Compare
Draft Canvas vs Framer
Framer designs and publishes websites; Draft Canvas creates architecture diagrams for any stack.
Draft CanvasA local-first canvas for turning software architecture into a clear visual story.
FramerDesign and publish websites visuallyWhich to pick
Pick Draft Canvas if you want…
- Local-first architecture sketching
- A free, open-source tool
- Integrations with Next.js, TypeScript or Go (on Draft Canvas' list, not Framer's)
Pick Framer if you want…
- AI-assisted visual website creation
- Website design and publishing
- Integrations with Slack (on Framer's list, not Draft Canvas')
Side by side
- What it is
- Draft Canvas:Draft Canvas is a local-first, open-source visual canvas for mapping software architecture.
- Framer:Framer lets you design, host, and publish websites visually with AI agents that handle design, CMS, code, and SEO.
- Best for
- Draft Canvas:Local-first architecture sketching
- Framer:AI-assisted visual website creation
- Who it’s for
- Draft Canvas:Developers and teams who need to create and share architecture diagrams offline.
- Framer:Designers, developers, and teams building and launching websites without deep coding.
- Pricing
- Draft Canvas:Free
- Framer:Freemium
- Plans
- Draft Canvas:—
- Framer:Free $0 · Basic $10 per month · Pro $30 per month
- Open source
- Draft Canvas:Yes, 5 GitHub stars
- Framer:—
- Works with
- Draft Canvas:Next.js, TypeScript, Go, Mermaid, C4-PlantUML, draw.io, Claude, Codex
- Framer:Slack, Claude, Cursor, Codex
Draft Canvas features
- Offline desktop app. Runs on macOS and Windows without an account and stores diagrams locally.
- AI agent integration. Connect Claude, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Junie to generate diagrams from code.
- Pattern library. Insert common architectures (CQRS, Saga, Event-Driven) with a quick shortcut.
- Step-by-step flow presentation. Walk the room through request flows, showing notes and code per step.
- Export options. Export as image, Mermaid, C4-PlantUML, Structurizr, draw.io or share a link.
- Deep dive view. Press ⌘↓ to zoom into a shape for C4-depth details without leaving the canvas.
Framer features
- AI Design Agent. Generate and refine site designs directly on the canvas with editable changes.
- CMS Agent. Set up, organize, and update CMS collections from the canvas, keeping content in sync.
- Code Agent. Turn ideas into code components, from simple effects to complex interactions.
- Built-in Hosting & Security. Provides hosting, SSL, uptime guarantee, and security features out of the box.
- Analytics & SEO. Integrated analytics, SEO tools, and A/B testing add-ons for performance insights.
- Collaboration. Live collaboration with editors, viewers, and role-based permissions.
Draft Canvas vs Framer FAQ
Is Draft Canvas or Framer free?+
Draft Canvas is free. Framer has a free plan; paid plans start at $10/month (Basic).
Which is cheaper, Draft Canvas or Framer?+
Draft Canvas is free, so it costs less. Framer starts at $10/month (Basic).
Is Draft Canvas or Framer open source?+
Draft Canvas is open source (acltabontabon/draft-canvas on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Framer.
Do Draft Canvas and Framer integrate with the same tools?+
Partly. Both list Claude, Codex and Cursor. Draft Canvas also lists Next.js, TypeScript, Go, Mermaid and 4 more; Framer also lists Slack.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.