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Software · head to head

Miro vs Excalidraw

Miro logo

Miro

Software

The visual workspace for innovation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Software

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Miro free tier limited to 3 editable boards; additional boards must be shared as read-only; Excalidraw advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+
  • They diverge on capability: Miro covers Digital sticky notes, Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Miro and Excalidraw actually diverge.

Attributes where Miro and Excalidraw differ
AttributeMiroExcalidraw
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Founded20112020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 Miro

  • Digital sticky notes
  • Diagramming
  • Mind mapping
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • Templates
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in Excalidraw

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

Both cover

  • Infinite canvas
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Notion

What people use each for

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

Miro

  • Collaborative whiteboarding and diagrammingnot Excalidraw
  • Team brainstorming and ideation sessionsnot Excalidraw
  • Project planning and workflow visualisationnot Excalidraw
  • Remote team collaborationnot Excalidraw

Excalidraw

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

Where each one falls short

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

Miro

  • Free tier limited to 3 editable boards; additional boards must be shared as read-only
  • AI credits heavily restricted: 25 credits per member per month on Starter, 50 on Business
  • Enterprise plan requires minimum 30 members
  • Large projects with numerous nested objects may impact performance on lower tiers

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

Miro

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Miro review.

Excalidraw

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Miro if

  • You need digital sticky notes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want diagramming.
Miro review

Choose Excalidraw if

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

Questions people ask

Is Miro or Excalidraw better?
Neither clearly leads. Miro 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, Miro or Excalidraw?
Miro starts at Free and Excalidraw at Free.
Does Miro or Excalidraw run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Miro for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Miro best used for?
Miro is most often used for collaborative whiteboarding and diagramming, team brainstorming and ideation sessions, project planning and workflow visualisation, remote team collaboration. Of those, collaborative whiteboarding and diagramming and team brainstorming and ideation sessions are not what Excalidraw is typically brought in for.
What can Miro do that Excalidraw cannot?
Miro covers Digital sticky notes, Diagramming, Mind mapping, Video chat. Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Shape libraries, Text support, Image import. Both handle Infinite canvas, Real-time collaboration, Notion.
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