How do I convert Keynote to PDF?
On a Mac, open the presentation in Keynote and choose File › Export To › PDF. Without a Mac, open the .key file in Keynote for iCloud and download a copy as a PDF, or open it in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), check every slide at no cost, then export a print-ready PDF on a paid plan.
Why use PublishMedia for Keynote to PDF?
If Keynote on a Mac is within reach, use it. PublishMedia is for when it isn't, and for when the PDF needs to be a printed handout, not just a copy of the slides.
Check before you pay
Opening and viewing are free, so you see every slide in the browser before you choose a plan.
No Mac, no Apple Account
Go from .key to PDF on a Windows PC, Chromebook or Linux laptop with nothing to install and no Apple sign-in.
Made for printing
Print Preview shows how the pages will look on paper, and the PDF comes out clean and print-ready.
Add before you export
On a paid plan, add a cover page, a text box with the date, or your logo before the PDF is made.
Turn slides into handouts
Hundreds of print-ready templates, from programs to bulletins to certificates, sit in the same editor as your slides.
Check my slides now
Open my Keynote fileBest ways to convert Keynote to PDF, compared
Keynote for Mac is the best choice when you have a Mac. Here's how the other routes stack up.
| Feature | Publish Media Software | Keynote for Mac | Keynote for iCloud | LibreOffice Impress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works without a Mac | ✓Any modern browser | ✗Mac only | ✓Any modern browser | ✓Windows / Mac / Linux |
| No Apple Account needed | ✓Yes | –Needs a Mac | ✗Required | ✓Yes |
| Opens .key files | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | –Some, with differences |
| Preview slides before the PDF | ✓Free to view | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | –After a successful import |
| Makes a PDF | ✓Paid plan | ✓File › Export To › PDF | ✓Download a copy | –If the import works |
| Can also save back to .key | ✗No | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✗No |
| Add pages, text and pictures first | ✓Paid plan | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | –After import |
| Print templates for handouts and programs | ✓Hundreds | ✗Slide themes only | ✗Slide themes only | ✗Slide designs only |
| Price | –Free to view; PDF from $9.99/month | –Free | –Free (Apple Account) | –Free |
7 ways to turn a Keynote presentation into a PDF
Ranked for people who don't have a Mac at hand, followed by the Apple routes that work best when you do.
- 1
Publish Media Software
Browser-based (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, iPad)✓ Opens .keyFree to open; PDF on a paid planOpens the .key file with no Mac or Apple Account so you can check every slide first, then exports a print-ready PDF on All-Access or Monthly. Animations and video become still pages.
Open my Keynote file - 2
Keynote for iCloud
Browser-based (icloud.com)✓ Opens .keyFree with an Apple AccountUpload the .key file, open it, and download a copy as a PDF from any computer. Requires an Apple Account and offers fewer PDF settings than the Mac app.
- 3
Apple Keynote for Mac
Desktop (Mac)✓ Opens .keyFreeFile › Export To › PDF gives the most control: image quality, presenter notes, skipped slides and each stage of builds. You need a Mac.
- 4
Keynote for iPhone and iPad
iPhone & iPad✓ Opens .keyFreeChoose Export in the app's menu, pick PDF, and share the result by Mail or save it to Files. Fewer layout choices than on a Mac.
- 5
Print to PDF from Keynote on a Mac
Desktop (Mac)✓ Opens .keyFreeFile › Print lets you pick a handout layout with several slides per page, then save it as a PDF from the print dialog. Handy for meeting handouts; still needs a Mac.
- 6
LibreOffice Impress
Desktop (Windows / Mac / Linux)✓ Opens .keyFree (open source)Imports some Keynote presentations, after which you can save the slides as a PDF. Check fonts and layout carefully, because imported slides often differ from the original.
- 7
Ask the sender for a PDF
Any (the sender needs Keynote)✗ Doesn't open .keyFreeThe person who made the deck can export a PDF with File › Export To › PDF. Often the easiest fix, but you depend on them to reply.
What happens when a Keynote file becomes a PDF?
Converting Keynote to PDF turns each slide of an Apple Keynote presentation (.key) into a fixed page of a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. Keynote stores slides in Apple's own ZIP-based package, read mainly by Apple apps; PDF, created by Adobe in 1993 and an ISO standard since 2008, opens on almost any computer, tablet or phone. The trade-off: animations, transitions, video and audio don't carry over, so every slide becomes a still page that looks the same everywhere and prints predictably.
Open your Keynote presentation — or start from a template
Hundreds of print-ready templates sit right next to the files you open.
What it costs
Opening and viewing your files is free. Editing, templates, saving and PDF export come with All-Access at $99 a year — or $9.99 a month, cancel anytime.
Keynote to PDF: your questions answered
Can I convert Keynote to PDF on Windows?
Yes, you can turn a Keynote presentation into a PDF on Windows with Keynote for iCloud in a browser, if you have an Apple Account, or with Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), which needs no Apple Account. PublishMedia lets you open and check the slides at no cost; the PDF export is part of a paid plan.
Do I have to pay to turn Keynote into PDF with PublishMedia?
Yes, exporting a PDF from Publish Media Software requires a paid plan: All-Access at $99 a year or Monthly at $9.99, cancel anytime. Opening the .key file and checking every slide costs nothing, so you know the result looks right before you pay. If you own a Mac, Keynote itself makes the PDF at no charge.
Will animations and videos work in the PDF?
No, a PDF can't play Keynote animations, transitions, video or audio, so each slide becomes a still page. In Keynote on a Mac, the PDF option to print each stage of builds puts every build step on its own page, which keeps step-by-step slides readable on paper.
How do I include presenter notes when exporting Keynote to PDF?
Presenter notes go into a PDF through Keynote on a Mac: choose File › Export To › PDF, tick “Include presenter notes”, then finish the export. Each page then shows the slide with its notes underneath, which makes a useful handout or rehearsal script. If notes must appear in the PDF, use Keynote's own export rather than another converter.
How do I make a Keynote PDF smaller?
To make a Keynote PDF smaller, lower the image quality in the export window: in Keynote on a Mac, File › Export To › PDF offers Good, Better and Best, and Good makes the smallest file. Removing large photos or unused slides before export shrinks it further.
Can I convert Keynote to PDF on iPhone or iPad?
Yes, Apple's Keynote app for iPhone and iPad, which costs nothing on the App Store, can save any presentation as a PDF: open the deck, choose Export from the app's menu, then pick PDF. Send the result by Mail or Messages, or save it to the Files app. For a big deck, an iPad's larger screen makes it easier to check every slide first.
Can I turn the PDF back into a Keynote file?
No, Publish Media Software doesn't save back to .key, and a PDF isn't an editable Keynote deck. Keep the original .key file if you'll need to change or present the slides again in Keynote. A good habit is to store the .key and its PDF side by side, so the editable version and the shareable version never get separated.
Is it safe to convert a Keynote file online?
Converting a Keynote file online is safe enough for everyday decks when the service protects uploads: Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) encrypts Keynote files in transit, never uses them for public templates, and deletes free-plan files after 7 days. For confidential decks, read any converter's privacy terms first, or export on a Mac where the file never leaves your computer.
Can I print Keynote slides as handouts with several slides per page?
Yes, Keynote on a Mac prints handouts: choose File › Print, pick the handout layout and the number of slides per page, then print or save as PDF. In PublishMedia, you can instead build a custom handout from a print-ready template on a paid plan.
Check your Keynote slides now, export when you're happy
Open the .key file in PublishMedia at no cost and see every slide. When it looks right, choose a plan and export a print-ready PDF.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, Apple Keynote, free on Mac, iPad and iPhone, exports presentations to PDF through File › Export To › PDF on a Mac, with options for image quality, presenter notes, skipped slides and each stage of builds; Keynote for iCloud, which runs in a browser and requires an Apple Account, can download a PDF copy on Windows or any computer. Keynote's .key format has been a ZIP-based package of Apple's IWA data since 2013, and Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides cannot open it, so neither can make a PDF from it. PDF, introduced by Adobe in 1993 and standardized as ISO 32000 in 2008, keeps slides as fixed pages but drops animation, video and audio. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) lets anyone view .key files in a browser at no cost and exports a print-ready PDF on a paid plan (All-Access $99 a year or Monthly $9.99).
More about Keynote files
Other files you can open
Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of the programs named on this page. Apple, Keynote, iCloud, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc.