A Papermark alternative if your deck is a Keynote, not a PDF
Papermark is a well-made, open-source DocSend alternative. If you send PDFs, it is a fine choice. If you build in Keynote, it flattens the deck before anyone sees it. Linkdeck keeps the animations, for less than half the price.
Where Papermark is the better tool
Papermark handles data rooms with folders of documents, offers a custom domain on its business plan, and is open source, so you can self-host it. It accepts PDFs, and its viewer shows each page as an image with tracking around it. For due diligence, contracts and anything that is a document rather than a presentation, Papermark does more than Linkdeck.
What changes when the deck stays a Keynote
Linkdeck takes Keynote's own HTML export and hosts it. The viewer opens the real Keynote player in the browser: builds in order, transitions, embedded video and audio, hyperlinks that still click. Nothing is converted to page images, because nothing is converted at all.
On a phone the deck runs landscape, full screen, tap to advance. Video plays inside the slide. Sound starts on the first tap, since every browser blocks audio until the viewer touches the page.
Side by side
Both as they stand today. Check Papermark's site for current prices; plans change.
| Papermark | Linkdeck | |
|---|---|---|
| What the viewer sees | Page images of a PDF | The Keynote player itself |
| Builds, transitions, video, audio | No | Yes |
| File types | PDF and documents | Keynote HTML export only |
| Password on a link | Yes | Yes (Pro) |
| Email gate with leads | Yes | Yes (Pro) |
| Per-page / per-slide time | Yes | Yes (Pro) |
| Replace file, keep link | Yes | Yes (Pro) |
| Data rooms | Yes | No |
| Custom domain | Yes (business plan) | No |
| Open source, self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Price | Paid plans from about €24 / month | Pro €12 / month, free tier |
Who should stay on Papermark
Anyone running a data room. Anyone who needs a custom domain on the link. Anyone whose decks are PDFs and will stay PDFs. Papermark is built for that, and Linkdeck is not trying to be.
How to switch in 5 minutes
- Open the deck in Keynote and choose File → Export To → HTML….
- Right-click the export folder and choose Compress.
- Upload the .zip on linkdeck.me. The first deck is free and needs no account.
- Open the link on your phone next to the Papermark link and compare.
What Linkdeck costs
Free: 1 deck, 200 MB, link works for 3 days. Pro, €12 a month: 10 decks, 500 MB each, permanent links, custom slug, password, email gate with leads, comments, replace in place, per-slide analytics, your studio on the end card, no Linkdeck branding.
Questions
Does Linkdeck have a custom domain like Papermark Business?
No, not today. Your link is linkdeck.me/your-slug, and Pro lets you choose the slug.
Does Linkdeck do data rooms?
No. One deck, one link. If you need folders of documents behind one login, Papermark or DocSend is the right tool.
What does Linkdeck cost?
€12 a month for Pro. The free plan hosts one deck for 3 days, no account needed.
Upload one Keynote and compare the two links yourself
Export to HTML, zip, upload. Free for the first deck.