Microsoft is a huge name in the tech industry. As such, Microsoft Whiteboards is a successful product with many happy users. The company has focused a lot recently on its business-class software and creating a seamless experience for users.
But does that make it the perfect whiteboard software for teams looking to get the most productivity possible?
Not necessarily.
Microsoft Whiteboard integrations are limited largely to the company’s other products, and the interactive Whiteboard itself offers few features outside of whiteboard-specific functionalities.
In this article, we’ll cover the best Microsoft Whiteboard alternatives currently available and highlight all the tools’ various features, limitations, pricing, and product ratings, so you find the best option for you.
Let’s get started!
10 Best Microsoft Whiteboard Alternatives
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Microsoft Whiteboard Alternatives?
When considering Microsoft Whiteboard alternatives, there are several factors you should look for. As you evaluate your options, take the following points into consideration.
- Multi-user collaboration features: Real-time collaboration is an important aspect of whiteboard software. The alternative you choose should offer this functionality.
- Cross-platform compatibility: Team members use a diverse set of devices. Ensure your chosen alternative works across as many of these devices as possible.
- Integration and file sharing: A modern tech stack consists of many team collaboration functions to work together on a virtual whiteboard. It should also have integrations to connect to other web app tools.
- Privacy and security: Cybersecurity is an important consideration. Look for encryption, data protection, access controls, and compliance with privacy regulations.
- Export and import options: Getting data into and out of the software should be as easy as possible—especially when you want to share ideas. To facilitate this, look for a robust set of supported file formats.
- Video conferencing: Online meetings are crucial to successful collaboration in the workplace —whether your team is remote or in the same room.
- Pricing and licensing: Evaluate the pricing structure and licensing options for the Microsoft Whiteboard alternative. Your chosen solution should match your budget, but also provide the features you need.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Microsoft Whiteboard Alternatives to Use in 2024
Choosing the best whiteboard software is no easy task. The money you spend is an important investment in your team’s success, so it’s wise to examine all the options. Check out our list of the top 10 best Microsoft Whiteboard alternatives to get a good overview of the choices available to you.
1. ClickUp
together on a creative canvas with ClickUp Whiteboards
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that offers a wide range of features for planning, organizing, and collaborating on projects. This Microsoft Whiteboard alternative provides customizable views like the Board view and List view, allowing for flexible task management and easy process mapping.
ClickUp also allows you to assign action items to team members and track their completion using assigned comments. Unlike ClickUp, Microsoft Whiteboard focuses primarily on collaborative whiteboard features and not extensive task management and productivity tools to connect all teams.
ClickUp’s Whiteboard feature is not only tightly integrated with its other productivity features, but is powerful in its own right. Its collaborative whiteboard tool improves communication and gives clients and stakeholders a quick view of the big picture.
ClickUp’s Mind Maps feature allows teams to create roadmaps and workflows by linking objects together. Real-time team collaboration and public link sharing make it easy for team members and external stakeholders alike to work together.
The whiteboards offer customizable templates, rich text formatting, and the ability to convert board content into tasks, making project management more effective. Templates like the ClickUp Project Proposal Whiteboard Template allow users to get started quickly. The platform supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web browsers, ensuring accessibility and collaboration from various devices.
ClickUp best features
- Real-time collaboration: ClickUp Whiteboards allow multiple users to collaborate in real-time
- Mind Maps: These allow teams to visually organize and connect ideas, roadmaps, and workflows
- Task assignment: Users can assign tasks directly from the online Whiteboard, making it easy to delegate work and track progress
- Embedding capabilities: Various elements, such as web content, documents, and more are easily embedded into the virtual Whiteboard to promote simple team collaboration and task sharing
- Customizable templates: ClickUp offers hundreds of customizable templates for whiteboards, covering a range of needs
- Mentions and comments: Multiple users can mention others and comment directly on the whiteboard, making it easy to seek input and provide feedback
- Public sharing: Whiteboards created in ClickUp can be shared with clients or external stakeholders by generating public links
- Cross-platform accessibility: ClickUp whiteboards are accessible on various platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and browsers
ClickUp limitations
- Limited features in the mobile app
- The learning curve can be steep compared to other online whiteboard options
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited – $5/month per user
- Business – $12/month per user
- Business Plus – $19/month per user
- Enterprise – Contact for pricing
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
Check out our complete guide to ClickUp Whiteboards to learn everything you need to start collaborating!
2. Miro
Miro is a popular online collaborative whiteboard platform that allows teams to ideate, brainstorm, and work together in a visual and interactive workspace. It provides a range of features designed to facilitate remote collaboration and creative thinking for multiple users to share ideas and work together.
Miro best features
- Extensive collaboration tools: Offers collaboration features so users can leave comments, mention team members, and have discussions within the virtual whiteboard
- Versatile canvases and templates: A large, flexible canvas allow users to create and organize content in various formats. Miro offers a wide range of pre-built templates for different use cases
- A vast library of interactive elements: Miro includes a rich library of shapes, icons, sticky notes, and other elements that can be easily added to the whiteboard
Miro limitations
- Some users find Miro to be challenging compared to other alternatives to Microsoft Whiteboard
- Users have reported performance issues when working with large and complex boards
- Miro is primarily an online platform, which means it requires an internet connection to access and work on whiteboards
Miro pricing
- Free forever
- Starter – $8/month per user
- Business – $16/month per user
- Enterprise – Contact sales for pricing
Miro ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (4,725 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (1,211 reviews)
Compare Miro Vs Jamboard!
3. Draw.Chat
Draw.Chat is an online collaborative whiteboard platform that allows users to draw, sketch, and collaborate in real-time. This collaboration tool has a simple, intuitive interface for visual communication and brainstorming.
Draw.Chat best features
- Collaboration features: Users can see each other’s drawings and edits in real-time for easy teamwork and idea exchange
- Drawing tools: The platform offers a range of customizable drawing tools, including brushes, shapes, text, and colors
- Infinite canvas: The whiteboard offers an infinite canvas, providing ample space for capturing ideas
Draw.Chat limitations
- Draw.Chat offers a relatively basic set of features compared to more comprehensive tools
- Once the Draw.Chat session is closed or refreshed, the content on the whiteboard is lost
- There are no advanced controls for collaboration, such as user permissions, version history, or the ability to track changes
Draw.Chat pricing
- Free forever
- Contact vendor for upgrade pricing
Draw.Chat ratings and reviews
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (6 reviews)
4. OneNote
OneNote is a note-taking and digital organization tool developed by Microsoft. It allows users to capture and organize their ideas, notes, and information in a digital notebook.
OneNote best features
- Sync across devices: Notes can be synced seamlessly across devices, allowing users to access their notes from anywhere
- Collaboration and sharing: Users can collaborate on notes and notebooks in real-time by sharing them with others
- Search and organization features: Powerful search capabilities allow users to quickly find specific notes
- Templates: Helpful OneNote templates make the tool easier to generate new ideas
OneNote limitations
- The software can be overwhelming for new users due to its complex feature set
- OneNote’s integrations focus mainly on other Microsoft products, leaving little to no support for third-party integrations
OneNote pricing
This product is a part of the Microsoft 365 subscription service.
- Free forever
- Personal – $6.99/month
- Family – $9.99/month
- Business Basic – $7.20/month
- Apps for Business – $9.90/month
- Business Standard – $15.00/month
- Business Premium – $26.40/month
OneNote ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (1,811+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,356 reviews)
5. Conceptboard
Conceptboard is an online whiteboard platform that enables teams to visualize, brainstorm, and collaborate on projects on a virtual canvas.
Conceptboard best features
- Visual collaboration software: Users can contribute ideas, draw sketches and add comments in a real-time interactive manner
- Infinite canvas: The infinite workspace expands as users add content, providing ample space to document all ideas
- Project management: Conceptboard has project management features such as task assignment, and progress tracking
Conceptboard limitations
- Conceptboard can be slightly challenging to learn compared to more basic virtual whiteboards
- Some advanced features, such as integrations and project management capabilities are only available in higher-tier plans
Conceptboard pricing
- Free forever
- Premium – $6/month per user
- Business – $9.50/month per user
- Enterprise – Contact sales for pricing
- Data Center Edition – Contact sales for pricing
Conceptboard ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (91 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (40 reviews)
6. Lucidspark
Lucidspark is a collaborative online whiteboard platform designed for visual thinking, brainstorming, and problem-solving.
Lucidspark best features
- Templates and frameworks: Offers a range of templates designed to support a variety of workflow needs
- Integrations with productivity tools: Integrations with common tools allow users to extend the functionality of Lucidspark
- Voting and feedback features: Provides features for voting, rating, and providing feedback on ideas
Lucidspark limitations
- It may take some time to become proficient in using all the available features
- The user experience on mobile devices may not be as optimized as on desktop or laptop computers
Lucidspark pricing
- Free forever
- Individual – $7.85/month per user
- Team – $9.00/month per user
- Enterprise – Contact sales for pricing
Lucidspark ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (2,142 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (351 reviews)
7. Mural
Mural is an online visual whiteboard platform that enables teams to work together and brainstorm or sketch ideas in a virtual whiteboard environment.
Mural best features
- Flexible canvas: A large and flexible canvas lets users create and arrange content in a free-form manner to seamlessly communicate and share new ideas
- Extensive template library: Has a large collection of pre-designed templates tailored to different use cases
- Extensive set of elements: A large set of visual elements, including sticky notes, shapes, images, and drawing tools can be used
Mural limitations
- Mural’s extensive features may be challenging for some new users
- The cost is relatively high compared with some of the other options
- Mural heavily relies on internet connectivity and may perform poorly on slower connections
Mural pricing
- Free forever
- Team – $9.99/month per user
- Business – $17.99/month per user
- Enterprise – Contact sales for pricing
Mural ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (1,324 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (110 reviews)
8. Milanote
Milanote is a visual collaboration tool for organizing ideas, planning projects, and creating visual boards for various purposes.
Milanote best features
- Drag-and-drop functionality: Milanote simplifies the process of organizing content with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface
- Integration with other tools: Integration with third-party tools helps to consolidate various resources into a single workspace
- Mood boards and design features: Mood boards, image galleries, and design templates help creative professionals work more effectively
Milanote limitations
- Milanote has relatively limited formatting options for text and visual elements
- Complex projects may require some effort to keep organized for those unfamiliar with the features
Milanote pricing
- Free forever
- Person – $9.99/month per user
- Team – $49/month per 10 users
- Team – $99/month per 50 users
Milanote ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (41 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (53 reviews)
9. Jamboard
Jamboard is an interactive digital whiteboard from Google built into a large high-definition touchscreen display. It’s designed to facilitate brainstorming in both physical and digital settings.
Jamboard best features
- Sticky notes and handwriting recognition: Virtual sticky notes can be added to the board and created from physical notes with handwriting recognition
- Integration with Google Workspace: Integrates with other Google Workspace applications, like Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Google Slides
- Image and shape recognition: Images inserted in Jamboard can be automatically recognized as shapes, allowing for the quick creation of diagrams
Jamboard limitations
- Jamboard is a physical device, so full use of the features requires physical access to the hardware
- The tool integrates well with Google Workspace applications but has limited integration with third-party tools
Jambaord pricing
- $4,999 for hardware, plus an annual support fee of $600
Jamboard ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (18 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (96 reviews)
10. Freehand
Freehand is a digital whiteboard developed by InVision. It offers a simple and intuitive platform for sketching, drawing, and sharing ideas in real-time.
Freehand best features
- Pen and drawing tools: A nice selection of tools, including pens, highlighters, and markers allow for precision drawing
- Sticky notes and comments: Users can add digital sticky notes and comments to the board for easy organization and feedback
- Integration with InVision software: Other InVision products, such as Boards and Studio easily integrate with Freehand
Freehand limitations
- Freehand is primarily focused on simple and streamlined whiteboarding, so it lacks many advanced features
- The free version is limited in the number of boards and storage available
Freehand pricing
- Free forever
- Pro – $4.00/month per user
- Enterprise – Contact sales for pricing
Freehand ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (278 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3 reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Best Whiteboard Alternative for Your Business
No matter what you’re working on, ClickUp has the tools you need to collaborate, organize, and move forward confidently. From the easy-to-use features and wide range of templates available, you’re covered for your next project.
Interested?
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
