Napkin AI

What is Napkin AI?

Napkin AI turns text you paste in into visuals such as flowcharts, concept diagrams, and infographics. Use it to create diagrams for reports and training materials.

• 1Paste in text and it generates diagram candidates
• 2Export as PPT, SVG, PNG, or PDF and use it as is
• 3The interface is in English, but you can enter Korean text too

What sets it apart

These are the differences we found by running the same material through several tools in our training sessions.

Same job, different approach

Your presentation is tomorrow and your slides are nothing but text

Common uses

Who it’s for

Can we use it at work?

The questions that adoption leads and security teams ask first.

Note: check the official terms for how long input data is retained, whether it is used for training, and how business plans handle data.

10-minute quick start

1. 1

   Sign up at www.napkin.ai and open a blank document. You can start for free.

2. 2

   Paste in one well-structured paragraph from a report you have already written.

3. 3

   Click the generate button next to a paragraph, compare the diagram candidates it produces, and pick one.

4. 4

   Adjust colors and text, then export as PNG or PDF. On a paid plan, export SVG and refine it in your slides.

Copy-and-paste prompts

Replace only the [bracketed] parts, then paste it in.

In-house training follows these steps. First, department heads submit their training needs. Second, the training manager compiles the needs and builds the annual plan. Third, instructors are booked for each course and the schedule is confirmed. Fourth, participants are notified and applications are collected. Fifth, the training is delivered and a satisfaction survey is run. Sixth, the results are compiled and fed into next year’s plan.
(Instruction: paste this paragraph and choose a flowchart-type diagram)

Training loses its impact for three reasons. Participants are chosen without regard to their work, the timing is far removed from actual tasks, and no one checks application afterward. The response has two parts. One is to select participants together with their department heads; the other is to collect one application case from each participant one month after training.
(Instruction: choose a diagram where causes and responses face each other)

Classroom training is highly immersive and encourages lively Q&A, but it is hard to schedule. Online training offers flexible timing and location and allows repeated study, but has high dropout rates. Blended training combines the strengths of both, but carries the heaviest operational burden.
(Instruction: choose a card-style diagram that compares the three side by side)

An organization’s use of AI climbs through four stages. Stage 1 is individuals trying free tools on their own. Stage 2 is teams choosing the tools they use. Stage 3 is connecting to internal materials and building AI into workflows. Stage 4 is handing repetitive tasks to agents so people can focus on judgment.
(Instruction: choose a staircase or pyramid diagram)

[Last year's training results report, DOCX or PDF file]
(Instruction: Upload the file instead of typing, select only the paragraphs you want as diagrams, and click the generate button. For paragraphs containing internal figures, swap in different numbers before use.)

Using it with other tools

Linking two or three tools changes your work more than any single tool does.

Before you start

• If your writing is disorganized, the diagram will be too. Polish the paragraph before you paste it in.
• On the free plan, graphics carry a Napkin watermark. If you’re using them externally, check the plan first.
• Korean text sometimes overflows the boxes. Check the line breaks by eye before exporting.
• A plausible-looking graphic doesn’t mean the content is correct. Check the text in each box against the source.

Pricing: personal use and work use

Plans that individuals pay for are different from plans that organizations contract for by member.

Checked 21 Sep 2026 · Per-person monthly prices shown in US dollars on the official English pricing page. Discounts are shown for annual billing. Prices change without notice — check the official page before you pay. Napkin AI official pricing ↗ · Napkin AI supported languages (official help) ↗

Napkin AI’s drawbacks

We don’t just list the positives. Here is what fell short when we used it.

• Credits run out faster than you might expect

  Every diagram gives you several candidates to review, and a week’s worth of credits can be nearly used up on a single meeting deck. It takes a while to get a feel for how much each task costs.

• Korean text loosens the layout

  Its fonts and spacing are tuned for English, so the same diagram with Korean text tends to look sparse, with half-empty boxes. You end up shortening the wording to make it fit.

• To fix it, you rebuild from scratch

  The free plan exports only images and PDFs, so you can’t edit a diagram once it’s in your presentation. Even changing one line of text means rebuilding and re-pasting the diagram, which gets tedious when you make frequent last-minute edits.

Tools to compare

GammaNot a great fit→WhimsicalSpecialist in mind-map visuals→CanvaVideo and image editing (rich design elements)→MapifyShort input → mind map→ClaudeThe most talked-about AI→