Free. No key. No expiry.
One installer, every tool working from first launch. The download runs through Lemon Squeezy,
where you choose what to pay — and zero is a perfectly good answer.
Version 1.0.0.41 · Windows · 92 MB download
Larger than you’d expect because FFmpeg is bundled — nothing else to install.
Three steps. That’s it.
Get the installer
The button above takes you to Lemon Squeezy. Enter your email, set your price (or leave it at zero), and the download link appears — and lands in your inbox.
Run it
Close PowerPoint first. Run the installer and accept Windows’ prompts. Takes under a minute on most machines.
Open PowerPoint
You’ll find a new Ninja Tools tab in the ribbon. Every tool works straight away — nothing to activate. The one optional extra is a £39 key that removes the Ninja Notes “Free Version” label.
System requirements
- Operating systemWindows 10 / 11
- PowerPoint2013 or later · 365
- Framework.NET Framework 4.8
- RuntimeVSTO Runtime 4.0
- Download size92 MB
- Installed sizeapprox. 250 MB
- Video exportFFmpeg bundled
Windows only — PowerPoint for Mac doesn’t support VSTO add-ins.
Windows 10 version 1903 and later already includes .NET 4.8.
No account, no phone home
There’s no key to type, no trial timer, no expiry date and no account to create.
The free version never contacts a server — nothing to fail on a
locked-down venue network, nothing to stall PowerPoint on startup, and no activation
dialog appearing halfway through a show. Install it and forget about it.
The one exception is by invitation only: Ninja Notes shows a small “Free Version”
label on the presenter screen — never the audience’s. A one-off
£39 key
removes it forever. Activating checks in with Lemon Squeezy once,
then the licence is cached on the machine for good — no renewals, no re-checks,
fully offline from then on.
Bought Presenter Notes Ninja or Ninja Tools Complete back in the paid days?
Your old key still counts — it removes the label automatically.
Run the new installer over the top and you’re covered.
What changed
CURRENT
- + Ninja Notes — rebuilt show-safe presenter notes view
- + Free Version label on the Ninja Notes presenter screen — optional one-off £39 key removes it
- + Licence key entry reachable from the ribbon and the Ninja Notes window
- + Older Presenter Notes Ninja and Complete keys honoured automatically
PREVIOUS
- + PowerPoint’s internal render quality raised to maximum for video export
- + FFmpeg scaling upgraded to Lanczos for noticeably sharper output
- + Custom resolution source raised to 1080p
- + Licensing removed — every tool now unlocked on install
If something’s not right
What’s the “Free Version” label in Ninja Notes?
Ninja Notes — the show-safe presenter notes view — displays a small label at the
bottom of the presenter screen. It never appears on the audience output, never animates,
and never interrupts a show. Everything works exactly the same with or without it.
A one-off £39 licence key
removes it forever — no subscription, no renewal, and the same key covers up to
three machines. Paste the key into the licence form (the Ninja Licence button
on the ribbon, or the link in the Ninja Notes window) and the label disappears on the spot.
If you bought a Presenter Notes Ninja or Ninja Tools Complete licence back when the suite
was a paid product, your existing key removes the label too — you don’t need to buy again.
Windows says the file isn’t safe
Click More info on the SmartScreen dialog, then Run anyway.
SmartScreen flags executables it hasn’t seen many times before — it isn’t a verdict on
the file. The installer comes from ninjatools.co.uk via Lemon Squeezy and hasn’t changed
between builds.
The Ninja Tools tab isn’t in the ribbon
In PowerPoint, go to File → Options → Add-ins. In the
Manage dropdown at the bottom, choose COM Add-ins and click
Go.
If Ninja Tools is listed but unticked, tick it and click OK. If it isn’t listed at all,
close PowerPoint completely and run the installer again.
Can I install it on a show machine I don’t own?
Yes. The free version has no licence to transfer, no activation limit and no per-machine
restriction — install it on as many machines as you need.
(The optional Ninja Notes key covers up to three machines.)
You will need permission to install software on that machine, which on a hired-in show PC
usually means asking whoever set it up.
Does it need an internet connection?
The free version never does. Once installed, it works entirely offline — no licence
checks, no server contact, no network access at any point. Which is rather the point
on a show machine.
The single exception: activating a Ninja Notes licence key checks in with Lemon Squeezy
once. After that, the licence is cached on the machine permanently — offline forever
after, including on show day.
How do I uninstall it?
Close PowerPoint, then use Settings → Apps → Installed apps in Windows
and remove Backstage Ninja Tools. It leaves nothing behind in your decks.
Something’s broken and it isn’t listed here
Have a look at the Help page for the demo videos,
or get in touch. Ninja Tools is built and maintained by one person, so bug reports from
operators are genuinely how it gets better.
Still free. The catch is one label.
If it saves your show, put something in the tip jar — or £39 removes the Ninja Notes label, once, forever. Either way, the tools are yours.