A detailed comparison of Excalidraw and Figma to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams with collaboration
| Plan | Excalidraw | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Completely free | ✓ 3 projects, unlimited editors |
| Lowest Paid | Free | $15/editor/mo |
| Enterprise | Free (self-hosted option) | $75/editor/mo |
| Feature | Excalidraw | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-drawn style | ✓ | — |
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Library of elements | ✓ | — |
| Export options | ✓ | — |
| Self-hosting | ✓ | — |
| End-to-end encryption | ✓ | — |
| Custom libraries | ✓ | — |
| Keyboard shortcuts | ✓ | — |
| Dark mode | ✓ | — |
| Embeddable | ✓ | — |
| Vector editing | — | ✓ |
| Prototyping | — | ✓ |
| Components | — | ✓ |
| Design systems | — | ✓ |
| Dev mode | — | ✓ |
| Auto layout | — | ✓ |
| Plugins | — | ✓ |
| FigJam whiteboard | — | ✓ |
| Version history | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.4 | ⭐ 4.7 |
Choose Excalidraw if: You need developers and teams wanting simple, hand-drawn style diagrams with collaboration. Excalidraw excels with its completely free and open source.
Choose Figma if: You need ui/ux design teams. Figma stands out with its real-time collaboration and browser-based.
Best free option: Both Excalidraw and Figma offer free tiers. Excalidraw offers "Completely free" while Figma offers "3 projects, unlimited editors".
It depends on your needs. Excalidraw is better for developers and teams wanting simple, hand-drawn style diagrams with collaboration, while Figma is better for ui/ux design teams. Both are excellent tools rated 4.4 and 4.7 respectively.
Excalidraw starts at Free while Figma starts at $15/editor/mo. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying Figma's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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