Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Excalidraw VS WriteMapper

Compare Excalidraw VS WriteMapper and see what are their differences

Excalidraw logo Excalidraw

Excalidraw is a whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them.

WriteMapper logo WriteMapper

Skyrocket your writing productivity using mind maps ๐Ÿ’ญ
  • Excalidraw Excalidraw - collaborative whiteboard infinite canvas
    Excalidraw - collaborative whiteboard infinite canvas //
    2024-11-13

Excalidraw is an open-source virtual whiteboard focused on simplicity and collaboration. It provides a hand-drawn, sketch-style interface for brainstorming and visualizing ideas. Ideal for remote teams, educators, and developers, Excalidraw supports real-time collaboration and integrates with other tools through its open API. With a privacy-first design and intuitive layout, it enables users to create and share diagrams, workflows, and visual notes efficiently. Powered by a strong community, Excalidraw is designed to fit into diverse workflows with minimal setup.

  • WriteMapper Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-16

Excalidraw features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Excalidraw features a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create diagrams and sketches without a steep learning curve.
  • Real-Time Collaboration
    Allows multiple users to collaborate on the same canvas in real-time, making it a great tool for team projects and discussions.
  • Free to Use
    Excalidraw is completely free to use, and offers all of its features without a subscription or one-time payment.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, it allows developers to contribute to its codebase, customize it for their needs, and potentially add new features.
  • Offline Capability
    Offers offline support, enabling users to continue working on their diagrams without an internet connection.

Possible disadvantages of Excalidraw

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While perfect for basic sketches and diagrams, Excalidraw lacks some advanced features found in other professional-grade diagramming tools.
  • Basic Styling Options
    The tool offers limited styling options, which may not be sufficient for users looking for more sophisticated design and customization capabilities.
  • No Integration with Other Tools
    Currently, Excalidraw does not offer integration with other popular productivity or design tools, which might be a limitation for some users.
  • Scalability Issues
    As the number of elements on the canvas increases, performance can degrade, potentially making the tool less responsive.
  • Limited Export Options
    Supports limited export formats, which can be inconvenient for users needing to integrate their visuals into other applications or media.

WriteMapper features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    WriteMapper offers a straightforward and intuitive interface that allows users to easily organize their thoughts and ideas through mind mapping, making it accessible even for beginners.
  • Export Options
    The tool supports multiple export formats like Markdown, HTML, and Word, enabling users to seamlessly integrate their work with other platforms or share it with collaborators.
  • Focus Mode
    WriteMapper includes a focus mode that helps writers concentrate on individual nodes or sections, reducing distractions and enhancing productivity.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
    The app supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts, improving efficiency and allowing experienced users to navigate and edit maps quickly.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    WriteMapper is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and iPad, providing flexibility for users who work on different devices.

Possible disadvantages of WriteMapper

  • Limited Customization
    While WriteMapper is easy to use, it offers limited customization for map layouts and styles, which might not meet the needs of users looking for more personalization options.
  • No Collaboration Features
    The tool lacks real-time collaboration capabilities, making it less suitable for teams that need to work together simultaneously on a project.
  • Cost
    WriteMapper is a paid application, which may not be ideal for users seeking a free solution for their mind mapping and writing needs.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the basic features are easy to use, some advanced functionalities might require users to spend time learning how to effectively leverage them.

Analysis of Excalidraw

Overall verdict

  • Excalidraw is an excellent tool, especially for those looking for a straightforward and efficient online whiteboard solution. Its user-friendly design, combined with robust collaboration features, makes it a strong choice for both individuals and teams.

Why this product is good

  • Excalidraw is highly regarded due to its simplicity and effectiveness as a digital whiteboard tool. It offers a clean, intuitive interface that's easy to use for quick sketches and brainstorming sessions. The collaboration features, which allow multiple users to work together in real-time, make it ideal for teams. Its open-source nature also adds a level of flexibility and customization for users with specific needs.

Recommended for

  • Designers needing a quick sketch tool.
  • Teams requiring real-time collaboration on visual ideas.
  • Individuals who appreciate open-source software.
  • Educators and students for simple diagrams or brainstorming.
  • Remote teams looking for a lightweight yet powerful whiteboarding tool.

Analysis of WriteMapper

Overall verdict

  • WriteMapper is considered a good tool for writers who prefer a visually-oriented approach to organizing their thoughts. It is particularly praised for its ease of use and effective mind mapping capabilities, which can assist both novice and seasoned writers in structuring their projects efficiently.

Why this product is good

  • WriteMapper is a tool designed to help users quickly turn ideas into writing. It focuses on mind mapping to provide a clear structure, making it suitable for writers who benefit from visual outlines. Its features include a distraction-free writing environment, simple node arrangement, and a user-friendly interface that can help streamline the writing process.

Recommended for

  • Writers who benefit from visual organization
  • Individuals looking for a simple and intuitive writing tool
  • Students or professionals working on organized writing tasks
  • Authors who need to brainstorm and outline content before drafting

Excalidraw videos

Rapid Mockup Creation Using Excalidraw

WriteMapper videos

WriteMapper: $50 for a NOTE TAKING APP: what does it do?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Excalidraw and WriteMapper)
Digital Whiteboard
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
74 74%
26% 26
Diagrams
100 100%
0% 0
Brainstorming And Ideation

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Excalidraw and WriteMapper

Excalidraw Reviews

The 5 Best Open Source Miro Alternatives in 2024
Looking at open source alternatives to Miro will give you powerful and flexible tools that can cater to different collaboration needs without the limitations of propietary software. In 2024,the best open source Miro alternative will be AFFiNE, Obsidian, Excalidraw,Appflowy,and Logseq. Each of these has unique features, community driven improvements, and the ability to...
Source: affine.pro
5 great diagramming tools for enterprise and software architects
As your system evolves, you must update your diagrams to reflect those changes. Because Excalidraw is a browser-based tool, you have to open a browser tab and make changes visually, which can be inconvenient. You also can't easily see your history of changes. While Excalidraw has fans, I prefer a text-based diagram tool.
Source: www.redhat.com

WriteMapper Reviews

We have no reviews of WriteMapper yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Excalidraw seems to be a lot more popular than WriteMapper. While we know about 267 links to Excalidraw, we've tracked only 6 mentions of WriteMapper. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Excalidraw mentions (267)

  • Your Architecture Diagram Is a Screenshot. Your AI Agent Can't Read It.
    The format idea costs you nothing to adopt today: export from excalidraw.com with "Embed scene" on, commit the .excalidraw.png, reference it as a normal image. It renders everywhere and stays editable. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • The Interview Prep Stack I Used as a Senior Software Engineer Targeting Big Tech
    Category Tool URL How I used it General AI assistant ChatGPT Https://chatgpt.com Breaking down concepts, simulating interviewers, reviewing answers AI writing / reasoning Claude Https://claude.ai Refining behavioral stories and system design explanations Coding practice LeetCode Https://leetcode.com Core DSA practice and timed coding drills Coding explanations NeetCode Https://neetcode.io Pattern-based... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Master the in demand of salary negotiation and system design: What Fails
    Most system design interviews fail because candidates draw perfect whiteboard diagrams but canโ€™t explain the tradeoffs of their choices, or canโ€™t write code to implement a core component. By 2025, 60% of FAANG system design interviews will require live coding of at least one component, per internal hiring data. Instead of practicing whiteboard diagrams with Excalidraw, practice coding core components: rate... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • ๐Ÿ“ Documentation-as-Code Has Silently Won For Tech Content
    Excalidraw โ€” Hand-drawn style diagrams; stores as JSON that AI can read and tweak (still early days). - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • A Map for the First-Time Software Creator
    Excalidraw is free and feels like drawing with a fat marker. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
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WriteMapper mentions (6)

  • Recommendations on annotating slides on a Regular PC?
    I'm also a big fan of WriteMapper (email them for the student discount). https://writemapper.com. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • I made Planrow, a free personal productivity app for your notes, tasks and plans.
    I was building off my experience from a previous app, [WriteMapper](https://writemapper.com), where I would from time to time get feedback about how if the app is on multiple platforms - it *should* sync seamlessly. So I endeavored to build it this way. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Is anyone secretly writing a novel like me?
    I'm using Writemapper to write a self-help book for younger second-generation immigrants; focus is more about avoiding pitfalls due to tiger moms/dads, professional mentorship, and eventually how to become better parents themselves. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Bear / Panda for longer form writing
    Check out WriteMapper. It fits a lot of the needs you described. The basic idea is that you start by organizing your ideas visually, and then you click on each "node" and start writing the text. Source: over 4 years ago
  • I've been pirating for about twenty years, and now that I'm financially comfortable, I feel I should start to pay my way to help those who kept me entertained through the decades..
    Guys can anyone help me find the free version of this app on pc, I'm going insane I can't find it it's called Writemapper 3 it's about writing ideas and stiff and I really need it here is a link to main website. Source: almost 5 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Excalidraw and WriteMapper, you can also consider the following products

Miro - Join Millions of users that collaborate from all over the planet using Miro. Experience the power of the #1 visual workspace for innovation. More than 100M users and 250,000 companies are collaborating on the canvas.

MindNode - Delightful Mind Mapping for your Mac, iPad and iPhone. MacCapture Your Thoughts. Any idea starts with a loose collection of .

draw.io - Online diagramming application

Text 2 Mind Map - Make a dynamic mind map from a plaintext nested list

xTiles App - A web note-taking app for creative people that combines the best from text editors and whiteboards. Think, write, and organize your thoughts based on cards and tabs. Structure and enrich all of your ideas in one place.

Whimsical Mind Maps - Fast & beautiful mind maps with real-time collaboration