Kova

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

What Kova is

Kova is a free, open-source desktop app for creating presentations from plain Markdown. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, works offline, and requires no account. Kova detects content structure and assigns layouts such as title, section, quote, and two-column slides. It includes 11 themes, light and dark modes, and custom YAML themes. Mermaid diagrams and charts render inline, while KaTeX supports mathematical notation. Presentations can include speaker notes, a dual-screen presenter view, syntax highlighting for more than 190 languages, and drag-and-drop images. Exports include PDF and PowerPoint, with standalone HTML also documented. Kova supports YouTube embeds, QR poll shortcodes, and importing from PowerPoint, a URL, or Marp. It is in beta, with core features described as stable, and is licensed under GPLv3.

Who it suits

It suits people who prefer Markdown-based slide authoring on desktop systems. Technical presenters can use diagrams, mathematics, code highlighting, offline access, and multiple export formats.

What it does well

Free GPLv3 open-source software
Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux
Automatic layouts from Markdown structure
PDF, PowerPoint, and HTML export
Mermaid, KaTeX, and 190-plus language highlighting

What to know first

Still in beta
Desktop downloads only
No account-free cloud collaboration listed

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	Free and open source · GPLv3	Free

As kova.md lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Kova offers a Markdown workflow with themes, technical notation, presenter tools, and broad export options. Its beta status is the main qualification for users choosing presentation software.

Facts from Kova's own pages

Availability: The maker lists native downloads for macOS, Windows, and Linux and says no account is required. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Beta status: Kova is in beta; the maker says core features are stable and asks users to report issues on GitHub. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Diagrams and math: Kova renders Mermaid charts and diagrams inline and supports mathematical notation through KaTeX. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Export: Kova exports presentations to PDF and PowerPoint, and its documentation also lists standalone HTML export. · wiki.kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · kova.md, 20 Sept 2026
Integrations: Kova supports YouTube embeds and QR poll shortcodes, and its documentation lists importing from PowerPoint, a URL, or Marp. · wiki.kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Layouts: Kova detects slide layouts automatically from the content structure, including title, section, quote, and two-column layouts. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
License and cost: Kova is free, open source, and licensed under GPLv3; the maker says it can be used for personal, commercial, and educational work. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Offline access: Yes · kova.md, 20 Sept 2026
Other features: Kova includes speaker notes, dual-screen presenter view, syntax highlighting for 190+ languages, and drag-and-drop image insertion. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
PowerPoint export: Yes · kova.md, 20 Sept 2026
Presenter mode: Yes · kova.md, 20 Sept 2026
Privacy: The maker says the kova.md site uses no cookies, analytics, advertising scripts, or account creation; it keeps standard server logs for security and reliability. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Security: The maker says the code is publicly auditable, release binaries are linked to their source commits, and the repository is scanned by Snyk. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Support: The maker lists support at [email protected] and directs users to GitHub issues for bugs and feature requests. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
Supported platforms: macOS,Windows,Linux · kova.md, 20 Sept 2026
Themes: Kova includes 11 themes with light and dark modes, and supports custom themes made as YAML files. · kova.md, 11 Oct 2026
What it does: Kova is a desktop app for creating presentations from plain Markdown, with layout, theming, and PDF or PowerPoint export. · wiki.kova.md, 11 Oct 2026

Where Kova stands on Freedom251

Presentation software#59 of 93