--- og_image: "/images/guides/slidev-vs-marp-vs-revealjs-code-first-presentations-2026.webp" title: "Slidev vs Marp vs Reveal.js 2026: Code-First Presentations" description: "Slidev vs Marp vs Reveal.js for developer presentations in 2026: Markdown slides, code walkthroughs, PDF/PPTX export, plugins, and which tool to choose." date: "2026-05-16" author: "PkgPulse Team" tags: ["slidev", "marp", "revealjs", "presentations", "markdown", "developer-tools", "2026"] tier: 2 --- **Quick answer:** choose **Slidev** when the deck is a technical talk with live code, Vue components, presenter tooling, and a web deployment. Choose **Marp** when you want the fastest Markdown-to-PDF/PPTX workflow for docs, training, or internal decks. Choose **Reveal.js** when you want the most control over HTML, plugins, custom animation, and long-lived presentation infrastructure. The search intent behind "Slidev vs Marp" and "Reveal.js vs Slidev" is usually not "which has the most features?" It is "which slide workflow will survive a real developer talk, code review, export requirement, or team handoff?" This guide compares the three tools from that angle. ## Bottom Line | Need | Best pick | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Developer conference talk with animated code walkthroughs | **Slidev** | Markdown authoring plus Vue components, Vite dev server, Shiki highlighting, presenter mode, and recording/export tooling. | | Version-controlled Markdown slides that must become PDF or PowerPoint | **Marp** | Minimal syntax, VS Code preview, CLI export to HTML/PDF/PPTX, and a small theme/directive model. | | Highly customized HTML presentation app | **Reveal.js** | Mature HTML framework, Markdown plugin, speaker notes, auto-animate, multiplexing, and broad plugin surface. | | Lowest learning curve | **Marp** | If you know Markdown and `---` separators, you can ship a deck quickly. | | Richest code-first demo surface | **Slidev** | Components, layouts, clicks, Monaco/code features, and app-like deployment fit technical demos. | | Most framework-agnostic control | **Reveal.js** | You are authoring a web presentation directly with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. | ## Slidev vs Marp vs Reveal.js at a Glance | Dimension | Slidev | Marp | Reveal.js | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Primary authoring model | Markdown plus Vue-powered slide features | Plain Markdown plus Marp directives | HTML sections, with optional Markdown plugin | | Current npm package checked | `@slidev/cli` 52.15.2 | `@marp-team/marp-cli` 4.4.0 | `reveal.js` 6.0.1 | | Best workflow | Technical talk source repo | Markdown document to slide deck | Custom presentation web app | | Code highlighting | Shiki-based code blocks and line stepping | Highlighting through Marp/Marpit ecosystem | highlight.js by default; plugin/extensible approach | | Interactivity | Vue components and frontmatter/layout features | Limited; intentionally document-like | JavaScript API, fragments, auto-animate, plugins | | Presenter tooling | Presenter mode and recording/export commands | Editor preview and export workflow | Speaker notes and speaker view plugin | | Exports | Static web build and PDF/image export | HTML, PDF, PPTX, images | HTML and PDF-print workflow | | Team handoff | Best when the team is comfortable with Node/Vite/Vue | Best when many writers edit Markdown | Best when web developers maintain the deck | Package versions above were checked from the public npm registry on 2026-05-16. Treat them as freshness markers, not compatibility guarantees; always check the release notes before pinning a deck template. ## What Changed for 2026 Buyers The three tools have converged on "slides as source," but they still optimize for different jobs: - **Slidev** is now the strongest default for developer advocates, framework authors, and conference speakers who want code demos to feel alive rather than pasted into screenshots. - **Marp** remains the pragmatic choice for docs teams, internal training, and anyone who needs repeatable PDF/PPTX export from Markdown without turning the deck into an app. - **Reveal.js** is still the safest choice when a presentation needs custom web behavior, embedded systems, remote audience control, or a long-lived plugin-heavy foundation. That means the decision should start with the output and maintenance model: web-native technical talk, portable document deck, or custom HTML presentation system. ## Choose Slidev When Code Is the Talk [Slidev](https://sli.dev/guide/) is a presentation framework for developers who want Markdown slides, but not a static Markdown-only deck. It layers Vue, Vite, layouts, click directives, presenter tooling, and rich code presentation on top of the slide source. A minimal Slidev deck looks like this: ````markdown --- theme: default title: Building APIs with Hono transition: slide-left mdc: true --- # Building APIs with Hono The lightweight framework for every runtime --- layout: two-cols layoutClass: gap-16 --- # Setup Install and create a Hono app in seconds. ::right:: ```ts {all|1|3-5|7-9|all} import { Hono } from 'hono' const app = new Hono() app.get('/', (c) => c.json({ hello: 'world' })) export default app ``` ```` Slidev is strongest when the presentation is also a small web app. You can embed Vue components, use layouts and frontmatter, highlight code step by step, and deploy the finished deck as a static site. For talks about package ecosystems, build tools, or API frameworks, that matters: a Slidev deck can live next to the demo app in the same repo and reuse the same developer workflow. ### Slidev strengths - Best fit for live code walkthroughs, framework demos, and technical conference talks. - Markdown authoring with Vue components for interactive examples. - Vite-powered dev server and static web output. - Presenter mode, recording, and export commands in the official workflow. - Strong code-highlighting story for step-by-step explanation. ### Slidev tradeoffs - More moving parts than Marp: Node runtime, Slidev CLI, Vite, and often Vue knowledge. - Less universal for non-developer collaborators who just want Markdown-to-PDF. - PPTX is not the core use case; if PowerPoint handoff is mandatory, Marp is usually simpler. ## Choose Marp When Markdown Portability Wins [Marp](https://marp.app/) is the cleanest choice when the source of truth is a Markdown document and the target is a shareable slide artifact. The official ecosystem includes Marp Core, Marp CLI, and Marp for VS Code; the CLI is built for converting Markdown into HTML, PDF, PPTX, and images. A typical Marp deck keeps the syntax intentionally small: ````markdown --- marp: true theme: default paginate: true header: "Building APIs with Hono" footer: "PkgPulse demo deck" --- # Building APIs with Hono The lightweight framework for every runtime --- ## Quick Setup ```ts import { Hono } from 'hono' const app = new Hono() app.get('/', (c) => c.json({ hello: 'world' })) export default app ``` --- # Thank You ```` That simplicity is the point. Marp is ideal when documentation writers, product teams, trainers, or engineering managers need slide decks that can be reviewed in pull requests and exported for meetings. The [Marp CLI](https://github.com/marp-team/marp-cli) also fits CI workflows where a Markdown source file becomes a PDF or PowerPoint artifact. ### Marp strengths - Fastest path from Markdown to slides. - Strong VS Code authoring loop for preview and export. - Practical HTML, PDF, PPTX, and image output. - Easy to keep slide source in a docs repo. - Lower learning curve than Slidev or Reveal.js. ### Marp tradeoffs - Less interactive than Slidev or Reveal.js. - Theme/directive model is intentionally constrained. - Advanced animation, app-like demos, and plugin-heavy presentation systems are not its focus. ## Choose Reveal.js When the Deck Is a Web App [Reveal.js](https://revealjs.com/) is the oldest and most flexible option in this comparison. It is not trying to be a Markdown document converter first. It is an HTML presentation framework with plugins, speaker notes, fragments, auto-animate, a JavaScript API, and optional Markdown support. A Reveal.js deck can be as close to web development as you want: ````html

Building APIs with Hono

The lightweight framework for every runtime


import { Hono } from 'hono'

const app = new Hono()
app.get('/', (c) => c.json({ hello: 'world' }))

Speaker notes

```` Reveal.js also supports Markdown content through the official Markdown plugin, including external Markdown files and custom slide separators. That gives teams a migration path: start with Markdown, then drop down to HTML/CSS/JS where a slide needs custom behavior. ### Reveal.js strengths - Maximum control over presentation structure and behavior. - Mature plugin ecosystem for notes, Markdown, highlighting, math, zoom, search, and remote-control patterns. - Auto-animate and fragments are powerful for visual explanation. - Best fit for custom presentation products or reusable internal presentation platforms. ### Reveal.js tradeoffs - More like building a website than writing a Markdown document. - Requires more HTML/CSS/JavaScript knowledge. - Less opinionated than Slidev, so teams must define their own project conventions. ## Decision Framework Use this practical decision path before starting a deck template: 1. **Do you need PPTX or polished PDF export for a non-technical audience?** Start with Marp. 2. **Is the deck a developer talk where code walkthroughs and live demos are central?** Start with Slidev. 3. **Are you building a custom presentation experience, plugin-heavy workshop, or browser-native deck system?** Start with Reveal.js. 4. **Will non-engineers edit the source often?** Favor Marp unless they already know the Slidev conventions. 5. **Will the deck ship with a demo app or package examples?** Favor Slidev or Reveal.js and keep it near the code. 6. **Will the deck become long-lived infrastructure?** Favor Reveal.js if you need low-level control; favor Slidev if the infrastructure is mostly for developer talks. ## Common Scenarios ### Developer conference talk Pick **Slidev**. It gives the smoothest source-to-stage workflow for code-first talks: hot reload, code highlighting, progressive reveals, presenter mode, recording, and static deployment. If the talk demonstrates a JavaScript package, keep the deck in the same workspace as the demo and use your normal package scripts. Relevant PkgPulse follow-ups: [Vite vs Rspack vs webpack](/guides/vite-vs-rspack-vs-webpack-bundler-2026) for bundler context and [Hono vs Elysia](/guides/hono-vs-elysia-2026) for API demos that often become talk material. ### Internal engineering training Pick **Marp** if the training team needs PDFs, PowerPoint files, or a Markdown source that many people can edit. Pick **Slidev** if the training includes live code components or interactive walkthroughs. Pick **Reveal.js** only when the training deck is part of a larger browser-based workshop system. ### Documentation-to-presentation workflow Pick **Marp**. It is the cleanest bridge from docs-as-code to slides. Marp's directives, themes, and CLI exports are enough for most internal decks without introducing Vue or custom presentation infrastructure. If the deck source lives in a monorepo, the [best monorepo tools guide](/guides/best-monorepo-tools-2026) covers the tradeoffs of keeping docs, examples, and generated artifacts in one workspace. ### Product launch or interactive demo Pick **Slidev** when the launch is developer-focused and the interactive pieces are Vue-friendly. Pick **Reveal.js** when you need framework-agnostic HTML/JS control, unusual animation choreography, remote audience behavior, or custom embedded widgets. ### Conference workshop with remote attendees Pick **Reveal.js** when speaker notes, audience-following, and custom plugins matter more than Markdown simplicity. Slidev can still work for developer-heavy workshops, but Reveal.js gives you the lower-level control if you are effectively building a presentation application. ## Migration Notes Moving from PowerPoint or Google Slides to any of these tools is a workflow change, not just a file conversion. - **PowerPoint or Google Slides to Marp:** easiest path. Extract the outline, rewrite slides as Markdown sections, add frontmatter directives, then export to PDF/PPTX. - **Marp to Slidev:** useful when a Markdown deck starts needing code walkthroughs, components, or web deployment. Expect to rewrite directives and layouts rather than convert one-to-one. - **Reveal.js to Slidev:** useful when the team wants a more opinionated developer-talk workflow and does not need custom low-level JS everywhere. - **Slidev to Reveal.js:** useful when a talk grows into a custom presentation product or plugin-heavy workshop shell. ## Pricing and Operational Cost All three core tools are open-source packages, so the direct license cost is not the decision point. The real cost is maintenance: | Cost center | Slidev | Marp | Reveal.js | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Author training | Medium | Low | Medium-high | | CI/export setup | Medium | Low | Medium | | Custom design system | Medium | Medium | High but flexible | | Non-developer editing | Medium-low | High | Low | | Long-term custom platform | Medium | Low | High | For most teams, Marp is cheapest to operate, Slidev is highest-leverage for developer talks, and Reveal.js is worth the operational cost only when the extra control is clearly needed. ## Final Verdict - **Use Slidev** for code-first developer presentations, conference talks, live demos, and technical storytelling where the deck benefits from being a Vite-powered app. - **Use Marp** for Markdown-first decks that must export cleanly to PDF/PPTX and remain easy for many collaborators to edit. - **Use Reveal.js** for highly customized HTML presentations, plugin-heavy workflows, and teams that want to build presentation infrastructure rather than just author decks. If you are deciding only between Slidev and Marp, the simplest rule is: **Slidev for stage-ready developer demos; Marp for portable Markdown slide documents.** Add Reveal.js to the shortlist when you need custom web behavior that neither tool should abstract away. ## Source Notes Official sources checked on 2026-05-16: - [Slidev getting started](https://sli.dev/guide/) and [Slidev Markdown features](https://sli.dev/features/markdown) - [Marp homepage](https://marp.app/) and [Marp CLI repository](https://github.com/marp-team/marp-cli) - [Reveal.js homepage](https://revealjs.com/) and [Reveal.js Markdown plugin documentation](https://revealjs.com/markdown/) - Public npm registry latest versions for `@slidev/cli`, `@marp-team/marp-cli`, and `reveal.js` Methodology: feature claims are based on official documentation and npm package metadata available on the access date above. Recommendations weight authoring model, export target, code-demo support, collaborator handoff, and long-term maintenance cost rather than only raw feature count. Related guides: [Best JavaScript Testing Frameworks 2026](/guides/best-javascript-testing-frameworks-2026), [Vite vs Rspack vs webpack](/guides/vite-vs-rspack-vs-webpack-bundler-2026), [Hono vs Elysia 2026](/guides/hono-vs-elysia-2026), and [Best Monorepo Tools 2026](/guides/best-monorepo-tools-2026).