Excalidraw vs Lucidchart

Overview

Lucidchart

Stacks290

Followers222

Votes0

Excalidraw

Stacks69

Followers72

Votes9

GitHub Stars109.6K

Forks11.4K

Excalidraw vs Lucidchart: What are the differences?

Introduction

This Markdown code provides a comparison between Excalidraw and Lucidchart, highlighting key differences between the two diagramming tools.

Pricing: Excalidraw offers a free-to-use open-source platform, making it an economical choice for individual users and small teams. On the other hand, Lucidchart offers several pricing plans, including a free basic version with limited features and paid plans with advanced functionalities for professional use and larger teams.
Ease of Use: Excalidraw has a simple and intuitive interface, allowing users to quickly sketch diagrams with its wide range of pre-built shapes and elements. Lucidchart also provides a user-friendly interface, but it offers a more extensive library of templates, shapes, and icons to create refined and complex diagrams.
Collaboration: Excalidraw stands out for its real-time collaboration feature, enabling multiple users to work simultaneously on a diagram and see each other's changes in real-time. Lucidchart also supports collaboration, but it requires users to have a paid subscription to access this feature.
Integration: Excalidraw provides integrations with various platforms like Google Drive, Figma, and Slack, allowing users to seamlessly import and export diagrams to different tools. Lucidchart offers extensive integration options, including third-party applications like Microsoft Teams, Atlassian, and G Suite, enhancing its compatibility with existing workflows.
Diagram Customization: Excalidraw allows users to customize elements like shapes, colors, and text styles, providing flexibility in diagram design. In contrast, Lucidchart offers more advanced customization options, such as custom shapes, themes, font libraries, and even CSS customization possibilities, enabling users to create highly tailored and visually appealing diagrams.
Advanced Features: While Excalidraw excels in simplicity and basic diagramming needs, Lucidchart offers a broader set of advanced features like auto-alignment, data linking, and advanced shape libraries, which are beneficial for users requiring more sophisticated and advanced diagramming capabilities.

In Summary, Excalidraw provides a free, user-friendly, and collaborative platform suitable for quick sketching and simpler diagramming needs, while Lucidchart offers a more extensive range of features, integration options, and customization possibilities, making it suitable for professional use and complex diagramming requirements.

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Advice on Lucidchart, Excalidraw

Julien

Principal Software Engineer at Stessa

Mar 17, 2019

Decidedon

Microsoft Visio

Lucidchart

When starting my new role at #Stessa, I needed a solution to start diagramming some of my #Architecture so I'd be able to share my views on #SystemArchitecture with the rest of the team.

#Visualization is key. Especially when working with complex/distributed systems. You want to make sure everybody's got the same understanding of your approach, so you can better communicate, and start delegating more.

In the past, I had worked with #VisualParadigm for #UML, in both desktop and #SaaS version of the product. Also worked with #LucidChart We also looked at potential alternatives such as Microsoft Visio for instance.

Ultimately, my recommendation was & we closed on Lucidchart, as it won on couple of key aspects : #Team #Collaboration, #Integrations with #AWS for instance, and certain specific visualizations we were looking for / others didn't have.

This isn't just for #Engineering. I've seen Lucidchart being used by #Product Teams, #Network #Engineers, #IT Departments, #DevOps, or non-Engineering related teams.

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Comments

Detailed Comparison

Lucidchart	Excalidraw
Solution for visual communication. Create online flowcharts, diagrams, UML sketches, and ER models.	It is a whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams with a hand-drawn feel.
Nothing to install; Drag and drop; Dedicated support; Group chat and comments; Any browser, anywhere; Revision history; Embedded documents; Data encryption	Whiteboard tool; Easily sketch diagrams
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 109.6K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 11.4K
Stacks 290	Stacks 69
Followers 222	Followers 72
Votes 0	Votes 9
Pros & Cons
No community feedback yet	Pros 3 It's really convenient to use as a virtual whiteboard 2 Collaborative work is very simple 1 Free editing 1 Low fidelity tool 1 End-to-end encrypted

What are some alternatives to Lucidchart, Excalidraw?

Visual Paradigm

It is a software design tool tailored for agile software projects. It supports UML, BPMN, ERD, DFD, SysML. It also supports use cases, wireframeing, code engineering, etc.

Microsoft Visio

Create flowcharts, diagrams, org charts, floor plans, engineering designs, and more, using modern shapes and templates with the familiar Office experience.

Overflow.io

Create interactive user flows and stunning design presentations to engage your audience in synchronous or asynchronous design critique.

Gliffy

Make flowcharts, network diagrams, uml diagrams, org charts, mind maps, wireframes, and more.

Structurizr

It is a collection of tooling to create software architecture diagrams and documentation based upon the C4 model.

OmniGraffle

Creators of Mac, iPad, and iPhone productivity software. Proud to bring you OmniFocus, OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle, and OmniPlan.

Structa

Design databases using natural language. AI-powered schema generation transforms your plain English descriptions into production-ready SQL, Prisma schemas, and ER diagrams in seconds. Free to start.

BackupViz

Is a powerful tool to design, visualize, and optimize your backup strategies. Create professional backup diagrams, track backup levels, and ensure data safety. Automatic 3-2-1 backup strategy analysis. Technical report generation. Backup flow highlight.

ChatFlowchart

Diagram AI that turns plain English into flowcharts, tree diagrams, probability trees, ERDs and more. ChatFlowchart is an AI diagram generator and AI flowchart maker that lets you chat to generate, edit, and export diagrams. Create diagrams online, free to try, no signup.

GoodTool Diagram

GoodTool Diagram – Online AI-Powered Diagramming Tool with Smart Auto-Layout for Flowcharts, ER Diagrams, Module Diagrams, and Use Cases. Create Instantly via AI or Manual Input—Export to Draw.io, PNG, or SVG.

Related Comparisons

Excalidraw vs Lucidchart: What are the differences?

Introduction

This Markdown code provides a comparison between Excalidraw and Lucidchart, highlighting key differences between the two diagramming tools.

Pricing: Excalidraw offers a free-to-use open-source platform, making it an economical choice for individual users and small teams. On the other hand, Lucidchart offers several pricing plans, including a free basic version with limited features and paid plans with advanced functionalities for professional use and larger teams.
Ease of Use: Excalidraw has a simple and intuitive interface, allowing users to quickly sketch diagrams with its wide range of pre-built shapes and elements. Lucidchart also provides a user-friendly interface, but it offers a more extensive library of templates, shapes, and icons to create refined and complex diagrams.
Collaboration: Excalidraw stands out for its real-time collaboration feature, enabling multiple users to work simultaneously on a diagram and see each other's changes in real-time. Lucidchart also supports collaboration, but it requires users to have a paid subscription to access this feature.
Integration: Excalidraw provides integrations with various platforms like Google Drive, Figma, and Slack, allowing users to seamlessly import and export diagrams to different tools. Lucidchart offers extensive integration options, including third-party applications like Microsoft Teams, Atlassian, and G Suite, enhancing its compatibility with existing workflows.
Diagram Customization: Excalidraw allows users to customize elements like shapes, colors, and text styles, providing flexibility in diagram design. In contrast, Lucidchart offers more advanced customization options, such as custom shapes, themes, font libraries, and even CSS customization possibilities, enabling users to create highly tailored and visually appealing diagrams.
Advanced Features: While Excalidraw excels in simplicity and basic diagramming needs, Lucidchart offers a broader set of advanced features like auto-alignment, data linking, and advanced shape libraries, which are beneficial for users requiring more sophisticated and advanced diagramming capabilities.

Excalidraw vs Lucidchart

Overview

Excalidraw vs Lucidchart: What are the differences?