Alternatives · Whiteboards
Pencil Project alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Pencil Project alternative for most people is draw.io (3.2 GPA), third in our ranking of whiteboard and mind map tools. It's also the best free one.
Pencil Project compared with 5 alternatives: Moqups, draw.io, Excalidraw, yEd and MockFlow.
Pencil Project is free to use. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pencil ProjectThis tool | Free | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Moqups | Free plan · from $7/mo | Yes | Web |
| draw.io | Free | Free | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Excalidraw | Free plan · from $6/mo | Yes | Web |
| yEd | Free | Free | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| MockFlow | Free plan · from $9/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Browser extension |
Price against what you get
Pencil Project has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
draw.io and Excalidraw score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Pencil Project
Moqups
Wireframes, diagrams and whiteboards in one browser app
- Moqups starts at $7 per month for 1 seat, billed annually ($11 billed monthly).
- Moqups also lists a web app.
- Moqups lists no macOS, Windows and Linux apps, which Pencil Project has.
- Moqups also covers whiteboard.
- Moqups does not cover templates, which Pencil Project does.
Suits: Designers and product teams sketching wireframes
draw.io
Free diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose
- draw.io is free.
- draw.io also lists a web app.
- draw.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: UML, ERD, network and flowchart diagrams at no cost
Excalidraw
Open-source whiteboard for hand-drawn style sketches and diagrams
- Excalidraw starts at $6 per user / month, billed annually.
- Excalidraw also lists a web app.
- Excalidraw lists no macOS, Windows and Linux apps, which Pencil Project has.
- Excalidraw is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Excalidraw also covers whiteboard.
Suits: Quick architecture sketches, wireframes and diagrams
yEd
Free desktop graph editor with automatic diagram layout
- yEd is free.
- yEd also lists a web app.
- yEd does not cover templates, which Pencil Project does.
Suits: Analyzing and laying out large graphs or networks
MockFlow
Whiteboard, diagram and wireframe workspace with an AI helper
- MockFlow starts at $9 per editor / month, billed yearly.
- MockFlow also lists a web app and a browser extension.
- MockFlow lists no Linux app, which Pencil Project has.
- MockFlow also covers whiteboard and mind mapping.
Suits: Product and design teams that want whiteboarding and wireframes in one place
Limits worth knowing in Pencil Project
- It is a single-user desktop app; the pages read describe no real-time collaboration or hosted version.
- It is a mockup and diagram tool, not an infinite freehand whiteboard.
- The Linux, macOS and Windows builds are standalone packages; no web, iOS or Android version is listed.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Pencil Project?
The alternatives to Pencil Project in this directory are Moqups, draw.io, Excalidraw, yEd and MockFlow. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Pencil Project.
Is there a free alternative to Pencil Project?
Yes. draw.io and yEd are free to use. Moqups, Excalidraw and MockFlow have a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.