Miro
Online collaborative whiteboard: diagrams, workshops, mind maps and planning with others.
To think alone on an infinite canvas, a local whiteboard fits in a weekend if you build on tldraw or Excalidraw instead of coding a drawing engine. Miro is worth it mostly for group workshops: live cursors, timers, votes, templates, very large boards. For solo use, replaceable. To run workshops with clients, no.
What you lose
- Smoothness on very large boards.
- The library of workshop templates.
- Integrations (Jira, Slack, Drive…).
- Facilitation tools: timer, votes, presentation.
- Access rights and controls for businesses.
Existing alternatives to Miro
- AFFiNEOpen source
Workspace combining canvas, documents, databases and planning; a younger product with demanding self-hosting.
- CryptPadOpen source
Encrypted collaborative whiteboards, with persistent folders and permissions; fewer templates than Miro.
- ExcalidrawOpen source
Simple, fast whiteboard for collaborative diagrams, usable locally or online.
The prompt to build it yourself
%2C%20which%20handles%20shapes%2C%20sticky%20notes%2C%20connectors%20and%20selection.%0A%0ATo%20do%3A%0A-%20Local%20web%20app%20on%20localhost%3A4900%20with%20a%20list%20of%20boards%3A%20thumbnails%2C%20creation%2C%20renaming%2C%20deletion.%0A-%20Each%20board%20automatically%20saves%20its%20JSON%20snapshot%20in%20SQLite%20(better-sqlite3%20behind%20a%20small%20Express%20API)%202%20seconds%20after%20the%20last%20change%2C%20and%20keeps%20the%2020%20previous%20versions.%0A-%20A%20button%20to%20export%20the%20board%20as%20PNG%20and%20SVG%20to%20~%2FWhiteboards%2F%3Cname%3E.png.%0A-%20Templates%20offered%20when%20creating%20a%20board%2C%20read%20from%20templates%2F%3A%20retrospective%20grid%2C%20brainstorming%20columns%2C%20week%20planner.%0A-%20Works%20offline%2C%20localhost%20only%2C%20no%20account%20or%20telemetry.%0A-%20Optional%3A%20sharing%20with%20a%20single%20other%20person%20on%20my%20private%20network%20through%20tldraw's%20sync%20package.%20Drop%20it%20if%20it%20takes%20more%20than%20an%20hour.%0A%0AOut%20of%20scope%3A%20workshop%20timers%20and%20votes%2C%20integrations%2C%20boards%20for%2050%20people.%0A%0AREADME%3A%20development%20and%20build%20commands%2C%20data%20location.){kind=link}
Build me a personal whiteboard to replace Miro in my solo use. Do not recode a drawing engine: build on the tldraw SDK (React + Vite), which handles shapes, sticky notes, connectors and selection. To do: - Local web app on localhost:4900 with a list of boards: thumbnails, creation, renaming, deletion. - Each board automatically saves its JSON snapshot in SQLite (better-sqlite3 behind a small Express API) 2 seconds after the last change, and keeps the 20 previous versions. - A button to export the board as PNG and SVG to ~/Whiteboards/<name>.png. - Templates offered when creating a board, read from templates/: retrospective grid, brainstorming columns, week planner. - Works offline, localhost only, no account or telemetry. - Optional: sharing with a single other person on my private network through tldraw's sync package. Drop it if it takes more than an hour. Out of scope: workshop timers and votes, integrations, boards for 50 people. README: development and build commands, data location.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Miro be replaced by a custom-built tool?
- casevibecode verdict: Partly replaceable. To think alone on an infinite canvas, a local whiteboard fits in a weekend if you build on tldraw or Excalidraw instead of coding a drawing engine. Miro is worth it mostly for group workshops: live cursors, timers, votes, templates, very large boards. For solo use, replaceable. To run workshops with clients, no.
- What is Miro used for?
- Online collaborative whiteboard: diagrams, workshops, mind maps and planning with others.
- What alternatives to Miro already exist?
- AFFiNE (open source), CryptPad (open source), Excalidraw (open source). Options to compare before committing to a custom build.
Community feedback
Readers tell what they built instead of this tool, or what broke along the way. Every entry is reviewed before publication.
No feedback published yet. Have you tried replacing this tool? Tell us about it.