Eraser vs Excalidraw

Eraser

• Engineering teams documenting system architecture
• Developers who prefer to write diagrams as code
• Keeping diagrams in step with a Git repository
• Embedding live-updating diagrams in Notion or Confluence

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

Eraser

• The Free plan stops at 3 files and 3 AI diagrams, keeps 7 days of version history and has no private files.
• AI use beyond a plan's monthly credits costs $60 per 100 credits, and only on paid plans with usage-based pricing switched on.
• API calls are billed by usage on top of a paid plan: $80 per 100 prompt-to-diagram calls and $20 per 100 code-to-diagram calls.
• The vendor's site lists no desktop or mobile app; Eraser runs in a browser, and SAML SSO needs the Business plan.

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.

Eraser

AI diagram generation

A prompt, an image or a file such as Terraform or a database schema is turned into an editable diagram, which can then be refined through AI chat or by hand in the visual editor.

Diagram-as-code

Architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN diagrams each have a text syntax, so a diagram can be read, compared and edited as code. It is included on every plan.

Canvas with Markdown notes

A file holds one infinite canvas and a note editor with Markdown support. Figures from the canvas can be embedded in the document, and files export to PDF, PNG, SVG or Markdown.

Codebase diagrams and Eraserbot

Diagrams can be generated from a connected Git repository. Eraserbot watches chosen files and comments on pull requests with updated diagrams when they change.

REST API and MCP server

The API renders a diagram from a prompt or from Eraser's diagram code. The MCP server lets Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT create, search, update and export diagrams.

Real-time collaboration and guests

Members edit together in real time and leave comments and mentions. Guests are free on every plan and can edit or comment only on files they are invited to.

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.

Eraser

• Free$0

  3 files, 3 AI diagrams and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code and Markdown notes.

• Starter$15

  per member / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)

  Unlimited files, 40 AI credits a month, 90-day version history, private files, 20 custom icons and usage-based API calls.

• Business$45

  per member / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)

  Everything in Starter, plus 250 AI credits a month, unlimited version history, SAML SSO, 100 custom icons and reference diagrams.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited AI diagrams, flexible deployment including single-tenant and self-hosted, usage reporting, a customer success manager and payment by ACH or wire.

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.

Eraser

• Annual discount

  25% less with annual billing

  Starter is $15 per member a month billed annually against $20 billed monthly, and Business is $45 against $60, which works out 25% cheaper on both plans.

• Education

  Education discount on request

  Eraser's docs say discounts are available to education users, who request one by filling out a form. The size of the discount is not published.

• Nonprofit

  Nonprofit discount on request

  Non-profit users can request a discount through the same form linked from the pricing page FAQ and the docs. The size of the discount is not published.

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.