Vibecode Gamma

track this build5 phases, 16 steps, beginner friendly
KINDA · weekend project
price $9/moyou'd save $108/yrbuild time weekendcategory 🖥️ presentationsreplaced by 0 people

An AI slide generator is buildable, but Gamma's strength is layouts, editing model, exports, hosting, analytics, and shareable deck/site UX.

the project pack5 files · written for this build, step by step
README.md
# Gamma · indie build

Build a local AI-assisted slide-card editor with printable decks.

Estimated effort: **multi-day**. Work `BUILD_PLAN.md` top to bottom · every phase ends in a check that has to pass before the next one starts.

## Stack

| Part | Choice | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Runtime | Python 3.12+ and Flask | A small local HTTP application with readable server-side handlers and no JavaScript build pipeline. |
| Storage | SQLite through Python sqlite3 | Local ownership with explicit transactions and a portable backup path. |
| Interface | Jinja HTML templates, CSS and vanilla JavaScript | Implement the specified screens directly with labelled controls and progressive enhancement. |
| Verification | Python unittest and browser acceptance fixtures | Check invariants and the actual user workflow before the next phase. |
| Generation | Ollama local HTTP API | A backend-only adapter with a configurable installed local model and visible failure states. |

## Before you start

Have every one of these ready. The plan assumes them from step one.

- [ ] **Python 3.12 or newer and a terminal** · Python is free; this local prototype requires no hosting subscription.
  - Why: The local backend, tests and storage use Python.
  - Get it: Install Python from python.org. Open a terminal in a new empty project folder. On Windows, use py -3 where this guide says python if python is not on PATH; on macOS/Linux use python3 if needed. Create .venv and activate it before installing packages.
  - Verify: python --version reports 3.12+ and python -c "import sqlite3" succeeds.
- [ ] **A current desktop browser and text editor** · No paid service required for this local step.
  - Why: You need to view the local interface and edit generated project files.
  - Get it: Use an installed Chrome, Firefox or Edge browser. Open the empty project folder in your editor; open the terminal there, not in this catalog repository.
  - Verify: You can create a text file in the project folder and open browser developer tools.
- [ ] **Gamma acceptance sample** · No paid service required for this local step.
  - Why: This fixture makes the first end-to-end check reproducible.
  - Get it: Create synthetic sample data before implementation: A five-slide deck with title, bullets, two-column, quote and image layouts. Save it under fixtures/ with the expected results in fixtures/README.md; use no real credentials or customer records.
  - Verify: The fixture files and expected outcomes exist and can be inspected without a vendor account.
- [ ] **Confirm the bounded replacement** · No paid service required for this local step.
  - Why: The full commercial product is larger than this guide.
  - Get it: The deliverable is a local AI-assisted slide-card editor with printable decks. Read every exclusion below. Indie mode runs locally; any public or shared use requires the product access and deployment gates first.
  - Verify: You can name the primary workflow and the vendor features this version deliberately leaves out.
- [ ] **Ollama with an explicitly local model** · No cloud inference fee for this local configuration; you supply disk space, compute and electricity.
  - Why: Generation requires a running model; ordinary editing remains usable while it is unavailable.
  - Get it: Install Ollama from the official site, choose a locally runnable model from its library that fits available RAM, download it, and copy its exact installed name into LOCAL_MODEL. Use the documented local-only configuration, exclude cloud model names, and record model license, download size and tested memory use.
  - Verify: ollama list shows the chosen model; a short local prompt succeeds with network access disabled after download.

## Quick start

```sh
python -m venv .venv
python -m pip install Flask Flask-WTF python-dotenv waitress tzdata
python -m pip freeze > requirements.txt
python -m flask --app app run --host 127.0.0.1
```

Then copy `.env.example` to `.env` and fill in the values it documents.

## Honest limits

This build deliberately does not replace:

- Editable PPTX, automatic image generation and hosted sharing are explicitly excluded from this first version.
- This is a local AI-assisted slide-card editor with printable decks; full Gamma feature parity, vendor hosting and support are not included.
- polished editor
- responsive card model
- exports
- analytics
- custom domains
- template quality
- collaboration

If one of those is essential to you, that is the reason to keep paying for Gamma, and the README should say so rather than pretend.

$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent

why people still pay

They pay because the output looks acceptable without wrestling with PowerPoint.

what you lose

xpolished editor

xresponsive card model

xexports

xanalytics

xcustom domains

xtemplate quality

xcollaboration

prior art · use these instead of building, if you'd ratherSlidevOpen-source Markdown/HTML slide deck generator; good foundation for a developer-oriented c↗
share on X ↗"I just replaced Gamma ($9/mo) with one prompt"
the numbers

Gamma pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0/user$0/user400 starting AI credits with no monthly refresh; 10 slides/prompt; 50,000 input tokens; 2,000-credit balance cap; +200 credits/referral.
plus—$9/user1,000 credits/month; 75 slides/prompt; 100,000 input tokens.
pro—$18/user4,000 credits/month; 75 slides/prompt; up to 10 custom domains; API access.
ultracustom—20,000 credits/month; 75 slides/prompt; up to 100 custom domains.
team—$20/user6,000 credits/seat/month; 75 slides/prompt; up to 10 custom domains; 2-seat minimum.
business—$40/user10,000 credits/seat/month; up to 100 custom domains; 10-seat minimum.
enterprisecustom—Annual agreement; flexible team size and custom organization-wide credits.

free tier400 one-time starting AI credits; no automatic refresh; 10 slides/prompt; 50,000 input tokens; balance capped at 2,000 credits; +200 credits per referral

billingPlus and Pro offer monthly + annual; annual is advertised as 28% cheaper; Ultra is monthly-only; Team and Business are annual-only; Enterprise uses an annual agreement

hidden costs1,500 extra credits cost $6; multi-user auto-recharge charges separately for each user who triggers it; credits are not pooled; unused paid credits expire after the subscription ends; Team requires 2 seats and Business 10

verified 2026-08-13 · source ↗

questions
Vibecode Gamma

Kinda. The core of Gamma is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: polished editor, responsive card model. Read the honest list above before committing.

How much does Gamma cost?

Gamma costs about $9/month (Plus, checked 2026-08-13), which is $108 per year.

What do I lose by replacing Gamma?

Honestly: polished editor; responsive card model; exports; analytics; custom domains; template quality; collaboration. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Gamma?

Yes: Slidev (Open-source Markdown/HTML slide deck generator; good foundation for a developer-oriented c). Using prior art is also vibecoding; the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.