We love Excalidraw. It proved that a web-based whiteboard could be fast, beautiful, and open source. It inspired a generation of canvas tools, and it showed that hand-drawn aesthetics aren’t just charming — they reduce the pressure to make things “perfect” and let you focus on thinking.
Drawdy takes that spirit and pushes it further.
What we share
Both tools believe in:
- Hand-drawn aesthetics. Sketchy lines, imperfect shapes, the feeling of paper. This isn’t decoration — it’s a design decision that encourages exploration over polish.
- Speed. A creative tool that makes you wait isn’t a creative tool.
- Simplicity. The best tools feel obvious. No 200-button toolbars.
Where Drawdy diverges
Structure beyond shapes
Excalidraw gives you shapes and freeform drawing. Drawdy gives you that plus structured elements: typed nodes, connectors with labels, grouping, and layout helpers. Think of it as the difference between a sketchpad and an architecture workbench.
Local-first with sync
Excalidraw stores boards in browser localStorage or exports to files. Drawdy uses a CRDT-based local store with optional cloud sync. Your data persists across sessions, syncs across devices when you want, and works offline by default.
Plugin ecosystem
Drawdy ships with a plugin API from day one. Custom node types, integrations with external tools, workflow automations — the canvas is a platform, not just a drawing surface.
A product, not just a tool
Excalidraw is a tool; Drawdy is building a product. That means a landing page, blog, documentation, community, and a clear roadmap. We’re here for the long term.
Should you switch?
If Excalidraw does everything you need, keep using it. It’s a great tool.
But if you’ve ever wished your whiteboard could handle more structure, persist your work reliably, or integrate with your development workflow — Drawdy might be what you’re looking for.
Try it and let us know.