iA Presenter vs Slides

iA Presenter

• Speakers who would rather write a script than arrange slides
• Markdown users who want slides and a readable handout from one text file
• Teachers and lecturers who keep detailed notes behind sparse slides

Slides

• Developers and technical speakers who show code or math on slides
• People who want to fine-tune a deck with their own HTML and CSS
• Teams that want shared themes, slide templates and media on a branded subdomain

iA Presenter

• There is no free plan: after the 7-day Mac trial it needs a subscription or a one-time purchase, and one-time purchases are charged per platform.
• The pricing page lists Mac, iPad and iPhone only; there is no Windows, Android or web version on it.
• Web Sharing runs from the Mac app and is not included with App Store purchases; one-time Mac licenses get a short trial of it.
• iA says a one-time payment covers the current version and major updates may cost extra. PowerPoint export is labeled beta.

Slides

• Free accounts can create only public decks, and those decks show ads.
• PDF, PowerPoint and HTML export need Lite or Pro, and PowerPoint exports are flattened, so text and images cannot be edited separately.
• Lite allows 1 collaborator per deck and 1 GB of storage; private links, Dropbox sync, custom CSS and API access start at Pro.
• Editing happens in a web browser with an internet connection; presenting offline relies on a paid plan.

iA Presenter

Text-first editor

A talk is written in a Markdown editor. Titles and visuals show on the slide, while regular paragraphs stay as speaker notes that only the presenter sees.

Automatic layouts

The app analyzes each slide's content and chooses a layout that adapts to the display. Fixed aspect ratios are also available, including 16:9, 4:3, 9:16 and square.

Themes and custom themes

Built-in themes can be adjusted for fonts, colors, headers and footers, and every slide updates to match. Custom themes can be written from scratch in HTML and CSS.

Teleprompter

Presentation mode shows the script on a teleprompter beside the slides the audience sees, with a timer. On iPhone and iPad, speaker notes appear as subtitles instead.

Tables and charts

Tables are written in Markdown, and adding a line of metadata turns a table into a chart that stays in sync with its data. CSV blocks handle larger datasets.

Export and Web Sharing

Exports to PDF, PowerPoint (beta), HTML, images and Markdown. Web Sharing, in the Mac app, publishes a deck as a link that stays available for one year by default.

Slides

HTML-based editor

Decks are HTML documents edited in a visual editor. Developer mode exposes each slide's markup, code blocks get syntax highlighting with line-by-line steps, and Pro adds a CSS editor.

Slides Agent

An AI agent in the editor sidebar, in beta, builds and redesigns slides, writes speaker notes, researches topics and adds charts. AI use draws on monthly credits: 50 on Lite and 400 on Pro.

Live presenting

A deck can be streamed so viewers follow along in their own browsers, with a speaker view for notes and timing, a phone remote control, a live cursor and freehand annotation.

Sharing and embedding

Public decks are shared by link or embedded on other sites. Pro and Team add named private links with passwords and expiry dates. Scroll and kiosk modes change how a deck plays.

Import and export

PDF, PowerPoint, Markdown and reveal.js content can be imported. Lite and Pro export to PDF, PPTX and a self-contained HTML package that keeps animations and works offline.

API and MCP server

A REST API works with decks and account data, a Define API creates prefilled presentations, and an MCP server connects Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools to a Slides account.

iA Presenter

• Yearly$3.95

  per month, billed yearly ($47.40)

  Subscription bought from iA that covers Mac, iPad and iPhone and includes 1 GB of Web Sharing.

• Quarterly$8

  per month, billed $24 every 3 months

  The same subscription billed every 3 months: Mac, iPad and iPhone with 1 GB of Web Sharing.

• One-Time Payment: iPad and iPhone$19.99

  one-time payment on the App Store

  The iPad and iPhone app, sold on the App Store only. App Store copies do not currently include Web Sharing.

• One-Time Payment: Mac$89

  one-time payment, bought from iA

  The current Mac version for one user, with a one-month Web Sharing trial. Web Sharing after that is a separate add-on at $9.99 a year per GB.

Slides

• Free$0

  Public decks only, displayed with ads. Private decks and exports need a paid plan.

• Lite$5

  per month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)

  Unlimited private decks, no ads, 1 GB of storage, 1 collaborator per deck, 50 AI credits a month, PDF export, offline presenting and video uploads.

• Pro$10

  per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)

  Unlimited storage, 3 collaborators per deck, 400 AI credits a month, private sharing, Dropbox sync, custom CSS, API and MCP access, and Google Analytics.

• Team$20

  per month for 2 users, billed annually ($28 billed monthly)

  Everything in Pro for 2 users, with more at $10 each ($14 monthly). Adds SSO, custom branding and subdomain, a theme editor, and shared media and slide templates.

• Custom planCustom

  A tailored plan or quote on request for organizations whose needs do not fit the listed plans.

iA Presenter

• Annual discount

  Yearly plan marked as 50% off

  The pricing page labels the Yearly plan "SAVE 50%": $47.40 a year ($3.95 a month) against $24 every 3 months ($8 a month) on the Quarterly plan.

• Education

  Student and faculty discount

  Students and faculty get a discount on non-renewing yearly subscriptions bought from iA, on request. App Store purchases are not eligible, and schools can buy multiple licenses.

Slides

• Annual discount

  Save over 25% with annual billing

  The pricing page advertises a saving of over 25% on annual billing: Lite is $5 instead of $7 a month, Pro $10 instead of $14 and Team $20 instead of $28.