10 Best Infinite Canvas Apps in 2026 (Tested & Compared)

What Is an Infinite Canvas App?

An infinite canvas app gives you a boundless two-dimensional surface where you can place text, images, drawings, and other content anywhere. Unlike a traditional document that scrolls vertically, an infinite canvas lets you pan and zoom freely in all directions.

These apps have grown significantly in popularity as more people discover the benefits of spatial notetaking for brainstorming, planning, and organizing complex information.

Here are the best infinite canvas apps available in 2026.

1. OmniCanvas

Best for: Personal spatial notetaking and second brain building

OmniCanvas is purpose-built as a spatial second brain. It combines an infinite canvas with powerful note organization features including folders, tags, and full-text search. The drawing tools are powered by the Excalidraw engine, giving you a natural hand-drawn aesthetic.

• Infinite canvas with pan and zoom
• Rich text notes and freehand drawing
• Folder and tag organization
• Cloud sync across devices
• Dark mode
• Available as a macOS desktop app and web app

Pricing: Free during beta

2. Miro

Best for: Team collaboration and workshops

Miro is the market leader in collaborative whiteboards. It excels at real-time team collaboration with features like voting, timers, and facilitation tools. However, it is designed more for team workshops than personal notetaking.

• Real-time multi-user collaboration
• Templates for retrospectives, brainstorming, and mapping
• Integration with Jira, Slack, and other tools
• Video chat built in

Pricing: Free for 3 boards, paid plans from $8/user/month

3. Apple Freeform

Best for: Apple ecosystem users who want a simple canvas

Freeform is Apple's infinite canvas app, available on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. It is simple, fast, and integrates well with Apple Pencil on iPad. However, it lacks advanced organization features like folders or tags.

• Native on all Apple devices
• Apple Pencil support
• iCloud sync
• Simple and fast

Pricing: Free (included with Apple devices)

4. FigJam

Best for: Design teams already using Figma

FigJam is Figma's whiteboard tool. It has a playful, approachable interface and integrates tightly with Figma's design tool. Great for design teams, but limited for personal notetaking.

• Tight Figma integration
• Stamps, stickers, and reactions
• Widget ecosystem
• Real-time collaboration

Pricing: Free for 3 files, paid plans from $5/user/month

5. tldraw

Best for: Quick sketches and open-source enthusiasts

tldraw is an open-source drawing tool with an infinite canvas. It focuses on drawing and diagramming rather than notetaking. The hand-drawn style is charming and the tool is completely free.

• Open source
• Excellent drawing tools
• Multiplayer support
• Works in the browser

Pricing: Free

6. Excalidraw

Best for: Technical diagrams and architecture drawings

Excalidraw is another open-source infinite canvas focused on drawing. It has become the go-to tool for software architecture diagrams thanks to its hand-drawn aesthetic and extensive shape library.

• Open source
• Hand-drawn style
• Extensive shape library
• Real-time collaboration
• Works in the browser

Pricing: Free (Excalidraw+ paid tier for extra features)

7. Heptabase

Best for: Researchers and heavy note-takers

Heptabase combines a card-based visual note system with an infinite canvas. It is designed for deep research and learning, with features like journals, tags, and bi-directional linking.

• Card-based visual notes
• Whiteboard canvas view
• Bi-directional linking
• PDF annotation

Pricing: From $9.99/month

8. Obsidian Canvas

Best for: Existing Obsidian users looking for an Obsidian Canvas alternative or extension

Obsidian's Canvas feature lets you arrange your Markdown notes on an infinite canvas. It is a natural extension of Obsidian's note-linking system, but the canvas experience is more basic than dedicated canvas apps. If you already have a large Obsidian vault, Canvas lets you visualize connections between notes spatially. However, users who want a richer canvas-first experience — with freehand drawing, better zoom controls, and a more visual interface — often look for an Obsidian Canvas alternative like OmniCanvas or Heptabase.

• Integrates with Obsidian vault
• Arranges existing Markdown notes on a spatial canvas
• Connections between cards
• Extensible via community plugins
• No freehand drawing or sketching tools
• Canvas is a secondary feature, not the core experience

Pricing: Free (Obsidian is free for personal use)

Looking for an Obsidian Canvas alternative? If you love the idea of spatial notes but want a dedicated canvas-first app with drawing tools, cloud sync, and a more visual experience, check out [OmniCanvas](https://omnicanvasnotes.com) or Heptabase.

9. Scrintal

Best for: Visual knowledge management

Scrintal positions itself as a visual-first knowledge management tool. It combines a canvas with linked notes and a graph view, similar to Obsidian but with a more visual approach.

• Visual knowledge management
• Linked notes
• Graph view
• Canvas-first design

Pricing: From $9/month

10. Microsoft Whiteboard

Best for: Microsoft 365 organizations

Microsoft Whiteboard is included with Microsoft 365 and integrates with Teams. It is functional but lacks the polish and features of dedicated canvas apps. Best if your organization already uses Microsoft tools.

• Included with Microsoft 365
• Teams integration
• Inking support
• Templates

Pricing: Included with Microsoft 365

How to Choose the Right Infinite Canvas App

Consider these factors:

• Personal vs. team use: If you need real-time collaboration, Miro or FigJam are strong choices. For personal thinking, OmniCanvas or Heptabase are better fits.
• Note-taking vs. drawing: If you primarily want to draw diagrams, Excalidraw or tldraw are excellent. If you want to organize notes spatially, OmniCanvas or Heptabase are better.
• Ecosystem: If you are deep in the Apple ecosystem, Freeform is convenient. If you use Obsidian, its Canvas feature integrates seamlessly.
• Price: tldraw, Excalidraw, and Apple Freeform are free. OmniCanvas is free during beta. Most others have free tiers with limitations.

The infinite canvas space is growing fast, with each app taking a slightly different approach. The best one for you depends on how you think and what you need to capture.