draw.io vs tldraw
Both are alternatives to Miro. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as tldraw vs draw.io — same comparison, one verdict.
draw.io is open source (Apache-2.0) and tldraw is not (tldraw licence (custom — free for many uses; read the terms before commercial embedding)) — so the real question is whether you want to own the whiteboards & diagramming stack or rent it.
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.
tldraw
The canvas as an SDK — embed it in your own product.
tldraw is an infinite canvas that is also a library: the drawing experience is excellent, and the SDK is designed to be embedded so your own application can have a canvas without building one. That dual nature is what distinguishes it — for most people it is a very good free whiteboard, and for a product team it is a component. Licensing is the thing to check: tldraw uses its own licence rather than a standard OSI one, free for many uses with terms for commercial embedding, so read it against your intended use rather than assuming.
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 | tldraw | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 94 | 74 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | tldraw licence (custom — free for many uses; read the terms before commercial embedding) |
| Pricing | Free and open source. Confluence and Jira plugins are paid. | Free to use. Commercial embedding has its own licence terms. |
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
tldraw
Strengths
- +Best drawing feel of anything in this comparison
- +SDK designed for embedding a canvas in your own product
- +Very actively developed with a strong design sensibility
- +Self-hostable
Trade-offs
- −Custom licence, not OSI open source — read it before commercial use
- −Fewer collaboration features than Miro
- −No workshop facilitation tooling
- −Smaller template ecosystem
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose draw.io
if you want the source and the option to fork it, and extensive shape libraries including AWS, Azure and GCP stencils.
Choose tldraw
if best drawing feel of anything in this comparison.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — real-time collaboration is weaker than Miro or Excalidraw, and custom licence, not OSI open source — read it before commercial use. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
draw.io vs tldraw — common questions
Is draw.io a better fit than tldraw for whiteboards & diagramming?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: draw.io scores 94 to tldraw's 74 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. tldraw earns its place on a different axis — best drawing feel of anything in this comparison. 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. tldraw 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 tldraw?
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 tldraw 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.
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-08-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.