impress.js vs reveal.js
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
A JavaScript framework for making zoomable, 3D-style presentations in a web browser using CSS transforms.
Open source · MIT
A free HTML framework for building slide presentations that run in a web browser.
The short answer
Choose impress.js if you need…
- Web developers who want a custom, browser-based slide deck
- Designers who want spatial, animated slide layouts
- People presenting from their own laptop in a modern Firefox or Chrome browser
- Anyone starting from the Classic Slides template for a traditional slide look
Choose reveal.js if you need…
- Developers who already write HTML, CSS, or JavaScript and want full control over slide design
- People who want presentations as code that can be versioned and reviewed like other files
- Teams who need slides with code samples or math notation
- Anyone who wants a free, self-hosted alternative to a proprietary slide tool
Side-by-side
| impress.js | reveal.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 38.2k | 72.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 months ago | 36 days ago |
What each one is
impress.js
impress.js is a JavaScript framework for building presentations that run in a web browser. It uses CSS3 3D transforms and transitions to move between slides placed in a large canvas, inspired by the zoomable style of prezi.com. You write the presentation as HTML and CSS, and the library handles the movement between slides.
reveal.js
reveal.js is an open source HTML presentation framework. You write slides as web pages, and the result runs in any browser, so you can present or share it without special presentation software. The README highlights features such as Markdown slides, speaker notes, PDF export, LaTeX math, syntax-highlighted code, and an API for customization.
Best for
impress.js
- Web developers who want a custom, browser-based slide deck
- Designers who want spatial, animated slide layouts
- People presenting from their own laptop in a modern Firefox or Chrome browser
- Anyone starting from the Classic Slides template for a traditional slide look
reveal.js
- Developers who already write HTML, CSS, or JavaScript and want full control over slide design
- People who want presentations as code that can be versioned and reviewed like other files
- Teams who need slides with code samples or math notation
- Anyone who wants a free, self-hosted alternative to a proprietary slide tool
Strengths
impress.js
- Based on standard CSS3 transforms and transitions, with no jQuery or other JavaScript libraries required
- Core is a single JavaScript file that does not depend on Node or npm at runtime, according to the README
- Has a documented API reference, a Getting Started guide, and an official demo with commented source
reveal.js
- Free and MIT licensed, with a large community (about 72,000 stars on GitHub)
- Presentations are plain web files that run in any modern browser and can be hosted anywhere
- Documented feature set covering Markdown, speaker notes, PDF export, and math
Not ideal for
impress.js
- People who need a point-and-click editor, since the README describes the separate Impressionist project for visual editing and does not describe a built-in editor
- Anyone who needs reliable display for many visitors on older browsers, since the README says some visitors may not see presentations correctly
- People who want a no-code tool, since the work is done in HTML, CSS and JavaScript
reveal.js
- People who want a drag-and-drop editor: the README points to Slides.com, a separate graphical editor by the same authors, for that
- Non-technical users who do not want to edit HTML or configuration files, since setup assumes some web development familiarity
- Those needing a paid video course to learn it: the README links a course, but it is a paid product and the README does not describe its contents
Trade-offs
impress.js
- Browser support is limited to modern browsers, and the README says it is mainly aimed at presenting from your own laptop
- The README says it may not help if you have nothing interesting to say, and it offers no visual editor in the core project
reveal.js
- Requires comfort with HTML and a build or hosting step, which is a barrier for non-developers
- The README is truncated here, so details of specific browser support and version requirements are not confirmed
- Design polish depends on your own CSS and theme choices
Getting started
impress.js
Clone the repository
git clone --recursive https://github.com/impress/impress.js.gitEnter the project folder
cd impress.jsreveal.js
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hakimel/reveal.jsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between impress.js and reveal.js?
impress.js: A JavaScript framework for making zoomable, 3D-style presentations in a web browser using CSS transforms. reveal.js: A free HTML framework for building slide presentations that run in a web browser. impress.js suits web developers who want a custom, browser-based slide deck, while reveal.js suits developers who already write html, css, or javascript and want full control over slide design.
Are impress.js and reveal.js free?
impress.js: Free and open source. reveal.js: Free and open source.
Is impress.js or reveal.js more popular?
reveal.js has more GitHub stars (72.5k) than impress.js (38.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to impress.js and reveal.js?
Other options people compare them with include Spectacle, remark, Marp, Slidev.
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.