Excalidraw
Excalidraw is a browser-based whiteboard for creating hand-drawn-style diagrams, explaining technical ideas and collaborating visually with other people.
Why it caught my attention
Technical diagrams often become more complicated to create than the ideas they are supposed to explain. Excalidraw takes a deliberately lightweight approach: start drawing, connect shapes and share the result. That makes it interesting for quick architecture discussions, troubleshooting sessions and early design work.
What problem does this actually solve?
Excalidraw could be worth considering if you recognise any of these challenges.
Diagrams take too long to create
Formal diagramming tools can slow early discussions. Freeform drawing makes it easier to capture ideas before refining them.
Remote discussions lack shared visuals
Teams can work on the same drawing in real time, making technical conversations easier to follow.
Complex systems are difficult to explain
Boxes, arrows and labels help turn abstract infrastructure, application flows and dependencies into understandable visual explanations.
Useful sketches get lost afterwards
Exportable diagrams and editable scene files make it easier to preserve drawings for documentation and future discussions.
Is this a good fit for you?
A quick way to see if Excalidraw is relevant for your situation.
- You regularly explain application architectures, infrastructure layouts or technical workflows.
- Your team collaborates remotely and benefits from drawing ideas together.
- You want quick diagrams without learning a complex design application.
- You need editable sketches for technical documentation or planning discussions.
- You prefer tools that can be used without creating an account.
- You require automatically generated, continuously synchronised infrastructure diagrams.
- You need formal CAD capabilities or strict diagram validation and modelling standards.
How does it work?
In practice, the workflow looks something like this:
Visit the web application and start drawing directly in your browser, without needing an account for basic use.
Add shapes, connectors, text and freehand annotations to represent components, relationships or steps in a process.
Start a live collaboration session and share its link so others can edit the drawing alongside you.
Export an image or save an editable Excalidraw file for documentation, handovers or later revisions.
What else should I know?
A few important things to be aware of before you investigate further.
Browser-based and open source
The core editor is available online, and its source code can be inspected or incorporated into other applications.
Collaboration requires some care
Live collaboration links provide access to shared sessions; check confidentiality requirements before sharing sensitive diagrams or system details.
Storage and recovery options
Basic drawings can be stored locally in the browser. Export editable files to avoid relying solely on browser storage.
Not an automated architecture inventory
Diagrams are manually maintained. Excalidraw does not automatically discover infrastructure or keep drawings synchronised with deployed systems.
Think Excalidraw could fit your environment?
Visit the Excalidraw website to find out more, request a demo or speak to their team.
Something you'd like to know about Excalidraw?
Is there something I haven't covered in my research? Send me your question and I'll look into it and reply personally by email.