Excalidraw
Focus: open source. Shares whiteboard and diagrams with tldraw. Freemium (tldraw: Free). Rated 4.7 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFree planWeb, Cross-Platform
4.7Visit
Web App
tldraw
A free, instant infinite whiteboard for sketches, diagrams and quick ideas.
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is tldraw?
tldraw is a free online whiteboard that opens straight in the browser with no setup. Sketch, draw shapes and arrows, add sticky notes and share a link so others can join the same canvas in real time.
Pros
- Opens instantly with no sign-up needed
- Clean, hand-drawn style
- Real-time multiplayer canvases
Cons
- Fewer templates than larger whiteboard suites
- Saving boards long term needs an account
Who should use tldraw
Anyone who wants a fast, no-fuss canvas to sketch or explain an idea.
Who may not need it
Teams already invested in a full whiteboard platform with templates and integrations.
tldraw alternatives
Similar resources to tldraw, picked from the directory.
Miro
Focus: workshops and retros. Shares whiteboard and diagrams with tldraw. Freemium (tldraw: Free). Adds macOS, Windows and iOS. Rated 4.5 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFree planWeb, macOS
4.5Visit
Excalidraw for Obsidian
Focus: obsidian and excalidraw. Shares whiteboard and diagrams with tldraw. Rated 4.5 (tldraw: 4.6).
OtherFreeCross-Platform
4.5Visit
Figma
Focus: Design, Prototyping and Teamwork. Also in Collaboration and Brainstorming, like tldraw. Freemium (tldraw: Free). Adds macOS and Windows. Rated 4.8 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFree planWeb, macOS
4.8Visit
Canva
Focus: graphic design, templates and social media. Also in Collaboration and Brainstorming, like tldraw. Freemium (tldraw: Free). Adds Windows, macOS and iOS. Rated 4.7 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFree planWeb, Windows
4.7Visit
draw.io
Focus: flowcharts, uml and open source. Shares diagrams with tldraw. Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.7 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, Windows
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to tldraw
Free resources that cover similar ground.
Excalidraw CLI
Focus: excalidraw, cli and ai agents. Shares diagrams with tldraw. A framework, not a web app. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.4 (tldraw: 4.6).
FrameworkFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
Google Forms
Focus: forms, surveys and quizzes. Also in Collaboration, like tldraw. Rated 4.5 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
HedgeDoc
Focus: markdown, collaborative editing and self-hosted. Also in Collaboration, like tldraw. Rated 4.5 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
ASCII Magic
Focus: ascii art, image effects and video effects. Also in Brainstorming, like tldraw. Rated 4.4 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.4Visit
ASCIInator
Focus: ascii art, generator and images. Also in Brainstorming, like tldraw. Rated 4.4 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.4Visit
DeskRPG
Focus: ai agents, virtual office and 3d. Also in Collaboration, like tldraw. Rated 4.4 (tldraw: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.4Visit
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