Miro alternatives: 5 open-source picks
Miro costs $10/mo — $120 a year. These 5 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Excalidraw, AFFiNE and tldraw. All 5 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
The best simple escape hatch for collaborative diagrams, workshops, and planning: fast, free, local-first, and pleasantly uninterested in becoming Salesforce.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installOpen the hosted web app/PWA, or deploy the static app and optional collaboration server
dataSolo drawings are stored in browser storage or explicit .excalidraw JSON files; exports include PNG and SVG; multiplayer room data is end-to-end encrypted and the decryption key is carried in the share URL
the catch vs MiroExcalidraw covers diagrams and simple workshops but not Miro's vast template, integration, facilitation, planning, and enterprise-governance ecosystem.
setupNone for the hosted app; the trade-off appears later because durable workspace organization, centralized team administration, and managed version history are deliberately minimal
facts verified 2026-08-10
An integrated canvas, docs, databases, and planning workspace for teams willing to accept a younger product and real self-hosting chores.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup or desktop app; Docker Compose for self-hosting
enginesSelf-hosted AFFiNE AI can be configured with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and FAL credentials
dataLocal-first clients keep workspace data locally and sync to AFFiNE Cloud or the operator's server; self-hosting uses PostgreSQL, Redis, and persistent blob storage
the catch vs MiroAFFiNE has far fewer workshop templates, facilitation controls, integrations, embedded app connectors, and enterprise administration features than Miro.
setupThe hosted/desktop app installs cleanly; self-hosting is a multi-service Docker deployment that needs a domain, TLS, secrets, storage, backups, and AI-provider keys for AI features
facts verified 2026-08-10
Infinite canvas SDK and whiteboard app for building collaborative drawing tools
licensetldraw license (source available)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Encrypted collaborative whiteboards with persistent folders, permissions, and sharing; fewer templates, far better data boundaries.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse a public CryptPad instance, or self-host the Node.js service behind a reverse proxy
dataDocuments are encrypted in the browser before upload; the server stores encrypted document files, blobs, and account pin metadata on its filesystem and cannot read document content
the catch vs MiroCryptPad's encrypted whiteboard is much plainer and lacks Miro's facilitation toolkit, templates, integrations, voting, timers, and app marketplace.
setupPublic hosting is immediate; self-hosting requires two domains or subdomains, HTTPS, strict security headers, Node.js configuration, persistent storage, and careful upgrades/backups
facts verified 2026-08-10
A tiny, durable collaborative board with persistent rooms and a free hosted instance; useful precisely because it does not try to run the company.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the free hosted instance, or run the Docker image/Node.js server
dataBoards are persisted as JSON files in the server's data directory; a Docker deployment must mount that directory, while public-hosted boards live on the operator's server
the catch vs MiroWBO provides only the basic shared canvas and omits nearly all of Miro's workshop structure, integrations, templates, planning tools, and administration.
setupNone for the public instance; self-hosting needs Docker or Node.js, a persistent writable volume with the expected user ownership, backups, and a public URL/TLS
facts verified 2026-08-10
What each one is, in full: Excalidraw · AFFiNE · tldraw
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Miro alternative
Easiest to get running
tldraw — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Excalidraw, with 124,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 5, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
AFFiNE is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Miro
- large-board performance
- templates
- integrations
- facilitation tools
- permissions
- enterprise controls
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Miro alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | MIT | they host it | web, self-hosted | 124,000 | 2026-08 |
| AFFiNE | MIT | self-host, real ops | web, macos, windows, linux, self-hosted | 71,300 | 2026-08 |
| tldraw | tldraw license (source available) | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 50,000 | 2026-08 |
| CryptPad | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 7,825 | 2026-07 |
| WBO | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 2,600 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Miro
They pay for workshops where dozens of people can join and everything still works. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $120 a year.
questions about switching from Miro
Is there an open-source alternative to Miro?
Yes: Excalidraw, AFFiNE, tldraw and 2 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Miro?
Our verdict is YES. Excalidraw (124k stars), AFFiNE (71k stars), tldraw (50k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Miro — self-host with docker and stop paying $10/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/miro.
What is the easiest open-source Miro alternative to set up?
tldraw — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Miro alternative?
By GitHub stars, Excalidraw (124,000). AFFiNE is next with 71,300.
