Excalidraw+ alternatives: 5 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
El mismo motor de dibujo, gratis: multijugador, enlaces para compartir, bibliotecas, archivos con prioridad local y colaboración cifrada de extremo a extremo; la gestión del espacio de trabajo en la nube es más ligera.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installOpen the hosted web app/PWA, or deploy the static app and optional collaboration server
dataSolo drawings are stored in browser storage or explicit .excalidraw JSON files; exports include PNG and SVG; multiplayer room data is end-to-end encrypted and the decryption key is carried in the share URL
the catch vs Excalidraw+The free app has the same drawing engine but lacks Excalidraw+'s persistent managed workspace, team administration, organized files, and richer collaboration history.
setupNone for the hosted app; the trade-off appears later because durable workspace organization, centralized team administration, and managed version history are deliberately minimal
facts verified 2026-08-10
Espacios de trabajo en equipo persistentes, un lienzo infinito, diagramas, comentarios, documentos y bases de datos; más pesado que Excalidraw y más pesado de autoalojar.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup or desktop app; Docker Compose for self-hosting
enginesSelf-hosted AFFiNE AI can be configured with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and FAL credentials
dataLocal-first clients keep workspace data locally and sync to AFFiNE Cloud or the operator's server; self-hosting uses PostgreSQL, Redis, and persistent blob storage
the catch vs Excalidraw+AFFiNE is much heavier and less immediate for quick hand-drawn collaboration, while its canvas does not share Excalidraw's library ecosystem and distinctive interaction feel.
setupThe hosted/desktop app installs cleanly; self-hosting is a multi-service Docker deployment that needs a domain, TLS, secrets, storage, backups, and AI-provider keys for AI features
facts verified 2026-08-10
Un drive cifrado persistente con pizarras colaborativas, carpetas, uso compartido y controles de acceso; dibujo menos encantador, bases de espacio de trabajo más sólidas.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse a public CryptPad instance, or self-host the Node.js service behind a reverse proxy
dataDocuments are encrypted in the browser before upload; the server stores encrypted document files, blobs, and account pin metadata on its filesystem and cannot read document content
the catch vs Excalidraw+CryptPad provides a stronger encrypted drive but its whiteboard is markedly less delightful and capable for drawing, libraries, and diagram composition than Excalidraw+.
setupPublic hosting is immediate; self-hosting requires two domains or subdomains, HTTPS, strict security headers, Node.js configuration, persistent storage, and careful upgrades/backups
facts verified 2026-08-10
Pizarras colaborativas persistentes con una instancia alojada gratuita y Docker opcional; bibliotecas primitivas, refrescantemente sin complicaciones.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the free hosted instance, or run the Docker image/Node.js server
dataBoards are persisted as JSON files in the server's data directory; a Docker deployment must mount that directory, while public-hosted boards live on the operator's server
the catch vs Excalidraw+WBO lacks Excalidraw's polished drawing tools, reusable libraries, file organization, export quality, and managed team workspace.
setupNone for the public instance; self-hosting needs Docker or Node.js, a persistent writable volume with the expected user ownership, backups, and a public URL/TLS
facts verified 2026-08-10
Un lienzo multijugador gratuito y pulido con uso compartido instantáneo y sin instalación; su código es de fuente disponible, no de código abierto para uso en producción.
licensetldraw
runstheir cloud
installOpen tldraw.com in a browser; no account is required for a quick canvas
dataHosted shared canvases live in tldraw's cloud; local/offline documents use browser IndexedDB, and snapshots or .tldr JSON files can be exported
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs Excalidraw+tldraw is a different canvas ecosystem with no Excalidraw library compatibility and much less team-workspace administration than Excalidraw+.
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | MIT | they host it | web, self-hosted | 124,000 | 2026-08 |
| AFFiNE | MIT | self-host, real ops | web, macos, windows, linux, self-hosted | 71,300 | 2026-08 |
| CryptPad | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 7,825 | 2026-07 |
| WBO | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 2,600 | 2026-08 |
| tldraw | tldraw | they host it | web | — | — |
Excalidraw+: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.
Is there a free alternative to Excalidraw+?
Yes: Excalidraw, AFFiNE, CryptPad and 2 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Excalidraw+?
Our verdict is SÍ. Excalidraw+'s solo core is compact: build a browser-based collaborative whiteboard editor with drag, resize, connect, keyboard shortcuts, autosave, and SVG or PNG export. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on interaction polish, collaboration. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/excalidraw-plus.
