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Open-Source FigJam Alternatives (2027): 9 Whiteboard and Design Tools for Product Teams, From Excalidraw to Penpot

Open-Source FigJam Alternatives for Product and Design Teams: Brainstorm, Map Flows and Hand Off Next to Your Designs

FigJam is Figma's whiteboard: the place where product and design teams put sticky notes on a problem, map user flows, vote on ideas and run critiques right next to their design files. It is convenient, but it lives only in Figma's cloud, and the free Starter plan keeps just three FigJam files in your team folder. If you want to own your boards, host them on your own server or keep your whole design process open source, there is no single open-source FigJam clone, but there is a good open-source stack. We checked every tool below on its GitHub repository and official website in October 2026: the exact licence, the latest release, and which FigJam jobs it really covers. Tools that are abandoned, not open source or not a fit are listed separately at the end.
Quick answer: for FigJam-style brainstorming and rough wireframes, use Excalidraw; for the design files themselves, prototypes and developer handoff, pair it with Penpot; for sticky-note boards next to product specs, use AFFiNE; for user flows and UI mockups, use draw.io; and to keep specs, diagrams and decisions in one self-hosted wiki, use Docmost. Looking for general team whiteboards instead? See our open-source Miro alternatives.
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What FigJam Does and What It Costs in 2027

On the FigJam page (checked October 2026) Figma lists real-time brainstorming, diagramming with shapes and connectors, more than 300 templates, stamps and emotes, audio and live chat, widgets and plugins (for example Jira, Asana and GitHub), and guest access: people outside your team can join a session for 24 hours. Its AI can generate templates and visuals from a prompt, sort sticky notes into themes and summarise a board into action items.
According to Figma's Starter plan overview, the free plan has one team folder with a limit of 3 FigJam files; drafts are unlimited, but you can only share drafts with view access. On the Figma pricing page FigJam comes with every seat. The Collab seat, which gives full FigJam access plus view and comment access to design files, shows $3 a month on Professional in the page's default view and $5 a month on Organization and Enterprise, billed annually; a Full seat on Professional is $16. There is no self-hosted version of FigJam. Every open-source tool below can run on your own server for free; you pay for the server and your own time instead.

Open-Source FigJam Alternatives Compared

ToolFigJam job it coversLicenceLive collaborationHosting
ExcalidrawBrainstorms, sketches, low-fidelity wireframesMITYes, end-to-end encrypted linksexcalidraw.com free; self-host with Docker
PenpotDesign files, prototypes, developer handoff (not a whiteboard)MPL 2.0YesCloud free (Professional); self-host free
AFFiNE (Edgeless)Sticky-note boards next to specs and docsMIT apps; MPL 2.0 server; paid EE partsYesCloud free for 3 members; self-host free
draw.ioUser flows, UI mockups, wireframe templatesApache 2.0Not in the open-source versionapp.diagrams.net; desktop app
DocmostProduct wiki with draw.io, Excalidraw and Mermaid diagramsAGPL-3.0 core; enterprise parts separateYesSelf-host free; cloud
Nextcloud WhiteboardExcalidraw boards inside NextcloudAGPL-3.0Yes, with a websocket serverInside your Nextcloud
Quant-UXClickable prototypes and usability testsGPL-3.0Shared test linksquant-ux.com free; self-host with Docker
MermaidUser flows and diagrams written as textMITThrough the tool you embed it inLibrary; built into Docmost and others
tldrawQuick sketches (source-available)tldraw licenceYes, on tldraw.comtldraw.com free; SDK needs a licence key in production
Sources: each project's GitHub repository (licence file, releases) and official website, checked 30 October 2026. Self-hosting is free, but you pay for the server and your own time.

The Best Open-Source FigJam Alternatives in 2027

1. Excalidraw: the closest open-source FigJam for brainstorms and rough wireframes

Excalidraw is an MIT-licensed whiteboard with a hand-drawn look, which is exactly why design teams like it for early ideas: nobody mistakes a sketch for a final design. You get an infinite canvas with shapes, arrows that stick to shapes, text, images and community shape libraries, including wireframe kits. On excalidraw.com you can start without an account and invite people to a live session through an end-to-end encrypted link. The free plan includes one saved scene, unlimited collaborators and 10 AI requests a day; Excalidraw+ costs $6 per user per month after a 14-day trial and adds unlimited scenes, comments, presentations, voice calls and screen sharing, with 100 AI requests a day or your own API key. Its pricing page lists text-to-diagram, wireframe-to-code and Mermaid-to-Excalidraw as AI features. The Excalidraw repository was updated in late October 2026, and you can self-host it with Docker.

2. Penpot: the design side of the stack (not a whiteboard)

FigJam's big advantage is that it sits next to Figma. The open-source answer to Figma is Penpot, released under the MPL 2.0 licence. It covers wireframes, interactive prototypes, CSS Grid and Flex layouts, components, shared libraries and native design tokens, and its Inspect mode gives developers CSS, HTML and SVG that match the design. Penpot also offers an open MCP server, so AI agents can work with your design files. Be clear about the limit: Penpot's website mentions no whiteboard, sticky notes or FigJam-style brainstorming, so pair it with Excalidraw or AFFiNE. On Penpot's pricing page the cloud Professional plan costs $0, Unlimited costs $7 per editor per month (capped at $175 a month), and you can self-host it. Version 2.18.5 came out in October 2026, with 2.19 in release candidates. We compare it with other design tools in our open-source Figma alternatives.

3. AFFiNE Edgeless: sticky notes next to your product specs

AFFiNE turns every page into either a document or an Edgeless whiteboard, so a product spec and its brainstorm live in the same place. AFFiNE's own blog describes sticky notes, connectors and frames on the canvas, and frames can be presented like slides, which suits design reviews. With the AI add-on ($8.9 a month billed annually) AFFiNE generates mind maps and visuals on the whiteboard and turns an outline into slides. The licence is mixed: the apps are MIT, the community parts of the server MPL 2.0, and enterprise features need a paid licence. On AFFiNE's pricing page the self-hosted FOSS edition is free, the cloud Free plan includes 10 GB and up to 3 members per workspace, Pro is $6.75 a month and Team $10 per seat. New canary builds came out daily in October 2026.

4. draw.io: user flows, mockups and wireframe templates

Many FigJam boards are really user flows and screen maps. draw.io handles those better than a freeform whiteboard: according to its mockups guide, it has Mockups, iOS, Android and Bootstrap shape libraries for UI components and wireframe templates in its template library. Its Sketch theme gives you a whiteboard-style canvas with freehand drawing and sticky notes. The code is Apache 2.0, but the draw.io repository notes that the open-source version does not support real-time collaborative editing. Version 32.6.1 came out in October 2026. For more diagram tools, see our open-source draw.io alternatives.
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5. Docmost: a product wiki with whiteboard diagrams built in

FigJam boards often end up as the only record of a decision. Docmost is a self-hosted wiki where the diagrams sit inside the spec: the Docmost repository lists real-time collaboration, Draw.io, Excalidraw and Mermaid diagrams, comments, page history, spaces and permissions. Its website also shows Bases and Kanban views and a self-hosted AI suite that works with Ollama, vLLM or OpenAI. The core is AGPL-3.0, while enterprise features sit in separate folders under an enterprise licence, so check which edition includes the features you need. Version 0.97.0 came out in October 2026.

6. Nextcloud Whiteboard: Excalidraw boards inside your own cloud

If your team already stores its files in Nextcloud, Nextcloud Whiteboard is the official whiteboard app and is built on Excalidraw. Boards are files you share like any other, people draw on them together in real time, and changes are saved locally and synced when you are back online. Live collaboration needs a separate websocket server. It is AGPL-3.0, and version 2.1.2 came out in October 2026.

7. Quant-UX: test the flows you sketched

FigJam is where design teams plan user tests; Quant-UX is where you can run them. It is a research, usability and prototyping tool: you build a clickable prototype, share a link with testers, give them tasks and get screen recordings, A/B tests, heatmaps and success and drop-off rates. The website calls it open source and free, the Quant-UX repository is GPL-3.0 and includes a Docker setup, and the code was last updated in October 2026.

8. Mermaid: user flows written as text

Product managers who prefer typing to dragging boxes can write flows in Mermaid, an MIT-licensed diagramming language: a few lines of text become a flowchart, sequence diagram or journey map. Docmost renders Mermaid diagrams, and Excalidraw's open-source Mermaid-to-Excalidraw library turns them into editable whiteboard shapes. Version 12.2.0 came out in October 2026. If you write diagrams as code a lot, see our open-source PlantUML alternatives.

9. tldraw: a free whiteboard, but not open source

tldraw is a fast, clean whiteboard with sticky notes, arrows and drawing, and tldraw.com is free to use. Its code is public, but the tldraw licence is source-available: you may not use the SDK in production without a licence key. Designers know it for Make Real, a demo that turned a sketched interface into a working web page with your own AI provider key; its GitHub repository was archived in February 2026. Use tldraw.com as a free board, but do not plan to self-host it for your team without a licence. Version 5.6.0 came out in October 2026.

A FigJam-Style Design Workflow With Open-Source Tools

No single open-source tool does everything FigJam does next to Figma, so most design teams combine two or three. Here is a stack that covers the full loop from idea to handoff:
  1. Brainstorm: run the session on Excalidraw (no accounts needed) or on an AFFiNE Edgeless page that already holds the brief.
  2. Map the flow: turn the winning ideas into a user flow in draw.io, or write it in Mermaid and keep it inside a Docmost spec.
  3. Design the screens: build wireframes and a clickable prototype in Penpot with your components and design tokens.
  4. Test with users: share a Quant-UX prototype link, give testers tasks and check where they drop off.
  5. Hand off: developers read CSS, HTML and SVG in Penpot's Inspect mode, and decisions stay in the Docmost page.

FigJam Alternatives That Are Discontinued, Not Open Source or Not a Fit

The 2025 version of this article (which called the product "FigmaJam"; its real name is FigJam) listed several tools that no longer belong on an open-source shortlist:
  • Whitebird: an open-source (GPL-3.0) whiteboard from a student project, but its last code change was in April 2021. Use Excalidraw or Nextcloud Whiteboard instead.
  • ioDraw: a free online tool for flowcharts, mind maps and whiteboards, but we found no public source code or open-source licence, so it is free, not open source.
  • BoardMix: a commercial whiteboard with paid plans, not open source. We compare hosted tools in our free FigJam alternatives.
  • OpenBoard: open source (GPLv3) and maintained, with version 1.7.7 in March 2026, but it is a one-screen teaching whiteboard, not a shared board for a design team.
  • tldraw: its licence requires a licence key for production use, so it moved from the main list to the source-available entry above.
  • WeKan: an MIT-licensed kanban board (version 12.70, October 2026). Good for the design backlog after the workshop, but it has no whiteboard.

Which Open-Source FigJam Alternative Should You Choose?

  • You want the closest FigJam feel for brainstorms and sketches: Excalidraw, free on excalidraw.com or self-hosted.
  • You also need to replace Figma itself: Penpot for the designs, plus Excalidraw for the whiteboard.
  • Your brainstorms belong next to product specs: AFFiNE, or Docmost if you want a full team wiki.
  • Your boards are mostly user flows and screen maps: draw.io or Mermaid.
  • You want to test ideas with real users before you build: Quant-UX.
  • Your company runs Nextcloud: Nextcloud Whiteboard.
  • You need timers, voting and 300 ready templates out of the box: open-source tools are thinner here; FigJam's free plan or the hosted tools in our FigJam alternatives list may suit you better.
Want AI on the board? See our open-source Miro AI alternatives. Replacing your whole workspace? Read our open-source Notion alternatives and open-source Notion AI alternatives. Prefer free hosted whiteboards? Compare the free Miro alternatives and our Figma vs Miro comparison. For a shorter overview from our startup tools section, see this list of open-source FigJam alternatives.

How Founders and Small Product Teams Use an Open-Source Design Whiteboard

For an early-stage startup, the design whiteboard is where customer interviews turn into screens. Put interview quotes on sticky notes, group them into problems, sketch the flow that solves the biggest one and test it before anyone writes code. Our Lean Canvas tool helps you write down the business side first, and the design tools for startups list covers the rest of the design stack. Distributed team? See the collaboration tools for remote startups. Once a flow is clear, the AI prototyping tools can turn it into a working demo, and Hotjar shows how real visitors use the result. Turn the decisions into tasks with one of the open-source Trello alternatives with AI.
When the board turns into a pitch or social posts, the free Canva Pro alternatives help with the visuals. Before you build anything, test the idea with real customers, and turn your research into articles with the F/MS AI SEO Tool so people find your product in Google and AI assistants.
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FAQ About Open-Source FigJam Alternatives

Is there an open-source version of FigJam?

No. FigJam runs only in Figma's cloud and has no self-hosted or open-source edition. The closest open-source whiteboard is Excalidraw (MIT), and Penpot (MPL 2.0) replaces the Figma design files next to it.

What is the best open-source FigJam alternative for design teams?

Excalidraw for brainstorms and rough wireframes, paired with Penpot for the actual designs, prototypes and handoff. AFFiNE is a good choice if your boards should sit next to product specs.

Does Penpot have a whiteboard like FigJam?

Not that we could find. Penpot's website covers wireframes, prototypes, components, design tokens and code handoff, but mentions no whiteboard or sticky notes. Teams use Excalidraw or AFFiNE next to it.

Is FigJam free?

Yes, with limits. When we checked in October 2026, Figma's free Starter plan allowed 3 FigJam files in the team folder plus unlimited drafts that can only be shared view-only. Paid Collab seats with full FigJam access started at $3 a month on Professional.

Is Excalidraw free for teams?

The code is MIT-licensed and excalidraw.com is free with one saved scene, unlimited collaborators and 10 AI requests a day. Excalidraw+ costs $6 per user per month for unlimited scenes, comments and presentations.

Can I self-host a FigJam alternative?

Yes. Excalidraw, AFFiNE, Docmost, Nextcloud Whiteboard, Penpot and Quant-UX can all run on your own server.

Which open-source tool is best for user flows?

draw.io for drag-and-drop flows and UI mockups, or Mermaid if you prefer writing diagrams as text. Docmost can embed both inside your product specs.

Is tldraw open source?

Not in the strict sense. Its code is public, but the tldraw licence requires a licence key for production use. The tldraw.com whiteboard is free to use.

What happened to Whitebird and BoardMix?

Whitebird's code has not changed since April 2021, and BoardMix is a commercial whiteboard, not open source. Excalidraw and AFFiNE are the maintained open-source options.

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About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-30 01:53 Top Alternatives