Excalidraw Whiteboard

Excalidraw is a free open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams with real-time collaboration and end-to-end encryption.

🚀 Overview

Excalidraw solves the problem of complex diagramming tools by offering a simple, intuitive infinite canvas for quick sketches, wireframes, flowcharts, and brainstorming sessions that look hand-drawn.

It's built for developers, designers, educators, teams, and anyone needing fast collaborative diagramming without sign-ups or heavy software. The project is embeddable as a React component and works offline as a PWA.

The creators built it to provide a lightweight, privacy-focused alternative that's extensible and runs everywhere with a browser, prioritizing speed and simplicity over feature bloat.

✨ Key Features

Infinite canvas with hand-drawn style tools: shapes (rectangle, circle, diamond), arrows, lines, free draw, text, images, eraser
Real-time collaboration via shareable links with end-to-end encryption; local-first autosave
Export to PNG, SVG, JSON (.excalidraw), or clipboard; import shape libraries; undo/redo, zoom/pan, dark mode
Embeddable React package (@excalidraw/excalidraw); PWA for offline use; customizable UI and localization

🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend: React, TypeScript, SCSS
Tools: Vitest (testing), ESLint, Prettier
Build: Yarn workspaces
Self-hosting: Docker

👥 Who Is This For?

This project is useful for:

Developers who want to embed diagramming capabilities in their apps (e.g., integrations in Notion, Obsidian, VS Code)
Teams looking for quick collaborative whiteboarding without accounts or complex setups
Indie makers building prototypes, wireframes, or educational tools