draw.io vs Excalidraw
draw.io and Excalidraw are both listed on Forkshelf as open source alternatives to Miro. This page sets their license and GitHub activity side by side. Every figure comes from the GitHub API, fetched on 8 Nov 2026 [S1].
draw.io vs Excalidraw at a glance
| draw.io | Excalidraw | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 [S1] | MIT [S1] |
| GitHub stars | 9,242 on 8 Nov 2026 [S1] | 135,303 on 8 Nov 2026 [S1] |
| Last push | 5 Nov 2026 [S1] | 7 Nov 2026 [S1] |
| Latest release | v32.6.10 on 5 Nov 2026 [S1] | v0.18.1 on 21 Apr 2026 [S1] |
| Archived | No [S1] | No [S1] |
| Project site | www.drawio.com | excalidraw.com |
| Repository | jgraph/drawio | excalidraw/excalidraw |
What is draw.io?
draw.io is a client-side JavaScript editor for general diagramming. Its code is on GitHub at jgraph/drawio [S1].
What is Excalidraw?
Excalidraw is a virtual whiteboard for sketching diagrams that look hand-drawn. Its code is on GitHub at excalidraw/excalidraw [S1].
What Miro does
Our catalog sums it up as: Miro is a hosted online whiteboard for workshops, diagrams, and sticky notes. [S2]
How we list draw.io and Excalidraw
Our Miro alternatives page describes draw.io as: Design and whiteboards. License: Apache-2.0. Self-hosted: yes. [S2] We also list draw.io as an alternative to Figma [S3].
Our Miro alternatives page describes Excalidraw as: Design and whiteboards. License: MIT. Self-hosted: yes. [S2] We also list Excalidraw as an alternative to Figma [S3].
draw.io vs Excalidraw license
The draw.io repository is under Apache-2.0 [S1].
The Excalidraw repository is under MIT [S1].
Activity
On 8 Nov 2026, draw.io had 9,242 GitHub stars. It is not archived, and its last push was on 5 Nov 2026 [S1].
On 8 Nov 2026, Excalidraw had 135,303 GitHub stars. It is not archived, and its last push was on 7 Nov 2026 [S1].
draw.io's latest GitHub release is v32.6.10, from 5 Nov 2026 [S1].
Excalidraw's latest GitHub release is v0.18.1, from 21 Apr 2026 [S1].
Which one fits
Excalidraw has more GitHub stars than draw.io as of 8 Nov 2026 [S1]. Stars show interest, so check the issue tracker too.
Excalidraw had the more recent push, on 7 Nov 2026, against 5 Nov 2026 for draw.io [S1].
draw.io uses Apache-2.0 and Excalidraw uses MIT [S1]. If you plan to change the code and run it as a service for others or ship it, read both licences before you pick.
Other Miro alternatives
See the full list on the Miro alternatives page [S2].
Related comparisons
FAQ
Is draw.io open source?
Its repository is under Apache-2.0, as of 8 Nov 2026 [S1].
Is Excalidraw open source?
Its repository is under MIT, as of 8 Nov 2026 [S1].
Is the draw.io repository still active?
As of 8 Nov 2026, it is not archived and its last push was on 5 Nov 2026 [S1].
Is the Excalidraw repository still active?
As of 8 Nov 2026, it is not archived and its last push was on 7 Nov 2026 [S1].
Self-host guides
Sources (all fetched 8 Nov 2026)
- [S1] https://api.github.com/repos/jgraph/drawio, https://api.github.com/repos/excalidraw/excalidraw
- [S2] Forkshelf listing, https://forkshelf.com/alternative-to/miro
- [S3] Forkshelf catalog, https://forkshelf.com/alternatives