Should you send an iCloud Keynote link or a Linkdeck link?
Use iCloud to collaborate; use Linkdeck to deliver. They look similar (both are links to a Keynote) and do different jobs.
What an iCloud share link actually does
Keynote's Collaborate button shares your working file through iCloud. Whoever opens the link sees the live document, and if you gave them edit rights they can change it. Apple's collaboration guide lists the requirements: the viewer needs Keynote on an Apple device, or Keynote for iCloud in a supported browser, and if you restrict the link to invited people they need an Apple Account.
It is built for co-editing. Every change you make afterwards is visible to whoever has the link, including the version you were halfway through on Sunday night.
What a Linkdeck link does
You export the deck to HTML, upload the ZIP, and get a fixed link to that version. It plays in any browser with Keynote's own web player: builds, transitions, video, audio. The viewer needs no Keynote, no Apple Account, no app. Your working file stays on your Mac, and the link changes only when you deliberately replace the deck.
Side by side
| iCloud share link | Linkdeck link | |
|---|---|---|
| What the viewer opens | Your live working file | A fixed export you chose to send |
| Viewer needs | Keynote, or Keynote for iCloud in a supported browser | Any browser |
| Apple Account required | Only if restricted to invited people | Never |
| Editing exposure | Viewers see every later edit; may be able to edit | None; the file is not there |
| Custom URL | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Password | Only if you password the file itself | Yes (Pro), on the link |
| View analytics | No | Views, devices, time per slide (Pro) |
| Your name on the end card | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Price | Free with iCloud | Free tier; Pro €12 / month |
When iCloud is enough
Working on the deck with a colleague. Sending a draft to someone who also uses Keynote and will edit it. Anything where the point is that the document keeps changing. iCloud is free and does this well.
When you want a delivery link
Sending the finished deck to a client, an investor or an audience. Someone on Windows or Android who should not have to sign into anything. A deck you want to password, to brand, or to know was opened. A link you want to keep for months without exposing your working file behind it.
Both, in practice
Most people who use Linkdeck also use iCloud. Collaborate on the deck in iCloud, and when it is done, export it to HTML and send the Linkdeck link. The client gets a version you signed off, not a window into your drafts.
Questions
Can people open an iCloud link without an Apple Account?
Yes, if you set the link to anyone with the link. Apple's collaboration guide says viewers need Keynote for iCloud in a supported browser, with current versions listed on that page. If you restrict the link to invited people, they need to sign in.
Does iCloud show who viewed the deck?
No. iCloud shows collaborators and their edits, not views. Linkdeck Pro records views, countries, devices and time per slide, and with the email gate on, who opened it.
Does the iCloud link change when I edit the deck?
No, it points at the live file, so viewers see the edits as you make them. A Linkdeck link changes only when you replace the deck yourself.
Export once, upload, and send a link that is not your working file
File → Export To → HTML, zip the folder, upload. Free for the first deck.