Miro costs $10/mo.
These cost $0.
5 free alternatives to Miro, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
Miro vs Free Alternatives Matrix
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $10/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | open source | MIT | Local or hosted | ★ 124k | Miro vs Excalidraw → |
| AFFiNE | open source | MIT | Local or hosted | ★ 71k | Miro vs AFFiNE → |
| CryptPad | open source | AGPL-3.0+ | Local or hosted | ★ 7.8k | Miro vs CryptPad → |
| WBO | open source | AGPL-3.0+ | Local or hosted | ★ 2.6k | Miro vs WBO → |
| tldraw | free | tldraw | Hosted | ★ $0 forever | Miro vs tldraw → |
The picks
4 open source · 1 free to use · ranked by fit
- 01
Excalidraw
open sourceMITLocal or hosted124kaug 2026The best simple escape hatch for collaborative diagrams, workshops, and planning: fast, free, local-first, and pleasantly uninterested in becoming Salesforce.
The catch vs MiroExcalidraw covers diagrams and simple workshops but not Miro's vast template, integration, facilitation, planning, and enterprise-governance ecosystem.
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
- 2026-08-10
- 02
AFFiNE
open sourceMITLocal or hosted71kaug 2026An integrated canvas, docs, databases, and planning workspace for teams willing to accept a younger product and real self-hosting chores.
The catch vs MiroAFFiNE has far fewer workshop templates, facilitation controls, integrations, embedded app connectors, and enterprise administration features than Miro.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopwebself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Hosted signup or desktop app; Docker Compose for self-hosting
- setup
- The 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
- engines
- Self-hosted AFFiNE AI can be configured with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and FAL credentials
- your data
- Local-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
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 03
CryptPad
open sourceAGPL-3.0+Local or hosted7.8kjul 2026Encrypted collaborative whiteboards with persistent folders, permissions, and sharing; fewer templates, far better data boundaries.
The catch vs MiroCryptPad's encrypted whiteboard is much plainer and lacks Miro's facilitation toolkit, templates, integrations, voting, timers, and app marketplace.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedthey host it
- install
- Use a public CryptPad instance, or self-host the Node.js service behind a reverse proxy
- setup
- Public hosting is immediate; self-hosting requires two domains or subdomains, HTTPS, strict security headers, Node.js configuration, persistent storage, and careful upgrades/backups
- your data
- Documents 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
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 04
WBO
open sourceAGPL-3.0+Local or hosted2.6kaug 2026A tiny, durable collaborative board with persistent rooms and a free hosted instance; useful precisely because it does not try to run the company.
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.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedthey host it
- install
- Use the free hosted instance, or run the Docker image/Node.js server
- setup
- None 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
- your data
- Boards 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
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 05
tldraw
freetldrawHostedA polished instant multiplayer canvas with sharing and no account requirement; lighter on facilitation, integrations, and admin.
The catch vs Mirotldraw is frictionless but has far fewer templates, integrations, planning widgets, facilitation features, and team administration controls than Miro.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webthey host it
- install
- Open tldraw.com in a browser; no account is required for a quick canvas
- 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
- 2026-08-10
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Miro open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Miro?+
The top free alternative to Miro is Excalidraw (open source, MIT). The best simple escape hatch for collaborative diagrams, workshops, and planning: fast, free, local-first, and pleasantly uninterested in becoming Salesforce. Other popular Miro replacements include AFFiNE, CryptPad, WBO.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Miro?+
Yes. Of the 5 free alternatives to Miro, 4 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Excalidraw (MIT), AFFiNE (MIT), CryptPad (AGPL-3.0+), WBO (AGPL-3.0+).
How much does switching from Miro to a free alternative save?+
Miro starts at $10/month per seat ($120/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Excalidraw saves $600 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Miro clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Miro is KINDA (the core, yes. the polish, no). A simple multiplayer whiteboard is doable; Miro's value is scale, templates, integrations, facilitation, permissions, and reliability with many users.
What is the catch when switching from Miro to Excalidraw?+
Excalidraw covers diagrams and simple workshops but not Miro's vast template, integration, facilitation, planning, and enterprise-governance ecosystem.
