Excalidraw is fast because it runs entirely in your browser — but that also means your drawings don't follow you to other devices. Here's how to fix that with cloud sync.
Quick answer:
Not on its own. Excalidraw stores your current scene in your browser's localStorage, which is tied to a single browser profile on a single machine. Open excalidraw.com on a different computer and you get a blank canvas — the drawing from your laptop simply isn't there.
This is by design: Excalidraw is local-first and privacy-friendly. The trade-off is that persistence and portability are up to you.
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw+ | Official paid product with hosted cloud workspaces | Teams wanting an all-in-one hosted app |
| Manual files | Export .excalidraw files and move them via Drive/Dropbox yourself | Occasional, one-off transfers |
| Excacloud | Auto-syncs each drawing to your own Drive or Gist | Automatic cross-device access, free |
Excacloud folder in your Drive.Prefer version-controlled storage? On Pro, Excacloud can sync to a private GitHub Gist instead, where every save is a commit you can restore.
These are often confused. Excalidraw's live collaboration lets several people edit one board together in real time during a session. Cloud sync is about persistently storing your drawings so you can reopen them later, on any device. Excacloud does the latter: durable, automatic per-drawing backup and cross-device access.
Sync Excalidraw to your own cloud and pick up exactly where you left off — free.
Install Excacloud for ChromeNot by default — the built-in save is per-browser. Sync to the cloud with Excalidraw+, manual files, or Excacloud to access drawings anywhere.
With Excacloud, yes on the Free plan — it syncs to your own Google Drive at no cost. Excalidraw+ is a paid hosted option.
Collaboration is real-time multi-person editing in a session. Cloud sync is durable storage of your own drawings for later, on any device.
In your own account — a folder in your Google Drive (Free) or a private GitHub Gist (Pro). Never on Excacloud servers.
Excacloud is an independent extension and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Excalidraw team.