Dub
Excalidraw
| Feature | Dub | Excalidraw |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $24/mo | Free / from $7/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | marketers, creators, saas-companies, agencies | developers, product-teams, educators, brainstorming-sessions |
| Founded | 2022 | 2020 |
| Short Links | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Qr Codes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Domains | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Freehand Drawing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Component Library | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export Options | ✗ | ✓ |
| End To End Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Embeddable | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shapes And Arrows | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Dub Pros
- Open-source
- Beautiful analytics
- Custom domains
- QR code generation
✗ Dub Cons
- Limited links on free plan
- Newer platform
- Fewer integrations than Bitly
✓ Excalidraw Pros
- Beautiful hand-drawn sketch aesthetic
- Completely free and open source core
- Real-time collaboration with shared links
- Library of reusable components and templates
- Embeddable in other applications
✗ Excalidraw Cons
- Limited formatting compared to structured diagramming tools
- No presentation mode built-in
- File management basic without Excalidraw+
The Verdict
Dub is built for marketers and creators, with a focus on short-links and analytics. Excalidraw targets developers and product teams and leads with freehand-drawing and real-time-collaboration.
On pricing, Excalidraw is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $7/mo compared to $24/mo for Dub. That $17/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Excalidraw offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Dub takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Excalidraw has a slight overall edge — but if open-source matters most to you, Dub may still be the right call.