The Napkin AI Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Napkin AI 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.
Napkin AI
The Insider’s Guide
Turns written text into editable diagrams and infographics
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from Napkin AI’s own pages.
Made by Napkin AI · 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 Napkin AI’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Napkin AI’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
2.2
GPA, above 0 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
Napkin AI generates visuals from text. A user pastes or imports writing, selects a passage, and picks from the diagrams, infographics, flowcharts, mind maps or data charts that Napkin proposes, then edits the result and exports it for slides, documents or posts. It runs in a browser with no download, and a newer Slides product, in beta, builds whole presentations. Usage is metered in AI credits, at roughly one credit per word selected for generation.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Napkin AI, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It only works from text you already have, though.
- 1
Best for turning your writing into diagrams for slides
Napkin AI turns writing into visuals: paste text, select a passage, and it offers diagrams and infographics you can then edit.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $9 per person / month, billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
500 AI credits per week, unlimited editing, file import, and PNG and PDF export, with built-in styles and Napkin branding on visuals.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Visuals generated from text
Napkin works from pasted or imported text rather than a prompt. Selecting a passage produces several candidate visuals, and the user picks the one that fits.
- 6
Editable results
A generated visual can be restyled and taken apart: wording, colors and individual elements can all be changed, and editing is unlimited on every plan.
- 7
Brand styles and fonts
Brand colors and fonts are set up in Brand Studio. Plus allows 3 brand styles, while Pro allows unlimited custom branding and uploaded fonts.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 0 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 Napkin AI you could make: mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Napkin AI at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9 per person / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Napkin AI
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for turning your writing into diagrams for slides
Napkin AI turns writing into visuals: paste text, select a passage, and it offers diagrams and infographics you can then edit. It only works from text you already have, though. It costs roughly a credit a word, with 500 credits a week free, free visuals carry Napkin branding, unused credits don't carry over, and it needs a browser and a connection.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus is $9 a person a month billed yearly, $12 monthly, which lands between this category's cheaper quarter at $5.00 and its dearer quarter at $9.99. That buys 10,000 credits a month, PPT and SVG export and no Napkin branding. Pro is $22. Unused credits don't carry over. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free gives you 500 AI credits a week, unlimited editing, file import and PNG and PDF export. At roughly a credit per word selected, 500 a week is about one article, so it's a cap you'll hit. Visuals carry Napkin branding, and PowerPoint and SVG export are paid. |
| Features | C | Select a passage and it offers candidate visuals, flowcharts and mind maps to data charts, and every bit of the result can be reworded and restyled. Slides, in beta, builds decks. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than the rest of this lot: no shared canvas, and it works only from text you have. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and nothing to install, but it's still a browser app you sign up for and work inside. The steps are few: paste your text, select a bit, pick a visual. You don't need to be able to draw. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with no offline mode, so no app for a computer or a phone. It has a REST API that returns a visual as SVG, PNG or PPT and works with Make and n8n, plus imports from PPT, DOC, PDF, HTML and Markdown. |
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 Napkin AI is for
- Fits if you have the words but not the time or skill to draw them
- Works for reports, decks and posts that need a diagram made from paragraphs
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, with 500 credits a week, PNG and PDF only, and Napkin branding on your visuals
- Not for you if you need to work offline, since it only runs in a browser with a connection
- Pricey if you generate a lot, as Pro is $22 a person a month for 30,000 credits
- Watch out: unused credits don't carry over, and there are no nonprofit or student discounts
- Too light for a shared whiteboard, as it only makes visuals from text you already have
Good to know
Good for
- Turning written documents into diagrams for slides and reports
- People who have the text but not the design skills or time to draw
- Bloggers and marketers illustrating posts and social content
- Developers adding generated visuals to a product through the API
Worth knowing
- The Free plan gives 500 AI credits a week, puts Napkin branding on visuals and exports only PNG and PDF.
- Unused AI credits do not carry over, and generating a visual costs roughly 1 credit per word selected.
- Napkin runs only in a browser and needs an internet connection; the vendor says there is no offline mode.
- The vendor states that it does not offer discounts for nonprofits or students.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Napkin AI has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9 per person / month, billed yearly.
Visuals carry Napkin branding, and PowerPoint and SVG export are paid.
Free
$0
500 AI credits per week, unlimited visual editing and file import, PNG and PDF export, standard icons, and Napkin branding on visuals.
Plus
$9
per person / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)
10,000 AI credits per month, PPT and SVG export, 3 brand styles, bold icons, no Napkin branding, and team management and billing.
Pro
$22
per person / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)
30,000 AI credits per month, exclusive designs, unlimited custom branding, uploaded fonts and optional credit top-ups.
Enterprise
Custom
Offered on request through the sales team; the pricing page gives no details beyond a contact link.
The free plan
500 AI credits per week, unlimited editing, file import, and PNG and PDF export, with built-in styles and Napkin branding on visuals.
Read from napkin.ai on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Napkin's pricing page states a 25% saving on yearly plans: Plus is $9 per person a month against $12 billed monthly, and Pro is $22 against $30.
Stated on napkin.ai
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
Turns written text into editable diagrams and infographics. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, mind mapping, diagrams, presentations.
It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than the rest of this lot: no shared canvas, and it works only from text you have.
- Visuals generated from text
- Napkin works from pasted or imported text rather than a prompt. Selecting a passage produces several candidate visuals, and the user picks the one that fits.
- Editable results
- A generated visual can be restyled and taken apart: wording, colors and individual elements can all be changed, and editing is unlimited on every plan.
- Brand styles and fonts
- Brand colors and fonts are set up in Brand Studio. Plus allows 3 brand styles, while Pro allows unlimited custom branding and uploaded fonts.
- Import and export
- PPT, DOC, PDF, HTML and Markdown files can be imported on every plan. PNG and PDF export are free, and PowerPoint and SVG export need Plus or Pro.
- Slides (beta)
- Napkin Slides builds full presentations with an AI agent. The vendor says it is covered by the Free, Plus and Pro plans with no separate charge.
- API
- A REST API returns a visual for submitted text as SVG, PNG or PPT and works with Make and n8n. Any plan can create a token; credits, rate limits and watermarks vary by plan.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Make
- n8n
Napkin AI is made by Napkin AI.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/30
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
Napkin AI's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 0 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 5 of 30) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 14 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 13 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. Napkin AI’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 30
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 30
- CFeaturesAbove 0 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. Napkin AI 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 Napkin AI you could make: mind mapping. 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: 25 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools grade higher. It costs $108 a year.
What you could make
- Mind mapping: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A diagram editor.
- A slide editor.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Make and n8n among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Napkin AI’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
Whimsical, Eraser, Mermaid, Gamma and Canva
The 5 tools Napkin AI is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Whimsical
Free plan · from $10/mo
Whiteboard for flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps and docs.
- Only Whimsical lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Napkin AI also covers presentations.
- Whimsical also covers whiteboard, templates and documents.
- 2.4GPA
Eraser
Free plan · from $15/mo
AI diagramming and docs canvas for engineering teams.
- Napkin AI also covers mind mapping and presentations.
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
- 2.4GPA
Mermaid
Free plan · from $10/mo
Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor.
- Napkin AI also covers mind mapping.
- 2.8GPA
Gamma
Free plan
AI generator for presentations, documents and websites.
- Only Gamma lists iOS and Android apps.
- Napkin AI also covers mind mapping and diagrams.
- Gamma also covers templates and documents.
- 3.2GPA
Canva
Free plan · from $14.99/mo
Template-based design platform for slides, graphics and video.
- Only Canva lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Napkin AI also covers mind mapping and diagrams.
- Canva also covers templates and video editing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Napkin AI free?
Napkin AI has a free plan. 500 AI credits per week, unlimited editing, file import, and PNG and PDF export, with built-in styles and Napkin branding on visuals.
How much does Napkin AI cost?
Napkin AI lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Napkin AI work on?
Napkin AI is available on Web.
Does Napkin AI offer any discounts?
Napkin AI publicly lists the following: Save 25% with yearly billing.
Does Napkin AI have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Napkin AI is listed for Web.
Does Napkin AI have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Napkin AI is listed for Web.
Is Napkin AI open source?
Napkin AI is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Napkin AI have an API?
Yes. Napkin AI offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Napkin AI integrate with?
Napkin AI's listing names Make and n8n. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Napkin AI?
Napkin AI is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Napkin AI?
The closest alternatives to Napkin AI in our directory are Whimsical, Eraser, Mermaid, Gamma and Canva.
How does Napkin AI compare with other whiteboard and mind map tools?
Napkin AI's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 0 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Napkin AI good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Napkin AI C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 14 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Napkin AI?
The plain part of Napkin AI you could make: mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Napkin AI’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 Napkin AI's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-09.
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 Napkin AI. Prices change, so check napkin.ai before you buy.
- napkin.ai/pricing/
- napkin.ai/
- napkin.ai/api/
- napkin.ai/about-us/
- help.napkin.ai/en/articles/10010139-is-napkin-ai-free-to-use
- help.napkin.ai/en/articles/12114823-do-unused-ai-credits-carry-over-to-the-next-month
- help.napkin.ai/en/articles/12114831-what-s-the-difference-between-plus-and-pro-plans
- help.napkin.ai/en/articles/15924660-which-plan-do-i-need-and-does-it-cover-both-products
- help.napkin.ai/en/articles/15924389-teamspace
- help.napkin.ai/en/articles/15924396-can-i-use-napkin-ai-offline
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
- Napkin AI, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/napkin-ai
- 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, "Napkin AI: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/napkin-ai
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/napkin-ai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded whiteboard and mind map tools after Napkin AI, 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 Napkin AI’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. Napkin AI is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Napkin AI. Prices and plans change: check napkin.ai before you buy.