Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

StackEdit VS Excalidraw

Compare StackEdit VS Excalidraw and see what are their differences

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StackEdit logo StackEdit

Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.

Excalidraw logo Excalidraw

Excalidraw is a whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them.
  • StackEdit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-12-08
  • 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.

StackEdit features and specs

  • Markdown Support
    StackEdit offers robust support for Markdown, allowing for efficient and straightforward text formatting and editing.
  • Offline Access
    Users can work on their documents offline, making it convenient for use in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
  • Synchronization
    StackEdit can be synchronized with various cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox, enabling easy access and backup.
  • Collaboration
    The platform supports real-time collaboration, which is useful for teams working on a document simultaneously.
  • Integrated Editor
    It includes a feature-rich Markdown editor with a live preview, which helps users see the formatted version of their text as they type.

Possible disadvantages of StackEdit

  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with Markdown may find it initially challenging to use all of StackEdit's features effectively.
  • Limited Export Options
    While it does support exporting to HTML, PDF, and a few other formats, the export options may be limited compared to other markdown editors.
  • Performance
    Some users might experience performance issues with large documents or when using the application for extended periods.
  • Requires Signup for Full Features
    To access all features, such as cloud synchronization and import/export options, users need to sign up for an account.
  • Dependency on Internet for Sync
    While offline editing is a plus, syncing documents still requires an internet connection, which may be inconvenient for some users.

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.

Analysis of StackEdit

Overall verdict

  • StackEdit is generally considered a good tool for those who need a reliable markdown editor with advanced features, especially for users who value cloud integration and offline functionality.

Why this product is good

  • StackEdit is a versatile, in-browser markdown editor that offers a variety of features, such as real-time collaboration, seamless synchronization with cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox, and offline editing capabilities. It supports a wide range of markdown variations and extensions, making it suitable for different types of documentation and note-taking needs.

Recommended for

    StackEdit is highly recommended for writers, bloggers, developers, and students who frequently work with markdown files and need a powerful editor that can integrate with cloud storage services while providing collaboration features.

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.

StackEdit videos

StackEdit - Write Markdown on Google Drive

More videos:

  • Review - StackEdit รฉditeur puissant de Markdown en ligne ๐Ÿ’ช

Excalidraw videos

Rapid Mockup Creation Using Excalidraw

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to StackEdit and Excalidraw)
Markdown Editor
100 100%
0% 0
Digital Whiteboard
0 0%
100% 100
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Diagrams
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

StackEdit Reviews

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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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Excalidraw should be more popular than StackEdit. It has been mentiond 250 times since March 2021. 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.

StackEdit mentions (51)

  • If it is worth keeping, save it in Markdown
    Https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#philosophy "Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like itโ€™s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions." Any text editor (Notepad, TextPad, (neo)vi(m), Emacs, TextMate, Apostrophe, GhostWriter, Typora, etc.) will do. Markdown-specific editors have either a real-time preview or the ability to edit as... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    StackEdit: An open-source, free Markdown editor based on PageDown. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Markdown as Fast as Possible
    Alternatively, you can use an online markdown editor like StackEdit or HackMD. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Good Notes App?
    Use https://stackedit.io/ in the browser :). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Vrite Editor: Open-Source WYSIWYG Markdown Editor
    Markdown is awesome! But, when writing 1000 words+ articles, I quickly feel the need for a better experience. For years, Iโ€™ve used StackEdit โ€” an open-source, in-browser Markdown editor โ€” for editing all kinds of long-format Markdown text. That said, given my recent experience with WYSIWYG editors, I thought I could do something better. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
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Excalidraw mentions (250)

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What are some alternatives?

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

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

Miro - Scalable, secure, cross-device and enterprise-ready team collaboration tool for distributed teams. Join 2M+ users & 8000+ teams from around the world.

Markdown by DaringFireball - Text-to-HTML conversion tool/syntax for web writers, by John Gruber

draw.io - Online diagramming application

MarkdownPad - MarkdownPad is a full-featured Markdown editor for Windows. Features:

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.