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ChartAI vs Napkin AI

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Entry price
ChartAI from $5 once, Napkin AI from $9/seat/mo — different billing units, so no direct winner
Free plan
Only Napkin AI (ChartAI has paid plans only)
Public API
Napkin AI has one; not confirmed by us for ChartAI
Best fit
ChartAI: Students and occasional users who need a handful of diagrams without a subscription · Napkin AI: Consultants and managers turning bullet points into slide diagrams
Trust score
About even — ChartAI 74, Napkin AI 77

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

ChartAIChat interface that turns a description into a Mermaid diagram, sold as credits where one credit is one diagram.Napkin AITurns pasted or imported text into editable diagrams, flowcharts, mind maps, infographics and charts, with no prompt to write.

Side by side

FactChartAINapkin AI
CategoryDiagramming & WhiteboardsDiagramming & Whiteboards
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starts at$5 once$9/seat/mo
Public APINot confirmedYes
Trust score74 / 10077 / 100
PlatformsWebWeb, API
CompanyNeural Canvas Inc.Napkin AI
Launched—2024
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 29, 2026

What our research says

ChartAI

The pricing is the clearest thing about it: $5 once for 25 diagrams that never expire, or $24 a month for unlimited use, with Mermaid output you can keep and edit elsewhere. Against that, the app is a lightly reskinned chat client with ad-network tags on the page, and the vendor's country and support arrangements are barely documented.

Pros

  • One credit equals one diagram, and one-time credits never expire
  • Pro removes the per-diagram meter for $24 a month
  • Renders Mermaid, so output can be exported and edited as text
  • PNG and SVG export with in-place edits and colour themes

Cons

  • The interface is a generic chat client shell with little diagram-specific tooling
  • The page carries ad-network tags, which is unusual for a paid product
  • No company address or country disclosed - only an Inc. name in the footer
  • No public API, collaboration features or version history found

Napkin AI

Napkin is a quick way for writers, teachers and consultants to add a clear diagram to a slide or post without opening a design tool. Designers who need pixel-level layout control or long, data-heavy charts will outgrow it.

Pros

  • Works from existing text instead of prompts
  • Every generated element stays editable
  • Exports to PPT and SVG on paid plans, PNG and PDF on Free
  • Free weekly credits cover light use

Cons

  • Free visuals carry Napkin branding
  • Credits scale with words selected, so long passages burn through them
  • No student or non-profit discounts

Which one fits

Choose ChartAI if you need

  • Students and occasional users who need a handful of diagrams without a subscription
  • Anyone who wants Mermaid source they can paste into docs or a README
  • People who present weekly and want unlimited flowcharts and sequence diagrams

Choose Napkin AI if you need

  • Consultants and managers turning bullet points into slide diagrams
  • Bloggers and teachers adding explanatory visuals to text
  • Products that need visuals generated from text via API

ChartAI vs Napkin AI: the questions people ask

Is ChartAI cheaper than Napkin AI?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: ChartAI starts at $5 once, Napkin AI at $9/seat/mo. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does ChartAI or Napkin AI have a free tier?

Napkin AI has a free tier; ChartAI has paid plans only.

Which has a public API, ChartAI or Napkin AI?

Napkin AI ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for ChartAI is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

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