impress.js vs Spectacle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, impress.js and Spectacle share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded 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 Spectacle if
- Fits if you already write React
- Works for developers who want decks kept in code
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not write React, as there is no visual editor
- Skip it if you need ready-made themes, since the site does not list them
- Watch out: exports are not described in detail on its pages
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAimpress.jsGood | 2.6GPASpectacleGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under an open licence that anyone can download and run, with no server to host. | AFree under an open licence that anyone can download and run, with no server to host. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole thing is free, with no plan to outgrow. | AThe whole thing is free, with no plan to outgrow. |
| 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 builds decks in code and does that job fully. The documentation does not list themes or exports in detail, so gaps are likely. |
| Ease of use | DYou write the deck in code or markup and run it yourself, with no visual editor. | DYou write the deck in code or markup and run it yourself, with no visual editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns in the browser only. No apps, no integrations listed. | CRuns in the browser and installs through npm. Works with React and MDX, but there is no desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | zooming web presentations written in code | decks written in React |
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 Spectacle. 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. Spectacle 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 Spectacle 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
- Spectacle also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| impress.js | Spectacle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free under the MIT license. | Free under the MIT license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | impress.js contributors | Nearform |
| Price read from | impress.js.org | nearform.com |
| 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.
Spectacle
- Requires JavaScript and React knowledge; there is no visual editor.
- Decks run in the browser; the pages describe no desktop or mobile app.
- The documentation site does not list ready-made themes or exports in detail.
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.
Spectacle
- JSX and MDX decks
- Write slides as React components or as MDX.
- Live code preview
- Show the running result of code inside the deck.
- Interactivity
- Add clickable elements to slides.
- Theming
- Includes auto-formatting, theming and image dimming out of the box.
Plans
impress.js
Open source$0
MIT-licensed code on GitHub.
Spectacle
Open source$0
Installed with npm install spectacle; MIT-licensed code on GitHub.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, impress.js or Spectacle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both impress.js and Spectacle are free to use.
Which has a free plan, impress.js or Spectacle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both impress.js and Spectacle 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.