Excalidraw is an open-source virtual whiteboard that gives your diagrams a hand-drawn look. You open it in the browser and start drawing on an infinite canvas. You don't need an account. Share a link to work with others in real time, or use the built-in AI to turn text into diagrams and wireframes into code. Developers, product teams, and educators use it for quick sketches. Excalidraw+ adds cloud workspaces, presentations, team management, and API and MCP access.

• Infinite Hand-Drawn Canvas: Sketch diagrams, wireframes, and illustrations on an unlimited canvas in a casual, hand-drawn style. Shortcuts and a command palette help you move fast.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Share a link and draw together live, with unlimited collaborators on the free plan. Read-only links let people view your work without editing it.
• Generative AI Tools: Turn text prompts into diagrams, turn wireframes into interactive code mockups, and convert Mermaid syntax into Excalidraw drawings. Free users get 10 AI requests a day. Plus users get 100 a day or can bring their own API key.
• Sketch Libraries: Add ready-made shape and icon libraries to your drawings. Personal libraries live in your browser on Free and are saved to the server on Plus.
• Flexible Export Options: Export to PNG or SVG, or save your scene as a file. On Plus, you can also export frames to PDF and PPTX.
• Presentations and Comments (Plus): Use frames as slides and present live. Plus also adds comments, voice hangouts, and screen sharing.
• Cloud Workspace and Team Management (Plus): Store unlimited scenes and folders in the cloud. Control who can edit or view, and manage teams from one workspace.

• Free and Open Source: The full editor costs nothing and needs no account. Developers can also inspect and embed the code.
• Very Fast to Start: You go straight to the canvas with no sign-up, which suits quick sketches during calls and meetings.
• Friendly Visual Style: The hand-drawn look keeps diagrams informal. That helps people focus on ideas instead of polish when brainstorming.
• Simple, Easy-to-Learn Interface: Reviewers often rate it highly for simplicity. New users can make clear diagrams within minutes.
• Low-Cost Paid Tier: Excalidraw+ costs $6 per user per month. That price includes cloud storage, presentations, and team features, and you get a 14-day free trial.

• Free Plan Limited to One Scene: The free editor holds one infinite scene, and your library is stored in the browser. If you want multiple saved boards or cloud storage, you need Plus.
• Informal style over formal diagramming: The hand-drawn appearance works well for brainstorming and quick sketches, but may not suit projects that require polished, standardized diagrams or strict visual consistency.
• Key Team Features Are Paid: Presentations, comments, PDF/PPTX export, access management, and API/MCP access all require Plus. The API and MCP server are still in public beta, and workspace libraries are marked as coming soon.
• Limited Billing and Plan Options: The pricing page shows only Free and Plus, with no separate enterprise tier listed. Credit card is the only supported payment method, which may not work for organizations that need invoicing.

• Software Architecture Sketches: Engineers map system components, data flows, and UML diagrams during design discussions. The informal style keeps the conversation on structure, not styling.
• Quick Wireframing: Product managers and designers sketch app screens in minutes. They can then use wireframe-to-code to get an interactive mockup they can share with the team.
• Live Brainstorming and Meetings: Teams share a link and add ideas to the same canvas at once. Plus users can also talk over voice hangouts and share their screens without leaving the board.
• Technical Interviews: Interviewers and candidates draw solutions together in real time. It's a simple way to talk through system design questions remotely.
• Presentations from the Canvas: Turn frames into slides and present straight from your whiteboard. On Plus, you can export the deck to PDF or PPTX afterward.
• Teaching and Explaining Concepts: Educators draw visual explanations and share read-only links with students. Students can review the material without changing it.