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Technology · head to head

ClickUp vs Excalidraw

ClickUp logo

ClickUp

Technology

One app to replace them all

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Technology

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ClickUp the free plan is capped at 60MB of storage, 5 spaces, 1 form and 3 whiteboards, so the limits are structural rather than just a seat count; Excalidraw advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+
  • They diverge on capability: ClickUp covers Multiple view types, Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickUp and Excalidraw actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickUp and Excalidraw differ
AttributeClickUpExcalidraw
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb
Founded20172020

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

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 ClickUp

  • Multiple view types
  • Custom fields
  • Automation
  • Time tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Document collaboration
  • Whiteboards
  • Mind maps

Only in Excalidraw

  • Hand-drawn style diagrams
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Infinite canvas
  • Shape libraries
  • Text support
  • Image import
  • Export options
  • Keyboard shortcuts

Both cover

  • GitHub

What people use each for

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

ClickUp

  • Project managementnot Excalidraw
  • Software developmentnot Excalidraw
  • Marketing campaignsnot Excalidraw
  • Product roadmapsnot Excalidraw
  • Client managementnot Excalidraw

Excalidraw

  • Wireframing and diagrammingnot ClickUp
  • Real-time collaborative whiteboardingnot ClickUp
  • Hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decksnot ClickUp
  • Embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm packagenot ClickUp
  • Visual planning and note-takingnot ClickUp

Where each one falls short

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

ClickUp

  • The free plan is capped at 60MB of storage, 5 spaces, 1 form and 3 whiteboards, so the limits are structural rather than just a seat count
  • Gantt charts, time tracking and goals require Unlimited at $7 per user per month billed yearly
  • Automations are rationed by tier, at 5,000 a month on Business and 250,000 on Enterprise
  • SAML SSO, custom roles and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only
  • AI is charged separately, at $9 per user per month for Brain and $28 for Everything AI
  • Monthly billing is substantially dearer, at $10 and $19 against the yearly rates

Excalidraw

  • Advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+
  • Free hosted version persists via scene links/local storage rather than a managed multi-scene workspace
  • Self-hosting the full collaborative stack requires standing up a websocket server and storage beyond the npm editor package
  • No official native desktop or app-store mobile apps - web/PWA only

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickUp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited tasks
    • 60 MB storage
    • Collaborative docs
  • Unlimited$7/user/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • All views
    • Time tracking
  • Business$12/user/month
    • Sprint reporting
    • Private docs
    • All Unlimited features
  • Business Plus$null/custom
    • Advanced features

Excalidraw

Free
  • Excalidraw+$6/month
    • Unlimited private scenes and folders
    • Cloud storage
    • Access management

Which should you pick?

Choose ClickUp if

  • You need multiple view types.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want custom fields.
ClickUp review

Choose Excalidraw if

  • You need hand-drawn style diagrams.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Excalidraw review

Questions people ask

Is ClickUp or Excalidraw better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickUp starts at Free and Excalidraw at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickUp or Excalidraw?
ClickUp starts at Free and Excalidraw at Free.
Does ClickUp or Excalidraw run on more platforms?
ClickUp runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Excalidraw runs on Web.
Can I use ClickUp for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ClickUp best used for?
ClickUp is most often used for project management, software development, marketing campaigns, product roadmaps. Of those, project management and software development are not what Excalidraw is typically brought in for.
What can ClickUp do that Excalidraw cannot?
ClickUp covers Multiple view types, Custom fields, Automation, Time tracking. Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Both handle GitHub.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClickUp: How many views does ClickUp support?

ClickUp includes List, Table, Board, Calendar, Gantt, and Inbox views, plus Whiteboards for collaboration and multiple specialized views for different workflows.

Source
ClickUp: What is ClickUp Brain?

ClickUp Brain is the AI feature providing workspace Q&A, task summaries, and AI-powered automation available as an add-on at $9 or $28/user/month depending on usage.

Source
ClickUp: How long does it take to set up ClickUp?

Initial setup typically takes 2-4 weeks depending on team size and complexity needs, which is longer than Monday.com (1-2 days) but necessary for ClickUp's flexibility.

Source
ClickUp: Does ClickUp have built-in time tracking?

Yes, time tracking is included in the first paid plan (Unlimited) at $7/user/month, allowing teams to track project hours without additional tools.

Source
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