presentation-md vs Canva — design SaaS vs agent-native decks

Side-by-side

Criterion	presentation-md	Canva
Where it runs	Inside your AI agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Gemini CLI)	Browser / app design SaaS
Primary workflow	Agent writes Deck JSON → render / Studio	Drag-drop templates, Magic Studio, brand kits
Output format	Self-contained HTML you own + optional native PPTX	Canva file; PPTX/PDF export on plans
Price	✓ Free, MIT licensed, no account	Freemium or Pro / Teams subscription
LLM schema	✓ Typed Deck JSON — 12 layouts, craft knobs, notes	Freeform design canvas + Magic Write
MCP support	✓ 9 typed MCP tools	✗ No MCP integration
Themes	75 swappable npm theme packages + brand import	Huge template library + Brand Kit
Studio / editor	✓ Browser Studio with craft controls	✓ Full visual editor
Asset library	Bring your own images / icons	✓ Stock photos, video, elements
Offline / no login	✓ Works fully offline after install	✗ Requires account + cloud
Collaboration	Git / file-based (you own the repo)	✓ Real-time collab + comments

Where Canva is stronger

Massive template and stock library for non-developers
Pixel-perfect drag-drop design across decks, social, print
Brand Kit, Magic Studio, and real-time team collab

Where presentation-md is stronger

Decks authored by the AI agent already in your terminal or IDE
Schema-validated layouts, 75 themes, MCP tools, brand import from code
Portable HTML + native PPTX with no Canva lock-in
Free, MIT licensed, works offline after install

Verdict

If you need a general-purpose design tool with templates and stock assets, Canva wins. If you want decks generated from your coding agent — with a typed schema, craft themes, and files you own — presentation-md is built for that path.

Try presentation-md in one command:

npx @presentation-md/install claude-code

Open Studio → See the gallery →

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