Miro 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.
The best simple escape hatch for collaborative diagrams, workshops, and planning: fast, free, local-first, and pleasantly uninterested in becoming Salesforce.
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 MiroExcalidraw covers diagrams and simple workshops but not Miro's vast template, integration, facilitation, planning, and enterprise-governance ecosystem.
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
An integrated canvas, docs, databases, and planning workspace for teams willing to accept a younger product and real self-hosting chores.
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 MiroAFFiNE has far fewer workshop templates, facilitation controls, integrations, embedded app connectors, and enterprise administration features than Miro.
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
Encrypted collaborative whiteboards with persistent folders, permissions, and sharing; fewer templates, far better data boundaries.
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 MiroCryptPad's encrypted whiteboard is much plainer and lacks Miro's facilitation toolkit, templates, integrations, voting, timers, and app marketplace.
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
A tiny, durable collaborative board with persistent rooms and a free hosted instance; useful precisely because it does not try to run the company.
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 MiroWBO provides only the basic shared canvas and omits nearly all of Miro's workshop structure, integrations, templates, planning tools, and administration.
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
A polished instant multiplayer canvas with sharing and no account requirement; lighter on facilitation, integrations, and admin.
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 Mirotldraw is frictionless but has far fewer templates, integrations, planning widgets, facilitation features, and team administration controls than Miro.
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 | — | — |
They pay for workshops where dozens of people can join and everything still works. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $120 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Miro?
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 Miro?
Our verdict is PARCIAL. A simple multiplayer whiteboard is doable; Miro's value is scale, templates, integrations, facilitation, permissions, and reliability with many users. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/miro.
