draw.io vs Excalidraw

draw.io

• UML, ERD, network and flowchart diagrams at no cost
• Teams whose data rules require files to stay in their own storage
• Diagramming offline on Windows, macOS or Linux
• Documentation kept in Confluence, Google Drive or GitHub

Excalidraw

• Quick architecture sketches, wireframes and diagrams
• Ad hoc sessions where guests join by link with no account
• Developers who want an open-source editor to embed or self-host
• Students and teachers, who get a reduced Excalidraw+ price

draw.io

• There is no hosted workspace or account: every diagram is a file kept in the storage you pick, so sharing depends on that storage.
• Real-time co-editing needs the file to be in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or the diagram to be in draw.io for Confluence.
• No native mobile apps are listed; the docs suggest adding the web editor to a phone's home screen instead.
• Using draw.io inside Confluence or Jira needs the vendor's Atlassian Marketplace apps, which are licensed separately from the free editor.

Excalidraw

• The free editor has 1 scene and no accounts or cloud saving; anything else has to be exported or saved to a file.
• Unlimited scenes, comments, access management, presentations and voice hangouts all need Excalidraw+.
• The vendor's pages list no desktop or mobile apps; Excalidraw runs in a web browser.
• Excalidraw+ bills every seat in every workspace, accepts credit cards only, and its terms make charges non-refundable.

draw.io

Shape libraries for technical diagrams

Libraries and templates cover process flows, org charts, floor plans, network infrastructure, UML, entity relationship models, circuit and rack diagrams, and infographics.

Storage you choose

Diagrams are saved to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, the browser or the local device. The online editor does not store diagram data on the vendor's servers.

Offline desktop app and self-hosting

A stand-alone desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux works with no internet connection, and the editor can be deployed in a self-hosted Docker container.

Co-editing with shared cursors

People editing the same diagram see each other's changes in real time when the file is stored in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or in draw.io for Confluence.

Diagrams generated from text

The editor builds diagrams from Mermaid code, CSV spreadsheet data or SQL code, and an AI tool can generate a diagram from a written description.

Import, export and embedding

Files from other diagramming tools can be dropped in and edited, and diagrams export to SVG, PNG or PDF or embed as interactive viewers in docs, wikis and web pages.

Excalidraw

Hand-drawn style canvas

An infinite canvas with elementary drawing tools and a sketched, hand-drawn look. Keyboard shortcuts and a command palette speed up drawing.

Collaboration by link

Sharing a link starts a live session that anyone can join without an account. Excalidraw+ adds read-only links, edit or view rights, comments and embeds.

Libraries

Public libraries supply ready-made sketches to drop into a scene. A personal library is kept in the browser on the free editor and on the server with Excalidraw+.

Generative AI

Text to diagram builds and edits diagrams from a prompt, and wireframe to code turns a sketch into an interactive mockup. AI use is limited on Free and extended on Plus.

Excalidraw+ workspace

Scenes sync to the cloud and are organized into collections, with user accounts, team management and access control. An MCP server lets AI agents draw into a workspace.

Presentations and voice

With Plus, frames become slides for live presentations, scenes export to PDF and PPTX, and collaborators can talk over voice hangouts with screen sharing.

draw.io

• Free$0

  The full editor online at app.diagrams.net, as a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, or self-hosted in a container. No sign-up is needed.

Excalidraw

• Free$0

  Full editor with 1 infinite scene, unlimited collaborators by link, PNG and SVG export, libraries, and end-to-end encryption in the browser.

• Plus$6

  per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)

  Unlimited scenes and folders saved to the cloud, edit or view-only sharing, comments, team management, presentations, voice hangouts and extended AI.

draw.io

• Nonprofit

  Free Confluence and Jira Cloud license for charities

  draw.io's licensing docs say charitable organizations and partners are eligible for a free license for its Confluence or Jira Cloud apps.

Excalidraw

• Annual discount

  Save 14% with annual billing

  Excalidraw+ is $6 per user a month when billed annually and $7 when billed monthly. The pricing page states the annual saving as 14%.

• Education

  Excalidraw+ for $4 a month with a school email

  Students and teachers with an educational email address can get Excalidraw+ for $4 monthly or $36 yearly, shown at checkout or after verification.