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Technology · head to head

Excalidraw vs Superhuman

Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Technology

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Superhuman logo

Superhuman

Technology

The fastest email experience ever made

From
$30/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+; Superhuman high pricing compared to free alternatives like Gmail
  • They diverge on capability: Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Superhuman covers Blazing fast performance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Excalidraw and Superhuman actually diverge.

Attributes where Excalidraw and Superhuman differ
AttributeExcalidrawSuperhuman
Starting priceFree$30/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS
Founded20202015

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

Only in Superhuman

  • Blazing fast performance
  • Keyboard-first design
  • AI-powered triage
  • Split inbox
  • Read statuses
  • Remind me later
  • Social insights
  • Calendar integration

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Excalidraw

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

Superhuman

  • Email managementnot Excalidraw
  • Inbox zeronot Excalidraw
  • Team collaborationnot Excalidraw
  • Sales outreachnot Excalidraw
  • Executive communicationnot 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

Superhuman

  • High pricing compared to free alternatives like Gmail
  • Lacks unified inbox for managing multiple email accounts in a single view
  • Limited calendar functionality compared to dedicated scheduling tools
  • No native task management features

Pricing, plan by plan

Excalidraw

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

Superhuman

$30/month
  • Starter$30/month
    • Email productivity
    • Superhuman AI
    • Team collaboration
  • Business$40/month
    • Auto Drafts
    • Ask AI
    • CRM integrations

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 Superhuman if

  • You need blazing fast performance.
  • You work on Web, iOS.
  • You also want keyboard-first design.
Superhuman review

Questions people ask

Is Excalidraw or Superhuman better?
Neither clearly leads. Excalidraw starts at Free and Superhuman at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Excalidraw or Superhuman?
Excalidraw has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Excalidraw and $30/month for Superhuman.
Does Excalidraw or Superhuman run on more platforms?
Excalidraw runs on Web. Superhuman runs on Web, iOS.
Can I use Excalidraw for free?
Yes. Excalidraw has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Superhuman starts at $30/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 Superhuman is typically brought in for.
What can Excalidraw do that Superhuman cannot?
Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Superhuman covers Blazing fast performance, Keyboard-first design, AI-powered triage, Split inbox. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web 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
Superhuman: How much does Superhuman cost?

Superhuman offers three plans: Starter at $30/user/month, Business at $40/user/month, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Annual billing provides approximately 16.7% savings, bringing the Starter plan to $25/month.

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
Superhuman: What email platforms does Superhuman work with?

Superhuman is compatible with Gmail and Outlook, and integrates with Google Calendar and Akiflow for calendar and task planning workflows.

Source
Superhuman: Does the Business plan include CRM integrations?

Yes, the Business plan at $40/month unlocks CRM integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce, along with advanced AI features like Auto Drafts and Ask AI.

Source
Superhuman: What happened to Superhuman after the Grammarly acquisition?

Superhuman was acquired by Grammarly on July 1, 2025. The company now operates under the Superhuman name while integrating with Grammarly's AI platform.

Source
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