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Software Comparison

Fabrik vs PowerPoint for Evacuation Plans

PowerPoint is often the first tool businesses reach for when they need to quickly produce an evacuation plan — it's already installed, familiar, and free with Microsoft 365. But is it enough for fire code compliance? Here's an honest comparison.

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PowerPoint's ubiquity makes it tempting for simple evacuation plans: drop an image of the floor plan, add arrows and boxes, print. For internal informational use this can work adequately. For any plan that must meet NFPA 101, OSHA 1910.38, or be reviewed by an AHJ, PowerPoint falls short in specific ways: no ISO 7010 symbol library, no compliance templates, no scale preservation, no revision tracking for annual reviews. The apparent "free" price often becomes expensive when measured in hours spent working around these limitations across a portfolio of plans.

Recommended for evacuation plans

Fabrik

Purpose-built evacuation plan software

2,000+ ISO 7010 symbols — fire code compliant out of the box
Occupancy-type templates (offices, schools, warehouses)
Import floor plans with scale preserved
Revision history for annual compliance reviews
10x faster than manual PowerPoint workflow
Multi-building dashboard for facility managers

Microsoft PowerPoint

Presentation software included in Microsoft 365

Strengths

Already installed on most business computers
Familiar interface — minimal learning curve
Included in Microsoft 365 (no additional cost)
Can produce acceptable output for informal internal use

Limitations for evacuation plans

No ISO 7010-compliant symbol library
No evacuation plan templates
Floor plan imports are just images — no scale
No compliance workflow or audit features
Slow manual workflow (each symbol placed individually)
Hard to update across multiple plans when layout changes

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

FeatureFabrikMicrosoft PowerPoint
Purpose-built for evacuation plans
ISO 7010 symbol library
2,000+
Evacuation-specific templates
Import scaled floor plans
Image only
Drag-and-drop symbol placement
Manual shapes
Compliance workflow
Revision history for audits
Via OneDrive
Real-time collaboration
Print-ready PDF export
Multi-floor plan management
Slide by slide
Browser-based
Cost (if existing MS 365 user)
$29/mo
Included
Presentations and slide decks

Full support · Partial / with workarounds · Not supported

Pricing

Fabrik

From $29/month

Unlimited evacuation plans, ISO 7010 library, compliance templates, audit features. 7-day free trial, no credit card.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Included with Microsoft 365

If your business already has Microsoft 365 ($6+/user/mo), PowerPoint is included at no extra cost. However, the time spent building evacuation plans manually often exceeds the apparent savings — especially across multiple buildings or frequent updates.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Fabrik if…

You need evacuation plans that comply with fire codes, will be reviewed by a fire marshal or AHJ, or are part of an audit process (OSHA, CMS, TJC). You manage plans for more than one location or need to update plans frequently. You value time saved over sunk-cost familiarity with PowerPoint.

Choose Microsoft PowerPoint if…

You have a single, simple building (under 10 employees, low-risk occupancy) where evacuation plans are informational rather than compliance-critical. You need to produce a basic plan one time and will not need frequent updates. Cost avoidance matters more than compliance rigor in your context.

Ready to Build Your Evacuation Plan?

Import your floor plan, add ISO 7010 symbols, and export a print-ready PDF in minutes. Free 7-day trial — no credit card required.

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