The Excalidraw Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Excalidraw 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.
Excalidraw
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source whiteboard for hand-drawn style sketches and diagrams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from Excalidraw’s own pages.
Made by Excalidraw · checked Oct 5, 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 Excalidraw’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Excalidraw’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 13 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
Excalidraw is an open-source virtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn look, used for quick sketches, diagrams and wireframes. The free editor at excalidraw.com needs no account, lets any number of people join through a shared link and lists end-to-end encryption in the browser. Excalidraw+ is the paid workspace that adds cloud-saved scenes, comments, access management, presentations and voice calls.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Excalidraw, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, but there is nothing to set up: open excalidraw.com and draw, no account, no plan, no template to pick.
- 1
Best for quick hand-drawn sketches and diagrams
Excalidraw is an open-source whiteboard with a hand-drawn look, and the free editor needs no account for you or anyone you share a link with.
- 2
Paid plans start at $6 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $6 per user / month, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free editor: full drawing tools on 1 infinite scene, unlimited collaborators, export to PNG, SVG or a file, libraries and limited generative AI. No account and no cloud saving.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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+.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 13 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
Nothing Excalidraw does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 6 things listed below take a company.
Excalidraw at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $6 per user / month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Excalidraw+
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Excalidraw
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for quick hand-drawn sketches and diagrams
Excalidraw is an open-source whiteboard with a hand-drawn look, and the free editor needs no account for you or anyone you share a link with. The free version holds 1 scene and saves nothing to the cloud, though. More scenes, comments and access control mean Excalidraw+ at $6 a user a month, which takes cards only and doesn't refund, and there's no desktop or phone app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Excalidraw+ is $6 a user a month billed annually, or $7 monthly, which sits in the middle of this category rather than under it. It bills every seat in every workspace, takes credit cards only, and its terms make charges non-refundable. Students and teachers pay $4. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The full editor is free with no account at all: every drawing tool, unlimited collaborators by link, libraries and PNG or SVG export. The cap is 1 scene and no cloud saving, so you keep your boards as files. |
| Features | C | It does sketchy diagrams completely, and that's a smaller job than this category's: an infinite canvas, deliberately elementary drawing tools, ready-made libraries, live link sessions and AI that turns a prompt into a diagram. Cloud scenes, comments, access control, presentations and voice all need Plus. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there is nothing to set up: open excalidraw.com and draw, no account, no plan, no template to pick. Guests join from a link, and the toolset is kept small on purpose. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app, with no desktop or mobile apps on the vendor's pages. Being open source it can be embedded or self-hosted, it shows up in Notion and Obsidian, and Plus runs an MCP server so AI agents can draw into a workspace. |
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 Excalidraw is for
- Fits if you want to sketch an idea in a meeting without anyone signing up
- Works for developers who want an open-source editor to embed or self-host
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free and keep many boards, with 1 scene and no cloud saving
- Skip it if you want comments, view-only sharing or presentations for free, as those need Excalidraw+
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, as it only runs in a browser
- Watch out: Excalidraw+ bills every seat in every workspace, takes credit cards only and won't refund
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$6
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Excalidraw has a free plan. Paid plans start at $6 per user / month, billed annually.
It bills every seat in every workspace, takes credit cards only, and its terms make charges non-refundable.
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.
The free plan
Free editor: full drawing tools on 1 infinite scene, unlimited collaborators, export to PNG, SVG or a file, libraries and limited generative AI. No account and no cloud saving.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of Excalidraw+
Read from plus.excalidraw.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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%.
Stated on plus.excalidraw.comEducation
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.
Stated on plus.excalidraw.com
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
Open-source whiteboard for hand-drawn style sketches and diagrams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, end-to-end encrypted, AI features, real-time collaboration, whiteboard, diagrams.
Cloud scenes, comments, access control, presentations and voice all need Plus.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Notion
- Obsidian
Excalidraw is made by Excalidraw.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
13/30
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
Excalidraw's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 13 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 25 of 30) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $6 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 6 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 3 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. Excalidraw’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 30
- BFree plan and trialAbove 25 of 30
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 30
- BEase of useAbove 17 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. Excalidraw 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
Nothing Excalidraw does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 6 things listed below take a company.
It costs $72 a year. Excalidraw is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- A diagram editor.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- People on the other end: live sessions. No app builder makes those.
What this rests on. Excalidraw’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
tldraw, draw.io, Miro, Whimsical and FigJam
The 5 tools Excalidraw is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
tldraw
Free
Free online whiteboard with a local desktop app.
- Only tldraw lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Excalidraw is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
draw.io
Free
Free diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose.
- Only draw.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Excalidraw is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Excalidraw also covers whiteboard.
- 3.0GPA
Miro
Free plan · from $8/mo
Online whiteboard for team brainstorming, diagrams and planning.
- Only Miro lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Excalidraw is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Miro also covers templates and mind mapping.
- 2.4GPA
Whimsical
Free plan · from $10/mo
Whiteboard for flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps and docs.
- Only Whimsical lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Excalidraw is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Whimsical also covers templates, documents and mind mapping.
- 3.0GPA
FigJam
Free plan · from $3/mo
Online whiteboard from Figma for brainstorms, diagrams and meetings.
- Only FigJam lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Excalidraw is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- FigJam also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
16
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 Excalidraw free?
Excalidraw has a free plan. Free editor: full drawing tools on 1 infinite scene, unlimited collaborators, export to PNG, SVG or a file, libraries and limited generative AI.
How much does Excalidraw cost?
Excalidraw lists 2 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Excalidraw work on?
Excalidraw is available on Web.
Does Excalidraw offer any discounts?
Excalidraw publicly lists the following: Save 14% with annual billing; Excalidraw+ for $4 a month with a school email.
Does Excalidraw have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Excalidraw is listed for Web.
Does Excalidraw have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Excalidraw is listed for Web.
Is Excalidraw open source?
Yes. Excalidraw is open source, according to its own site.
Is Excalidraw end-to-end encrypted?
Excalidraw describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
What does Excalidraw integrate with?
Excalidraw's listing names Notion and Obsidian. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Excalidraw have a student discount?
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.
Does Excalidraw have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of Excalidraw+.
Who makes Excalidraw?
Excalidraw is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Excalidraw?
The closest alternatives to Excalidraw in our directory are tldraw, draw.io, Miro, Whimsical and FigJam.
How does Excalidraw compare with other whiteboard and mind map tools?
Excalidraw's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 13 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is Excalidraw good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Excalidraw C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $6 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 6 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Excalidraw?
Nothing Excalidraw does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 6 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Excalidraw’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Excalidraw's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-22.
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 Excalidraw. Prices change, so check excalidraw.com 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
- Excalidraw, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/excalidraw
- 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, "Excalidraw: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/excalidraw
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/excalidraw/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded whiteboard and mind map tools after Excalidraw, 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 Excalidraw’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. Excalidraw is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Excalidraw. Prices and plans change: check excalidraw.com before you buy.