MockFlow vs Pencil Project (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pencil Project grades higher than MockFlow: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
MockFlow grades higher on platforms. Pencil Project grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MockFlow
Whiteboard, diagram and wireframe workspace with an AI helper
Pencil Project
Free open-source desktop tool for GUI mockups and diagrams
Which one is for you
Pick MockFlow if
- Fits if you sketch wireframes and run workshops in the same tool
- Works for a team that lives in Slack, Jira or Google Meet
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do commercial work on Basic, as it is for personal and nonprofit use only
- Tight if you stay free: 4 projects and 200 items a board
- Watch out: an idle Basic account may be closed after 60 days
- Pricey if you want the offline app, SSO or Figma export, which need Max at $14 an editor a month
Pick Pencil Project if
- Fits if you sketch app or website mockups offline
- Works for people who want a free desktop alternative to subscription whiteboards
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need real-time collaboration, because it's single-user
- Not for you if you want a web or phone version, as none is listed
- Too light for an infinite freehand whiteboard: it's for mockups and diagrams
- Watch out: it's offered as standalone packages, so sharing means exporting files
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMockFlowFair | 3.0GPAPencil ProjectVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPlus is $9 an editor a month billed yearly, near the $8.25 middle. Max is $14. | AFree to download and use, and open source. The category's middle for paid plans is $8. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic is free for one editor with 4 projects, 200 items a board and 100 AI credits a month. It is for personal and nonprofit use, and may be closed after 60 days without a sign-in. | AFree outright with no account or cap; the project accepts voluntary support. |
| Features | CWhiteboard, wireframes, AI, workshop tools, automations and developer access. The listing shows the desktop app, SSO and Figma export are limited to Max. | CShape collections, connectors, page links and export to PNG, PDF and SVG. It does the mockup job fully, but it's a smaller job, and it has no collaboration. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Building boards and wireframes is a learning curve. | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and start drawing with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac and Windows apps, and a browser extension, with Slack, Jira, Teams and Figma. No phone app listed. | CPrograms for Mac, Windows and Linux only. No web, iPhone or Android version, and OpenClipart is the one connection named. |
| Best for | whiteboards and wireframes with an AI helper | free offline mockups and diagrams on a desktop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: MockFlow and Pencil Project. How we grade
Price against what you get
MockFlow starts at $9 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pencil Project has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Pencil Project starts $9 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 18 score higher than MockFlow for less, and none scores higher than Pencil Project for less.
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
Where they differ
- Pencil Project is open source, according to its own site.
- MockFlow also covers whiteboard and mind mapping.
At a glance
| MockFlow | Pencil Project | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9 per editor / month, billed yearly | Free |
| Free plan | Basic: 1 editor, up to 4 projects, 200 items per board, 5 reviewers and 100 AI credits a month, for personal and nonprofit use. | Free to download and use; the project accepts voluntary support. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | MockFlow | Evolus |
| Price read from | mockflow.com | pencil.evolus.vn |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MockFlow
- Basic is for personal and nonprofit use; commercial work needs a paid plan.
- A Basic account nobody signs in to for 60 days may be closed, according to the pricing page.
- The offline desktop app, SSO and Figma export are limited to Max.
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.
Key features
MockFlow
- Endless whiteboard
- A single canvas for mind maps, flowcharts, diagrams and storyboards, with templates and UI kits on every plan.
- Wireframing
- App and website wireframes are drawn on the same board, with click-through prototypes; Max adds export to Figma and code.
- Mida AI helper
- Mida creates content from prompts and spends monthly credits: 100 on Basic, 800 per editor on Plus and 2,000 per editor on Max.
- Team workshop tools
- Plus adds team chat, audio meetings, polls, voting and timers, and runs inside Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.
- Automations and connectors
- Max boards can update themselves up to 60 runs a month and pull live data from apps such as Jira and Slack.
- Developer access
- A boards API with webhooks and an MCP server let outside tools and AI agents read and write boards, with rate limits that rise by plan.
Pencil Project
- GUI prototyping shapes
- Built-in collections cover general shapes, flowchart elements, desktop and web UI parts, and Android and iOS interface elements.
- Diagrams with connectors
- Connectors wire shapes together, and the flowchart shape collection supports basic diagram drawing.
- Inter-page linking
- Elements can link to another page in the same document, which helps define the flow of an app or website mockup.
- Export formats
- Documents export as PNG files, a web page, OpenOffice or LibreOffice text documents, Inkscape SVG and PDF.
- AI assistants through MCP
- Since version 4.0.0 a built-in Model Context Protocol server lets AI assistants insert and edit shapes in open documents.
Plans
MockFlow
Basic$0
1 editor, 4 projects, 200 items per board, 7 days of version history and 100 AI credits a month.
Plus$9
per editor / month, billed yearly
Unlimited boards and projects, chat and audio meetings, polls and timers, 800 AI credits per editor monthly.
Max$14
per editor / month, billed yearly
Adds video meetings, automations, live app data, Figma export, SSO and the offline desktop app.
Pencil Project
Free$0
The full application is free and open source, with no paid plans listed.
Ways to pay less
MockFlow
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
The pricing page marks yearly billing as saving 25% compared with monthly billing.
Pencil Project
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MockFlow or Pencil Project?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pencil Project is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for each person for MockFlow. MockFlow starts at $9 per editor / month, billed yearly, and Pencil Project is free.
Which has a free plan, MockFlow or Pencil Project?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MockFlow and Pencil Project have a free plan.
Which platforms do MockFlow and Pencil Project run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MockFlow lists a web app and a browser extension and only Pencil Project lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.