How to Convert a PDF to PowerPoint Presentation

[tarekma7]

PDFs are one of the most-used file formats in the world. However, they don’t readily lend themselves to being used in PowerPoint presentations.

Of course, it’s unlikely you’d want to turn a 100-page academic paper into a slideshow, but PDFs aren’t only used for text. Plenty of graphs, charts, and images are also distributed in the PDF format.

So, if you have an informative PDF file that you’d love to turn into a presentation, keep reading. We’re going to show you how to convert a PDF to a PowerPoint file, then offer a few formatting tips that’ll help to make it shine.

How to Convert a PDF to PowerPoint Presentation
As with most file format conversions, there are two ways you can turn a PDF file into a PowerPoint file. You can either use a web app or a desktop program.

Web App: Smallpdf
With a bit of digging, you will be able to find quite a few tools that can turn a PDF document into a PPT file. However, we like Smallpdf. In our testing, it was the most reliable and returned the most impressive results.

The app has some other significant benefits that users will appreciate. Firstly, it’s entirely free to use. Secondly, Smallpdf does not retain any of your files on its servers (it retains your file for one hour in case you want to download your conversion multiple times). Finally, it’s entirely web-based; you don’t need to install anything on your machine.

To begin your conversion, head to the Smallpdf website. Using the navigation bar at the top of the window, go to All Tools > Convert from PDF > PDF to PPT.

You should now see a yellow box on your screen. There are three ways to add the file you want to convert into the web app. You can upload a file from your computer (by dragging-and-dropping or clicking Choose File), add a file from Google Drive (by clicking on From Google Drive), or add a file from Dropbox (by selecting From Dropbox).


Desktop App: Wondershare PDF Converter Pro
Before you keep reading, a word of warning. There are no worthwhile free apps for converting a PDF to a PowerPoint file on your desktop.

The developers’ logic is simple: Very few people need to make the number of conversions that would warrant needing a dedicated desktop app, and those that do are probably using the tool in a professional environment.

So, which app is best?

Well, Smallpdf also offers a desktop app for converting PDF into PowerPoint presentations, but it’s a new app and doesn’t yet offer the same number of features as some of its more established competitors.

The two most well-known desktop PDF converter tools are ILovePDF (offers a 15-day trial) and Adobe Pro DC (offers a seven-day trial). Thereafter, for both PDF tools you will need to pay for a license.


If you’re looking for a clear “winner,” it’s hard to argue against Acrobat Pro DC. However, it will set you back $14.99 per month. If you only make occasional conversions, the cost of the subscription is hard to justify.

Feature-wise, you can use the Adobe Pro DC app (and thus make conversions) from any device, select which parts of the PDF file you want to convert, and set up pre-defined PPT formats.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, try Wondershare PDF Converter Pro. It still costs $79.95, but it’s a one-time fee for a lifetime license. Again, a trial period is available, so you can try before you buy.

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