Softwr

Design · head to head

Abstract vs Whimsical

Abstract logo

Abstract

Design

Design version control and asset management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full review
Whimsical logo

Whimsical

Technology

Where great ideas take shape

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Abstract the product appears to be gone. Its documentation path 404s, goabstract.com no longer resolves, and abstract.com now belongs to an unrelated venture capital firm; Whimsical the free plan is capped at 3 team boards, 3 teams and 10 guest seats
  • They diverge on capability: Abstract covers Version control, Whimsical covers Flowcharts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Abstract and Whimsical actually diverge.

Attributes where Abstract and Whimsical differ
AttributeAbstractWhimsical
PlatformsMacos, WebWeb
CategoryDesignTechnology
Founded20152017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Abstract

  • Version control
  • Branching & merging
  • Asset library
  • Design tokens
  • Collaboration
  • File management
  • Comments
  • Activity tracking

Only in Whimsical

  • Flowcharts
  • Wireframes
  • Mind maps
  • Sticky notes
  • Docs
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Templates
  • Keyboard shortcuts

Both cover

  • Figma
  • Slack
  • Jira
  • GitHub
  • Notion
  • SOC2
  • 2FA
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Abstract

  • Design systemsnot Whimsical
  • Version controlnot Whimsical
  • Asset managementnot Whimsical
  • Team collaborationnot Whimsical

Whimsical

  • Product planningnot Abstract
  • UI/UX designnot Abstract
  • Brainstormingnot Abstract
  • Process documentationnot Abstract
  • Project visualizationnot Abstract

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Abstract

  • The product appears to be gone. Its documentation path 404s, goabstract.com no longer resolves, and abstract.com now belongs to an unrelated venture capital firm
  • Built around Sketch files, so it never covered teams that moved to Figma

Whimsical

  • The free plan is capped at 3 team boards, 3 teams and 10 guest seats
  • File uploads are limited to 5MB per file and 1GB in total on the free plan
  • Version history on the free plan goes back 7 days
  • Voting, the timer, private teams, the GitHub integration, password-protected files and watermark removal all need Pro at $10 per editor per month
  • SSO and SAML are Business tier only at $20 per editor per month

Pricing, plan by plan

Abstract

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 shared library
    • Basic version control
    • 2 team members
  • Pro$12/month
    • Unlimited libraries
    • Full version control
    • Unlimited team members
  • Enterprise$50/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced admin controls
    • Compliance & security

Whimsical

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 4 boards
    • Unlimited viewers
    • 7-day version history
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited version history
    • Advanced permissions
  • Org$20/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • SSO
    • User management

Which should you pick?

Choose Abstract if

  • You need version control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Macos, Web.
  • You also want branching & merging.
Abstract review

Choose Whimsical if

  • You need flowcharts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want wireframes.
Whimsical review

Questions people ask

Is Abstract or Whimsical better?
Neither clearly leads. Abstract starts at Free and Whimsical at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Abstract or Whimsical?
Abstract starts at Free and Whimsical at Free.
Does Abstract or Whimsical run on more platforms?
Abstract runs on Macos, Web. Whimsical runs on Web.
Can I use Abstract for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Abstract best used for?
Abstract is most often used for design systems, version control, asset management, team collaboration. Of those, design systems and version control are not what Whimsical is typically brought in for.
What can Abstract do that Whimsical cannot?
Abstract covers Version control, Branching & merging, Asset library, Design tokens. Whimsical covers Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind maps, Sticky notes. Both handle Figma, Slack, Jira, GitHub.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Whimsical: What are Whimsical's pricing tiers?

Whimsical offers three plans: Free at 0 dollars per month per editor, Pro at 10 dollars per month per editor, and Business at 20 dollars per month per editor.

Source
Whimsical: What is included in the Free plan?

The Free plan allows creation of up to 50 board objects and 50 doc blocks per month, includes watermarked exports, and provides 7-day version history. Storage is limited to 1GB.

Source
Whimsical: What features unlock in the Pro plan?

The Pro plan removes the object creation limits, provides unlimited board objects and doc blocks, removes watermarks from exports, extends version history to 90 days, and offers 100GB of storage.

Source
Whimsical: What security and team features come with Business?

The Business plan adds private teams, SAML single sign-on, SCIM and advanced security controls, unlimited version history, priority support, and a dedicated success manager. Storage starts at 2TB.

Source
Whimsical: Do discounts apply for annual billing?

Yes, annual billing offers a 17 percent discount compared to monthly rates. Additionally, nonprofits receive a 20 percent discount and students and teachers get full access.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Abstract

More on Whimsical

Keep looking

Other head to heads