{"slug": "excalidraw", "name": "Excalidraw", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "Open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn style diagrams.", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 10, "warners": 2, "score": 3.372, "rising": -1.64, "first": "2026-03-30", "latest": "2026-10-17", "why": "HN commenters love Excalidraw for diagramming, praising its sketch styles and a slow, deliberate drawing process, and some use it as an Obsidian plugin.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 3, "compare": 0, "warn": 2}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Enjoyable to use", "Obsidian plugin"], "caveat": "Multiple canvases", "short_quote": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw", "official_url": "https://excalidraw.com", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Excalidraw"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters love Excalidraw for diagramming,", "cites": [{"id": 764020769, "item_id": 47751298, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47751298", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-04-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Excalidraw", "excerpt": "DrawX is Excalidraw with backend. I love Excalidraw but I don't need Excalidraw+ I just need the backend where I can save and be able to create multiple canvases. So that's what I built! https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"}, {"id": 761148672, "item_id": 47571792, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571792", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+.", "excerpt": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+. But Excalidraw open source is the frontend only, which means I have to delete my drawings each time. So I built the backend so I can create many canvases. https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawings", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}, {"text": " praising its sketch styles and a slow, deliberate drawing process,", "cites": [{"id": 761146304, "item_id": 47571644, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571644", "by": "gethly", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it is better than draw.io that I used to use before", "excerpt": "Same. I started using it for Gethly blog. It's not perfect, some things make me crazy but overall it is better than draw.io that I used to use before. Excalidraw also has these great styles that just feel right :)", "context": "", "use_case": "blog diagrams", "switched_from": "draw.io", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 777298384, "item_id": 48581149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48581149", "by": "anitil", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down", "excerpt": "It takes me ages to draw my diagrams (I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down and check what I think I know", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why thinking out loud with someone beats thinking alone"}]}, {"text": " and some use it as an Obsidian plugin.", "cites": [{"id": 778948369, "item_id": 48684273, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48684273", "by": "nitin7", "date": "2026-06-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use a few such as excalidraw/mermaid etc.", "excerpt": "This is interesting and a promising start. I gave this a shot. I'd love to see support for Bases and obsidian plugins that are typescript/open source anyway - I use a few such as excalidraw/mermaid etc. I also want to use my local model. When collaborating on Notion, we had to pop into Google docs for comments, suggestions and history. I see this as important even when working with AI on something.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming plugin", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: OpenKnowledge \u2013 open-source alternative to Obsidian/Notion"}, {"id": 783471874, "item_id": 48966992, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48966992", "by": "iammjm", "date": "2026-07-19", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I also have an Excalidraw plugin there for example", "excerpt": "I digitise some of my handwritten stuff, but not all of them, just what I really want to keep or be searchable. For that I created a simple Shortcut on my iPhone: take a photo > rotate it > resize by 20% > save file > rename > share with Obsidian and add it to either Daily Note or a specific note. In Obsidian I have a Claude integration (Claudian Plugin) with an /ocr skill, which runs optical character recognition on", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing in Obsidian", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Started a \"Dirt Notebook\""}]}, {"text": " The most common complaint is that the open-source app makes it hard to manage multiple saved canvases,", "cites": [{"id": 761148672, "item_id": 47571792, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571792", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+.", "excerpt": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+. But Excalidraw open source is the frontend only, which means I have to delete my drawings each time. So I built the backend so I can create many canvases. https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawings", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 764020769, "item_id": 47751298, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47751298", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-04-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Excalidraw", "excerpt": "DrawX is Excalidraw with backend. I love Excalidraw but I don't need Excalidraw+ I just need the backend where I can save and be able to create multiple canvases. So that's what I built! https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"}, {"id": 761230240, "item_id": 47576890, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47576890", "by": "sudhirkhanger", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use its PWA and save individual files on the disk.", "excerpt": "It would have been great if Excalidraw made it easier to do manage multiple scenes. I use its PWA and save individual files on the disk.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}, {"text": " and a few find its wonky look or shape picking distracting.", "cites": [{"id": 761157169, "item_id": 47572323, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572323", "by": "lnenad", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I genuinely don't understand how people can use these wonky looking tools. It looks off", "excerpt": "I love diagramming, but I genuinely don't understand how people can use these wonky looking tools. It looks off, I had to make my own[1] to create something that's easy to use and looks good/normal. [1] https://grafly.io", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 802133936, "item_id": 50133371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50133371", "by": "yipinwong", "date": "2026-10-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me", "excerpt": "I use paper not to record, but as a thinking process. This stems from videos I watched on Richard Feynman, who does it so. I tried his ways, and it worked great for me and been sticking with it for a decade. --- Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me, as I have to switch my attention on which shape to use etc (it works ok for designining systems) but not for free thinking.", "context": "", "use_case": "free thinking", "switched_from": "", "story": "We still use paper"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Enjoyable to use", "summary": "Commenters say they love it and find drawing with it enjoyable.", "quotes": [{"id": 764020769, "item_id": 47751298, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47751298", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-04-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Excalidraw", "excerpt": "DrawX is Excalidraw with backend. I love Excalidraw but I don't need Excalidraw+ I just need the backend where I can save and be able to create multiple canvases. So that's what I built! https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"}, {"id": 761148672, "item_id": 47571792, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571792", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+.", "excerpt": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+. But Excalidraw open source is the frontend only, which means I have to delete my drawings each time. So I built the backend so I can create many canvases. https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawings", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 777298384, "item_id": 48581149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48581149", "by": "anitil", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down", "excerpt": "It takes me ages to draw my diagrams (I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down and check what I think I know", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why thinking out loud with someone beats thinking alone"}]}, {"label": "Obsidian plugin", "summary": "Some commenters use Excalidraw as a plugin inside Obsidian.", "quotes": [{"id": 778948369, "item_id": 48684273, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48684273", "by": "nitin7", "date": "2026-06-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use a few such as excalidraw/mermaid etc.", "excerpt": "This is interesting and a promising start. I gave this a shot. I'd love to see support for Bases and obsidian plugins that are typescript/open source anyway - I use a few such as excalidraw/mermaid etc. I also want to use my local model. When collaborating on Notion, we had to pop into Google docs for comments, suggestions and history. I see this as important even when working with AI on something.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming plugin", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: OpenKnowledge \u2013 open-source alternative to Obsidian/Notion"}, {"id": 783471874, "item_id": 48966992, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48966992", "by": "iammjm", "date": "2026-07-19", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I also have an Excalidraw plugin there for example", "excerpt": "I digitise some of my handwritten stuff, but not all of them, just what I really want to keep or be searchable. For that I created a simple Shortcut on my iPhone: take a photo > rotate it > resize by 20% > save file > rename > share with Obsidian and add it to either Daily Note or a specific note. In Obsidian I have a Claude integration (Claudian Plugin) with an /ocr skill, which runs optical character recognition on", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing in Obsidian", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Started a \"Dirt Notebook\""}, {"id": 761153712, "item_id": 47572107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572107", "by": "darshanmakwana", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yeah I use that plugin too.", "excerpt": "Yeah I use that plugin too. I was just referencing it in relation to how I setup my blog[1] [1]: https://darshanmakwana412.github.io/2026/03/a-system-of-journaling/", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams in notes", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}, {"label": "Sketch styles", "summary": "Its drawing styles are described as feeling right, and one commenter prefers it to draw.io.", "quotes": [{"id": 761146304, "item_id": 47571644, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571644", "by": "gethly", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it is better than draw.io that I used to use before", "excerpt": "Same. I started using it for Gethly blog. It's not perfect, some things make me crazy but overall it is better than draw.io that I used to use before. Excalidraw also has these great styles that just feel right :)", "context": "", "use_case": "blog diagrams", "switched_from": "draw.io", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}, {"label": "Deliberate thinking", "summary": "Drawing slowly in it helps one commenter check what they think they know.", "quotes": [{"id": 777298384, "item_id": 48581149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48581149", "by": "anitil", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down", "excerpt": "It takes me ages to draw my diagrams (I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down and check what I think I know", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why thinking out loud with someone beats thinking alone"}]}, {"label": "System design", "summary": "Even a critic says it works fine for designing systems.", "quotes": [{"id": 802133936, "item_id": 50133371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50133371", "by": "yipinwong", "date": "2026-10-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me", "excerpt": "I use paper not to record, but as a thinking process. This stems from videos I watched on Richard Feynman, who does it so. I tried his ways, and it worked great for me and been sticking with it for a decade. --- Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me, as I have to switch my attention on which shape to use etc (it works ok for designining systems) but not for free thinking.", "context": "", "use_case": "free thinking", "switched_from": "", "story": "We still use paper"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Multiple canvases", "summary": "The open-source app is frontend-only, which makes saving and managing several scenes awkward.", "quotes": [{"id": 761148672, "item_id": 47571792, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571792", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+.", "excerpt": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+. But Excalidraw open source is the frontend only, which means I have to delete my drawings each time. So I built the backend so I can create many canvases. https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawings", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 764020769, "item_id": 47751298, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47751298", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-04-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Excalidraw", "excerpt": "DrawX is Excalidraw with backend. I love Excalidraw but I don't need Excalidraw+ I just need the backend where I can save and be able to create multiple canvases. So that's what I built! https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"}, {"id": 761230240, "item_id": 47576890, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47576890", "by": "sudhirkhanger", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use its PWA and save individual files on the disk.", "excerpt": "It would have been great if Excalidraw made it easier to do manage multiple scenes. I use its PWA and save individual files on the disk.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}, {"label": "Free thinking", "summary": "Choosing shapes pulls attention away from free-form thinking compared to paper.", "quotes": [{"id": 802133936, "item_id": 50133371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50133371", "by": "yipinwong", "date": "2026-10-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me", "excerpt": "I use paper not to record, but as a thinking process. This stems from videos I watched on Richard Feynman, who does it so. I tried his ways, and it worked great for me and been sticking with it for a decade. --- Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me, as I have to switch my attention on which shape to use etc (it works ok for designining systems) but not for free thinking.", "context": "", "use_case": "free thinking", "switched_from": "", "story": "We still use paper"}]}, {"label": "Wonky look", "summary": "One commenter finds the hand-drawn aesthetic looks off.", "quotes": [{"id": 761157169, "item_id": 47572323, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572323", "by": "lnenad", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I genuinely don't understand how people can use these wonky looking tools. It looks off", "excerpt": "I love diagramming, but I genuinely don't understand how people can use these wonky looking tools. It looks off, I had to make my own[1] to create something that's easy to use and looks good/normal. [1] https://grafly.io", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}, {"label": "Rough edges", "summary": "A satisfied user says it is not perfect and some things are frustrating.", "quotes": [{"id": 761146304, "item_id": 47571644, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571644", "by": "gethly", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it is better than draw.io that I used to use before", "excerpt": "Same. I started using it for Gethly blog. It's not perfect, some things make me crazy but overall it is better than draw.io that I used to use before. Excalidraw also has these great styles that just feel right :)", "context": "", "use_case": "blog diagrams", "switched_from": "draw.io", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}], "who": [], "tags": ["for Obsidian users", "for system diagrams", "for blog diagrams", "usable as a PWA"], "use_cases": ["diagramming", "free thinking", "drawing in obsidian", "diagramming plugin", "drawing diagrams", "whiteboard drawing"], "compared": [{"slug": "draw-io", "name": "draw.io", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "obsidian", "name": "Obsidian", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571376", "title": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog", "mentions": 5}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100440", "title": "We still use paper", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48954149", "title": "I Started a \"Dirt Notebook\"", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48675435", "title": "Show HN: OpenKnowledge \u2013 open-source alternative to Obsidian/Notion", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48569894", "title": "Why thinking out loud with someone beats thinking alone", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47741527", "title": "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 4, "warn": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-07": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"warn": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 802133936, "item_id": 50133371, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50133371", "by": "yipinwong", "date": "2026-10-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me", "excerpt": "I use paper not to record, but as a thinking process. This stems from videos I watched on Richard Feynman, who does it so. I tried his ways, and it worked great for me and been sticking with it for a decade. --- Apps like Excalidraw just does not cut it for me, as I have to switch my attention on which shape to use etc (it works ok for designining systems) but not for free thinking.", "context": "", "use_case": "free thinking", "switched_from": "", "story": "We still use paper"}, {"id": 783471874, "item_id": 48966992, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48966992", "by": "iammjm", "date": "2026-07-19", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I also have an Excalidraw plugin there for example", "excerpt": "I digitise some of my handwritten stuff, but not all of them, just what I really want to keep or be searchable. For that I created a simple Shortcut on my iPhone: take a photo > rotate it > resize by 20% > save file > rename > share with Obsidian and add it to either Daily Note or a specific note. In Obsidian I have a Claude integration (Claudian Plugin) with an /ocr skill, which runs optical character recognition on", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing in Obsidian", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Started a \"Dirt Notebook\""}, {"id": 778948369, "item_id": 48684273, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48684273", "by": "nitin7", "date": "2026-06-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use a few such as excalidraw/mermaid etc.", "excerpt": "This is interesting and a promising start. I gave this a shot. I'd love to see support for Bases and obsidian plugins that are typescript/open source anyway - I use a few such as excalidraw/mermaid etc. I also want to use my local model. When collaborating on Notion, we had to pop into Google docs for comments, suggestions and history. I see this as important even when working with AI on something.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming plugin", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: OpenKnowledge \u2013 open-source alternative to Obsidian/Notion"}, {"id": 777298384, "item_id": 48581149, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48581149", "by": "anitil", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down", "excerpt": "It takes me ages to draw my diagrams (I use excalidraw) but I find it so enjoyable because it forces me to slow down and check what I think I know", "context": "", "use_case": "drawing diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why thinking out loud with someone beats thinking alone"}, {"id": 764020769, "item_id": 47751298, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47751298", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-04-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love Excalidraw", "excerpt": "DrawX is Excalidraw with backend. I love Excalidraw but I don't need Excalidraw+ I just need the backend where I can save and be able to create multiple canvases. So that's what I built! https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)"}, {"id": 761230240, "item_id": 47576890, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47576890", "by": "sudhirkhanger", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use its PWA and save individual files on the disk.", "excerpt": "It would have been great if Excalidraw made it easier to do manage multiple scenes. I use its PWA and save individual files on the disk.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 761210592, "item_id": 47575662, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47575662", "by": "conception", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love this but don\u2019t want to support them", "excerpt": "I know \u201cride the success of free and mooch off their success eg cursor\u201d is the new rage these days, but doesn\u2019t feel like Excalidraw is the giant corporate beast worth stealing business from. \u201cI love this but don\u2019t want to support them and better yet want to profit off their free tier\u201d isn\u2019t a great position to take.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN : DrawX - Excalidraw with Back End"}, {"id": 761157169, "item_id": 47572323, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572323", "by": "lnenad", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I genuinely don't understand how people can use these wonky looking tools. It looks off", "excerpt": "I love diagramming, but I genuinely don't understand how people can use these wonky looking tools. It looks off, I had to make my own[1] to create something that's easy to use and looks good/normal. [1] https://grafly.io", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 761153712, "item_id": 47572107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572107", "by": "darshanmakwana", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yeah I use that plugin too.", "excerpt": "Yeah I use that plugin too. I was just referencing it in relation to how I setup my blog[1] [1]: https://darshanmakwana412.github.io/2026/03/a-system-of-journaling/", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams in notes", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 761148672, "item_id": 47571792, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571792", "by": "postatic", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+.", "excerpt": "I love excalidraw, but don't need the excalidraw+. But Excalidraw open source is the frontend only, which means I have to delete my drawings each time. So I built the backend so I can create many canvases. https://drawx.ossy.dev", "context": "", "use_case": "whiteboard drawings", "switched_from": "", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}, {"id": 761146304, "item_id": 47571644, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571644", "by": "gethly", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it is better than draw.io that I used to use before", "excerpt": "Same. I started using it for Gethly blog. It's not perfect, some things make me crazy but overall it is better than draw.io that I used to use before. Excalidraw also has these great styles that just feel right :)", "context": "", "use_case": "blog diagrams", "switched_from": "draw.io", "story": "I use excalidraw to manage my diagrams for my blog"}]}