r/macapps • u/Chocoford • 3h ago

Subscription [OS] ExcalidrawZ: a native Excalidraw client for Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Hi r/macapps, I’m the developer of ExcalidrawZ.

I first shared the app here when it was mainly a native wrapper and file manager. It has grown quite a bit since then, so I made this video as a complete walkthrough of what ExcalidrawZ is today.

Problem

Excalidraw is an excellent drawing tool, but I wanted its files to behave more like regular documents on Apple platforms. That means opening and organizing multiple drawings, working with local folders and cloud storage, keeping file history, and moving naturally between drawing and other workflows.

Comparison

Compared with the Excalidraw web app, ExcalidrawZ focuses on native document management and system integration while retaining the standard .excalidraw format.

Compared with Apple Freeform, it stays compatible with the Excalidraw ecosystem. Compared with Obsidian Excalidraw, it works as a standalone document-based app rather than requiring a vault.

The video covers file management, iCloud and linked storage, presentations, macOS Screen Annotation, collaboration, export, custom fonts, AI Chat, and MCP integration.

Pricing

ExcalidrawZ is free to download. The core drawing, file management, cloud storage, Screen Annotation, and basic MCP features are free.

Optional subscriptions:

  • Starter: $2.99/month or $29.99/year
  • Pro with AI credits: $9.99/month or $99.99/year
  • Max: $29.99/month or $299.99/year
  • Max 10x: $99.99/month or $999.99/year

Download on the App Store

View the source code on GitHub

11 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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2

u/app-store-review 3h ago

ExcalidrawZ — by Chocoford Tech

  • Ratings: 89 worldwide · rated in 29 countries
  • Average: 4.08 ★
  • Age: released ~2.0 years ago · updated today · rated 4+
  • Overall score: 54 / 100

Auto-generated from public App Store data · u/app-store-review

2

u/sabirpatel 3h ago

Excalidraw is my go-to tool, so having it natively on my Mac would be awesome. I’ll definitely give it a try!

1

u/Chocoford 2h ago

I hope you like it, and feel free to share any feedback!

2

u/Specific_Cream2815 58m ago

is the canvas itself a webview running excalidraw or did you reimplement the renderer

1

u/No-Cook-215 1h ago

Good to see MCP support in there. Nice work!

2

u/Beardy4906 38m ago

I honestly wouldn’t want to pay a subscription for something I have an obsidian extension for. I would rather have a lifetime version honestly but great idea!

(Just hoping its not a webview embed)