Marp review (2026): is it any good?
Markdown presentation ecosystem with PDF and PowerPoint export
Marp report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for slide decks written in Markdown
Marp turns a Markdown file into slides, with themes in CSS and export to HTML, PDF and PowerPoint. It is free and open source. There is no visual editor, so you write text in VS Code or run a command line, and exports need Chrome or Chromium installed.
Who Marp is for
- Fits if you already write in Markdown and want slides from the same text file
- Works for developers who keep decks in Git
Who Marp is not for
- 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
Why Marp gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree 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 plan and trialFree outright, with no paid plan and no account. The vendor says all its tools are open source.
- CFeaturesMarkdown 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.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. You write Markdown and use a command line or VS Code, and exports depend on Chrome or Chromium being present.
- CPlatforms and integrationsRuns through VS Code or the command line on a computer. The site does not list operating systems.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Marp's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/marp#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/marp.svg" alt="Marp: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Marp stands among presentation tools
Marp's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 37 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 44 of 51) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Marp has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 presentation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Marp’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 42 of 51, level with 9
- AFree plan and trialAbove 44 of 51, level with 7
- CFeaturesAbove 6 of 51, level with 33
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 51, level with 2
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 51, level with 17
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 42 presentation tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Marp, or make your own?
Keep it
Marp is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 37 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade.
What you could make
- Markdown: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A slide editor.
- It plugs into other products, VS Code, Google Chrome and Chromium among them.
What this rests on. Marp’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Marp?
Marp turns a Markdown document into a slide deck, with pages split by a horizontal rule. The ecosystem includes Marp for VS Code, a command-line converter, the Marp Core engine and the Marpit framework. The vendor says all of its tools are MIT-licensed.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Marp pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Marp is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free. The vendor says all Marp tools and libraries are open source under the MIT license.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Marp for VS Code, Marp CLI, Marp Core and Marpit, all MIT-licensed and free to use. |
Read from marp.app on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Marp before you buy.
Works with
- VS Code
- Google Chrome
- Chromium
- npm
- CommonMark
Marp alternatives
- Marp vs Slidev
Free
- Marp vs Deckset
Free trial · from $35 one-time
- Marp vs iA Presenter
Free trial · from $39.99/yr
- Marp vs Slides
Free plan · from $5/mo
Common questions
Does Marp have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Marp is listed for Web.
Does Marp have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Marp is listed for Web.
Is Marp open source?
Yes. Marp is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.