Comparison

ExcalidrawZ vs Aether

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ExcalidrawZ

This app enhances a popular web-based drawing tool by adding essential file management features. It offers automatic saving, file grouping, and cloud synchronization to ensure your creations are always accessible and secure across devices.

Highlights
  • Automatic file saving
  • File grouping
  • iCloud backup
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Enhanced security for drawings
Features
Read full description

ExcalidrawZ is a native Excalidraw client for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, designed for hand-drawn whiteboards, diagrams, sketches, visual notes, and technical explanations. It keeps the familiar Excalidraw canvas experience, then adds native file management, iCloud sync, history, import and export tools, and Apple-platform interactions around it. Hand-drawn whiteboards and diagrams - Create flowcharts, architecture diagrams, wireframes, study notes, and visual sketches - Work with the familiar hand-drawn Excalidraw style - Use Apple Pencil, keyboard shortcuts, mouse, and trackpad controls - Continue editing across Mac, iPad, and iPhone Manage Excalidraw files - Autosave drawings managed inside the app - Organize work with groups, sorting, and local folders - Sync app-managed files across devices with iCloud - Review file history and restore important versions - Open and edit .excalidraw, .excalidraw.png, and .excalidraw.svg files Import, export, and share - Import PDFs and organize them on the canvas - Convert Mermaid diagrams into editable Excalidraw content - Insert LaTeX formulas and function graphs - Export images, PDFs, Excalidraw files, and editable PNG/SVG files - Share through the clipboard, system share sheet, and backup archives More advanced tools - Use Excalidraw collaboration when drawing with others - Ask AI to understand, create, and revise canvas content - Preview AI-generated proposals before applying them to your real canvas - Lock sensitive files and control which content is visible to AI - Expose MCP services for compatible AI clients ExcalidrawZ is useful for product design, engineering notes, study diagrams, teaching, documentation, brainstorming, and everyday whiteboard work. Privacy Policy https://excalidrawz.chocoford.com/privacy/ Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Aether

Features
Read full description

Soar with local AI. Aether brings a modern, localized, general-purpose AI Agent experience directly to your iOS device. Powered by Pi Coding Agent kernel and equipped with a local, sandboxed Alpine Linux environment, Aether transforms your mobile device into a powerful AI workbench. Whether you are writing code, researching complex topics, executing scripts, or running multi-tool workflows, Aether delivers unmatched speed, privacy, and capability—wrapped in a silky-smooth, minimalist interface. Key Features: • Local Linux Sandbox & Tool Execution Run shell commands, JavaScript, and custom tools locally within a bundled, isolated Alpine Linux environment. Safely inspect, create, and manage files right inside your app workspace. • Multi-Provider LLM Integration Bring your own keys and connect seamlessly with leading AI models, including OpenAI (GPT-5.6 Sol), Anthropic (Claude Fable 5), Google Gemini, DeepSeek, and custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints. • Model Context Protocol (MCP) Support Extend your AI agent's skills by connecting to remote HTTP MCP servers, unlocking specialized external tools and live integrations. • Minimalist & Premium User Interface Designed with meticulous detail inspired by top-tier tools. Enjoy smooth gesture navigation, rich fluid micro-animations, customizable dark/light themes, and clean code formatting. • Extensible Architecture Tailor agent behaviors, custom prompts, and UI extensions using Pi extensions and TypeScript script modules. • Privacy-First & Local Storage Your API keys, chat history, and workspace files remain securely on your device. Experience true AI autonomy on the go. Download Aether today and take your mobile AI workflow to the next level!

Screenshots

ExcalidrawZ4 screens
Aether4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ExcalidrawZ at Free against Aether's $2.99. Aether's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and chart position (#149 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ExcalidrawZ is free to download; Aether costs $2.99 up front. ExcalidrawZ sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Aether asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
ExcalidrawZ versus Aether: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExcalidrawZAether
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.2 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank—#149 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB74 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperChocoford Tech堃 周

In-app purchases

16 purchases

ExcalidrawZ

Subscriptions10
  • Starter$2.991 Month
  • One coffee a month$2.991 Month
  • One coffee a week$6.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Pro$9.991 Month
  • Max 3×$29.991 Month
  • Starter$29.991 Year
  • Max 10×$99.991 Month
  • Pro$99.991 Year
  • Max 3× (Yearly)$299.991 Year
  • Max 10× (Yearly)$999.991 Year
One-time6
  • Buy me a coffee$2.99
  • Buy me two coffee$4.99
  • Buy me five coffee$19.99
Show 3 more
  • Buy me ten coffee$29.99
  • Give me a great support$49.99
  • Ultimate support$99.99
None

Aether

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ExcalidrawZ free?
ExcalidrawZ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aether free?
Aether costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do ExcalidrawZ or Aether have ads?
Neither ExcalidrawZ nor Aether shows ads.

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