Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Miro · 🧑🏫 whiteboards
Miro vs Excalidraw
The best simple escape hatch for collaborative diagrams, workshops, and planning: fast, free, local-first, and pleasantly uninterested in becoming Salesforce. Here is how Excalidraw ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Miro ($10/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Excalidraw
$0.00/mo · MIT
Miro vs Excalidraw Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Miro (Paid) | Excalidraw (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $10 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $120 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $120) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $600 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $600) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $1,200 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $1,200) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source MIT |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hostedthey host it |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 124k (active aug 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Miro to Excalidraw
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
Excalidraw covers diagrams and simple workshops but not Miro's vast template, integration, facilitation, planning, and enterprise-governance ecosystem.
How to deploy Excalidraw
Open the hosted web app/PWA, or deploy the static app and optional collaboration server
What it takes to run
None for the hosted app; the trade-off appears later because durable workspace organization, centralized team administration, and managed version history are deliberately minimal
Where your data lives
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
Why fork Excalidraw instead of vibe-coding a Miro clone?
A simple multiplayer whiteboard is doable; Miro's value is scale, templates, integrations, facilitation, permissions, and reliability with many users.
Miro vs Excalidraw FAQ
Is Excalidraw a good free alternative to Miro?+
Yes. Excalidraw is a verified open-source (MIT) replacement for Miro. The best simple escape hatch for collaborative diagrams, workshops, and planning: fast, free, local-first, and pleasantly uninterested in becoming Salesforce.
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.
How much do you save switching from Miro to Excalidraw?+
Miro costs $10/mo ($120/yr) per seat, whereas Excalidraw is $0/mo. Switching saves $120/yr for a solo user, $600/yr for a 5-person team, and $1,200/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Excalidraw instead of Miro?+
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
