The Eraser Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Eraser in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Eraser
The Insider’s Guide
AI diagramming and docs canvas for engineering teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from Eraser’s own pages.
Made by Eraser Labs, Inc. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Eraser’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Eraser’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
Eraser is a diagramming tool for engineering teams. Each file pairs an infinite canvas with a Markdown note editor, and diagrams can be drawn by hand, written as diagram-as-code, or generated by AI from a prompt, an image, a file or a connected Git repository. It covers architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN diagrams, integrates with GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code, and offers a REST API and an MCP server for AI agents.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Eraser, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for architecture diagrams written as code or by AI
Eraser is a diagramming tool for engineers: draw a system diagram by hand, write it as code, or have AI build it from a prompt or a Git repo, with a Markdown doc beside each canvas.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per member / month, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
3 files, 3 AI diagrams and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code, Markdown notes and the GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. No private files.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 30
That is against the other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Eraser you could make: Markdown and documents. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Eraser at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per member / month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Eraser Labs, Inc.
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for architecture diagrams written as code or by AI
Eraser is a diagramming tool for engineers: draw a system diagram by hand, write it as code, or have AI build it from a prompt or a Git repo, with a Markdown doc beside each canvas. It costs $15 a member a month billed annually, the free plan stops at 3 files and 3 AI diagrams, extra AI and API calls are billed on top, and it only runs in a browser.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Starter is $15 a member a month billed annually, or $20 monthly, when this category's middle plan is $8.33. That puts it in the dearest tenth, and the meter keeps running: AI beyond 40 credits is $60 per 100, API calls are billed on top and SAML SSO waits for Business at $45. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free forever, and it does include diagram-as-code, Markdown notes, unlimited guests and the GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. The caps are the problem: 3 files, 3 AI diagrams, 7 days of version history and no private files at all. |
| Features | A | Past what rivals offer: diagrams by hand, as code or from a prompt, covering architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN, drawn from a connected Git repo, with Eraserbot commenting on pull requests when the code moves. There's a REST API and an MCP server as well. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. A prompt gets you a first diagram, but this is an engineer's tool: diagram-as-code has its own syntax per diagram type, and the repo features mean connecting a repo and setting up Eraserbot. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with no desktop or mobile app on the vendor's pages. It connects to GitHub, Notion, Confluence, VS Code, AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, has a REST API, and runs an MCP server so Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can make and update diagrams. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Eraser is for
- Fits if you're an engineer who'd rather type a diagram than drag boxes around
- Works for teams whose diagrams have to follow the code, since it reads a connected Git repo
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you just want a team whiteboard, at $15 a member a month billed annually or $20 monthly
- Tight if you're staying free, with 3 files, 3 AI diagrams, 7 days of history and no private files
- Watch out: AI past your monthly credits is $60 per 100, and API calls are billed on top of the plan
- Skip it if you need SAML SSO on a small budget, as it starts at Business, $45 a member a month
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, as Eraser only runs in a browser
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Eraser has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per member / month, billed annually.
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.
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited AI diagrams, flexible deployment including single-tenant and self-hosted, usage reporting, a customer success manager and payment by ACH or wire.
The free plan
3 files, 3 AI diagrams and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code, Markdown notes and the GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. No private files.
Read from eraser.io on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on eraser.ioEducation
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.
Stated on docs.eraser.ioNonprofit
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.
Stated on docs.eraser.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
AI diagramming and docs canvas for engineering teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, real-time collaboration, Markdown, documents, diagrams.
There's a REST API and an MCP server as well.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- GitHub
- Notion
- Confluence
- VS Code
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- ServiceNow
Eraser is made by Eraser Labs, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/30
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
Eraser's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on features (A, above 27 of 30) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 23 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 31 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Eraser’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 30
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 30
- AFeaturesAbove 27 of 30
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 30
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 30
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 28 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Eraser is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Eraser you could make: Markdown and documents. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 18 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools grade higher. It costs $180 a year.
What you could make
- Markdown and documents: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A diagram editor.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, Notion and Confluence among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Eraser’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Lucidchart, draw.io, Mermaid, Excalidraw and Whimsical
The 5 tools Eraser is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Lucidchart
Free plan · from $9/mo
Browser-based diagramming for flowcharts, org charts and systems.
- Only Lucidchart lists iOS and Android apps.
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
- Lucidchart also covers templates and mind mapping.
- 3.2GPA
draw.io
Free
Free diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose.
- Only draw.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- draw.io is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
- 2.4GPA
Mermaid
Free plan · from $10/mo
Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor.
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
- Mermaid also covers presentations.
- 2.6GPA
Excalidraw
Free plan · from $6/mo
Open-source whiteboard for hand-drawn style sketches and diagrams.
- Excalidraw is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
- Excalidraw also covers whiteboard.
- 2.4GPA
Whimsical
Free plan · from $10/mo
Whiteboard for flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps and docs.
- Only Whimsical lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Eraser also covers Markdown.
- Whimsical also covers whiteboard, templates and mind mapping.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Eraser free?
Eraser has a free plan. 3 files, 3 AI diagrams and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code, Markdown notes and the GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations.
How much does Eraser cost?
Eraser lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Eraser work on?
Eraser is available on Web.
Does Eraser offer any discounts?
Eraser publicly lists the following: 25% less with annual billing; Education discount on request; Nonprofit discount on request.
Does Eraser have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Eraser is listed for Web.
Does Eraser have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Eraser is listed for Web.
Is Eraser open source?
Eraser is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Eraser have an API?
Yes. Eraser offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Eraser integrate with?
Eraser's listing names GitHub, Notion, Confluence, VS Code, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and ServiceNow.
Does Eraser have a student discount?
Education discount on request. Eraser's docs say discounts are available to education users, who request one by filling out a form.
Who makes Eraser?
Eraser is made by Eraser Labs, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Eraser?
The closest alternatives to Eraser in our directory are Lucidchart, draw.io, Mermaid, Excalidraw and Whimsical.
How does Eraser compare with other whiteboard and mind map tools?
Eraser's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 6.
Is Eraser good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Eraser D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 23 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Eraser?
The plain part of Eraser you could make: Markdown and documents. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Eraser’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Eraser's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-17.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Eraser Labs, Inc. Prices change, so check eraser.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Eraser, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/eraser
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Eraser: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/eraser
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/eraser/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded whiteboard and mind map tools after Eraser, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 31 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Whiteboard Insider's GuideFree collaborative canvas built into Microsoft 365 and Teams3.4 GPA
- draw.io Insider's GuideFree diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose3.2 GPA
- tldraw Insider's GuideFree online whiteboard with a local desktop app3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Eraser’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Eraser is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Eraser Labs, Inc. Prices and plans change: check eraser.io before you buy.