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ToolGPA

Marp vs Spectacle (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, Marp and Spectacle 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.

Marp

Markdown presentation ecosystem with PDF and PowerPoint export

Free
Full detailsmarp.app

Spectacle

React library for building presentations in JSX or MDX

Free
Full detailsnearform.com

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 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

2.6GPAMarpGood2.6GPASpectacleGood
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 an open licence that anyone can download and run, with no server to host.
Free plan and trial
AFree outright, with no paid plan and no account. The vendor says all its tools are open source.
AThe whole thing is free, with no plan to outgrow.
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.
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
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.
DYou write the deck in code or markup and run it yourself, with no visual editor.
Platforms and integrations
CRuns through VS Code or the command line on a computer. The site does not list operating systems.
CRuns in the browser and installs through npm. Works with React and MDX, but there is no desktop or phone app.
Best forslide decks written in Markdowndecks 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: Marp and Spectacle. 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. 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 Marp for less, and none scores higher than Spectacle for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessMarpSpectacle

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
The full chart of presentation tools, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWebOpen sourceMarkdownPresentations

    At a glance

    MarpSpectacle
    PricingFreeFree
    Starts atFreeFree
    Free planFree. The vendor says all Marp tools and libraries are open source under the MIT license.Free under the MIT license.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    Web
    Made byMarp teamNearform
    Price read frommarp.appnearform.com
    CheckedNov 12, 2026Nov 13, 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.

    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

    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.

    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

    Marp

    • Open source$0

      Marp for VS Code, Marp CLI, Marp Core and Marpit, all MIT-licensed and free to use.

    Spectacle

    • Open source$0

      Installed with npm install spectacle; MIT-licensed code on GitHub.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Marp or Spectacle?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Marp and Spectacle are free to use.

    Which has a free plan, Marp or Spectacle?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Marp 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.
    How we review and grade