Comparison Guide Self-Hosted

Slidev vs Reveal.js vs Marp: Best Markdown Presentation Tools 2026

Pi Stack Team

April 20, 2026 12 min read Updated April 20, 2026

Why Use Markdown for Presentations?

Traditional presentation software locks you into proprietary file formats, clunky drag-and-drop interfaces, and vendor lock-in. If you’re a developer, technical writer, or educator who already writes documentation in Markdown, forcing yourself into a completely different workflow for presentations is inefficient and frustrating.

Markdown-based presentation tools solve this problem. You write your slides the same way you write everything else — in plain text, version-controlled with Git, and renderable into beautiful HTML presentations. The benefits are significant:

Version control: Every change to your presentation is tracked in Git. No more “final_v3_really_final.pptx” confusion.
Plain text: Slides are human-readable, diffable, and mergeable. No binary formats that break over time.
Self-hosted: No dependency on cloud services like Google Slides or PowerPoint Online. Your presentations live on your infrastructure.
Developer-friendly: Syntax highlighting, code execution, LaTeX math, and component imports work out of the box.
Export flexibility: Generate PDFs, standalone HTML files, or serve presentations live from a web server.

In this guide, we compare the three most mature open-source Markdown presentation frameworks available in 2026: Slidev, Reveal.js, and Marp. Each takes a different approach to the problem, and the right choice depends on your workflow, technical stack, and presentation needs.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Slidev	Reveal.js	Marp
GitHub Stars	45,877	71,034	11,423 (marp)
Language	TypeScript (Vue.js)	JavaScript	TypeScript
License	MIT	MIT	MIT
Latest Release	v52.14.2 (Apr 2026)	v6.0.1 (Apr 2026)	Active (ecosystem)
Syntax	Markdown + Vue SFC	HTML + Markdown	Markdown + directives
Live Reload	Yes (Vite HMR)	Yes (manual setup)	Yes (CLI watch mode)
Code Highlighting	Prism.js, auto-detect	Highlight.js	Prism.js, built-in
Math/LaTeX	KaTeX built-in	MathJax plugin	KaTeX built-in
Component System	Vue.js SFC components	HTML/JS custom elements	Limited (HTML in MD)
Presenter Notes	Yes, separate panel	Yes, `S` key	Markdown comment blocks
Export to PDF	Built-in (`slidev export`)	via `decktape`	Built-in (`marp --pdf`)
Recording	Built-in camera recording	No native support	No native support
docker Support	Community images	Manual Dockerfile	Official Dockerfile
Best For	Developers who want rich interactivity	Teams needing maximum customization	Minimalist, fast slide creation

Slidev — The Developer’s Presentation Framework

Slidev (Slides for Developers) is a Vue.js-powered presentation framework that treats slides as a full development environment. It uses Vite for hot module replacement, supports Vue single-file components directly in your slides, and includes a built-in presenter mode with camera recording.

Getting Started with Slidev

Install Slidev globally via npm and create your first presentation:

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# Install Slidev
npm i -g @slidev/cli

# Create a new presentation
mkdir my-presentation && cd my-presentation
slidev init

# Start the dev server with live reload
slidev

Your first slide deck lives in slides.md:

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---
theme: default
background: https://source.unsplash.com/collection/94734566/1920x1080
class: text-center
highlighter: shiki
lineNumbers: false
---

# My Technical Presentation

Subtitle and author info

---

## Agenda

- Architecture overview
- Deployment pipeline
- Performance benchmarks

---

## Code Example

```python
def health_check():
    import requests
    response = requests.get("http://api:8080/health")
    return response.status_code == 200

Architecture Diagram

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graph LR
    A[Client] --> B[API Gateway]
    B --> C[Service A]
    B --> D[Service B]
    C --> E[(Database)]
    D --> E

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Slidev's `vite-plugin-md` parses Markdown into Vue components, which means you can embed interactive Vue components directly within slides. This is unique among presentation frameworks.

### Docker Deployment

While Slidev doesn't ship an official Docker image, the community-maintained `tangramor/slidev_docker` image works well for self-hosting:

```yaml
version: "3.8"
services:
  slidev:
    image: tangramor/slidev_docker:latest
    ports:
      - "3030:3030"
    volumes:
      - ./slides:/slidev/workspace
    command: slidev --remote
    restart: unless-stopped

Access your presentation at http://localhost:3030. The --remote flag enables the presenter mode and slide controls from any browser.

Key Strengths

Rich component system: Import Vue components, use <script setup> blocks, and build interactive slides with real data fetching.
Built-in recording: Record your presentation with webcam overlay directly in the browser — no third-party tools needed.
Vite-powered: Instant hot reload, even with large presentations.
Theme ecosystem: Dozens of community themes available via npm.
Monaco Editor integration: Edit slides live in the browser during presentation mode.

Reveal.js — The HTML Presentation Framework

Reveal.js is the oldest and most widely adopted open-source presentation framework. Created by Hakim El Hattab, it has been actively developed since 2011 and powers thousands of conference talks, university lectures, and corporate presentations worldwide.

Getting Started with Reveal.js

Reveal.js offers multiple installation methods. The quickest path is using their online editor at slides.com, but for self-hosted use:

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# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hakimel/reveal.js.git
cd reveal.js

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start the development server
npm start

Alternatively, use Reveal.js via CDN in a standalone HTML file:

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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>My Presentation</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/reveal.js@6.0.1/dist/reveal.css">
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/reveal.js@6.0.1/dist/theme/black.css">
</head>
<body>
  <div class="reveal">
    <div class="slides">
      <section>
        <h1>Welcome</h1>
        <p>Self-hosted presentations with Reveal.js</p>
      </section>
      <section>
        <h2>Why Reveal.js?</h2>
        <ul>
          <li>15+ years of active development</li>
          <li>71,000+ GitHub stars</li>
          <li>Runs anywhere HTML runs</li>
        </ul>
      </section>
      <section data-markdown>
        <textarea data-template>
## Markdown Support

Reveal.js supports Markdown content via the markdown plugin.

```bash
docker run -p 8000:8000 my-presentation

    </textarea>
  </section>
</div>

```

Docker Deployment

Reveal.js presentations are static HTML/CSS/JS — any web server can serve them. Here’s a Docker Compose setup using Nginx:

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version: "3.8"
services:
  presentation:
    image: nginx:alpine
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./presentation:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro
    restart: unless-stopped

Place your index.html (with Reveal.js assets) in the ./presentation directory. The presentation is immediately available at http://localhost:8080.

For a development setup with live reload, you can use Node.js:

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version: "3.8"
services:
  reveal-dev:
    image: node:20-alpine
    working_dir: /app
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./:/app
    command: >
      sh -c "npm install && npx serve -l 8080"
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Strengths

Mature ecosystem: 15+ years of development means every edge case has been solved. Extensive documentation and community knowledge.
Maximum portability: Since presentations are plain HTML, they run on any web server, any device, any browser.
Plugin architecture: Rich plugin system for markdown, notes, zoom, search, math, and more.
Vertical slides: Unique nested slide support for organizing content hierarchically.
No build step required: Unlike Slidev and Marp, Reveal.js works as a single HTML file with CDN dependencies.

Marp — The Minimalist Markdown-to-Slides Ecosystem

Marp (Markdown Presentation Ecosystem) takes the simplest possible approach: write Markdown, get slides. The core engine, Marpit, is a skinny framework that converts Markdown with special directives into styled slide HTML.

Getting Started with Marp

Install Marp CLI globally and start writing:

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# Install Marp CLI
npm i -g @marp-team/marp-cli

# Create your first slide deck
cat > slides.md << 'SLIDES'
---
marp: true
theme: default
paginate: true
---

# Welcome to Marp

Minimalist markdown presentations

---

## Why Marp?

- Write slides the same way you write docs
- Built-in KaTeX math rendering
- Export to PDF, HTML, or PNG
- Theme customization via CSS

---

<!-- _class: lead invert -->

# Big Impact Slide

Use the `<!-- _class: -->` directive
for per-slide styling.

---

## Two-Column Layout

<div class="columns">
<div>

### Column One

Left side content here.

</div>
<div>

### Column Two

Right side content here.

</div>
</div>
SLIDES

# Preview in browser with live reload
marp --watch --preview slides.md

# Export to PDF
marp --pdf slides.md -o presentation.pdf

# Export to standalone HTML
marp --html slides.md -o presentation.html

Docker Deployment

Marp CLI ships with an official Dockerfile, making self-hosting straightforward:

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version: "3.8"
services:
  marp:
    image: ghcr.io/marp-team/marp-cli:latest
    working_dir: /home/marp/app
    volumes:
      - ./slides:/home/marp/app:ro
    command: >
      sh -c "marp --watch --server --preview false slides.md"
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    restart: unless-stopped

The --server flag starts a built-in HTTP server that serves the rendered HTML with live reload. For static export (no server needed):

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docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/slides:/home/marp/app ghcr.io/marp-team/marp-cli:latest marp slides.md --html -o output.html

Key Strengths

Lowest barrier to entry: If you know Markdown, you know Marp. No HTML, no JavaScript, no framework-specific syntax.
Official Docker image: The only tool in this comparison with an officially maintained Docker image from the project authors.
Theme system: CSS-based theming with scoped styles — create consistent branded presentations.
Multiple export formats: PDF, PPTX (via plugin), HTML, and PNG exports all from the same source file.
GitHub Actions integration: Automatically generate slides from Markdown on every commit push.

Feature Comparison Deep Dive

Code Presentation

For technical presentations, code rendering quality matters significantly.

Slidev uses Shiki (the same syntax highlighter as VS Code), providing accurate, theme-matched code highlighting with line number support:

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<!-- Slidev: use {} for line highlighting -->
```ts {2,4-5|7|all}
function process(data: string[]) {
  const filtered = data.filter(d => d.length > 0)
  const mapped = filtered.map(d => d.trim())
  return mapped
}

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**Reveal.js** uses Highlight.js with configuration via the initialization object:

```html
<section data-markdown>
  <textarea data-template>
```python
def deploy():
    """Deploy to production"""
    runner.deploy(environment="production")

```

Marp uses Prism.js and supports code block fencing:

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```python {2-3}
def deploy():
    """Deploy to production"""
    runner.deploy(environment="production")
```

Math and LaTeX

All three tools support mathematical typesetting, which is essential for academic and scientific presentations.

Tool	Engine	Inline Syntax	Block Syntax
Slidev	KaTeX	$E = mc^2$	`$$\int_0^\infty$$`
Reveal.js	MathJax (plugin)	`$E = mc^2$`	`\[ \int_0^\infty \]`
Marp	KaTeX	$E = mc^2$	`$$\int_0^\infty$$`

Presenter Mode

Feature	Slidev	Reveal.js	Marp
Speaker notes	Dedicated panel	`S` key popup	Markdown comments
Timer	Built-in	Built-in	None
Next slide preview	Yes	Yes	No
Camera overlay	Built-in	No	No
Laser pointer	Yes	No	No
Remote control	Yes (URL-based)	Yes (plugin)	No

Slidev’s presenter mode is the most feature-complete, including camera recording, timer, and the ability to annotate slides in real-time during presentation.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Slidev if:

You work in the Vue.js or JavaScript ecosystem and want component-driven slides
You need built-in recording capabilities for conference talks or tutorials
You want the best developer experience with Vite-powered live reload
You frequently include interactive demos or live code editing in presentations

Choose Reveal.js if:

You need maximum compatibility — presentations must run on any device
You prefer HTML-based structure over Markdown-first workflow
You want a 15-year-old project with extensive documentation and community support
You need vertical/hierarchical slide organization
You don’t want a build step — CDN-based deployment works instantly

Choose Marp if:

You want the simplest possible workflow — write Markdown, get slides
You need official Docker support out of the box
You want to integrate slide generation into CI/CD pipelines
You prefer CSS-based theming over framework-specific customization
Your team already uses Markdown for everything and wants zero learning curve

Summary Recommendation

For most developers creating technical presentations, Slidev offers the richest feature set and best DX. For teams deploying presentations to diverse audiences who may access them on any device, Reveal.js’s HTML-first approach guarantees compatibility. For documentation-driven teams who want slides generated from the same Markdown as their docs, Marp’s simplicity and official Docker image make it the pragmatic choice.

For related reading, check out our self-hosted whiteboard and diagram tools guide for visuwiki.jsentation aids, the wiki.js vs BookStack vs Outline comparison for team documentation, and our self-hosted note-taking and knowledge management guide for organizing research before building presentations.

FAQ

Can I use these presentation tools without an internet connection?

Yes. All three tools support fully offline use. Slidev and Marp bundle their dependencies locally after installation, and Reveal.js can be served from a local directory. Once built, presentations are standalone files that require no network access to display.

How do I convert existing PowerPoint presentations to these formats?

There is no automatic PowerPoint-to-Markdown converter that preserves formatting perfectly. The recommended approach is to extract content from your existing slides and rewrite them in Markdown. For Reveal.js, the reveal.js-md plugin can convert simple Markdown to slides. Marp’s @marp-team/marp-cli also supports importing basic HTML. Complex animations and transitions must be recreated manually.

Can I export presentations to PDF?

All three tools support PDF export. Slidev uses slidev export (built on Playwright), Marp has marp --pdf (built-in), and Reveal.js requires the external decktape tool (decktape reveal slides.html output.pdf). Slidev and Marp’s PDF exports are generally more reliable since they’re integrated into the core tooling.

Do these tools support collaborative editing?

Not natively. However, since all three store presentations as plain text files, you can collaborate via Git version control. For real-time collaboration, you could serve the Markdown source through a collaborative editor like HedgeDoc or Etherpad and then render the result. Slidev’s Vite dev server also supports remote access with the --remote flag.

What about custom fonts and branding?

All three support custom fonts and branding. Slidev allows importing Google Fonts and custom CSS in the frontmatter or a separate style.css. Reveal.js supports custom themes by extending the Sass source files. Marp uses CSS directives () for per-slide styling and a --theme-set option for global custom themes. For consistent company branding across multiple presentations, Marp’s CSS-based theming is the most straightforward to maintain.

Can I embed videos in my presentations?

Yes. Slidev supports embedding YouTube/Vimeo URLs and local video files using standard HTML <video> tags or Vue components. Reveal.js supports iframe embeds and HTML5 video natively. Marp supports HTML within Markdown blocks, allowing <video> and <iframe> tags. All three require the presentation to be served over HTTP (not viewed as a local file) for video playback to work correctly.

Are these tools suitable for large presentations (100+ slides)?

Reveal.js handles large presentations best since it lazy-loads slides and only renders the visible ones. Slidev’s Vite build can become slow with 100+ slides, though the dev server remains responsive. Marp’s performance depends on the export format — HTML output handles large decks well, but PDF generation can become memory-intensive. For conference-length talks, all three perform adequately.

Why Use Markdown for Presentations?

Quick Comparison Table

Slidev — The Developer’s Presentation Framework

Getting Started with Slidev

Architecture Diagram

Key Strengths

Reveal.js — The HTML Presentation Framework

Getting Started with Reveal.js

Docker Deployment

Key Strengths

Marp — The Minimalist Markdown-to-Slides Ecosystem

Getting Started with Marp

Docker Deployment

Key Strengths

Feature Comparison Deep Dive

Code Presentation

Math and LaTeX

Presenter Mode

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Slidev if:

Choose Reveal.js if:

Choose Marp if:

Summary Recommendation

FAQ

Can I use these presentation tools without an internet connection?

How do I convert existing PowerPoint presentations to these formats?

Can I export presentations to PDF?

Do these tools support collaborative editing?

What about custom fonts and branding?

Can I embed videos in my presentations?

Are these tools suitable for large presentations (100+ slides)?

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