For quick sketches during sprint planning meetings or design sessions, I started using Witeboard.com a couple of years ago but have been experimenting with Excalidraw for the past two months.
TL;DR: I still tend to use Witeboard.com for quick sketches, but if I plan on doing something more complicated and not time-sensitive I use Excalidraw.
What I like about Witeboard.com:
- fast to load and easy to get started
- quick keys (t: typing, p: pencil)
- pencil modifier keys: hold down l to switch from free drawing to drawing a line, or r to draw a rectangle
Dislike about Witeboard.com:
- It's like MS Paint, once the pixels are drawn you can't move them around (despite being vectors (I assume, infinitely zoomable))
What I like about Excalidraw:
- Can move shapes around (fixes biggest gripe with Witeboard.com)
- Sloppiness levels: Artist is what I use and is PERFECT for my needs, but nice to have options for other users
- Also has quick keys (8: typing, 7: pencil)
- Exports editable drawing as a file, not saved in cloud. So you can just import that file again and not rely on saving the URL.
Dislike about Excalidraw:
- Preventing me from switching to it: once a tool (ie. pencil) is used for a stroke, it reverts back to mouse cursor (I'd rather have it stay as pencil and hit 1 for it to switch to a cursor)
- Majorly annoying: the open/save/color/stroke palette in top left is too similar to a square ratio, so it blocks a corner of the image
If those two dislikes were fixed, I'd likely switch to it fulltime. For both products, I'd easily pay a few bucks a month for them.
- Preventing me from switching to it: once a tool (ie. pencil) is used for a stroke, it reverts back to mouse cursor (I'd rather have it stay as pencil and hit 1 for it to switch to a cursor)
There is a little lock icon next to the drawing tools which enables you to lock a tool, so it won't revert back.
TL;DR: I still tend to use Witeboard.com for quick sketches, but if I plan on doing something more complicated and not time-sensitive I use Excalidraw.
What I like about Witeboard.com:
- fast to load and easy to get started
- quick keys (t: typing, p: pencil)
- pencil modifier keys: hold down l to switch from free drawing to drawing a line, or r to draw a rectangle
Dislike about Witeboard.com:
- It's like MS Paint, once the pixels are drawn you can't move them around (despite being vectors (I assume, infinitely zoomable))
What I like about Excalidraw:
- Can move shapes around (fixes biggest gripe with Witeboard.com)
- Sloppiness levels: Artist is what I use and is PERFECT for my needs, but nice to have options for other users
- Also has quick keys (8: typing, 7: pencil)
- Exports editable drawing as a file, not saved in cloud. So you can just import that file again and not rely on saving the URL.
Dislike about Excalidraw:
- Preventing me from switching to it: once a tool (ie. pencil) is used for a stroke, it reverts back to mouse cursor (I'd rather have it stay as pencil and hit 1 for it to switch to a cursor)
- Majorly annoying: the open/save/color/stroke palette in top left is too similar to a square ratio, so it blocks a corner of the image
If those two dislikes were fixed, I'd likely switch to it fulltime. For both products, I'd easily pay a few bucks a month for them.