Kova

Open source desktop Markdown presentation editor with live preview, themes, and PPTX export — a self-contained alternative to PowerPoint.

Open source alternative to:

What is Kova?

Kova is an open source desktop application that turns plain Markdown into polished slide decks. It pairs a live-preview editor with auto layouts, themes, and PPTX export, giving you a PowerPoint-style workflow without the lock-in or the price tag.

Key features

Markdown-first authoring — write slides in plain text, separated by ---
Auto layouts — title, section, split, two-column, grid, quote, full-bleed, and more, applied automatically based on your content
Live editor with synced preview — see your slides update as you type
Syntax highlighting for code blocks via highlight.js
LaTeX math support (inline and block) via KaTeX
Mermaid diagrams — pie, bar, line charts and flowcharts inline
Themes — 11 built-in themes, community themes, and custom YAML themes
Focus mode for writing, plus fullscreen presentation with speaker notes and keyboard navigation
PPTX export to PowerPoint (16:9 and 4:3)
YouTube and poll embeds for richer decks
File watcher that reloads when your file is edited externally
Configurable keybindings via ~/.kova/keybindings.yaml

Why Kova?

Unlike Reveal.js or Slidev, which require you to run a web server and present in the browser, Kova is a native desktop app you can launch like PowerPoint or Keynote. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with official .dmg, .msi, .deb, and .rpm packages, and is built on Tauri (TypeScript + Rust) so it's lightweight and fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Kova different from Reveal.js or Slidev?

Unlike Reveal.js or Slidev, which require a web server and browser, Kova is a native desktop app you launch like PowerPoint or Keynote. It is built on Tauri (TypeScript and Rust), so it is lightweight and fast, with official .dmg, .msi, .deb, and .rpm packages for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Can I export Kova presentations to PowerPoint?

Yes, Kova exports slide decks to PPTX in both 16:9 and 4:3 formats. You author slides in plain Markdown separated by --- and apply one of 11 built-in themes, community themes, or custom YAML themes.

What does the Kova editor support?

Kova pairs a live-preview editor with auto layouts (title, section, split, two-column, grid, quote, full-bleed, and more), syntax highlighting via highlight.js, LaTeX math via KaTeX, and inline Mermaid diagrams. It also has focus mode, fullscreen presentations with speaker notes and keyboard navigation, YouTube and poll embeds, and configurable keybindings.

Visit Kova

License

GPL-3.0

Self hostable