If you’re a B2B team figuring out how to build, share, and track presentations or sales decks, there’s no shortage of “GTM tools” promising to make your life easier. But most reviews are either too fluffy or written for people who love buzzwords. This guide is for the rest of us—the folks who just want to know what works, what’s a waste of money, and what to keep in mind before picking a tool.
Let’s cut through the noise and see how Slidebeam stacks up against other popular go-to-market tools like Pitch, Canva, PowerPoint, and some of the “do-it-all” platforms out there.
Who Actually Needs a GTM Tool, Anyway?
First, a gut check: Not every B2B company needs a fancy go-to-market (GTM) tool for presentations or collateral. If you’re running a tiny startup or only send out a handful of sales decks a year, you might be fine with Google Slides and some elbow grease.
But GTM tools start making sense if:
- You make, send, or update presentations constantly—think sales, onboarding, investor decks, etc.
- You need to keep branding and messaging consistent (especially if multiple people are building decks).
- You care about analytics—who opened what, how long they looked at each slide, did they forward it, etc.
- You want to make it dead simple to update or swap out content across dozens of live decks.
If most of that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.
What Slidebeam Actually Does (And Doesn’t)
Before we compare, let’s be clear about what Slidebeam brings to the table.
What works:
- Fast, good-looking slides: Slidebeam’s pitch is speed. You give it content, it handles the design. No fiddling with fonts or alignment.
- Templates tuned for B2B: Startup, sales, fundraising decks—there are a lot of templates that don’t look like they’re from a 2010 conference.
- Collaboration: Team members can work together, share updates, and avoid version chaos.
- Analytics: Track who opened each deck, what slides they lingered on, and whether your precious deck is gathering dust or getting shared.
- Simple branding controls: Lock down your logo, colors, and fonts so nobody “gets creative” with the look.
What doesn’t:
- Limited offline use: This is a web app. If you need to work without internet, it’s not ideal.
- Somewhat basic customization: If you want pixel-perfect, complex animations or heavy customization, you’ll hit limits.
- Not a CRM: Don’t expect lead management, email sequencing, or pipeline tools. It’s for content creation and sharing, not managing deals.
Ignore the hype about AI “auto-magically” making your deck perfect. It’s good for a head start, but you’ll still need to tweak and check everything.
How Slidebeam Compares to Other GTM Tools
Let’s break down the main alternatives, what they’re good for, and when Slidebeam is (or isn’t) the smarter pick.
1. Pitch
Who it’s for: Teams who care a lot about design, want to collaborate in real time, and need something a bit more flexible than Slidebeam.
- Pros: Slick design, real-time collaboration, good integrations (Slack, Notion), nice templates.
- Cons: Analytics are only so-so unless you shell out for higher tiers. Can be slower for people who just want to “get it done.”
- Bottom line: Pitch is a good middle ground if you want more control than Slidebeam offers, but don’t want to go back to PowerPoint headaches.
2. Canva
Who it’s for: Teams who want to make everything from Instagram posts to pitch decks, and don’t mind a “DIY” vibe.
- Pros: Extremely flexible, huge template library, great for marketing teams who need graphics as well as slides.
- Cons: Easy to go off-brand. Analytics are basically nonexistent. Team management can get messy as everyone makes their own versions.
- Bottom line: Canva is unbeatable for quick, pretty one-offs, but not great for consistency or tracking.
3. PowerPoint (Microsoft 365)
Who it’s for: Teams stuck in the Microsoft stack, or who need rich features, offline use, and ultimate control.
- Pros: Ubiquitous, can do just about anything if you have the time and patience. Works offline. Tons of add-ins.
- Cons: Collaboration is awkward. No built-in analytics. Design is up to the user (so, usually, not great).
- Bottom line: Old reliable, but not built for modern B2B sales or marketing teams who need speed and tracking.
4. “All-in-One” Sales Enablement Platforms (Seismic, Highspot, Showpad)
Who it’s for: Enterprise teams who want to control all sales collateral, content, and training in one place.
- Pros: Advanced analytics, version control, content governance, integrations with CRMs.
- Cons: Expensive, heavy, long onboarding, usually overkill for small or midsize teams.
- Bottom line: If you have a sales enablement team, maybe. Otherwise, prepare for bloat and a big bill.
Feature-by-Feature: What Actually Matters
It’s easy to get lost in product pages and feature checklists. Here’s what to focus on, and what’s usually just noise.
Must-Have Features
- Easy content updates: Can you update a logo, disclaimer, or case study once and have it change everywhere?
- Brand consistency: Can you lock down templates or brand assets so rogue reps don’t send out ugly decks?
- Analytics: Can you tell who actually viewed your deck, and what they cared about?
- Collaboration: Can multiple people work on a deck without making version 17_final_v2.pptx?
- Sharing: Can you share a link, track opens, and restrict forwarding if needed?
Slidebeam ticks most of these boxes, except for super granular access controls (that’s more in the enterprise platforms).
Nice-to-Haves (But Not Dealbreakers)
- AI content suggestions: Nice for a draft, rarely saves much time for experienced teams.
- Integrations: Connecting to Slack, CRMs, or storage is handy, but not essential for everyone.
- Offline mode: Useful if you’re often without solid internet, but rare for most B2B teams today.
- Export options: PDF and PowerPoint export is helpful if you deal with clients who insist on those formats.
Ignore These
- Gimmicky animations/transitions: They don’t close deals.
- Video backgrounds or “wow” effects: Usually more distracting than helpful.
- Over-the-top customization: More options tend to mean more off-brand decks and more headaches for marketing.
Pricing: What You’re Really Paying For
All of these tools have free versions or trials, but if you’re a B2B team, you’ll want to budget for paid plans. Here’s the real difference:
- Slidebeam: Cheaper than enterprise tools. Usually pay per user, with analytics on higher tiers.
- Pitch: Free for small teams, paid for analytics, branding, and advanced collaboration.
- Canva: Cheap per user, but you’ll probably need Pro for team features.
- PowerPoint: Bundled into Microsoft 365, but you’ll pay for storage and sharing if you go big.
- Sales Enablement Platforms: Prepare for a sales call and a big invoice. Not worth it for most startups or small teams.
Pro tip: Don’t get tricked by “unlimited” plans if you only have a handful of users. Focus on the features your team will actually use, not what looks good on a comparison chart.
The Honest Take: When to Pick Slidebeam (and When Not To)
Go with Slidebeam if:
- You need to crank out polished, branded decks fast.
- You want analytics, but don’t want to pay enterprise prices.
- Your team isn’t full of designers—and you don’t want to play art director.
- You care more about speed and consistency than total creative flexibility.
Skip Slidebeam if:
- You’re obsessed with control and customization—go with Pitch or PowerPoint.
- You need deep integrations with your CRM or content management.
- You’re a massive enterprise that needs sales enablement, not just slides.
- You need offline access for most of your work.
Keep It Simple, and Don’t Overthink It
Most B2B teams spend way too long picking tools instead of just getting work done. The truth: No tool will magically fix your process or make bad content convincing. Grab a tool that’s easy to use, keeps your decks on-brand, and helps you see what’s working.
Start simple. Try Slidebeam, Pitch, or even Canva with a couple of real projects—don’t just click around the demo. See what your team actually uses and likes. If you outgrow it, you can always move up or out.
Tools are there to make your life easier, not more complicated. Ship the deck, get feedback, then iterate. That’s what moves the needle.