Napkin AI vs OpenMAIC
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
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Free code, but the models are your bill
- Free access
- Napkin AI: Free access
- OpenMAIC: Free access
- Paid from
- Napkin AI: USD 9 per person per month
- OpenMAIC: No fixed price listed
- Plans listed
- Napkin AI: 4
- OpenMAIC: 1
- Public API
- Napkin AI: Yes
- OpenMAIC: Not confirmed
Where Napkin AI and OpenMAIC differ
- Open sourceOnly OpenMAIC is open source.
- PlansNapkin AI lists 4 plans and OpenMAIC lists 1.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| Napkin AI | Fact | OpenMAIC |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableFree · USD 0 | Free accessSame | Free access availableFree (open source, MIT) · 0 |
| USD 9 per person per monthPlus · billed yearly · or $12 billed monthly | Lowest listed paid plan | No fixed price listed |
| Free weekly credits; Plus from $9/person/month billed yearly | Pricing model | Free MIT-licensed code; model and hosting costs are yours |
| 4 | Plans listedDiffers | 1 |
| Yes | Public API | Not confirmed |
| Not confirmed | Card to start | Not confirmed |
| No | Open sourceDiffers | Yes |
| What it is for | ||
| Turning written text into editable business diagrams | Built for | Turning a topic or document into an interactive AI-taught lesson |
| Presentations | CategorySame | Presentations |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with |
|
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 2026 | Pricing checkSame | Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
Napkin AI
Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 2026- FreeUSD 0
- PlusUSD 9 per person per monthbilled yearly · or $12 billed monthly
- ProUSD 22 per person per monthbilled yearly · or $30 billed monthly
- EnterpriseCustom pricing
Strengths and limits
Napkin AI
Strengths
- Credit-free editing: Changing colors, icons, sizes and shapes after generation does not consume credits.
- One plan covers Visuals and Slides: Free, Plus and Pro all include both products at no extra cost.
- Useful free exports: Free includes unlimited PNG and PDF export and unlimited file imports.
Limits to plan around
- Watermark on Free: The Napkin logo toggle is locked on for every Free export.
- No credit rollover: Unused monthly credits are lost at each reset on paid plans.
- Content used by default: Content may be used in anonymized form to improve models unless you opt out in settings.
OpenMAIC
Strengths
- Permissive license: The MIT license allows commercial use free of charge, and the README says so directly.
- Bring your own models: Works with many cloud providers or local models, so data and cost stay under your control.
- Portable output: Editable .pptx, self-contained HTML and a classroom ZIP that can play offline after import.
Limits to plan around
- Not zero-cost in practice: Cloud models, image, video and voice providers bill you separately, and the project publishes no cost estimate per lesson.
- Open by default: Without an ACCESS_CODE, every route of a deployment, including the API, is reachable by anyone who finds it.
- Hosted terms are unclear: The demo sign-in runs through a Chinese-language MAIC account page, and hosted credit amounts are not published.
See both products
Start from your task, not from a winner.
Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.
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Writing & content
Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.
Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.