draw.io vs AFFiNE
Both are alternatives to Miro. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as AFFiNE vs draw.io — same comparison, one verdict.
draw.io and AFFiNE are closely matched on ownership (94 vs 91) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
draw.io
Structured diagrams that live as files in your own repository.
draw.io is the precise, structured counterpart to Excalidraw's sketchiness: network topologies, UML, flowcharts, org charts, with extensive shape libraries and stencils for AWS, Azure and GCP. Apache-2.0, runs entirely in the browser or as a desktop application, and stores diagrams as files you keep — in Git, in Drive, wherever. That last point matters more than it sounds: a diagram in your repository is reviewed alongside the code it describes, and a diagram in a SaaS canvas is not.
AFFiNE
Docs and canvas in one — write a page, flip it to a whiteboard.
AFFiNE merges the document and the canvas: the same content can be read as a written page or arranged as a whiteboard, switching between the two. That removes a real annoyance — the diagram in Miro and the decision record in Confluence drifting apart until nobody knows which is current. MPL-2.0, self-hostable, local-first, around 50k stars. It is ambitious and still maturing, and the honest caveat is that doing two things well is harder than doing one, which shows in places.
Side by side
6 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| draw.io | AFFiNE | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 94 | 91 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Pricing | Free and open source. Confluence and Jira plugins are paid. | Free and open source to self-host. AFFiNE Cloud is a paid hosted option. |
draw.io edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
draw.io
Strengths
- +Extensive shape libraries including AWS, Azure and GCP stencils
- +Diagrams are files you own — version them in Git
- +Apache-2.0, self-hostable, and works fully offline
- +Best of these for precise structured diagrams
Trade-offs
- −Real-time collaboration is weaker than Miro or Excalidraw
- −Interface is dense and dated
- −No workshop or facilitation features
- −Wrong tool for loose collaborative sketching
AFFiNE
Strengths
- +Document and whiteboard modes over the same content
- +Local-first — works offline and syncs after
- +MPL-2.0, self-hostable, with no enterprise carve-out
- +Removes the drift between a diagram and its written decision
Trade-offs
- −Still maturing; rough edges in both modes
- −Neither mode is quite best-in-class alone
- −Smaller community than the focused tools
- −Self-hosting is more involved than Excalidraw's
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose draw.io
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and extensive shape libraries including AWS, Azure and GCP stencils.
Choose AFFiNE
if document and whiteboard modes over the same content.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — real-time collaboration is weaker than Miro or Excalidraw, and still maturing; rough edges in both modes. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
draw.io vs AFFiNE — common questions
Is draw.io a better fit than AFFiNE for whiteboards & diagramming?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: draw.io scores 94 to AFFiNE's 91 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. AFFiNE earns its place on a different axis — document and whiteboard modes over the same content. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
draw.io keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. AFFiNE is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host draw.io or AFFiNE?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are draw.io and AFFiNE both alternatives to Miro?
Yes — both appear in our Miro comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Miro and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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Facts verified 2026-08-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.