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Excalidraw alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Excalidraw: few workshop features like voting or timers, and free version saves only one scene in the browser. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Excalidraw, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. tldraw currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1tldraw logotldrawFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 466.5
2Miro logoMiroFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +25 of 559.6
3FigJam logoFigJamFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +15 of 557.2
4WBO logoWBOOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
5WhWhimsicalFree plan + paidNoWeb, macOS, Windows4 of 452.2
  1. tldraw logo

    1. tldrawTop pick

    Best for: People who want a fast free sketching canvas, and developers embedding a whiteboard

    Free plan + paidWeb

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Excalidraw

    A similarly fast canvas with a cleaner style and a developer SDK.

    Pros

    • Fast, smooth drawing in the browser
    • Free to use with real-time collaboration
    • Popular SDK for building custom canvases

    Cons

    • SDK licence is source-available, not open source
    • Commercial SDK use needs a paid licence
    • No workshop templates or facilitation tools
    Visit tldraw Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is tldraw a good Excalidraw alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    SDK trial
    100 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tldraw.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Hobby licence
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tldraw.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Commercial licence
    Required for production
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tldraw.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosted multiplayer
    Starter kit available
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tldraw.dev(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Miro logo

    2. Miro

    Best for: Teams running workshops and planning sessions that need the broadest template and integration library

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Excalidraw

    Templates, integrations and facilitation tools for full workshops.

    Pros

    • Huge template library and facilitation tools
    • Integrates with most work tools
    • Apps on every desktop and mobile platform

    Cons

    • Free plan limits you to three editable boards
    • Busy interface with many features
    • Per-member pricing adds up for large teams
    Visit Miro Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Miro a good Excalidraw alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    3 editable boards
    Checked Oct 25, 2026miro.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starter price
    $8 per member/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026miro.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    $20 per member/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026miro.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop apps
    Mac and Windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026miro.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Mobile apps
    iOS and Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026miro.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. FigJam logo

    3. FigJam

    Best for: Product and design teams already using Figma who want a friendly shared whiteboard

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Excalidraw

    A friendlier team whiteboard with stickies and voting.

    Pros

    • Included with Figma seats; cheap Collab seat for others
    • Approachable, playful interface
    • Works directly with Figma design files

    Cons

    • Lighter facilitation tools than Miro or Mural
    • No Android app
    • Best value depends on already using Figma
    Visit FigJam Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is FigJam a good Excalidraw alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Included with Figma
    All seats on every plan
    Checked Oct 25, 2026figma.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Collab seat
    $3/month (Professional)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026figma.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Starter, limited access
    Checked Oct 25, 2026figma.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open sessions
    Guests join for 24 hours
    Checked Oct 25, 2026figma.com(opens source in a new tab)
    iPad app
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026help.figma.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. WBO logo

    4. WBO

    Best for: Teachers, tinkerers and teams wanting a free shared drawing board they can self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Excalidraw

    Another free open-source board, built for freehand drawing together.

    Pros

    • Free with no account needed
    • Open source and easy to self-host
    • Real-time drawing with link sharing

    Cons

    • Very basic tools, no sticky notes or templates
    • Anyone with the link can edit
    • No integrations
    Visit WBO Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is WBO a good Excalidraw alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes, free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wbo.ophir.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Boards saved on the server
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wbo.ophir.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Private boards
    Link-only random names
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wbo.ophir.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Wh

    5. Whimsical

    Best for: Product and design teams sketching flows, wireframes and maps quickly

    Free plan + paidWeb, macOS, Windows

    52.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Excalidraw

    Neater flowcharts and wireframes with docs alongside.

    Pros

    • Very quick to draw clean-looking flowcharts
    • Wireframes, mind maps and docs in the same workspace
    • Viewers and guests are free

    Cons

    • Free plan caps objects per month and watermarks exports
    • Few specialised shapes for network, cloud or UML work
    • No data linking or diagrams as code
    Visit Whimsical Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.352
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Whimsical a good Excalidraw alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Up to 50 board objects per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whimsical.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro price
    $10 per editor/month (annual)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whimsical.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    $20 per editor/month (annual)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whimsical.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop app
    macOS and Windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whimsical.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Excalidraw alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

tldraw logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for most people

tldraw

A similarly fast canvas with a cleaner style and a developer SDK.

WBO logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for a free option

WBO

Another free open-source board, built for freehand drawing together.

Miro logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Miro

Templates, integrations and facilitation tools for full workshops.

WBO logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for open source

WBO

Another free open-source board, built for freehand drawing together.

WBO logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for self-hosting

WBO

Another free open-source board, built for freehand drawing together.

FigJam logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for Mac

FigJam

A friendlier team whiteboard with stickies and voting.

Wh

Best Excalidraw alternative for Windows

Whimsical

Neater flowcharts and wireframes with docs alongside.

Miro logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for iPhone and Android

Miro

Templates, integrations and facilitation tools for full workshops.

tldraw logo

Best Excalidraw alternative for working in the browser

tldraw

A similarly fast canvas with a cleaner style and a developer SDK.

Excalidraw alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Excalidraw?

tldraw ranks first right now. A similarly fast canvas with a cleaner style and a developer SDK. Miro and FigJam follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Excalidraw?

Yes. tldraw (free plan + paid), Miro (free plan + paid), FigJam (free plan + paid) and WBO (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Excalidraw?

Yes: WBO. WBO can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Excalidraw?

The complaints we hear most: few workshop features like voting or timers; free version saves only one scene in the browser; not suited to large, structured boards.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Excalidraw, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.