Hosting a Keynote HTML export: Netlify Drop or Linkdeck?
Both work. One is a hosting tool that happens to serve a Keynote export; the other is built for sending a deck to someone and knowing what happened next.
The do-it-yourself route
Keynote's HTML export is a folder with index.html and an assets folder. Any static host will serve it. Netlify Drop lets you drag that folder onto a web page and get a URL in a few seconds, free. GitHub Pages does the same for a public repository. If you are comfortable with either, you have a working deck link without paying anyone.
What breaks or is missing on plain hosting
The export plays, but a few things you would expect from a deck link are not there.
- The URL is a random subdomain unless you rename the site or attach a domain.
- No password on the link. Site-wide password protection is a paid Netlify feature at the time of writing; check their pricing page.
- No view data beyond whatever analytics you add yourself, and nothing per slide.
- On a phone, Apple's player opens as-is: no landscape prompt, no tap-to-advance wrapper, video tags that may jump to full screen on iPhone.
- Updating means redeploying and remembering which URL is current.
Side by side
Netlify's limits and prices change; check their site before deciding.
| Netlify Drop | Linkdeck | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Drag the folder onto the page | Zip the folder, drop the .zip |
| URL | Random subdomain, renameable | linkdeck.me/slug; slug chosen on Pro |
| Password on the link | Paid feature | Yes (Pro) |
| Email gate with leads | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Per-slide analytics | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Replace deck, keep URL | Redeploy to the same site | Replace in place (Pro) |
| Mobile player (landscape, tap to advance, inline video) | No | Yes |
| Image and GIF optimisation | No | Yes, on upload |
| Custom domain | Yes | No |
| Price | Free, bandwidth capped | Free tier; Pro €12 / month |
What Linkdeck changes in Apple's export
It unzips the export, drops the __MACOSX folder, compresses images and GIFs, adds small helper scripts to index.html for navigation and media, uploads everything to a CDN, and wraps it in a viewer that handles landscape, tap-to-advance and starting audio on the first tap. Keynote's own player files are not modified.
When DIY is the right call
You want your own domain. You share slides publicly and do not care who opens them. You already run a site and a deck is one more folder. Then Netlify Drop or GitHub Pages costs nothing and Linkdeck adds little.
Linkdeck earns its €12 when the deck goes to a client, an investor or an audience whose response you want to see, and when you want a password, a clean slug and a link that survives a revision.
Try both with the same ZIP
- In Keynote: File → Export To → HTML… and save.
- Drag the folder onto Netlify Drop.
- Right-click the same folder, choose Compress, and drop the .zip on linkdeck.me. The first deck is free.
- Open both URLs on your phone.
Questions
Can I password-protect a Netlify Drop site?
Not on the free plan at the time of writing; Netlify lists site protection as a paid feature. Linkdeck adds a password on Pro, and the viewer is asked for it in the browser before the first slide loads.
Does Linkdeck change Apple's HTML?
It adds a mobile-friendly wrapper and helper scripts, compresses images and serves the folder from a CDN. Keynote's player itself is untouched.
Does Netlify keep my site forever?
Free sites persist, with monthly bandwidth capped; check Netlify's current limits. Linkdeck's free deck expires after 3 days; Pro decks stay up while you subscribe.
Upload the same ZIP here and compare the two URLs
Free for the first deck, no account needed.