Eraser vs Whimsical

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

Whimsical

• Product teams sketching flows, wireframes and specs in one place
• Teams with many occasional viewers, since only editors are billed
• Linux users: the desktop app ships as DEB and RPM packages
• Students and teachers, who can apply for a free year

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.

Whimsical

• The Free plan allows 50 new board objects and 50 doc blocks a month and puts a watermark on exports.
• There is no dedicated mobile app: on a phone, files can be viewed and commented on in a browser, and iPad use is browser-based.
• AI credits are a one-off 10 per account on every plan; more are sold in bundles starting at 250 credits for $25.
• Private teams, SAML single sign-on and SCIM are limited to Business, at $20 per editor / month billed annually.

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.

Whimsical

Boards on an infinite canvas

One board type covers flowcharts, mind maps, sequence diagrams, sticky notes and freehand sketches. Voting and a timer are included on every plan.

Wireframes

Wireframes are assembled from drag-and-drop components, as a quick way to explore product ideas and iterate on them.

Whimsical AI

A prompt generates a flowchart, a branched mind map or an editable wireframe. Each account gets 10 one-off AI credits; more are sold separately at $0.10 each.

Docs

Docs hold notes, project plans, briefs and specs next to the boards they describe, with Markdown support, toggles and embedded content.

Multiplayer editing and comments

Several people can edit a file at once and leave comments on it. Share links can grant view, comment or edit access on every plan.

Embeds and AI tool connectors

Boards embed live in Notion and Obsidian and preview in Slack, Jira and Google Docs. An MCP server and connectors let ChatGPT, Claude and Cursor create diagrams.

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.

Whimsical

• Free$0

  50 new board objects and 50 doc blocks a month, 5 MB uploads within 1 GB of storage, watermarked exports and 7-day version history.

• Pro$10

  per editor / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)

  Unlimited board objects and doc blocks, exports without a watermark, 90-day version history, password-protected files and 100 GB of storage.

• Business$20

  per editor / month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)

  Private teams, SAML single sign-on, SCIM, content security lock, unlimited version history, invoicing, priority support and storage from 2 TB.

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.

Whimsical

• Annual discount

  2 months free with annual billing

  Pro is $120 per editor billed annually against $12 a month, and Business is $240 against $24. The pricing page shows this as a 17% saving.

• Education

  Free for a year for students and teachers

  Teachers and students can apply for the education plan, which provides the same features as Pro free of charge for a year.

• Nonprofit

  20% off for nonprofits

  Whimsical offers a 20% discount to non-profit organizations that apply through its form.

• Other savings

  Free for life for YouTube creators

  Creators with a public YouTube channel of at least 1,000 subscribers and a video published in the past 30 days can apply for a plan that is free for life.