Marp vs reveal.js (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Marp and reveal.js share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 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 Marp if
- Fits if you already write in Markdown and want slides from the same text file
- Works for developers who keep decks in Git
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to drag boxes around, as there is no visual editor
- Skip it if you do not use a command line or VS Code
- Watch out: HTML, PDF and PowerPoint export needs Google Chrome or Chromium installed
- Watch out: the site does not say which operating systems it supports
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
| 2.6GPAMarpGood | 2.6GPAreveal.jsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under the MIT licence, and anyone can download and run it. Marp for VS Code, the command-line tool and the core library are all free. | 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 | AFree outright, with no paid plan and no account. The vendor says all its tools are open source. | AFree outright with no account. The hosted visual editor is a separate product, Slides.com. |
| Features | CMarkdown slides, themes in CSS, and export to HTML, PDF and PowerPoint. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job: there is no visual editor. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. You write Markdown and use a command line or VS Code, and exports depend on Chrome or Chromium being present. | DNo store rating on record. You write HTML and need a local web server for external Markdown files. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns through VS Code or the command line on a computer. The site does not list operating systems. | 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 | slide decks written in Markdown | 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: Marp and reveal.js. How we grade
Price against what you get
Marp 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 Marp 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
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceMarkdownPresentations
At a glance
| Marp | reveal.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free. The vendor says all Marp tools and libraries are open source 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 | Marp team | Hakim El Hattab and contributors |
| Price read from | marp.app | revealjs.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Marp
- There is no standalone visual editor; you write Markdown in VS Code or any text editor and convert with the CLI.
- HTML, PDF and PowerPoint export is powered by Google Chrome or Chromium, which has to be present.
- The site does not list operating systems, so supported platforms were not confirmed beyond the VS Code extension and the command line.
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
Marp
- Markdown based on CommonMark
- Slides are ordinary CommonMark Markdown, with a horizontal rule separating pages.
- Directives and extended syntax
- Directives and extra syntax cover image placement, math typesetting and auto-scaling text.
- Themes in CSS
- Three themes ship with the core engine (default, gaia and uncover), and you can write your own theme in plain CSS.
- Export to HTML, PDF and PowerPoint
- Markdown converts directly to HTML, PDF and PowerPoint files, using Google Chrome or Chromium.
- Marp for VS Code
- An extension that previews slide Markdown and custom themes inside the editor's Markdown preview pane.
- Marp CLI
- A command-line tool that converts Markdown into the supported formats, watches for changes and can run a server for on-demand conversion.
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
Marp
Open source$0
Marp for VS Code, Marp CLI, Marp Core and Marpit, all MIT-licensed and free to use.
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, Marp or reveal.js?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Marp and reveal.js are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Marp or reveal.js?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Marp 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.