Deckset vs reveal.js (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Deckset if

• Fits if your notes are already in Markdown and you want slides without redoing them
• Works for talks full of code, formulas or diagrams, on a Mac for $35 once

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you're on Windows or Android, as it's Apple devices only
• Not for you if you like dragging boxes around a slide, because here you type and the theme decides
• Pricey if you want it on a Mac and an iPad, since the iOS app is a second purchase at $19.99 a year or $44.99 once
• Too light for teams editing a deck together, as no collaboration is on record
• Watch out: free updates stop at the 2.x line, and the iOS app can't yet edit every theme setting

Pick reveal.js if

• Fits if you write HTML and want full control over how slides look and move
• Works for developers who keep decks in Git and show code on screen

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you do not write code, as the vendor sends non-coders to a different product
• Skip it if you want a drag-and-drop editor, as there is none
• Watch out: PDF export is only confirmed to work in Google Chrome and Chromium
• Watch out: loading external Markdown files needs a local web server

Deckset

• Deckset is for Apple devices only: the site lists Mac, iPhone and iPad apps and no Windows, Android or web version.
• The Mac license does not cover the iPhone and iPad app, which is a separate App Store download with its own in-app purchases.
• A Mac license includes free updates only within the Deckset 2.x release line.
• On Mac the notes are written in a separate text editor, and the iOS app cannot yet edit every theme setting.

reveal.js

• It is a code framework, not a visual app. The vendor points non-coders to Slides.com, which is a separate product.
• PDF export is confirmed to work only in Google Chrome and Chromium.
• Loading external Markdown files requires running the deck from a local web server, which the full setup includes.

Deckset

Slides from a Markdown file

Headings, paragraphs and lists in a plain-text file become slides. The Mac app watches the file and refreshes the slides on save, so the source works with any editor and with version control.

Themes

More than 25 built-in themes set fonts, colors and layouts. Custom themes adjust fonts, colors, text styles and backgrounds and can be moved between Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Code, formulas and diagrams

Code blocks get syntax highlighting with line highlights, formulas are written in TeX, and Mermaid or Pikchr text is drawn as flowcharts and other diagrams.

Presenter tools

Presenter notes stay off the audience screen alongside a preview of the next slide. There are build steps, timers, a rehearsal mode with a target time and a windowed presentation mode.

Export

Decks export to PDF, optionally with presenter notes or as an accessible PDF, and to PNG or JPEG images. Deckset 2.1 for Mac adds a beta HTML export for sharing in a browser.

Skill for coding agents

An authoring skill lets Codex, Claude Code or another coding agent draft or revise the Markdown file from notes, an outline or a transcript, for review in Deckset.

reveal.js

Vertical and nested slides

Slides can be nested inside one another, so a high-level slide can have detail beneath it.

Auto-Animate

Matching elements are animated automatically between consecutive slides.

Markdown and code

Slide content can be written in Markdown, and code is highlighted with highlight.js.

Speaker view

A separate notes window shows speaker notes, elapsed time, the clock and an optional pacing timer.

PDF export

A print stylesheet exports a deck to PDF through the browser's print dialog.

Touch support

Decks work on phones and tablets, where you swipe between slides.

Deckset

• iPhone and iPad: Monthly$2.99

  per month, in-app purchase on the App Store

  Monthly in-app purchase for the iPhone and iPad app, which is a free download and separate from the Mac license.

• iPhone and iPad: Yearly$19.99

  per year, in-app purchase on the App Store

  Yearly in-app purchase for the iPhone and iPad app, as listed on the US App Store.

• Mac: Individual$35

  one-time payment

  One Mac license that can be activated on up to four personal devices, with free updates throughout the Deckset 2.x release line.

• iPhone and iPad: Lifetime$44.99

  one-time in-app purchase on the App Store

  One-time in-app purchase for the iPhone and iPad app, as listed on the US App Store.

• Mac: Team of five$140

  one-time payment for five licenses

  Five Mac licenses, one per team member, at 20% less than five individual licenses. Larger teams get a custom quote.

reveal.js

• Open source$0

  The framework itself, released under the MIT license. Download it, clone the repository or install it from npm.

Deckset

• Education

  50% educational discount

  Students, teachers and staff at educational institutions get 50% off Deckset for Mac after applying through a form. The iOS app has an educational discount on request.

• Other savings

  Team of five saves 20%

  Five Mac licenses bought together cost $140 instead of $175, and teams needing more than five licenses can ask for a custom quote.

reveal.js

No public discounts listed.