The Slidev Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Slidev in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Slidev
The Insider’s Guide
Markdown slides for developers, built on Vue and Vite
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among presentation tools, read from Slidev’s own pages.
Made by Anthony Fu and contributors · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Slidev’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Slidev’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 37 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade
Slidev is a web-based slide maker and presenter in which a whole deck is written in one extended Markdown file. Because slides are a web app, they can hold Vue components, live code editing with the Monaco editor and interactive demos. It is released under the MIT license and run from the command line with Node.js.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Slidev, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for developer slide decks in Markdown with Vue
Slidev makes slides from one Markdown file, with code highlighting, Vue components and live coding.
- 2
It is free
Slidev has no paid plan at all. Free and open source under the MIT license. There is no paid plan.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
Code-first slides
Code snippets use Shiki highlighting, and the Monaco editor is built in for live coding during a talk.
- 6
Vue components and interactivity
Slides can include Vue components and anything else a web app can do, such as iframes or API requests.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 37 of 51
That is against the other presentation tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Slidev is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Slidev at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Anthony Fu and contributors
- Category
- Presentations
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for developer slide decks in Markdown with Vue
Slidev makes slides from one Markdown file, with code highlighting, Vue components and live coding. It is free and MIT licensed. It is a command-line tool that needs Node.js 22.12 or later, has no visual editor, and its PPTX export turns slides into pictures by default.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free 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 | A | Free outright, with no account and nothing to buy. |
| Features | C | One 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 | D | No 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 | C | Runs on a computer through Node, with a hosted web build for sharing. One kind of device, and no phone or app version. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Slidev is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Developers giving technical talks with code on screen
- Teams that want slides kept in Git as plain text
- People comfortable with Node.js and the command line
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Slidev is free to use.
Free under the MIT licence, with no paid plan.
Open source
$0
The full project, released under the MIT license. Run it locally with Node.js or start in the browser through StackBlitz.
The free plan
Free and open source under the MIT license. There is no paid plan.
Read from sli.dev on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Markdown slides for developers, built on Vue and Vite. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, Markdown, presentations.
One Markdown file, code-first slides, Vue components, recording and export.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Vue
- Vite
- Shiki
- Monaco Editor
- Mermaid
- KaTeX
- UnoCSS
- StackBlitz
Slidev is made by Anthony Fu and contributors.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
37/51
Other presentation tools it is graded above
Slidev'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).
Slidev 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. Slidev’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 42 of 51
- AFree plan and trialAbove 44 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 6 of 51
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 51
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 42 presentation tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Slidev is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Slidev 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, Vue, Vite and Shiki among them.
What this rests on. Slidev’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Marp, reveal.js, Slides, Deckset and iA Presenter
The 5 tools Slidev is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Marp
Free
- 2.6GPA
reveal.js
Free
- 2.4GPA
Slides
Free plan · from $5/mo
Browser-based presentation editor with HTML, CSS and code support.
- Slidev is open source, according to its own site.
- Slidev also covers Markdown.
- Slides also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
Deckset
Free trial · from $35 one-time
Turns Markdown notes into themed slides on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Slidev has a free plan. Deckset does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Slidev lists a web app.
- Only Deckset lists macOS and iOS apps.
- 2.4GPA
iA Presenter
Free trial · from $39.99/yr
Markdown presentation app that builds slides from your script.
- Slidev has a free plan. iA Presenter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Slidev lists a web app.
- Only iA Presenter lists macOS and iOS apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Slidev free?
Yes. Slidev is free to use.
How much does Slidev cost?
Slidev lists one plan. Open source: $0.
What platforms does Slidev work on?
Slidev is available on Web.
Does Slidev have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Slidev is listed for Web.
Does Slidev have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Slidev is listed for Web.
Is Slidev open source?
Yes. Slidev is open source, according to its own site.
What does Slidev integrate with?
Slidev's listing names Vue, Vite, Shiki, Monaco Editor, Mermaid, KaTeX, UnoCSS and StackBlitz.
Who makes Slidev?
Slidev is made by Anthony Fu and contributors.
What are the alternatives to Slidev?
The closest alternatives to Slidev in our directory are Marp, reveal.js, Slides, Deckset and iA Presenter.
How does Slidev compare with other presentation tools?
Slidev's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 37 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Slidev good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Slidev A for value for money. Slidev has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Slidev?
Slidev is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Slidev’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Slidev's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Anthony Fu and contributors. Prices change, so check sli.dev before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Slidev, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/slidev
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Slidev: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/slidev
Know someone choosing between presentation tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/slidev/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded presentation tools after Slidev, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Presentations Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 presentation tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft PowerPoint Insider's GuideSlide presentation app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Zoho Show Insider's GuideOnline presentation software, free for individuals3.4 GPA
- Canva Insider's GuideTemplate-based design platform for slides, graphics and video3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Slidev’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Slidev is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Anthony Fu and contributors. Prices and plans change: check sli.dev before you buy.