Ranked 4 of 6 in best whiteboard and diagramming tools
Open-source MIT whiteboard with a hand-drawn style that suits early sketches. It has fewer templates and workshop features than Miro or FigJam.
Best for Open-source sketches and early architecture ideas
About Excalidraw
Excalidraw is a virtual whiteboard for sketching diagrams with a hand-drawn style. Its homepage describes it as a collaborative whiteboard tool for diagrams that feel hand-drawn, and its code is on GitHub as a virtual whiteboard for sketching. The drawing style makes rough architecture sketches and flowcharts look informal, which many teams prefer for early ideas.
The code is licensed under MIT, so anyone can use, change and embed it, and the project is open source on GitHub. Excalidraw is lighter than Miro or FigJam, with fewer templates and workshop features, but it is simple to share. It suits developers and small teams who want an open-source sketch tool, while Miro and FigJam suit larger workshops.
Key features
- Open source, MIT licensed
- Hand-drawn style
- Collaborative whiteboard
- Browser-based app
Strengths
- Open source under the MIT license
- Hand-drawn style suits early sketches
- Runs in a browser at excalidraw.com
Limits
- Fewer templates and workshop features than Miro
- Less suited to large, formal diagram sets
Where Excalidraw ranks
| List | Rank | Score | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Whiteboard and diagramming tools | 4 of 6 | 87.5 | Open-source sketches and early architecture ideas |
Alternatives to Excalidraw
All 5 alternatives
MiroOnline whiteboard for brainstorming, diagrams and team planning
draw.ioFree open-source diagramming app for flowcharts and architecture
FigJamOnline whiteboard from Figma for diagrams and brainstorming
MuralVisual workspace for team collaboration and problem solving
tldrawInfinite canvas whiteboard that needs no sign-up
Questions about Excalidraw
- Is Excalidraw free?
- Excalidraw can be used without paying: Free and open source under MIT. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
- Is Excalidraw open source?
- Yes. Excalidraw publishes its source code under the MIT license.
- Which platforms does Excalidraw support?
- Excalidraw is available on: Web.
- What is Excalidraw best for?
- Open-source sketches and early architecture ideas. In our ranking of whiteboard and diagramming tools it is number 4 of 6 with a score of 87.5.
- What are the best alternatives to Excalidraw?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Miro, draw.io, FigJam, Mural.