InVision costs $20/mo.
These cost $0.
4 free alternatives to InVision, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for InVision is Excalidraw (MIT Open Source). Across this category, 3 self-hostable tools are available (including Excalidraw and Penpot). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $1,200/year compared to InVision's $20/mo subscription.
The catch: The free app has the same drawing engine but lacks Excalidraw+'s persistent managed workspace, team administration, organized files, and richer collaboration history.
InVision vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $20/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | open source | MIT | Self-host | ★ 135.3k | InVision vs Excalidraw → |
| Penpot | open source | MPL-2.0 | Self-host | ★ 62.1k | InVision vs Penpot → |
| Tldraw | free | tldraw | Hosted | ★ 51.4k | InVision vs Tldraw → |
| Quant-UX | open source | GPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 2.8k | InVision vs Quant-UX → |
The picks
3 open source · 1 free to use · ranked by fit
- 01
Excalidraw
open sourceMITSelf-host135.3knov 2026Virtual whiteboard for sketching diagrams, flowcharts, and wireframes with a distinctive hand-drawn look. Real-time collaboration built in.
The catch vs InVisionThe free app has the same drawing engine but lacks Excalidraw+'s persistent managed workspace, team administration, organized files, and richer collaboration history.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedthey host it
- install
- Open the hosted web app/PWA, or deploy the static app and optional collaboration server
- setup
- None for the hosted app; the trade-off appears later because durable workspace organization, centralized team administration, and managed version history are deliberately minimal
- your data
- Solo 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
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
Penpot
open sourceMPL-2.0Self-host62.1knov 2026Design, prototype, and hand off to developers in one platform. Supports design systems, tokens, flexible layouts, and AI workflows with real CSS/HTML output.
The catch vs InVisionIts plugin ecosystem, Figma-file fidelity and hosted free-team/history limits are still behind Figma's mature collaborative platform.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedthey host it
- install
- Use the hosted signup, or download the official Docker Compose file and run docker compose up -d
- setup
- Self-hosting requires Docker Compose, DNS and reverse-proxy/TLS knowledge; hosted signup has no setup blocker
- your data
- Hosted files in Penpot Cloud; self-hosted data in Docker volumes for PostgreSQL and uploaded assets, with exports based on SVG/CSS/HTML/JSON and open standards
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 03
Tldraw
freetldrawHosted51.4knov 2026Virtual whiteboard that works instantly on any device, no signup required, with real-time multiplayer collaboration built in.
The catch vs InVisiontldraw is a different canvas ecosystem with no Excalidraw library compatibility and much less team-workspace administration than Excalidraw+.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webthey host it
- install
- Open tldraw.com in a browser; no account is required for a quick canvas
- setup
- Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- your data
- Hosted shared canvases live in tldraw's cloud; local/offline documents use browser IndexedDB, and snapshots or .tldr JSON files can be exported
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 04
Quant-UX
open sourceGPL-3.0Self-host2.8knov 2026Quant-UX is an open-source tool for creating interactive prototypes, conducting user tests, and analyzing results to improve UX design.
The catch vs InVisionIt is primarily a prototyping and user-testing tool, not a production-grade vector editor and design-system workspace on Figma's level.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedthey host it
- install
- Use the hosted Quant-UX signup, or run its multi-container Docker Compose stack
- setup
- Self-hosting needs several containers plus MongoDB, SMTP, a JWT secret, WebSocket URL and reverse-proxy/TLS configuration
- your data
- Hosted projects in Quant-UX's service; self-hosted prototypes and tests in MongoDB with uploaded images in mapped data directories
- checked
- 2026-11-07
InVision Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 4 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · InVision open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to InVision?+
The top free alternative to InVision is Excalidraw (open source, MIT). Virtual whiteboard for sketching diagrams, flowcharts, and wireframes with a distinctive hand-drawn look. Real-time collaboration built in. Other popular InVision replacements include Penpot, Tldraw, Quant-UX.
Can I self-host a free replacement for InVision?+
Yes. Of the 4 free alternatives to InVision, 3 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Excalidraw (MIT), Penpot (MPL-2.0), Quant-UX (GPL-3.0).
How much does switching from InVision to a free alternative save?+
InVision starts at $20/month per seat ($240/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Excalidraw saves $1,200 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own InVision clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for InVision is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for InVision or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 4 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Excalidraw.
What is the catch when switching from InVision to Excalidraw?+
The free app has the same drawing engine but lacks Excalidraw+'s persistent managed workspace, team administration, organized files, and richer collaboration history.
