What it does
Excalidraw is an open-source virtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn visual style. It supports shapes, arrows, image input, reusable libraries and exports, with collaboration in its hosted app.
Press R to draw a rectangle, Enter to label it and Esc to finish. With a shape selected, Ctrl/Cmd + Arrow creates the next flowchart node; Tab switches its shape. Shift + 1 fits the whole drawing on screen. These shortcuts suit a quick journey map with several decision branches.
Use Share at the top right to invite collaborators. The free whiteboard needs no account and allows unlimited collaborators in one infinite scene. Export PNG or SVG for a document, or keep an editable drawing file for later changes.
Excalidraw+ adds cloud storage, multiple scenes, folders and access controls, with a 14-day trial. The separate MIT-licensed editor package can be embedded in your own application; the hosted app's collaboration features are not all included in that package.
Strengths
- Reusable shape libraries reduce drawing work for recurring diagram elements.
- The hosted whiteboard supports offline use as a progressive web app.
Watch out for
- Exporting frames directly to PDF or PowerPoint requires Excalidraw+.
Best for
- Teams sketching flows and rough wireframes together
Sources
- Excalidraw: editor and hosted whiteboard (Oct 27, 2026)
- Excalidraw MIT License (Oct 27, 2026)
- How to start drawing in Excalidraw (Oct 27, 2026)
- Excalidraw+ pricing (Oct 27, 2026)