Microsoft Whiteboard vs Excalidraw

Struggling to choose between Microsoft Whiteboard and Excalidraw? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Microsoft Whiteboard is a Office & Productivity solution with tags like whiteboard, brainstorming, collaboration, freeform-canvas, sticky-notes, images, text, documents, drawing, pen, ink, realtime-collaboration, crossdevice.

It boasts features such as Freeform digital canvas for collaborative brainstorming and workshopping, Add sticky notes, images, text, documents, and draw using pen and ink, Real-time collaboration across multiple devices, Integration with Microsoft 365 apps and services, Whiteboard templates and templates gallery, Ink-to-shape and ink-to-text conversion, Ability to export whiteboards as images or PDFs and pros including Intuitive and easy-to-use interface, Seamless integration with Microsoft ecosystem, Supports real-time collaboration, Versatile canvas for various use cases, Available on multiple platforms (web, desktop, mobile).

On the other hand, Excalidraw is a Office & Productivity product tagged with diagramming, wireframing, whiteboard, sketching, collaboration, brainstorming, flowcharts, uml-diagrams, user-journeys.

Its standout features include Minimal and intuitive user interface, Hand-drawn like diagrams, Various drawing tools (pencil, eraser, text, shapes, etc.), Flowcharts, UML diagrams, user journeys, wireframes, and more, Collaboration features (real-time editing, comments, version history), Offline support, Customizable themes and color schemes, Export to various file formats (PNG, SVG, JSON), and it shines with pros like Free and open-source, Easy to use and get started, Great for brainstorming and collaboration, Lightweight and fast performance, Regularly updated with new features and improvements.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard is a freeform digital canvas that enables collaborative brainstorming and workshopping. It lets users add sticky notes, images, text, documents, and draw using pen and ink. It supports real-time collaboration across multiple devices.

Categories:
whiteboard brainstorming collaboration freeform-canvas sticky-notes images text documents drawing pen ink realtime-collaboration crossdevice

Microsoft Whiteboard Features

  1. Freeform digital canvas for collaborative brainstorming and workshopping
  2. Add sticky notes, images, text, documents, and draw using pen and ink
  3. Real-time collaboration across multiple devices
  4. Integration with Microsoft 365 apps and services
  5. Whiteboard templates and templates gallery
  6. Ink-to-shape and ink-to-text conversion
  7. Ability to export whiteboards as images or PDFs

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Intuitive and easy-to-use interface

Seamless integration with Microsoft ecosystem

Supports real-time collaboration

Versatile canvas for various use cases

Available on multiple platforms (web, desktop, mobile)

Cons

Limited features compared to some dedicated whiteboarding tools

Requires a Microsoft account for full functionality

Can be slow or laggy on lower-powered devices

Limited customization options for the whiteboard layout and appearance


Excalidraw

Excalidraw

Excalidraw is a free, open-source online whiteboard tool for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams. It has a minimal and intuitive UI with various drawing tools for easily creating flowcharts, UML diagrams, user journeys, wireframes and more. Great for brainstorming and collaboration.

Categories:
diagramming wireframing whiteboard sketching collaboration brainstorming flowcharts uml-diagrams user-journeys

Excalidraw Features

  1. Minimal and intuitive user interface
  2. Hand-drawn like diagrams
  3. Various drawing tools (pencil, eraser, text, shapes, etc.)
  4. Flowcharts, UML diagrams, user journeys, wireframes, and more
  5. Collaboration features (real-time editing, comments, version history)
  6. Offline support
  7. Customizable themes and color schemes
  8. Export to various file formats (PNG, SVG, JSON)

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open-source

Easy to use and get started

Great for brainstorming and collaboration

Lightweight and fast performance

Regularly updated with new features and improvements

Cons

Limited advanced features compared to professional diagramming tools

Collaboration features may be limited for larger teams

No built-in support for real-time collaboration (relies on external tools)