Decktopus
AI-assisted presentation generation, templates, forms, and sharing
The visible AI presentations loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Decktopus earns its keep through interaction polish, collaboration, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- high-fidelity import and export
- presentation and enterprise controls
- multiplayer cursors and comments
- large template libraries
Why people still pay
Decktopus: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Runtime and tools: TypeScript, React, SVG or Canvas and IndexedDB with a versioned JSON project format.
- Before starting: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size.
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule — domain: Store Deck, Slide, OutlineItem, ContentBlock and Theme; generated text is draft content, and every claim or number retains a supplied source or an explicit needs-review marker.
Project rule — scope and recovery: Keep generation optional and use a tiny layout library first. Speaker coaching, lead forms and PowerPoint fidelity need separate implementations; exported PDF is the initial contract.
Project rule — acceptance: Insert a long comparison table and missing image; show overflow/fallback states before export rather than clipping text or inventing imagery and metrics.
Project rule — delivery: document real setup commands and permissions; do not claim a build, accuracy level, performance result or security certification that has not been demonstrated.
Recommended skill: vercel-composition-patterns — separate document tools, property inspectors and export controls into explicit reusable React components. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Recommended skill: web-design-guidelines — review keyboard access, focus, validation, error recovery and the readable work/review interface or HTML report. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Pin the working slice and create its example input: Turn a reviewed outline into a six-slide presentation using title, evidence, comparison and closing layouts, then edit each card and export a PDF. Confirm setup: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size.
Phase 2
Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store Deck, Slide, OutlineItem, ContentBlock and Theme; generated text is draft content, and every claim or number retains a supplied source or an explicit needs-review marker.
Phase 3
Connect the working view to real saved state. Maintain one document model for preview, undo and export. Use stable element IDs; save after completed gestures, handle storage quota errors and provide explicit file backups.
Phase 4
Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Keep generation optional and use a tiny layout library first. Speaker coaching, lead forms and PowerPoint fidelity need separate implementations; exported PDF is the initial contract.
Phase 5
Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Insert a long comparison table and missing image; show overflow/fallback states before export rather than clipping text or inventing imagery and metrics. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.
Build the following focused alternative to Decktopus. This is a deliberately limited personal or small-team substitute, not parity with the paid service. WORKING SLICE Turn a reviewed outline into a six-slide presentation using title, evidence, comparison and closing layouts, then edit each card and export a PDF. SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE Use TypeScript, React, SVG or Canvas and IndexedDB with a versioned JSON project format. Prerequisites: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success. DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS Store Deck, Slide, OutlineItem, ContentBlock and Theme; generated text is draft content, and every claim or number retains a supplied source or an explicit needs-review marker. IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT Maintain one document model for preview, undo and export. Use stable element IDs; save after completed gestures, handle storage quota errors and provide explicit file backups. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content. APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY Keep generation optional and use a tiny layout library first. Speaker coaching, lead forms and PowerPoint fidelity need separate implementations; exported PDF is the initial contract. ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO Insert a long comparison table and missing image; show overflow/fallback states before export rather than clipping text or inventing imagery and metrics. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested. DELIVERY Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product. PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md
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Decktopus pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| pro | $24.99/user | $9.99/user | 750 AI credits/month, described as about 150 slides; unlimited storage; export, forms and analytics.Quarterly option is also $19.99/month billed $59.97; annual is $119.88. |
| business | — | — | 1,000 AI credits/seat/month; shared workspace, Brand Kit, analytics and custom domain.The tier is sold on the live page, but its current checkout prices were not exposed. |
| enterprise | — | — | Custom seats, governance and support; numeric caps and price are quote-based.Contact sales. |
free tierno permanent free tier verified
billingmonthly + quarterly + annual for Pro; Business cadence and price not exposed; Enterprise quote-based
hidden costsextra AI-credit packs cost extra and do not expire; student discounts can change checkout pricing; the separate API product has its own pricing
pricing sources checked 2026-08-13 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Decktopus
Can you build your own Decktopus with AI?
Partly. The visible AI presentations loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Decktopus earns its keep through interaction polish, collaboration, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.
What does the Decktopus build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Turn a reviewed outline into a six-slide presentation using title, evidence, comparison and closing layouts, then edit each card and export a PDF. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: high-fidelity import and export; presentation and enterprise controls; multiplayer cursors and comments. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Decktopus prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Decktopus project take?
The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Decktopus?
high-fidelity import and export; presentation and enterprise controls; multiplayer cursors and comments; large template libraries. Decktopus: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.
What can I use instead of building Decktopus?
Presenton: AI-generated, template-based presentations with a drag editor and editable PowerPoint export; forms and hosted engagement analytics are not included. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.