Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Google Slides vs RowShare

Google Slides logo

Google Slides

Productivity

Google's browser presentation editor, free with a Google account and included in every Workspace edition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RowShare logo

RowShare

Productivity

Shared online table where each contributor sees only their own rows

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Slides has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Slides fonts are limited to what Google hosts, so a brand's licensed typeface cannot be installed, and decks built to a corporate template either substitute a lookalike or lose the visual identity the template exists to enforce.; RowShare it is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Slides covers Simultaneous editing, RowShare covers Row-level permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Slides and RowShare actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Slides and RowShare differ
AttributeGoogle SlidesRowShare
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Google Slides

  • Simultaneous editing
  • Version history
  • Comments and suggestions
  • PowerPoint import and export
  • Linked charts from Sheets
  • Presenter view
  • Offline editing
  • Apps Script and add-ons

Only in RowShare

  • Row-level permissions
  • Column-level permissions
  • Typed columns
  • Forms
  • Automatic reminders
  • Microsoft Teams integration
  • Zapier connections
  • Excel import and export

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Google Slides

  • A deck several people must build at once before a deadline, where merging emailed versions would be the actual failure mode.not RowShare
  • Recurring reports where the charts should update from a spreadsheet rather than being pasted in again each time.not RowShare
  • Teaching and classroom use, where the tool is free and runs on inexpensive hardware.not RowShare
  • Sharing a deck with people outside the organisation by link rather than as an attachment that immediately goes stale.not RowShare

RowShare

  • Collecting a recurring return such as timesheets, budget lines or stock counts where contributors must not see each other's entries.not Google Slides
  • Replacing an emailed spreadsheet that one person consolidates by hand at the end of every month.not Google Slides
  • A shared list where some columns belong to the contributor and others are only for the administrator.not Google Slides
  • A structured departmental table inside Microsoft Teams that does not warrant a full database or a heavier platform licence.not Google Slides

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Slides

  • Fonts are limited to what Google hosts, so a brand's licensed typeface cannot be installed, and decks built to a corporate template either substitute a lookalike or lose the visual identity the template exists to enforce.
  • PowerPoint conversion is lossy in both directions, with animations, transitions, embedded video, diagrams and precise positioning all liable to shift, so a deck that must end up in a client's PowerPoint needs checking slide by slide and is often rebuilt.
  • Offline access has to be arranged before the connection is lost, so a deck not marked for offline use in advance is simply unavailable, which is a recurring failure on the way to present at a customer site.
  • Animation, master slide control, image editing and typographic precision sit behind PowerPoint and Keynote, so design-led work meets a ceiling that no add-on removes and the designers work elsewhere.
  • The governance features an organisation eventually needs, including retention and legal hold, data loss prevention and data residency controls, belong to higher Workspace editions, so a tool adopted because it was free carries an upgrade cost that surfaces only when compliance asks.

RowShare

  • It is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • It is a small independent product, so putting a recurring business process on it means a single vendor decision can end that process, and unlike the larger alternatives there is no ecosystem or partner network to fall back on.
  • Integration is largely through Zapier rather than deep native connectors, which adds an intermediary service, another subscription and another place for a data flow to fail silently.
  • The niche it occupies is increasingly covered by list tools included in Microsoft 365, so the purchase has to be justified against something the organisation may already be paying for and already administers.
  • Licensing in this category is per user, so if contributors need accounts rather than form links, an occasional contributor costs the same per head as a daily one, and it is worth confirming which model applies before planning a rollout.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Slides

Free
  • Starter$6.8/month
    • Google Slides access
    • 30 GB storage
    • Custom business email
  • Standard$13.6/month
    • Google Slides with enhanced features
    • 2 TB storage
    • Advanced email and Gemini capabilities
  • Plus$21.1/month
    • Google Slides with advanced features
    • 5 TB storage
    • Advanced security features

RowShare

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the RowShare review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Slides if

  • You need simultaneous editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want version history.
Google Slides review

Choose RowShare if

  • You need row-level permissions.
  • You also want column-level permissions.
RowShare review

Questions people ask

Is Google Slides or RowShare better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Slides starts at Free and RowShare at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Slides or RowShare?
Google Slides has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Slides and On request for RowShare.
Does Google Slides or RowShare run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Slides for free?
Yes. Google Slides has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RowShare starts at On request.
What is Google Slides best used for?
Google Slides is most often used for a deck several people must build at once before a deadline, where merging emailed versions would be the actual failure mode., recurring reports where the charts should update from a spreadsheet rather than being pasted in again each time., teaching and classroom use, where the tool is free and runs on inexpensive hardware., sharing a deck with people outside the organisation by link rather than as an attachment that immediately goes stale.. Of those, a deck several people must build at once before a deadline, where merging emailed versions would be the actual failure mode. and recurring reports where the charts should update from a spreadsheet rather than being pasted in again each time. are not what RowShare is typically brought in for.
What can Google Slides do that RowShare cannot?
Google Slides covers Simultaneous editing, Version history, Comments and suggestions, PowerPoint import and export. RowShare covers Row-level permissions, Column-level permissions, Typed columns, Forms.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Slides: Is Google Slides free?

Yes, with a personal Google account and no time limit or feature gate on the editor. What costs money is Workspace, which adds storage, administration and the governance controls.

RowShare: How is this different from a shared spreadsheet?

Sharing is per row rather than per file. Everyone works in one table, and each person sees only their own rows, which removes the consolidation step rather than speeding it up.

Google Slides: Can I open and edit PowerPoint files?

Yes, and .pptx files can be edited directly in Drive. Complex decks lose animations, effects and exact positioning in the conversion, so check anything that came from a designer.

RowShare: Can I get my data out?

Tables export to Excel and CSV, so the data itself moves. The permission structure, forms and reminders that made the process work do not, so an exit means rebuilding the workflow.

Google Slides: Does it work offline?

Yes in Chrome, but only if the file was made available offline beforehand. It cannot be arranged after you have lost the connection, which is when people usually try.

RowShare: Is it a database?

No. It is a permissioned table with typed columns, not a relational store you can query, so it collects structured data rather than modelling it.

Google Slides: Is it good enough for a client-facing deck?

For a standard business deck, yes. For a design-led deck using brand typefaces and animation it will hold you back, and the export to PowerPoint will not be clean.

RowShare: Who is behind it?

A French vendor with named enterprise customers. It is a small company, so weigh continuity carefully before making it the home of a process you expect to run for years.

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Related pages

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