Excalidraw vs Drawio Desktop Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard
VS
Drawio Desktop Server
Self-hosted collaborative whiteboard backend for diagrams
| Feature | Excalidraw | Drawio Desktop Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 13 · At risk |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 132,748 | ★ 535 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Miro | Miro, Lucidchart |
What are Excalidraw and Drawio Desktop Server?
Excalidraw
Excalidraw is an open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching diagrams with a hand-drawn feel. The self-hosted version supports real-time collaboration through a companion server.
- Hand-drawn diagram style
- Real-time collaboration
- End-to-end encrypted rooms
- Exports to PNG and SVG
Drawio Desktop Server
A self-hostable collaboration backend that powers shared diagram and whiteboard sessions, letting teams co-edit diagrams in real time. It pairs with browser-based diagramming front ends.
- Real-time collaboration
- End-to-end encrypted rooms
- Lightweight server
- Pairs with Excalidraw
Excalidraw vs Drawio Desktop Server: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Excalidraw has the considerably larger community, at 132,748 GitHub stars versus 535.
Why pick each one
Choose Excalidraw if…
- Delightful hand-drawn style
- Works offline in browser
- Very easy to use
Watch out for
- Collaboration needs extra server
- No built-in persistence
Choose Drawio Desktop Server if…
- Easy to self-host
- Encrypted sessions
Watch out for
- Backend only
- Requires a front end
Frequently asked questions
Is Excalidraw or Drawio Desktop Server better?
Neither is universally better. Excalidraw has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Excalidraw and Drawio Desktop Server free and open-source?
Yes. Excalidraw is licensed under MIT and Drawio Desktop Server under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Excalidraw and Drawio Desktop Server with Docker?
Excalidraw: yes. Drawio Desktop Server: yes.