Alternatives roundup
6 tools like Excalidraw for sketching diagrams
Excalidraw is great for quick, hand-drawn diagrams. But depending on what you need, something else might be a better fit: more shape types, team collaboration, folder organization, or tighter integration with a tool you already use. Here are six real alternatives with honest pros and cons.
Why people look for alternatives to Excalidraw
Excalidraw nails one thing: fast, informal sketches with a hand-drawn look. But it intentionally stays simple, which means some workflows outgrow it:
- No folder organization. Every drawing is a standalone file. After a few dozen diagrams, finding the right one means opening files one by one.
- No version history. Edit a diagram and the previous version is gone unless you manually exported a copy.
- Limited shape types. If you need formal UML, BPMN, or cloud architecture diagrams, Excalidraw's basic shapes are not enough.
- Team needs. Excalidraw supports basic real-time collaboration, but tools like Miro and FigJam offer richer team features: voting, timers, templates, and integrations.
None of these are flaws. Excalidraw is deliberately minimal. The question is whether your workflow needs more.
1. tldraw
The closest thing to Excalidraw
tldraw is an open-source infinite canvas with a clean, minimal UI. Like Excalidraw, it runs in the browser with no account needed. The drawing style is clean and geometric rather than hand-drawn. It supports real-time collaboration via shared links and has a developer-friendly SDK for embedding.
Best for
Developers who want an Excalidraw-like experience with a cleaner visual style, or who want to embed a canvas in their own app.
Strengths
- Open source, free to use
- No account required
- Real-time collaboration via shared links
- Embeddable SDK for developers
- Clean, modern UI
Limitations
- No folder or project organization
- No version history
- Smaller shape library than draw.io
- No hand-drawn style (some people prefer Excalidraw's sketchy look)
2. draw.io (diagrams.net)
The widest shape library, completely free
draw.io is a free, open-source diagramming tool with the largest shape library of any tool on this list: UML, BPMN, network diagrams, AWS/Azure/GCP architecture, flowcharts, and more. It integrates with Google Drive, OneDrive, and GitHub for storage. The interface is more traditional than Excalidraw, closer to Visio than a whiteboard.
Best for
Anyone who needs formal diagram types (UML, network, cloud architecture) or wants tight integration with Google Drive or Confluence.
Strengths
- Completely free, no paid tier
- Massive shape library for every diagram type
- Integrates with Google Drive, OneDrive, GitHub, GitLab
- Can be self-hosted
- Exports to many formats (SVG, PNG, PDF, XML)
Limitations
- UI feels heavier and more complex than Excalidraw
- No hand-drawn style
- Real-time collaboration is limited compared to Miro or FigJam
- The learning curve is steeper for casual use
3. Miro
The team whiteboard with everything
Miro is a full-featured online whiteboard built for team collaboration. It has sticky notes, voting, timers, templates, integrations with Jira and Slack, and a large marketplace of add-ons. The free plan allows 3 editable boards. It is the most feature-rich option on this list, but also the most complex.
Best for
Teams that need facilitation tools (voting, timers, templates) alongside diagramming, especially for workshops and retrospectives.
Strengths
- Real-time collaboration with live cursors
- Hundreds of templates for workshops, mapping, planning
- Integrates with Jira, Slack, and other team tools
- Large ecosystem of plugins
Limitations
- Free plan limited to 3 editable boards
- Can feel heavy for quick, simple sketches
- Paid plans are expensive for solo users
- Not open source
4. FigJam
Figma's whiteboard, great if you already use Figma
FigJam is Figma's online whiteboard. It shares Figma's polished UI and collaboration features: live cursors, reactions, stamps, and audio chat. If your team already uses Figma for design, FigJam lives in the same workspace. The free plan is generous for individuals.
Best for
Design teams already using Figma, or anyone who wants a polished whiteboard experience with good collaboration.
Strengths
- Seamless with Figma's design tool
- Polished, friendly UI with stamps and reactions
- Real-time collaboration
- Generous free plan for individuals
Limitations
- Tied to the Figma ecosystem
- Not open source
- Limited shape library compared to draw.io
- No hand-drawn style like Excalidraw
5. Excalidraw + Obsidian plugin
For people who live in Obsidian
The Excalidraw plugin for Obsidian stores each drawing as an .excalidraw.md file inside your Obsidian vault. You get the Excalidraw canvas embedded directly in your note-taking workflow, organized with the same folder structure you already use for notes. Drawings can be embedded in markdown notes and linked bidirectionally.
Best for
People who already use Obsidian for notes and want diagrams alongside their markdown without switching tools.
Strengths
- Excalidraw canvas inside Obsidian
- Drawings organized with your existing vault folder structure
- Bidirectional links between notes and drawings
- Free plugin, actively maintained
- Git-based version history if you use Obsidian Git
Limitations
- Requires the Obsidian desktop app (not browser-based)
- Cloud sync needs Obsidian Sync (paid) or a DIY setup
- Not useful if you do not already use Obsidian
- Drawing experience is slightly different from excalidraw.com
6. CanvasKeep
Excalidraw with folders and version history
CanvasKeep is built on the open-source Excalidraw canvas and adds the project layer it lacks: workspaces, nested folders, and named version history. The drawing experience is identical to Excalidraw because it uses the same editor. The difference is what wraps around it. Core organization features are free.
Best for
Solo users or small teams who like Excalidraw's canvas but need folders and version history to manage a growing diagram library.
Strengths
- Same Excalidraw canvas, identical drawing experience
- Nested folders and workspaces
- Named version history with save, preview, and restore
- Cloud sync with Google sign-in
- Free plan includes organization features
Limitations
- Free plan capped at 20 diagrams
- No real-time multi-user collaboration (yet)
- Newer product, smaller community than Miro or Figma
Side-by-side comparison
A quick reference for how these tools compare on the features that matter most.
| Feature | tldraw | draw.io | Miro | FigJam | Obsidian | CanvasKeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use | 3 boards | |||||
| Hand-drawn style | ||||||
| No account needed | For drawing | |||||
| Real-time collaboration | Limited | |||||
| Folder organization | Via Drive | |||||
| Version history | Via Drive | Via git | ||||
| Open source | Plugin |
Based on each product's publicly documented features and free-plan positioning as of 2026. Features and pricing change; check each product's website for current details.
Which tool should you pick?
You want Excalidraw but cleaner: tldraw. Same infinite canvas concept, different visual style, open source.
You need formal diagram types: draw.io. Nothing else on this list has a shape library that deep.
You run team workshops: Miro or FigJam. Both have the facilitation features (voting, timers, templates) that a workshop needs. Pick FigJam if your team is already in Figma; pick Miro if you want the widest integration ecosystem.
You live in Obsidian: The Excalidraw plugin. Your drawings sit next to your notes with zero context-switching.
You like Excalidraw but need folders and version history: CanvasKeep. Same canvas, with the organization layer built in. Free to start.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes Excalidraw different from other diagram tools?
- Excalidraw has a hand-drawn visual style, runs entirely in the browser with no account, and is open source. The sketchy look makes diagrams feel informal and approachable, which is why developers and designers reach for it when they want a quick sketch rather than a polished deliverable.
- Is there a free alternative to Excalidraw with folders?
- Yes. CanvasKeep uses the same open-source Excalidraw canvas and adds workspaces, nested folders, and version history on a free plan. Draw.io also has a folder-like structure when connected to Google Drive or OneDrive.
- Can I self-host any of these tools?
- Excalidraw and tldraw are open source and can be self-hosted. Draw.io can be self-hosted as well. Miro, FigJam, and CanvasKeep are cloud services and cannot be self-hosted.
- Which tool is best for real-time collaboration?
- Miro and FigJam are built for team collaboration with live cursors, voting, timers, and facilitation features. Excalidraw also supports real-time collaboration via shared links. If collaboration is the primary need, those three are stronger than draw.io or CanvasKeep.
- Which tool is best for a solo user who draws a lot?
- If your main problem is organizing a growing library of diagrams, CanvasKeep gives you the Excalidraw canvas with folders and version history. If you need formal diagram types (UML, BPMN, network diagrams), draw.io has the widest shape library. For quick informal sketches with no account, plain Excalidraw or tldraw are hard to beat.
Like the Excalidraw canvas? Keep your drawings organized.
CanvasKeep wraps the same open-source canvas with folders and version history. Free to start, no credit card.