Slidev vs Spectacle
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
Write presentation slides in Markdown, rendered with Vue and Vite.
Open source · MIT
A React library for building slide presentations by writing JSX, including live code demos.
The short answer
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
Choose Spectacle if you need…
- React developers who want to build slides as code
- Engineers giving technical talks that include live demos
- Teams that keep presentations in version control
Side-by-side
| Slidev | Spectacle | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 49.3k | 10.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 14 days ago | 10 days ago |
What each one is
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.
Spectacle
Spectacle is a JavaScript library built on React that lets you create presentation slides by writing components in JSX, the syntax React uses. Because slides are ordinary React code, you can embed live, running code examples inside a talk. The README describes it as a ReactJS based presentation library and points to a docs site for details.
Best for
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
Spectacle
- React developers who want to build slides as code
- Engineers giving technical talks that include live demos
- Teams that keep presentations in version control
Strengths
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
Spectacle
- Slides are written as JSX, so they fit into an existing React workflow
- Supports live demos of code within a presentation, according to the description
- Published under the MIT license and actively maintained per the README
Not ideal for
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
Spectacle
- People who want a drag-and-drop slide editor, since the README describes a code-based library and does not mention a visual editor
- Non-programmers, because creating slides requires writing React components
Trade-offs
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
Spectacle
- Requires knowledge of React and JavaScript to use
- The README is short and defers most detail to the docs site and package README
- Not a visual editor, so layout changes are made in code
Getting started
Spectacle
Install the spectacle package from npm
npm install spectacleFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Slidev and Spectacle?
Slidev: Write presentation slides in Markdown, rendered with Vue and Vite. Spectacle: A React library for building slide presentations by writing JSX, including live code demos. Slidev suits developers who want to present code, technical talks, or architecture diagrams, while Spectacle suits react developers who want to build slides as code.
Are Slidev and Spectacle free?
Slidev: Free and open source. Spectacle: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Slidev or Spectacle?
Slidev is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Spectacle is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Slidev or Spectacle more popular?
Slidev has more GitHub stars (49.3k) than Spectacle (10.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Slidev and Spectacle?
Other options people compare them with include reveal.js, Marp, 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.