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Technology · head to head

Excalidraw vs Zeplin

Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Technology

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zeplin logo

Zeplin

Design

Design handoff and developer 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+; Zeplin the free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Zeplin covers Design specs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Excalidraw and Zeplin actually diverge.

Attributes where Excalidraw and Zeplin differ
AttributeExcalidrawZeplin
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryTechnologyDesign
Founded20202014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Excalidraw

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

Only in Zeplin

  • Design specs
  • Asset export
  • Code snippets
  • Design tokens
  • Comments
  • Version control
  • Handoff workflow
  • Accessibility checks

Both cover

  • GitHub

What people use each for

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

Excalidraw

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

Zeplin

  • Handing off design specs from Figma or Sketch to developersnot Excalidraw
  • Sharing screens, assets and style guides with an engineering teamnot Excalidraw
  • Reviewing and commenting on design versionsnot 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

Zeplin

  • The free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • Free plan AI reviews are capped at 3 per week
  • Role based permissions require the Advanced plan or higher
  • Single sign on, multi factor authentication, activity logs and invoiced billing are Enterprise only
  • Priority 24 hour support is Enterprise only
  • Basic plan caps screens at 1,000 per project and is priced per project rather than per seat
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Excalidraw

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

Zeplin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • 1 workspace
    • Basic specs
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Multiple workspaces
    • Advanced specs
  • Professional$49/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Team collaboration
    • Admin controls

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 Zeplin if

  • You need design specs.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want asset export.
Zeplin review

Questions people ask

Is Excalidraw or Zeplin better?
Neither clearly leads. Excalidraw starts at Free and Zeplin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Excalidraw or Zeplin?
Excalidraw starts at Free and Zeplin at Free.
Does Excalidraw or Zeplin run on more platforms?
Excalidraw runs on Web. Zeplin runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
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 Zeplin is typically brought in for.
What can Excalidraw do that Zeplin cannot?
Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Zeplin covers Design specs, Asset export, Code snippets, Design tokens. Both handle GitHub.

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
Zeplin: How much does Zeplin Advanced cost?

Advanced costs $12 per seat per month when paid annually, with annual subscriptions offering 2 months off versus monthly rates.

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
Zeplin: What's the difference between Free and Basic plans?

Free covers 1 project with 100 screens and 30-day version history. Basic offers 1-12 projects with practically unlimited screens per project and 1-year version history.

Source
Zeplin: Can I add unlimited team members?

Yes, Free and Basic plans allow unlimited team members. Advanced/Enterprise assign roles with Reviewers being free and unlimited.

Source
Zeplin: What can Reviewers do?

Reviewers can view designs and documentation and approve requests, but lack access to developer specs.

Source
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