reveal.js vs Slidev (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, reveal.js and Slidev 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 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
Pick Slidev if
- Fits if you give talks with code on screen and write slides in a text editor
- Works for developers who want slides as a web page with live components
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not use a command line, as it needs Node.js 22.12 or later
- Skip it if you want drag-and-drop, as there is no visual editor
- Watch out: the default PPTX export turns slides into pictures, so text is not selectable
- Watch out: interactive features may not survive export, so the web build is the safe way to share
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAreveal.jsGood | 2.6GPASlidevGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under the MIT licence. You download it, clone it or install it from npm, and there is no paid tier. | AFree under the MIT licence, with no paid plan. You can run it locally with Node.js or start in the browser through StackBlitz. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no account. The hosted visual editor is a separate product, Slides.com. | AFree outright, with no account and nothing to buy. |
| Features | 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. | COne Markdown file, code-first slides, Vue components, recording and export. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller one, with no visual editor. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You write HTML and need a local web server for external Markdown files. | DNo store rating on record. It needs Node.js 22.12 or later and a command line, and export needs the playwright-chromium package. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns in any browser, with touch support. That is one family of device, and PDF export is only confirmed in Chrome and Chromium. | CRuns on a computer through Node, with a hosted web build for sharing. One kind of device, and no phone or app version. |
| Best for | HTML slide decks written as code | developer slide decks in Markdown with Vue |
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: reveal.js and Slidev. How we grade
Price against what you get
reveal.js has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Slidev 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 reveal.js for less, and none scores higher than Slidev 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
| reveal.js | Slidev | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the MIT license. The hosted visual editor is a separate product, Slides.com. | Free and open source under the MIT license. There is no paid plan. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Hakim El Hattab and contributors | Anthony Fu and contributors |
| Price read from | revealjs.com | sli.dev |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Slidev
- It is a command-line tool that needs Node.js 22.12 or later, with no visual drag-and-drop editor.
- Exporting to PDF, PPTX or PNG through the CLI needs the playwright-chromium package installed.
- The default PPTX export turns slides into images, so text is not selectable. Editable PPTX is CLI-only, and some elements such as SVG and videos stay as pictures.
- Interactive features may not survive export, so interactive decks are best shared as a hosted web build.
Key features
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.
Slidev
- One Markdown file
- The whole deck lives in a single plain-text file in an extended Markdown format, so it works with Git and any editor.
- Code-first slides
- Code snippets use Shiki highlighting, and the Monaco editor is built in for live coding during a talk.
- Vue components and interactivity
- Slides can include Vue components and anything else a web app can do, such as iframes or API requests.
- Themes and addons
- Themes and addons are shared as npm packages and applied with a line of configuration. The site keeps a gallery of both.
- Recording and camera view
- Built-in recording and a camera view let you record the screen and camera, or show yourself in the corner while presenting.
- Export and hosting
- Decks export to PDF, PPTX (as images, or as editable shapes through the CLI), PNG and Markdown, or build into a static single-page app.
Plans
reveal.js
Open source$0
The framework itself, released under the MIT license. Download it, clone the repository or install it from npm.
Slidev
Open source$0
The full project, released under the MIT license. Run it locally with Node.js or start in the browser through StackBlitz.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, reveal.js or Slidev?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both reveal.js and Slidev are free to use.
Which has a free plan, reveal.js or Slidev?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both reveal.js and Slidev 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.