is
Manus comes from Monica, a Chinese startup, and it’s an autonomous AI that makes slides as part of a bigger multimedia suite (think images, webpages, audio, video). You chat with it, tell it what you want, and it takes it from there.
What It Does Well
- Hands-Off: Manus can research and build a 19-slide deck on its own, starting with a report and then making slides. Less work for you!
- Visual Variety: It uses its multimedia skills to make slides that look different and interesting.
- Quick: It’s faster than Skywork for some jobs—think high-quality slides from a 3,000-character script in about 30 minutes.
- Good Content: It handles tricky topics like prompt engineering with decent depth.
- Editable: After it’s done, you can tweak things with its presentation editor.
Where It Falls Short
- Design Consistency: The slides don’t always stick to a 16:9 format, and titles can feel basic or generic.
- HTML Format: It makes HTML-based slides, which can mess up in PowerPoint unless you fix them manually.
- Odd Choices: Sometimes it picks weird slide types—like charts for stuff that doesn’t need them.
- Invite-Only: Right now, you need an invitation to use it, though they plan to open it up later.
Who It’s For
Manus is great if you want fast, creative slides and don’t mind adjusting them a bit for PowerPoint.
ChatGPT
What It Is
ChatGPT, made by OpenAI, is a conversational AI that’s awesome at generating text and ideas. It doesn’t make slides directly, but it teams up with tools like SlideSpeak to help you create presentations.
What It Does Well
- Flexible Chat: It’s amazing for brainstorming outlines, writing slide text, or answering questions about your topic.
- Super Fast: It spits out text—like outlines or summaries—in seconds.
- Works with Tools: Pair it with SlideSpeak, and it can turn documents or prompts into PowerPoint slides quick.
- Easy Access: Anyone can use it—there’s a free version, or you can pay $20/month for more features. No invites needed.
- Great Text: The content it writes feels natural and smart.
Where It Falls Short
- No Slide Design: It’s all about text—designing slides isn’t its thing. You’ll need another tool or do it yourself.
- Extra Steps: You have to move its text into presentation software or use an add-on, which takes time.
- Less Independent: It needs more guidance than Skywork or Manus for big tasks.
Who It’s For
ChatGPT is best if you love brainstorming and writing but are okay handling the slide-making part with tools like SlideSpeak.
Other AI Slide Makers to Check Out
Not sold yet? Here are some other cool options:
- SlideSpeak: Uses ChatGPT to make PowerPoint slides from documents or prompts. Perfect if you’re already in the PowerPoint world.
- Presentations.AI: Turns prompts into gorgeous PPTs with a “Brand Sync” feature for consistent style. Super user-friendly.
- Gamma: A top pick for full slide decks from one prompt, with ChatGPT4 and image tools. It’s interactive too!
- Plus AI: Works with Google Slides and PowerPoint, letting you remix layouts fast.
- Beautiful.ai: Makes quick, professional slides that match your brand. Less flexible but slick.
Which AI Slide Maker Should You Pick?
| Feature | Skywork | Manus | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | Deep, research-packed | Solid, decent depth | Great text, outline-focused |
| Design | Professional, consistent | Varied, HTML-based | None—needs external tools |
| Speed | Fast (10 min/12 slides) | Faster (30 min/3,000 chars) | Instant text, slower overall |
| Ease of Use | Simple, some bugs | Chat-based, HTML tweaks needed | Easy chat, more steps |
| Special Features | DeepResearch, multi-tool | Autonomous, multimedia | Flexible, integrates well |
| Access | Free credits, open-source | Invite-only for now | Free or $20/month, open to all |
| Best For | Business/school slides | Quick, creative slides | Brainstorming + text |
My Take
- Skywork: Go for this if you want detailed, professional slides with research baked in. That DeepResearch Mode? Total game-changer for data-heavy stuff.
- Manus: Pick this if you’re short on time and want something eye-catching, even if it means a little extra formatting work.
- ChatGPT: Choose this for fast text and ideas. Add SlideSpeak, and you’ve got a smooth combo—though it’s not as hands-off as the others.
There’s no one-size-fits-all here—it’s about what works for you. Skywork is my top pick for a standalone tool that nails content and design, especially with those free credits to test it out. ChatGPT with SlideSpeak is awesome if you’re into writing and want a budget-friendly option. Manus is a wild card—great for speed and variety if you can get in.
Why not give them a try? Start with Skywork’s free credits or play around with ChatGPT and SlideSpeak. See which one clicks for your next presentation. Let me know how it goes!
