Drawnix vs Excalidraw
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Open-source whiteboard for mind maps, flowcharts and freehand drawing, runs in the browser.
Open source · MIT
Open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn style diagrams in your browser.
The short answer
Choose Drawnix if you need…
- People who want a simple free whiteboard for brainstorming and diagrams
- Users who prefer to draw mind maps or flowcharts from Markdown or Mermaid text
- Teams or individuals who want to self-host a whiteboard via Docker
- Developers interested in a plugin-based canvas built on Plait
Choose Excalidraw if you need…
- Teams sketching diagrams or wireframes together in a shared canvas
- People who want a casual, informal look for explanatory drawings
- Developers who want to embed a whiteboard editor in their own React app
- Users who care about end-to-end encryption for shared drawings
Side-by-side
| Drawnix | Excalidraw | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15k | 135k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Use it in the browser (or self-host) | Use it in the browser (or self-host) |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 59 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Drawnix
Drawnix is a free, open-source whiteboard tool that combines mind maps, flowcharts and freehand drawing on one infinite canvas. It can export to PNG and JSON, auto-saves to browser storage, and can turn Markdown text into a mind map or Mermaid syntax into a flowchart. It is built on the Plait diagramming framework and is also available as a hosted site at drawnix.com.
Excalidraw
Excalidraw is an open-source whiteboard where you draw diagrams, wireframes and sketches in a deliberately hand-drawn style. The hosted app at excalidraw.com adds real-time collaboration, end-to-end encryption and autosave to the browser. The same editor is also published as an npm package that developers can embed in their own apps.
Best for
Drawnix
- People who want a simple free whiteboard for brainstorming and diagrams
- Users who prefer to draw mind maps or flowcharts from Markdown or Mermaid text
- Teams or individuals who want to self-host a whiteboard via Docker
- Developers interested in a plugin-based canvas built on Plait
Excalidraw
- Teams sketching diagrams or wireframes together in a shared canvas
- People who want a casual, informal look for explanatory drawings
- Developers who want to embed a whiteboard editor in their own React app
- Users who care about end-to-end encryption for shared drawings
- Anyone who wants drawings saved in an open .excalidraw JSON format
Strengths
Drawnix
- Free and MIT-licensed, with the source code publicly available
- Covers several diagram types (mind map, flowchart, freehand) in one tool
- Auto-saves locally in the browser and exports to PNG and JSON
Excalidraw
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Simple, approachable drawing tools with a distinctive hand-drawn look
- Open .excalidraw JSON format and export to PNG, SVG and clipboard
Not ideal for
Drawnix
- Users who need real-time multi-user collaboration, since the README does not describe it (the topics list mentions it, but the README does not document it)
- People who need a polished, fully documented product, because the README is short and the app is described as still iterating toward a 'Dawn' release
Excalidraw
- Users who need precise, pixel-perfect vector design; the hand-drawn style is the default look and the README does not describe precision tools
- People wanting to self-host the collaboration service; the README only links to the hosted app for real-time collaboration and does not describe a self-hosting setup
- Non-developers who only want the hosted app and have no need for the code; the npm and development sections are aimed at developers
Trade-offs
Drawnix
- The README is in Chinese, with a short English version linked separately, and documents little detail
- The README says the hosted app is a minimal version and will iterate frequently, so features may change
- Collaboration is not clearly described in the README
Excalidraw
- Collaboration and encryption are features of the hosted app; the README does not detail how to run them yourself
- Development setup is covered only by a linked guide, so the README alone gives limited build detail
- No downloadable binaries in the latest release; use the web app or the npm package
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Drawnix and Excalidraw?
Drawnix: Open-source whiteboard for mind maps, flowcharts and freehand drawing, runs in the browser. Excalidraw: Open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn style diagrams in your browser. Drawnix suits people who want a simple free whiteboard for brainstorming and diagrams, while Excalidraw suits teams sketching diagrams or wireframes together in a shared canvas.
Are Drawnix and Excalidraw free?
Drawnix: Free and open source. Excalidraw: Free and open source.
Is Drawnix or Excalidraw more popular?
Excalidraw has more GitHub stars (135k) than Drawnix (15k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.