Free Whimsical alternatives
Top Whiteboards & Diagramming like Whimsical
The most popular alternative to Whimsical is Miro, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Whimsical are FigJam, Lucidchart, Excalidraw, and Xmind.
Most alternatives to Whimsical are in the Whiteboards & Diagramming category, compared here by price, platform and features.
All Whimsical alternatives
Miro is a visual collaboration platform built around an infinite whiteboard where teams run workshops, brainstorms, retrospectives and planning sessions with sticky notes, diagrams and mind maps. It offers thousands of community templates, AI features for clustering and summarizing content, and integrations with Jira, Slack, Teams and Zoom.
12 Miro alternativesPros
- Huge library of community templates for workshops and planning
- Integrations with Jira, Slack, Teams and Zoom
- Apps on the web, desktop and mobile
Cons
- Free plan limits the number of editable boards
- Large boards can become slow and cluttered
- Per-seat pricing adds up for big teams
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesFigJam is the collaborative whiteboard from Figma, used for brainstorming, user flows, retrospectives and diagrams alongside design files. It offers sticky notes, stamps, voting, timers, widgets and plugins, AI that can generate boards or diagrams from a prompt, and shares accounts and libraries with Figma, which keeps product and design teams in one tool.
12 FigJam alternativesPros
- Shares accounts and libraries with Figma design files
- Playful facilitation tools such as stamps, voting and timers
- AI can generate boards and diagrams from a prompt
Cons
- Most valuable for teams already using Figma
- Free plan limits how many boards you can keep
- Fewer advanced diagramming features than dedicated tools
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesLucidchart is a browser-based diagramming tool from Lucid Software for flowcharts, org charts, network and cloud architecture diagrams, ERDs and process maps. Teams edit diagrams together in real time, link shapes to live data, import Visio files and generate diagrams with AI, with integrations for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Atlassian and Slack.
10 Lucidchart alternativesPros
- Broad shape libraries for flowcharts, ERDs and cloud architecture
- Imports Visio files and links shapes to live data
- Integrates with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Atlassian and Slack
Cons
- Free plan caps the number of documents and shapes
- Team plans get expensive as seats are added
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesExcalidraw is an open source virtual whiteboard that produces diagrams and sketches with a hand-drawn look. It runs in the browser without an account, works offline, offers end-to-end encrypted live collaboration and shareable links, and has a large community library of shapes. Excalidraw+ adds cloud workspaces and team features, and the editor can be embedded as a React component.
11 Excalidraw alternativesPros
- Hand-drawn style that makes sketches feel approachable
- Works in the browser offline and without an account
- End-to-end encrypted live collaboration
Cons
- Hand-drawn look is less suited to formal diagrams
- Cloud workspaces and team features require Excalidraw+
- Fewer diagramming features than dedicated tools
Cost / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsXmind is a mind mapping app for brainstorming, planning and note-taking, with structures such as logic charts, org charts, fishbone diagrams, timelines and matrices. It offers themes, an outliner view, a pitch mode for presenting maps and AI features to expand ideas, on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with a free version and a paid Pro subscription.
9 Xmind alternativesPros
- Many structures, from logic charts to fishbone diagrams and timelines
- Native desktop and mobile apps that work offline
- Pitch mode turns a map into a presentation
Cons
- Key features require the Pro subscription
- Focused on mind maps rather than freeform whiteboarding
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesCreately is an online visual workspace from Cinergix for diagrams, mind maps, process maps and planning boards on an infinite canvas. Shapes can carry data fields and be reused across views, which turns diagrams into lightweight databases, and it comes with a large template library and real-time collaboration.
8 Creately alternativesPros
- Shapes can hold data fields, turning diagrams into lightweight databases
- Large template library for diagrams and planning boards
- Real-time collaboration on an infinite canvas
Cons
- Free plan is restrictive for regular use
- Data-driven features add complexity to simple diagrams
- Available only in the browser
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatformsMural is a digital whiteboard for collaborative workshops and meetings, with facilitation tools such as a timer, voting, private mode and the ability to bring all participants to the same spot. It is aimed at enterprise teams running design thinking, agile ceremonies and strategy sessions, supported by templates, AI assistance and integrations with Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Webex.
9 Mural alternativesPros
- Facilitation tools: timer, voting, private mode and summoning participants
- Templates for design thinking and agile ceremonies
- Integrations with Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Webex
Cons
- Geared toward enterprises, with pricing to match
- Free plan limits the number of boards
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriestldraw is a free online whiteboard at tldraw.com with an infinite canvas, clean drawing tools, sticky notes, arrows and real-time multiplayer collaboration. The same technology is offered as an SDK that developers embed in their own apps to build canvas-based products, with its code public on GitHub under tldraw's own source-available license and commercial terms.
7 tldraw alternativesPros
- Free whiteboard with clean, responsive drawing tools
- Real-time multiplayer collaboration through shared links
- SDK lets developers build canvas features into their own apps
Cons
- Source-available license, with commercial terms for the SDK in production
- Fewer templates and integrations than full whiteboard suites
Cost / LicenseFreeSource availableCategoriesPlatformsdraw.io, also known as diagrams.net, is a free and open source diagramming tool from JGraph for flowcharts, UML, network, BPMN and org charts. It requires no account, saves diagrams wherever you choose, such as your device, Google Drive, OneDrive or GitHub, and is available as a desktop app for offline use and as an integration for Confluence and Jira.
10 draw.io alternativesPros
- Completely free and open source, with no account required
- Saves diagrams to your device, Google Drive, OneDrive or GitHub
- Offline desktop app plus Confluence and Jira integrations
Cons
- Interface looks dated next to modern whiteboard tools
- Real-time collaboration is more limited than in paid rivals
Cost / LicenseFreeOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsUizard is a browser-based UI design tool aimed at founders, product managers and other non-designers. It can generate multi-screen app and web mockups from a text prompt, convert hand-drawn sketches or screenshots into editable designs, and link screens into clickable prototypes. Templates and simple collaboration help teams test ideas quickly. The company was acquired by Miro in 2024.
10 Uizard alternativesPros
- Generates multi-screen mockups from a text prompt
- Converts hand-drawn sketches and screenshots into editable designs
- Approachable for founders and other non-designers
Cons
- Generated designs often need significant manual cleanup
- Lacks the depth of professional tools for production design
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatforms
Whimsical vs its alternatives at a glance
Pricing, platforms and the key features of Whimsical, compared with its most popular alternatives.
| App | Pricing | Platforms | AI assistant | Diagrams & flowcharts | Mind maps | Real-time collaboration | Sticky notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Whimsical | Freemium | Web | |||||
 Miro | Freemium | Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android | |||||
 FigJam | Freemium | Web, Windows, Mac | |||||
 Lucidchart | Freemium | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Excalidraw | FreemiumOpen source | Web, Self-hosted | |||||
 Xmind | Freemium | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android |
Whimsical alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Whimsical?
The most popular alternative to Whimsical is Miro: Collaborative online whiteboard for team workshops and planning. Other great alternatives are FigJam, Lucidchart, Excalidraw, and Xmind.
Is there a free alternative to Whimsical?
Yes, 10 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Miro, FigJam, Lucidchart, and Excalidraw.
Is there an open source alternative to Whimsical?
Yes, 2 open source alternatives are listed, including Excalidraw and draw.io.
Is Whimsical free?
Whimsical has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.
Compare Whimsical with its alternatives
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