Private and open-source alternatives to FigJam
8 diagrams and whiteboards rated against the same public privacy criteria as FigJam, with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source.
- No trackers or telemetry: no. Uses Google Analytics and third-party advertising trackers. Content training for AI is on by default for Starter and Professional teams and can be turned off.
- No ads or data sales: partial. Sold by subscription, but the privacy policy says its retargeting pixels and third-party cookies may count as a sale or sharing of personal information for advertising.
- Independent audit: partial. Lists SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3 and ISO 27001 audits, with reports provided through its Trust Center rather than published in full.
- Security headers: partial. Grade B (75/100+)
The alternatives
draw.io Grade B
An open-source diagramming app for flowcharts, UML, network and architecture diagrams that runs in the browser or as a desktop app, and saves files to the device or to a storage service the user chooses.
Based in the United Kingdom (Five Eyes). draw.io scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Mermaid Grade B
An open-source JavaScript library that renders flowcharts, sequence, class, Gantt and other diagrams from Markdown-like text definitions. It is built into many documentation tools and code hosting sites.
Mermaid scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Excalidraw Grade C
An open-source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn style diagrams in the browser. Drawings are stored locally, and shared links and live collaboration are end-to-end encrypted. A paid hosted workspace, Excalidraw+, is also offered.
Based in Czechia. Excalidraw scores 65 out of 100 (grade C) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: open source.
Mural Grade F
An online visual collaboration whiteboard for workshops, brainstorming, diagrams and planning, with templates, facilitation tools and AI features, plus desktop and mobile apps.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Mural scores 34 out of 100 (grade F) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 2 of 8 criteria: tells users about requests and TLS configuration.
Whimsical Grade F
An online workspace for flowcharts, mind maps, wireframes and diagrams on shared boards, with real-time collaboration, AI generation and desktop apps.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Whimsical scores 31 out of 100 (grade F) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 2 of 8 criteria: no ads or data sales and TLS configuration.
PlantUML Grade F
An open-source Java tool that generates UML and other diagrams, such as sequence, class, activity, Gantt and mind maps, from plain-text descriptions. It runs locally or through a public or self-hosted rendering server.
PlantUML scores 30 out of 100 (grade F) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: open source.
tldraw Grade F
A collaborative infinite-canvas whiteboard for sketching and diagramming in the browser, with optional accounts for saving and sharing files. It is built on the tldraw SDK, which developers can embed in their own apps.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). tldraw scores 29 out of 100 (grade F) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It meets 1 of 7 criteria: open source.
yEd Grade F
A free desktop diagram editor from yWorks for flowcharts, network diagrams, UML and org charts, known for its automatic layout algorithms. A browser version, yEd Live, is also available.
Based in Germany (Fourteen Eyes). yEd scores 25 out of 100 (grade F) on the diagrams and whiteboards criteria. It partly meets no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.