Marp vs Slidev
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
An entry point to the Marp family of tools for making slide decks from plain Markdown.
Open source · MIT
Write presentation slides in Markdown, rendered with Vue and Vite.
The short answer
Choose Marp if you need…
- People who prefer writing slides as Markdown text rather than in a visual editor
- Developers who want to generate slide decks from code or scripts
- VS Code users who want a live preview of their slides
- Anyone looking for an overview of the Marp ecosystem before choosing a component
Choose Slidev if you need…
- Developers who want to present code, technical talks, or architecture diagrams
- People comfortable editing Markdown and who prefer version-controlled slides
- Teams that want slides stored alongside project files in a Git repository
- Anyone who wants to present from a second window or phone using presenter mode
Side-by-side
| Marp | Slidev | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Other | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.7k | 49.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | See the README | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 3 months ago | 14 days ago |
What each one is
Marp
Marp is a set of open-source projects for writing presentations in plain Markdown text and converting them into slides. This repository is mainly a hub that links to the family's parts: the Marpit framework, Marp Core, Marp CLI for exporting to HTML, PDF, PPTX or images, and a VS Code extension for previewing decks. The README also links to the project website and an awesome list of Marp resources.
Slidev
Slidev is an open-source tool for making presentation slides using Markdown files. You write your slides as text, and it renders them in a web browser with code highlighting, math, diagrams, and Vue components. It can export slides to PDF, PNG, or PPTX.
Best for
Marp
- People who prefer writing slides as Markdown text rather than in a visual editor
- Developers who want to generate slide decks from code or scripts
- VS Code users who want a live preview of their slides
- Anyone looking for an overview of the Marp ecosystem before choosing a component
Slidev
- Developers who want to present code, technical talks, or architecture diagrams
- People comfortable editing Markdown and who prefer version-controlled slides
- Teams that want slides stored alongside project files in a Git repository
- Anyone who wants to present from a second window or phone using presenter mode
Strengths
Marp
- Slides are plain Markdown files that work with version control and any text editor
- Multiple export formats are supported through the CLI, according to the README
- Released under the MIT license with an active project and a large community
Slidev
- Slides are plain Markdown files, so they work well with Git and any text editor
- Built on Vite, so changes reload quickly while editing
- Themes can be shared as npm packages and it supports a large set of icons
Not ideal for
Marp
- Users who need a drag-and-drop slide editor, since this project is text-based (reason: the README describes Markdown writing, not a visual editor)
- People who need the classic Marp app, which the README says is archived (reason: the README points to a gravesite for the old app)
Slidev
- People who need a visual drag-and-drop slide editor, since Slidev is text-based (the README mentions an integrated editor, but its depth is not described here)
- Users who cannot install Node.js, since the local setup requires Node.js 22.12.0 or newer
- Those who only need simple slides and do not want to learn Markdown syntax and Vue features
Trade-offs
Marp
- This repository is a directory of links, so you must install the individual components to actually make slides
- The README does not give installation commands for the components, so setup details must come from their own repos
- Some older parts such as Marp Web, Marp React and Marp Vue are listed as outdated or inactive
Slidev
- Requires a Node.js development environment, which may be a barrier for non-developers
- Visual design customization relies on CSS utilities and Vue knowledge for advanced changes
- The README does not detail the export quality or limitations of each export format
Getting started
Marp
Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/marp-team/marpFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Marp and Slidev?
Marp: An entry point to the Marp family of tools for making slide decks from plain Markdown. Slidev: Write presentation slides in Markdown, rendered with Vue and Vite. Marp suits people who prefer writing slides as markdown text rather than in a visual editor, while Slidev suits developers who want to present code, technical talks, or architecture diagrams.
Are Marp and Slidev free?
Marp: Free and open source. Slidev: Free and open source.
Is Marp or Slidev more popular?
Slidev has more GitHub stars (49.3k) than Marp (12.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Marp and Slidev?
Other options people compare them with include reveal.js, mdx-deck, VitePress, docsify.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.