reveal.js vs Spectacle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, reveal.js 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.
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 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
| 2.6GPAreveal.jsGood | 2.6GPASpectacleGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 an open licence that anyone can download and run, with no server to host. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no account. The hosted visual editor is a separate product, Slides.com. | AThe whole thing is free, with no plan to outgrow. |
| 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. | 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 HTML and need a local web server for external Markdown files. | DYou write the deck in code or markup and run it yourself, with no visual editor. |
| 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 in the browser and installs through npm. Works with React and MDX, but there is no desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | HTML slide decks written as 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: reveal.js and Spectacle. 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. 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 reveal.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
At a glance
| reveal.js | Spectacle | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 under the MIT license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Hakim El Hattab and contributors | Nearform |
| Price read from | revealjs.com | nearform.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
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
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.
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
reveal.js
Open source$0
The framework itself, released under the MIT license. Download it, clone the repository or install it from npm.
Spectacle
Open source$0
Installed with npm install spectacle; MIT-licensed code on GitHub.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, reveal.js or Spectacle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both reveal.js and Spectacle are free to use.
Which has a free plan, reveal.js or Spectacle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both reveal.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.