Eraser alternatives: 3 open-source picks
These 3 Eraser alternatives replace it for $0, led by HedgeDoc, Excalidraw and draw.io. All 3 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Collaborative Markdown documents with Mermaid diagrams, revisions, and reveal.js presentations; no free-form whiteboard, but the engineering-doc job is real.
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for sketching diagrams collaboratively
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
The diagramming workhorse — flowcharts, architecture diagrams, UML — runs fully client-side or as your own container.
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Excalidraw · draw.io
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
MermaidEveryone recommends it, but Mermaid itself is a rendering library and command-line tool, not a finished collaborative documentation product.
how to choose a Eraser alternative
Easiest to get running
Excalidraw — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Excalidraw, with 129,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 3, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
what you give up by leaving Eraser
- high-fidelity import and export
- presentation and enterprise controls
- multiplayer cursors and comments
- large template libraries
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Eraser alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HedgeDoc | open source | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 7,355 | 2026-08 |
| Excalidraw | MIT | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 129,000 | 2026-08 |
| draw.io | Apache-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 43,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Eraser
Eraser: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.
questions about switching from Eraser
Is there an open-source alternative to Eraser?
Yes: HedgeDoc, Excalidraw, draw.io. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Eraser?
Our verdict is YES. Excalidraw (129k stars), draw.io (43k stars), HedgeDoc (7k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Eraser — self-host in one command and stop paying. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/eraser.
What is the easiest open-source Eraser alternative to set up?
Excalidraw — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Eraser alternative?
By GitHub stars, Excalidraw (129,000). draw.io is next with 43,000.
