I built BoardEject: an open-source Apple Freeform Excalidraw converter

Description and use

BoardEject converts Apple Freeform boards to editable Excalidraw files locally, preserving shapes, text, connectors, and more.

Problem

Apple Freeform only exports flattened PDFs, lacking editable content for further manipulation.

Outcome

BoardEject enables local, open-source conversion of Freeform boards to editable Excalidraw files, preserving key elements and avoiding server uploads.

Workflow

• Open Apple Freeform board
• Run BoardEject tool
• Convert to .excalidraw format
• Open .excalidraw file in Excalidraw
• Edit and collaborate

Evidence

BoardEject preserves things like shapes, text, connectors, groups, drawings, tables, images

Source

It’s local-first, open source, and the board content isn’t uploaded to a server.

Source