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BetterOpenSource

Excalidraw vs AFFiNE

A side-by-side comparison of two open-source tools to help you choose the right one.

Feature
SummaryVirtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn feel.Docs, whiteboards, and databases in one canvas.
GitHub stars92K47K
LicenseMITMIT
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
PricingFree & Open SourceFree & Open Source
Self-hostable
ReplacesMiro, FigmaNotion, Miro
Rating4.9 / 54.5 / 5

Excalidraw features

  • Hand-drawn style shapes and arrows
  • End-to-end encrypted live collaboration
  • Works offline as a PWA
  • Embeddable React component and library
  • Huge library of community shapes

AFFiNE features

  • Edgeless whiteboard plus page editor
  • Blocks shared between docs and canvas
  • Local-first with end-to-end sync
  • Databases and kanban views
  • Self-hostable server

Excalidrawpros & cons

Pros

  • Frictionless and instant to use
  • Privacy-respecting by design
  • Easy to embed in your own apps

Cons

  • Not a full UI design tool
  • Limited layout/constraint features

AFFiNEpros & cons

Pros

  • Unique doc + canvas hybrid
  • Privacy-focused, local-first
  • Beautiful, modern UI

Cons

  • Younger project, evolving fast
  • Occasional rough edges

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