impress.js vs reveal.js (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, impress.js and reveal.js share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick impress.js if
- Fits if you write HTML and want zooming slides
- Works for developers who show talks in a browser
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a visual editor, as authoring is in HTML and CSS
- Watch out: older browsers get a simplified version
- Skip it if you need export to other formats, as none is listed
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
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAimpress.jsGood | 2.6GPAreveal.jsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under an open licence that anyone can download and run, with no server to host. | AFree under the MIT licence. You download it, clone it or install it from npm, and there is no paid tier. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole thing is free, with no plan to outgrow. | AFree outright with no account. The hosted visual editor is a separate product, Slides.com. |
| Features | CIt builds animated browser decks and does that job fully. It needs a browser with CSS3 3D support and other browsers get a simplified version. | CNested slides, Auto-Animate, Markdown and code, speaker view and PDF export. It covers the job, but it is a framework you code, not a visual editor. |
| Ease of use | DYou write the deck in code or markup and run it yourself, with no visual editor. | DNo store rating on record. You write HTML and need a local web server for external Markdown files. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns in the browser only. No apps, no integrations listed. | CRuns in any browser, with touch support. That is one family of device, and PDF export is only confirmed in Chrome and Chromium. |
| Best for | zooming web presentations written in code | HTML slide decks written as code |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: impress.js and reveal.js. How we grade
Price against what you get
impress.js has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. reveal.js has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other presentation tools on the chart, none scores higher than impress.js for less, and none scores higher than reveal.js for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- reveal.js also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| impress.js | reveal.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free under the MIT license. | Free and open source under the MIT license. The hosted visual editor is a separate product, Slides.com. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | impress.js contributors | Hakim El Hattab and contributors |
| Price read from | impress.js.org | revealjs.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
impress.js
- Needs a recent browser with CSS3 3D support; other browsers get a simplified version.
- Authoring is done in HTML and CSS, without a visual editor.
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.
Key features
impress.js
- Canvas layout
- Place steps anywhere on a canvas and move, scale and rotate between them.
- Configurable transitions
- Transition length defaults to 1 second and can be changed per presentation.
- Plugins
- Plugins include autoplay, with a default of 7 seconds per slide.
- Screen scaling
- Content written for a target size, 1024 x 768 by default, scales to the screen used.
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.
Plans
impress.js
Open source$0
MIT-licensed code on GitHub.
reveal.js
Open source$0
The framework itself, released under the MIT license. Download it, clone the repository or install it from npm.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, impress.js or reveal.js?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both impress.js and reveal.js are free to use.
Which has a free plan, impress.js or reveal.js?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both impress.js and reveal.js have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.