Software · head to head
Maze vs Excalidraw
Excalidraw
Software
Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Maze maze publishes no prices on its pricing page; every plan routes to contact sales, so pricing is by quote only with no published rate or minimum; Excalidraw advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+
- They diverge on capability: Maze covers Prototype testing, Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Maze and Excalidraw actually diverge.
| Attribute | Maze | Excalidraw |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, Api | Web |
| Founded | 2018 | 2020 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Maze
- Prototype testing
- Usability testing
- Card sorting
- Tree testing
- Surveys
- 5-second tests
- A/B testing
- Analytics dashboard
Only in Excalidraw
- Hand-drawn style diagrams
- Real-time collaboration
- Infinite canvas
- Shape libraries
- Text support
- Image import
- Export options
- Keyboard shortcuts
Both cover
- Notion
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Maze
- Unmoderated usability testing of prototypes before developmentnot Excalidraw
- Running surveys and concept or copy validation with recruited participantsnot Excalidraw
- Card sorting and tree testing to shape information architecturenot Excalidraw
Excalidraw
- Wireframing and diagrammingnot Maze
- Real-time collaborative whiteboardingnot Maze
- Hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decksnot Maze
- Embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm packagenot Maze
- Visual planning and note-takingnot Maze
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Maze
- Maze publishes no prices on its pricing page; every plan routes to contact sales, so pricing is by quote only with no published rate or minimum
- The AI study builder, AI moderated interviews and moderated interview studies are Enterprise only
- Mobile testing and testing through the Maze mobile app are Enterprise only
- Interview scheduling, card sorting and information architecture testing are Enterprise only
- Role-based access, SSO and compliance controls are Enterprise only
- Panel recruitment is available on all plans but with stated limits, and prototype testing carries limits below Enterprise
- Qualitative analysis of clip recordings, interview transcription and automated theme analysis are Enterprise only
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
Maze
Free- FreeFree
- 1 active project
- Preview link testing
- Basic analytics
- Starter$75/month
- 3 active projects
- Unlimited responses
- Advanced analytics
- Team$150/month
- Unlimited projects
- Team collaboration
- Custom branding
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Team
- SSO
- Dedicated CSM
Excalidraw
Free- Excalidraw+$6/month
- Unlimited private scenes and folders
- Cloud storage
- Access management
Which should you pick?
Choose Maze if
- You need prototype testing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want usability testing.
Choose Excalidraw if
- You need hand-drawn style diagrams.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want real-time collaboration.
Questions people ask
- Is Maze or Excalidraw better?
- Neither clearly leads. Maze 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, Maze or Excalidraw?
- Maze starts at Free and Excalidraw at Free.
- Does Maze or Excalidraw run on more platforms?
- Maze runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Excalidraw runs on Web.
- Can I use Maze for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Maze best used for?
- Maze is most often used for unmoderated usability testing of prototypes before development, running surveys and concept or copy validation with recruited participants, card sorting and tree testing to shape information architecture. Of those, unmoderated usability testing of prototypes before development and running surveys and concept or copy validation with recruited participants are not what Excalidraw is typically brought in for.
- What can Maze do that Excalidraw cannot?
- Maze covers Prototype testing, Usability testing, Card sorting, Tree testing. Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Both handle Notion, Cloud deployment.