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Technology · head to head

Excalidraw vs Gather

Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Technology

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gather logo

Gather

Remote Work

Virtual spaces for remote collaboration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Excalidraw advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+; Gather no native desktop or mobile app; browser-based only
  • They diverge on capability: Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Gather covers Proximity video chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Excalidraw and Gather actually diverge.

Attributes where Excalidraw and Gather differ
AttributeExcalidrawGather
CategoryTechnologyRemote Work

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2020).

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 Excalidraw

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

Only in Gather

  • Proximity video chat
  • Customizable spaces
  • Interactive objects
  • Screen sharing
  • Calendar
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Desktop support

What people use each for

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

Excalidraw

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

Gather

  • VR Gamingnot Excalidraw
  • AR Marketingnot Excalidraw
  • Virtual Trainingnot Excalidraw
  • 3D Visualizationnot Excalidraw
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Excalidraw

Where each one falls short

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

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

Gather

  • No native desktop or mobile app; browser-based only
  • Limited API documentation compared to enterprise competitors
  • Scaling large virtual offices can impact performance

Pricing, plan by plan

Excalidraw

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

Gather

Free
  • 30-Day TrialFree
    • Up to 50 team members
    • All features included
    • Meetings and chat
  • Essential$12/month
    • All features
    • Meeting recordings starting at 20 hours
    • Meeting transcriptions starting at 30 hours

Which should you pick?

Choose Excalidraw if

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

Choose Gather if

  • You need proximity video chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want customizable spaces.
Gather review

Questions people ask

Is Excalidraw or Gather better?
Neither clearly leads. Excalidraw starts at Free and Gather at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Excalidraw or Gather?
Excalidraw starts at Free and Gather at Free.
Does Excalidraw or Gather run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Excalidraw for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Excalidraw best used for?
Excalidraw is most often used for wireframing and diagramming, real-time collaborative whiteboarding, hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decks, embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm package. Of those, wireframing and diagramming and real-time collaborative whiteboarding are not what Gather is typically brought in for.
What can Excalidraw do that Gather cannot?
Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Gather covers Proximity video chat, Customizable spaces, Interactive objects, Screen sharing. Both handle Web support, Desktop support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Excalidraw: Is Excalidraw free?

Excalidraw appears to be a free drawing application available at no cost to users. The website does not display information about pricing tiers or premium features, suggesting it is offered as a free service.

Source
Gather: What is a free trial of Gather like?

Gather offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required that includes up to 50 team members and access to all features including meetings, chat, AI meeting notes, and full office customization.

Source
Excalidraw: Does Excalidraw offer paid plans?

No pricing tiers or paid upgrade options are mentioned on the Excalidraw website, which indicates the service is available entirely free without commercial pricing models.

Source
Gather: How does Gather reduce meeting load?

Gather recreates natural office dynamics through spatial audio and proximity-based interactions, allowing colleagues to bump into each other and have quick conversations without scheduled calls. Teams report shorter, more organic conversations that wrap up in under 10 minutes.

Source
Gather: What platforms and devices does Gather support?

Gather works on web browsers and integrates with Slack and Google Chat. The platform supports audio/video calls, screen sharing, and custom workspace design.

Source
Gather: Does Gather work offline?

Gather is a web-based platform that requires an internet connection to function, though it emphasizes quick connection and low bandwidth requirements compared to traditional video conferencing.

Source
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