Deckset vs Slidev (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 Slidev if

• Fits if you give talks with code on screen and write slides in a text editor
• Works for developers who want slides as a web page with live components

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you do not use a command line, as it needs Node.js 22.12 or later
• Skip it if you want drag-and-drop, as there is no visual editor
• Watch out: the default PPTX export turns slides into pictures, so text is not selectable
• Watch out: interactive features may not survive export, so the web build is the safe way to share

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.

Slidev

• It is a command-line tool that needs Node.js 22.12 or later, with no visual drag-and-drop editor.
• Exporting to PDF, PPTX or PNG through the CLI needs the playwright-chromium package installed.
• The default PPTX export turns slides into images, so text is not selectable. Editable PPTX is CLI-only, and some elements such as SVG and videos stay as pictures.
• Interactive features may not survive export, so interactive decks are best shared as a hosted web build.

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.

Slidev

One Markdown file

The whole deck lives in a single plain-text file in an extended Markdown format, so it works with Git and any editor.

Code-first slides

Code snippets use Shiki highlighting, and the Monaco editor is built in for live coding during a talk.

Vue components and interactivity

Slides can include Vue components and anything else a web app can do, such as iframes or API requests.

Themes and addons

Themes and addons are shared as npm packages and applied with a line of configuration. The site keeps a gallery of both.

Recording and camera view

Built-in recording and a camera view let you record the screen and camera, or show yourself in the corner while presenting.

Export and hosting

Decks export to PDF, PPTX (as images, or as editable shapes through the CLI), PNG and Markdown, or build into a static single-page app.

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.

Slidev

• Open source$0

  The full project, released under the MIT license. Run it locally with Node.js or start in the browser through StackBlitz.

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.

Slidev

No public discounts listed.