Excalidraw vs Fabric.js
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 virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn style diagrams in your browser.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for drawing, editing and exporting interactive objects on HTML canvas.
The short answer
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
Choose Fabric.js if you need…
- Web developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools
- Teams that need selectable, movable and resizable objects on a canvas without writing that logic from scratch
- Developers who want to load or export SVG and JSON canvas content
- Node.js developers who need to render canvas images on the server
Side-by-side
| Excalidraw | Fabric.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 135k | 31.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Use it in the browser (or self-host) | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
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.
Fabric.js
Fabric.js is a JavaScript library that makes it easier to work with the HTML canvas element. It gives you ready-made shapes, text, images, filters, gradients and brushes, plus built-in mouse interactions such as move, scale, rotate and skew. It can also read and write SVG, JSON, PNG and JPG data, and it can run in Node.js with the node-canvas package.
Best for
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
Fabric.js
- Web developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools
- Teams that need selectable, movable and resizable objects on a canvas without writing that logic from scratch
- Developers who want to load or export SVG and JSON canvas content
- Node.js developers who need to render canvas images on the server
Strengths
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
Fabric.js
- Covers many built-in features: shapes, controls, animations, image filters, gradients, patterns and brushes
- Supports SVG and JSON import and export along with JPG and PNG output
- Typed and modular, with MIT license and a large community (about 31.5k stars)
Not ideal for
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
Fabric.js
- People who only need a simple static chart or image; a lighter drawing API may be enough
- Projects that must support Internet Explorer 11 or legacy Edge, since the README marks both as unsupported
- Non-developers looking for a finished app; this is a library to build with
Trade-offs
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
Fabric.js
- Node.js use depends on node-canvas and jsdom, which the README notes can have their own limitations and bugs
- The package names have changed; the README recommends new packages (@fabricjs/browser, @fabricjs/node) while keeping the legacy fabric package, which can confuse newcomers
- Browser support is limited to recent versions as listed in the README table
Getting started
Fabric.js
Install for browser applications
npm install @fabricjs/browserInstall for Node.js applications
npm install @fabricjs/nodeFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Excalidraw and Fabric.js?
Excalidraw: Open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn style diagrams in your browser. Fabric.js: A JavaScript library for drawing, editing and exporting interactive objects on HTML canvas. Excalidraw suits teams sketching diagrams or wireframes together in a shared canvas, while Fabric.js suits web developers building interactive canvas editors or drawing tools.
Are Excalidraw and Fabric.js free?
Excalidraw: Free and open source. Fabric.js: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Excalidraw or Fabric.js?
Excalidraw is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Fabric.js is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Excalidraw or Fabric.js more popular?
Excalidraw has more GitHub stars (135k) than Fabric.js (31.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Excalidraw and Fabric.js?
Other options people compare them with include Drawnix, PixiJS.
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.