Dev tools · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to Qboard, a drawing app with Vim-style keybindings
I was frustrated with drawing apps where the eraser was E and the pen was P. Often, when I'm drawing, I want to quickly erase and then switch back to the pen. As one of my hands is on my mouse or tablet, I have to use my other hand to reach across the keyboard. I wanted a drawing app with customizable keybindings, so I made qboard a while back and have used it since. I talk more about the design principles on the Github repo: .
Qboard is a drawing application designed with customizable keybindings inspired by Vim-style controls. Created to address frustration with inefficient tool switching during drawing sessions, it allows users to reassign… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Qboard, a drawing app with Vim-style keybindings launched in 2022; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
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Gboard by Google▲1,207Google Search, GIFs, emojis & more—right from your keyboard
2016 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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Witeboard▲1,017A real-time whiteboard for your team. No signups required.
2018 · witeboard.com · its alternatives →
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Emojiboard▲97Find the right Emoji with a quick sketch, from any iOS app
2017 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
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Hey all! I'm happy to announce we've finally released our 2nd macOS app, Draw Over It, a tiny desktop app that enables drawing, highlighting, or annotating directly on top of anything on your Mac. I've always wanted something like this for instant and unobtrusive sketching and annotation for pair programming and demos. I always found the standard web-based diagram and drawing tools a bit too cumbersome. So we built a simple overlay that could appear over any window or app with one shortcut. It doesn't collect any user data and doesn't require any system permissions - it's sandboxed. It all…
Oct 2025 · draw.wrobele.com · its alternatives →
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Sketch Icons▲408Generate a dynamic icon library in less than 5 minutes
2018 · github.com · its alternatives →
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Notebag▲298A keyboard-focused note-taking app that gets out of your way
2020 · notebag.app · its alternatives →
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QWANJI▲174Hey HN! I've built this bit of cuteware (software not solving a problem but just for fun) inspired from the patterns made by swipe typing on mobile devices. To me it seemed like the closest thing to an English version of Kanji and it would be cool to consistently recreate those patterns. The implementation is vanilla js to keep things simple (and from a bit of framework fatigue) I'm keen to see how people use qwanji. Any and all feedback welcome!
2024 · byronicalpatrick.github.io · its alternatives →
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Sketch 3▲303Liquid Glass redesign, an all-new Inspector, and more
2014 · sketch.com · its alternatives →
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Google's keyboard, now available on Android
2016 · play.google.com · its alternatives →
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I've made a drawing app based on my physical sketching practice, using fluid sim and some shader tricks to mimic watercolor-style ink washes. Best used on iPad or with a drawing tablet. The linked article shows how the core engine works, with plenty of little interactive demos. It was fun to make, sharing in hopes others find it fun too :)
Jun 2026 · johnowhitaker.github.io · its alternatives →
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Design and test virtual keyboards
2020 · keyboardsimulator.xyz · its alternatives →
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Yotako▲131Your tool to translate design into mobile apps and websites
2018 · yotako.io · its alternatives →
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Dudel Draw▲150Unique shapes to spark your doodle creativity, daily
2023 · sillylittleapps.com · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →