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Technology · head to head

Excalidraw vs Sketch

Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Technology

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sketch logo

Sketch

Technology

The digital design toolkit

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Excalidraw has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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+; Sketch macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
  • They diverge on capability: Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Sketch covers Vector editing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Excalidraw and Sketch actually diverge.

Attributes where Excalidraw and Sketch differ
AttributeExcalidrawSketch
Starting priceFree$12/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebmacOS, Web, iOS, iPad
Founded20202010

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Excalidraw

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

Only in Sketch

  • Vector editing
  • Symbols & components
  • Prototyping
  • Developer handoff
  • Plugins ecosystem
  • Cloud sync
  • Version history
  • InVision

Both cover

  • Real-time collaboration

What people use each for

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

Excalidraw

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

Sketch

  • UI designnot Excalidraw
  • Mobile app designnot Excalidraw
  • Web designnot Excalidraw
  • Design systemsnot Excalidraw
  • Prototypingnot 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

Sketch

  • macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
  • Real-time collaboration feels less seamless than Figma with occasional sync delays
  • Limited built-in image editing capabilities, requiring external software for bitmap work
  • Subscription required for cloud features and collaboration, losing access if subscription lapses

Pricing, plan by plan

Excalidraw

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

Sketch

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Unlimited documents
    • Unlimited free viewers
  • Professional$24/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Single Sign-On (SSO)
    • Project archiving
  • Enterprise$44/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • SCIM provisioning
    • BYOK encryption
  • Mac-only License$120/perpetual
    • Native Mac app
    • Offline access
    • Local file saving

Which should you pick?

Choose Excalidraw if

  • You need hand-drawn style diagrams.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want infinite canvas.
Excalidraw review

Choose Sketch if

  • You need vector editing.
  • You work on macOS, Web, iOS, iPad.
  • You also want symbols & components.
Sketch review

Questions people ask

Is Excalidraw or Sketch better?
Neither clearly leads. Excalidraw starts at Free and Sketch at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Excalidraw or Sketch?
Excalidraw has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Excalidraw and $12/month for Sketch.
Does Excalidraw or Sketch run on more platforms?
Excalidraw runs on Web. Sketch runs on macOS, Web, iOS, iPad.
Can I use Excalidraw for free?
Yes. Excalidraw has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sketch starts at $12/month.
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 Sketch is typically brought in for.
What can Excalidraw do that Sketch cannot?
Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries, Text support. Sketch covers Vector editing, Symbols & components, Prototyping, Developer handoff. Both handle Real-time collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sketch: Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux?

No. Sketch is macOS-only for the design and prototyping features. Web and mobile apps provide viewing and collaboration, but editing requires macOS 14.0 or later.

Source
Sketch: Does Sketch offer a free trial?

Yes. Sketch provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. You can also purchase a one-time Mac-only license for $120 per seat instead of subscribing.

Source
Sketch: What collaboration features does Sketch include?

Sketch supports real-time collaboration, unlimited document sharing, unlimited viewers, and version history on all paid subscription plans (Standard $12/month, Professional $24/month, Enterprise $44/month).

Source
Sketch: Can I use Sketch offline?

Yes. The one-time Mac-only license ($120) allows you to use Sketch offline and save files locally, but it excludes cloud collaboration and iOS previewing features.

Source
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