WPS Other Controls on Windows: Introduction

WPS Other Controls lets you insert system-registered ActiveX controls in WPS Slides on Windows; this guide covers 2 core tasks, with 2 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	2	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	2	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	This feature does not require WPS membership
Version limits	None	The feature description states no version restriction

About This Feature

Overview

Other Controls is a developer-oriented feature in WPS Slides for Windows that lets you insert ActiveX controls already registered in the system into a slide. It helps extend presentation behavior and interactive display options.

Core tasks include:

Add Other Controls: Select a registered control from the list and insert it into the current slide.
Register Custom Controls: Manually add a custom control from a local path so it can be inserted later.

This feature is useful when you need to extend slide objects, work with existing Windows controls, or test specific interactive components. Before use, make sure the control comes from a trusted source and fits your compatibility needs.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	Windows desktop environment
App version	Use the latest WPS Office when possible; the feature notes no version restriction
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required when inserting locally registered controls
Other	The Developer Tools entry should be available in WPS Slides; custom controls should already be registered correctly in Windows

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official Download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install Check	Launch WPS Slides, open the Developer Tools tab, and confirm that the Other Controls entry is available

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Lets you insert system-registered ActiveX controls into presentations and supports registering custom controls before insertion.	Microsoft documentation states that ActiveX controls can be used in Office files, but ActiveX is disabled by default in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024, so extra security steps may be required before use.	Google Docs focuses on online collaboration, templates, smart canvas, and eSignature workflows, and does not provide desktop ActiveX control insertion.	Notion supports embeds, bookmarks, link previews, and media such as PDF, audio, video, and images, but it is not a Windows local ActiveX control workflow.	Adobe Acrobat supports adding video, audio, 3D, and interactive media to PDFs, with a focus on rich PDF content rather than inserting system ActiveX controls into presentations.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: Works directly with Windows-registered controls in a presentation workflow; Distinct: the same entry also supports registering custom controls for later use.	Compared with WPS: ActiveX use is more restricted by default because Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 disable ActiveX unless users change security settings.	Compared with WPS: Google Docs is centered on browser-based collaboration and document editing rather than local ActiveX control scenarios.	Compared with WPS: Notion is better suited to web content embedding and workspace organization, not inserting system-registered controls.	Compared with WPS: Adobe is oriented toward multimedia inside PDFs, not presentation-based ActiveX control management.
Official Source	—	ActiveX controls disabled by default	Google Docs product page	Embeds, bookmarks and link mentions	Adding multimedia to PDFs

Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to work with system-registered controls inside a Windows presentation workflow, WPS Other Controls is closer to that use case. The other products offer interactive or embedded content features, but they are generally aimed at online collaboration, web embeds, or rich PDF media instead.

Use Cases

#	Scenario	Target Users	Core Pain Point	Solution
1	Insert existing system controls	Presentation creators	A slide needs an installed extension control	Use Developer Tools → Other Controls to choose and insert the target control
2	Add internal company controls	Internal business users	The control does not appear in the default list	Register the custom control first, then return to the list and insert it
3	Build an interaction prototype	Trainers or testers	A slide needs to show and test control behavior	Draw the control area on the slide and review the display result
4	Manage multiple control sources	Advanced users	The control list is long and hard to evaluate	Test and use only controls whose purpose and source are already known
5	Troubleshoot unavailable controls	Support or maintenance staff	The inserted control does not work as expected	Check whether the control is installed, registered, and supported by the current environment

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature	Free User	WPS Member
Access to the Other Controls entry	✅ Available	✅ Available
Register custom controls	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic WPS Office component usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Extra benefits such as advanced PDF tools, more templates, and expanded cloud storage	Available within the free offering	More advanced benefits are available

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use Case	Recommended Plan	Reason
You only need to insert or test Other Controls	Free	This feature has no membership restriction and can be used directly
You also need broader advanced office benefits	WPS membership	Suitable if you also want more advanced tools, templates, or cloud storage

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