impress.js vs Sozi (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sozi grades higher than impress.js: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sozi grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
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 Sozi if
- Fits if you already draw in Inkscape
- Works for talks that suit one big map or poster
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want conventional slides in order
- Watch out: the latest release news is dated 2021, so development looks slow
- Watch out: Linux repositories carry very outdated versions, says the install page
- Not for you if you do not use Inkscape, since it builds on SVG files
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAimpress.jsGood | 2.8GPASoziGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under an open licence that anyone can download and run, with no server to host. | AFree software under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 that anyone can download and run. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole thing is free, with no plan to outgrow. | AEverything is free and it asks only for donations. |
| 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. | CIt animates a poster view by view and does that job fully, but needs Inkscape and a different layout from ordinary slides. |
| Ease of use | DYou write the deck in code or markup and run it yourself, with no visual editor. | CNo store rating is on record. You design the whole poster first, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns in the browser only. No apps, no integrations listed. | CPrograms for Windows, Mac and Linux only, plus Inkscape. No phone or web version. |
| Best for | zooming web presentations written in code | zooming presentations over one big SVG poster |
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 Sozi. 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. Sozi has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Sozi scores higher 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 Sozi 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
- Sozi also covers diagrams.
At a glance
| impress.js | Sozi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free under the MIT license. | Free software under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | impress.js contributors | Sozi project (Guillaume Savaton) |
| Price read from | impress.js.org | sozi.baierouge.fr |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Sozi
- The latest release news on the site is dated 2021, so development looks slow.
- Distribution repositories carry very outdated versions, according to the install page.
- Presentations are laid out as one poster, which suits some talks better than a conventional slide order.
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.
Sozi
- Poster-style layout
- Content is freely laid out on one canvas rather than in slides.
- Zoom and pan playback
- Playback moves through translations, zooms and rotations that focus on chosen elements.
- Open standards
- The project says Sozi is based on open standards.
- Install options
- Packages for Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora derivatives, Windows, macOS and a Docker image.
Plans
impress.js
Open source$0
MIT-licensed code on GitHub.
Sozi
Free software$0
Downloadable releases for GNU/Linux, Windows and OS X; the project accepts donations.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, impress.js or Sozi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both impress.js and Sozi are free to use.
Which has a free plan, impress.js or Sozi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both impress.js and Sozi have a free plan.
Which platforms do impress.js and Sozi run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only impress.js lists a web app and only Sozi lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.