I hit the wall with Miro’s free plan fast. Three boards just aren’t enough for an active team. Once you upgrade, the per-member pricing also adds up quickly. I’ve even had guest collaborators convert into paid seats without a single warning.
That’s why I started looking for a Miro alternative. I compared the biggest players based on their free limits, AI tools, live collaboration, and price. Miro Board alternatives fall into three main buckets: open-ended whiteboarding, precise diagramming, and turning ideas into tracked work.
The short answer: The Miro alternative you finally choose depends on your workflow. Choose FigJam for cheap team whiteboarding with built-in AI. Mural works well for guided workshops. Grab Lucidspark or draw.io when you need strict, precise diagrams. Go with ClickUp when your whiteboard needs to turn into tasks with owners and deadlines. If you want open-source Miro alternatives, use Excalidraw or AFFiNE. Finally, stick with Microsoft Whiteboard if your team already lives in Microsoft 365 and wants to access Copilot.
10 Best Miro Alternatives (Free & Paid)
- Miro Alternatives at a Glance
- What Should You Look for in a Miro Alternative?
- The 10 Best Miro Alternatives
- Is Paying for Miro Worth It, or Should You Switch?
- Which Miro Alternative Should You Pick?
- Miro Alternatives FAQ
- Is there a free Miro alternative?
- Is Miro free? And what are the limits of its free plan?
- Why is Miro so expensive for growing teams?
- Are there open-source Miro alternatives?
- What is the difference between Miro and Mural?
- Is FigJam a good replacement for Miro?
- What is the best Miro alternative for diagramming?
- Can a Miro alternative turn whiteboards into tasks?
- How do I migrate my boards from Miro?
Summarize this article for me pleaseMiro Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Best for | Standout feature | Pricing* | Where it taps out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FigJam | Affordable team whiteboarding | It connects tightly to Figma design files | Free; FigJam access starts at $3/editor/mo on a Collab seat | It feels light once you leave brainstorming and design work |
| Mural | Facilitated workshops focused on design thinking | It gives facilitators timers, summon, and private voting | Free for 3 murals; paid plans start at $9.99/user/mo | Its diagramming trails a dedicated diagram tool |
| ClickUp | Turning boards into tracked work | Its whiteboards convert straight into tasks | Free; paid plans start at $7/user/mo | It does more than a pure canvas, so setup takes longer |
| Lucidspark | Brainstorming that becomes precise diagrams | It pairs with Lucidchart for exact diagrams | Free; paid plans start at $7.95/mo | You need two products to get the full value |
| Microsoft Whiteboard | Microsoft 365 teams | It runs free inside Microsoft 365 and Teams | Free with most Microsoft 365 plans | It feels basic once you leave the Microsoft stack |
| Figma | Design-led teams | It carries you from brainstorm to finished design in one place | Free; full design seats start at $16/mo | It overlaps FigJam, since both come from Figma |
| Excalidraw | Free, open-source sketching | It keeps a hand-drawn look and you can self-host it | Free; Excalidraw+ costs $6/user/mo | It offers few templates and light collaboration |
| draw.io (diagrams.net) | Free diagramming | It packs deep diagram shape libraries | Free in the browser; the Confluence and Jira app is paid | It is not built for freeform workshops |
| AFFiNE | Open-source docs plus canvas | It puts an edgeless canvas right next to your docs | Free; Pro starts at $6.75/mo | Its ecosystem is smaller and the product is newer |
| Conceptboard | Privacy-conscious EU teams | It hosts your data in Germany under GDPR | Free; paid plans start at €5/user/mo | Its template library is smaller |
*Please check the tool’s website for the latest pricing.
How we review software at ClickUp
Our editorial team follows a transparent, research-backed, and vendor-neutral process, so you can trust that our recommendations are based on real product value.
Here’s a detailed rundown of how we review software at ClickUp.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in a Miro Alternative?
You should evaluate a Miro alternative on seven key factors: free-plan limits, pricing models, real-time collaboration, template libraries, diagramming styles, integrations, and data control.
Prefer to watch instead of read? Here’s a breakdown of the best Miro alternatives that shows how they work:
- Free-plan limits: Miro caps you at 3 editable boards. Check if an alternative’s free tier limits boards, editors, or core features. That’s usually the tipping point for teams looking to leave
- Pricing model: Some tools charge per seat. Always confirm if viewers and invited guests are free. Per-user costs scale fast, and surprise invoices are all too common
- Real-time collaboration: Live editing, comments, and seeing teammates’ cursors are non-negotiable. If you run heavy workshops, make sure you also get facilitation tools like timers and private voting
- Templates: You shouldn’t have to start from scratch. Look for a strong library of templates for retrospectives, user journeys, and sprint planning
- Diagramming vs. freeform: Do you need strict flowcharts or do you prefer open sketching? Very few tools excel at both, so pick the one that fits your dominant style
- Integrations: Make sure it connects directly with the tools you already rely on, like Jira, Slack, Google Drive, or Microsoft Teams
- Data control: If strict data privacy or reducing costs to zero is a priority, look for an open-source or self-hosted option
Also Read: Best Whiteboard Software for Collaboration
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Miro Alternatives
I’ve tested the top tools to bring you the 10 best Miro alternatives. FigJam, Mural, ClickUp, Lucidspark, Microsoft Whiteboard, Figma, Excalidraw, draw.io, AFFiNE, and Conceptboard. The key takeaway here is to look beyond just sticky notes. Pick a platform that fits your workflow:
1. FigJam
FigJam is my top pick if you want a direct swap for Miro’s core features without the heavy price tag. Built by Figma, it pairs a clean canvas with sticky notes, shapes, stamps, and live cursor chat. It makes quick team discussions feel seamless and natural.
This software is ideal for design and product teams. It brings a good blend of early brainstorming and sprint planning to the table. The built-in AI instantly generates boards, groups sticky notes by theme, and summarizes meetings. It also packs over 300 templates, and outside guests can jump in without creating an account.
A quick note on FigJam vs. Figma:
People often confuse the two. Use FigJam for team whiteboarding and brainstorming. Use Figma, which I cover later in this post, for UI/UX design. These two are no longer billed as separate products. You buy a single Figma plan and select a seat type for each person. If your team only needs the whiteboard, assign a Collab seat for $3-$5/month. That gives you FigJam without paying $16 a month for a full design seat. So FigJam stays the budget pick. You just choose the right seat.
Pricing:
- Starter: Free
- Professional (full seat): $16/month
- Professional (dev seat): $12/month
- Professional (collab seat): $3/month
- Organization (full seat): $55/month
- Organization (dev seat): $25/month
- Organization (collab seat): $5/month
- Enterprise (full seat): $90/month
- Enterprise (dev seat): $35/month
- Enterprise (collab seat): $5/month
Ratings:
- G2: 4.6/5 (440+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (20+ reviews)
Where it taps out: It feels a bit light once you step outside of basic brainstorming. Third-party integrations are limited, and document editing is basic.
Best for: Teams that want simple, affordable whiteboarding, especially Figma users.
Skip it if: You need deep project tracking or advanced diagramming. You’ll want to check our FigJam alternatives guide instead.
What are real-life users saying about FigJam?
A G2 reviewer said:
2. Mural
Mural is the closest competitor to Miro if you need to run structured workshops with large groups. Its built-in facilitation tools give you tight control over the entire session.
It is my go-to choice for agile coaches and anyone leading workshops. Especially if keeping the group focused is the hardest part of the job. You get widgets like timers, a laser pointer, private mode for unbiased voting, and the ability to drag everyone’s screen to a specific spot on the canvas.
Mural AI can synthesize massive sessions by auto-clustering sticky notes and generating mind maps. It also comes packed with a deep template library for retrospectives, design-thinking workshops and sprints, and user journey mapping.
Pricing:
- Free
- Team+: $9/month/user
- Business: $17/month/user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Ratings:
- G2: 4.6/5 (1,400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (120+ reviews)
Where it taps out: Its diagramming tools can’t compete with a dedicated diagramming app. Plus, the free plan’s three-mural cap is the exact same limit that sends teams running from Miro in the first place.
Best for: Workshop facilitation and running large, guided team sessions.
Skip it if: You mostly need precise diagrams or prefer solo sketching.
What are real-life users saying about Mural?
A Capterra reviewer reviewed Mural:
3. ClickUp
ClickUp earns its spot for one specific job: turning your whiteboard into tracked work. It’s a full AI work management platform with a built-in canvas, ClickUp Whiteboards, rather than just a standalone drawing tool.
It’s a solid fit for teams that need to brainstorm an idea, then immediately assign, schedule, and deliver it. On a ClickUp Whiteboard, sticky notes and shapes convert directly into tasks with owners and due dates. You never have to manually copy your board into a separate project tracker. When you’re ready for some deep thinking, simply navigate to ClickUp Mind Maps.
The recent Whiteboards rebuild is worth calling out. It was rewritten from the ground up for 10x faster load times, smoother real-time collaboration, and zero lag even on dense boards. You also get quick-create connectors (+ buttons on each shape side) that make flowcharting and diagramming nearly as fast as thinking.
All ClickUp features are connected with ClickUp Brain, which instantly summarizes and tags your content. This solves the biggest complaint I hear from Miro users: capturing great ideas on a canvas, only to waste time re-entering them somewhere else to get the work done.
Pricing:
free forever
Free Free
Key Features:
60MB Storage
Unlimited Tasks
Unlimited Free Plan Members
unlimited
$7 $10
per user per month
Everything in Free Forever, plus:
Unlimited Storage
ClickUp Chat
Native Time Tracking
business
Popular
$12 $19
per user per month
Everything in Unlimited, plus:
Google SSO
Custom Exporting
5K Monthly Automations
enterprise
Get a Custom Demo
Everything in Business, plus:
White Labeling
Live Onboarding Training
250K Monthly Automations
* Prices when billed annually
The world's most complete work AI, starting at $9 per month
ClickUp Brain is a no Brainer. One AI to manage your work, at a fraction of the cost.
Ratings:
- G2: 4.6/5 (12,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,400+ reviews)
Where it taps out: If you only want a fast, freeform canvas for loose sketching, ClickUp is more dense in that case. Teams also report a slight learning curve during setup.
Best for: Teams who want their brainstorms to become tracked tasks in a single place.
Skip it if: You just want a simple, standalone canvas and nothing else.
What are real-life users saying about ClickUp?
A G2 reviewer shared their experience with ClickUp:
4. Lucidspark
Lucidspark is the main brainstorming canvas inside the Lucid suite. I’ve found it really shines when you need your messy ideation to eventually turn into strict, precise diagrams. It builds a perfect bridge between freeform thinking and structured flowcharts.
It’s a great fit for teams like engineering or operations that diagram just as much as they brainstorm. Lucidspark gives you an infinite canvas, sticky notes, and voting tools. The collaborative AI automatically generates diagrams, groups ideas, and summarizes content.
This makes the handoff to Lucidchart for detailed architecture diagrams extremely fast. You can also use their migration tools to pull in any old Miro or Mural boards you have laying around.
What’s the difference between Lucidspark and Lucidchart?
Lucidspark handles the whiteboarding, while Lucidchart handles the diagramming. They integrate tightly, but to get the full experience, you’ll need both. You can buy just Lucidspark for around $9/month. But if you need the diagramming power as well, it is much more cost-effective to buy the bundled Lucid Visual Collaboration Suite than to pay for both tools separately.
Pricing:
- Free
- Individual: $9/month/user
- Team: $10/month/user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Ratings:
- G2: 4.5/5 (8,400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (340+ reviews)
Where it taps out: To get the full value, you really have to use both Lucidspark and Lucidchart. That means learning, managing, and paying for two separate products rather than a single, simple canvas.
Best for: Teams that need both open brainstorming and exact diagram precision.
Skip it if: You want a single, simple tool and rarely build formal flowcharts.
What are real-life users saying about Lucidspark?
This is what a Capterra reviewer thinks:
5. Microsoft Whiteboard
Microsoft Whiteboard is the absolute easiest choice if your team already pays for Microsoft 365. It is a completely free digital canvas that lives right inside the Microsoft ecosystem and integrates seamlessly with Teams.
You can use it as a built-in canvas for meetings without buying another tool. It covers the basics well: drawing tools, sticky notes, templates, and live co-editing. The addition of Copilot in Whiteboard makes it better. Copilot can automatically generate ideas, categorize your sticky notes, and summarize your whole discussion right in the middle of a Teams call.
Pricing:
- Included for free with most Microsoft 365 plans
Ratings:
- G2: 4/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (140+ reviews)
Where it taps out: As soon as you step outside the Microsoft stack, it feels very basic. It has a much smaller template library and far fewer integrations than heavy hitters like Miro or Mural.
Best for: Microsoft 365 teams that want a free, built-in canvas with native AI tools.
Skip it if: You need deep, advanced facilitation tools, massive template libraries, or you rely heavily on non-Microsoft apps.
What are real-life users saying about Microsoft Whiteboard?
A G2 reviewer commented on how flexible the Microsoft Whiteboard is:
6. Figma
Figma is worth calling out separately for design-led teams, mainly because its FigJam canvas and core design tools work perfectly as one unified environment. Where Miro keeps your whiteboarding and design separate, Figma keeps your early brainstorming and high-fidelity design right under the same roof.
It’s a long-time favorite among product and design teams who move straight from discovery workshops into wireframes and prototypes. You can run a retrospective or journey-mapping session in FigJam. And then immediately jump into Figma’s design and Dev Mode without switching apps or rebuilding assets. The UI3 and Figma AI integrations make this transition practically invisible.
Pricing:
- Starter: Free
- Professional (full seat): $16/month
- Organization (full seat): $55/month
- Enterprise (full seat): $90/month
*Figma and FigJam are billed separately.
Ratings:
- G2: 4.6/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (800+ reviews)
Where it taps out: If your team doesn’t design products, Figma can be overkill. Also, its whiteboarding is purely built on top of FigJam rather than replacing a general-purpose canvas.
Best for: Design teams who want to handle both loose ideation and strict design in a single tool.
Skip it if: Your team doesn’t do any product or visual design.
What are real-life users saying about Figma?
Hear from a Capterra reviewer:
7. Excalidraw
Excalidraw is a fast, free, open-source sketching tool that doesn’t force you to create an account. Its signature hand-drawn aesthetic keeps your diagrams feeling like a quick whiteboard sketch rather than a stiff, polished deliverable.
It is perfect for engineers, educators, and anyone who just wants to draw a diagram in seconds and move on. The core tool is open-source and self-hostable. It supports live collaboration through shared links, and keeps the interface completely minimal. If you upgrade to Excalidraw+, you also unlock text-to-diagram AI generation. It still maintains that great hand-drawn look.
Pricing:
- Free
- Plus: $6/month/user
Ratings:
- G2: 4.5/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
Where it taps out: It is minimal by design. It completely lacks the massive template libraries, facilitation tools, and deep software integrations you get with Miro.
Best for: Quick, free, open-source sketching without the signup friction.
Skip it if: You need to run complex workshops or rely heavily on third-party integrations.
What are real-life users saying about Excalidraw?
A G2 reviewer shared their thoughts:
8. draw.io / diagrams.net
If you just need to build a diagram without jumping through hoops, draw.io is your best bet. I love it because it’s free, open source, and doesn’t require an account. You just open your browser, pick a shape, and start building. It integrates directly with Google Drive, OneDrive, and GitHub, keeping your workflow completely seamless.
Its AI tool turns simple text prompts into full diagrams. They even offer an MCP server so you can hook it right into tools like Claude Desktop. But if you handle sensitive data, don’t worry. You can completely shut off AI features to lock down your privacy.
Pricing:
- Free
- Advanced (Cloud): $37/month
- Data Center Pricing starts at $7,000 (billed annually) for up to 500 users
A quick note on draw.io pricing
The free version at diagrams.net is the open-source browser and desktop app. You use it without an account, and it stays free. The Cloud and Data Center prices above are for the separate draw.io app for Confluence and Jira, sold on the Atlassian Marketplace by Seibert. So pick the free app for standalone diagramming, or pay for the Atlassian app only if you want draw.io built into Confluence or Jira.
Ratings:
- G2: 4.4/5 (400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (700+ reviews)
Where it taps out: It lacks the flashy team collaboration features and built-in video chat you find in dedicated whiteboarding tools.
Best for: Developers, architects, and anyone who needs quick, no-nonsense diagrams.
Skip it if: You want a giant, interactive canvas for team brainstorming and agile ceremonies.
What are real-life users saying about draw.io?
This is what a Capterra reviewer thinks:
9. AFFiNE
I look at AFFiNE as the open-source rebel trying to take down Notion and Miro at the same time. It combines your docs, whiteboards, and databases into one seamless workspace. When I need to sketch out a process and write a detailed brief right next to it, AFFiNE handles both without forcing me to switch tabs.
Because it’s open source, you get total control over your data. You can self-host it to keep everything entirely private. It runs smoothly offline, which is a plus when your internet drops or you are working on the go. It’s still growing, so the template library isn’t huge yet, but the core engine is incredibly fast and flexible.
Pricing:
- Free
- Pro: $6.75/month
- Team: $10/month/seat
- AFFiNE AI: $8.9/month
Ratings:
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
Where it taps out: The mobile experience isn’t fully baked yet, and the integration ecosystem is still catching up to the bigger players.
Best for: Privacy-focused teams and folks who want Notion and Miro merged into one single app.
Skip it if: You rely heavily on hundreds of third-party app integrations to run your daily work.
What are real-life users saying about AFFiNE?
One G2 reviewer says:
10. Conceptboard
If you work in a highly regulated industry, Conceptboard is a safe pick. It offers an infinite canvas hosted entirely in Germany. It replaces physical whiteboards with a locked-down space for team brainstorming and project planning.
They actively limit AI tools to maintain strict GDPR compliance. That means no bots are training on your sensitive strategy sessions. You still get over 150 templates, live moderation, and built-in task management. It lacks the AI magic of Miro, but you get total peace of mind in return.
Pricing:
- Starter: 5€/month/user
- Advanced: 10€/month/user
- Corporate & Government: 14€/month/user
- Special Plans: Custom pricing
Ratings:
- G2: 4.6/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)
Where it taps out: Its template library is pretty small compared to Miro’s massive community ecosystem.
Best for: Privacy-focused enterprise teams, government agencies, and anyone dealing with strict compliance rules.
Skip it if: You want the largest possible variety of agile and design-thinking templates.
What are real-life users saying about Conceptboard?
A Capterra reviewer said:
Summarize this article for me pleaseIs Paying for Miro Worth It, or Should You Switch?
Given Miro’s free plan limits, it’s worth asking whether the paid Starter plan is worth it.
Keep paying for Miro if you run large, cross-functional workshops every week and lean on its template library and integrations. At that scale, the breadth is the point, and few tools match it.
Switch if any of these are true:
- You hit the three-board cap within weeks
- You pay for editor seats on people who only view or comment
- Invited collaborators turn into paid seats and inflate your bill
- Your boards keep becoming tasks that you then re-enter somewhere else
The test is simple. Understand your job: workshops, diagrams, or tracked work. Then run a session on the free tier before you move. Watch how each tool counts paid seats so a workshop invite does not trigger additional cost.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhich Miro Alternative Should You Pick?
In the time I’ve spent tearing down these tools, I realize that choosing the right one comes down to what your team needs.
- Choose a whiteboarding tool (FigJam, Mural, Microsoft Whiteboard) if brainstorming and workshops are the main use
- Choose a diagramming tool (draw.io, Lucidspark with Lucidchart) if precise flowcharts and process maps matter more than freeform sketching
- Choose a work platform (ClickUp) if your boards routinely become tasks, owners, and deadlines
- Choose open-source (Excalidraw, AFFiNE) or an EU-hosted option (Conceptboard) if data control, cost, or compliance is the priority
But honestly? I’m tired of the app tax.
Brainstorming in a standalone tool means your best ideas are trapped there. You end up copy-pasting sticky notes into a separate task manager, and context immediately scatters.
If you want to stop juggling tabs, ClickUp is the move. It puts your whiteboard right next to your work. You can map out a workflow and turn a sticky note into a tracked, assigned task without leaving the canvas.
Get started with ClickUp for free
Summarize this article for me pleaseMiro Alternatives FAQ
Is there a free Miro alternative?
Yes, there are several free Miro alternatives. FigJam and Microsoft Whiteboard have free tiers. Excalidraw and draw.io are both free and open source. The key difference from Miro is the cap. Miro’s free plan limits you to three editable boards. While Excalidraw and draw.io place no such board limit, which is the exact restriction that pushes most teams to switch. Microsoft Whiteboard is effectively free if you already pay for Microsoft 365. FigJam’s free tier suits small teams testing the canvas before paying.
Is Miro free? And what are the limits of its free plan?
Yes. Miro offers a free Starter plan, but it caps you at three editable boards with unlimited members. That three-board ceiling is the single most common reason teams migrate. Paid plans (Starter, Business, Enterprise) unlock unlimited boards and advanced features. Check the Miro pricing page for the latest pricing and limits.
Why is Miro so expensive for growing teams?
At the time of writing this post, Miro prices per member, so cost scales with headcount rather than usage. Editor seats are billed even for occasional contributors, and invited collaborators can convert into paid seats. Teams that only need viewers or light commenters often overpay. Tools like FigJam (Collab seats from $3/mo) or ClickUp (from $7/user/mo) blunt this.
Are there open-source Miro alternatives?
Yes. Excalidraw and AFFiNE are the leading open-source options, and both can be self-hosted for full data control. Excalidraw focuses on fast, hand-drawn sketching; AFFiNE merges docs, whiteboards, and databases in one workspace. draw.io (diagrams.net) is also open source for diagramming.
What is the difference between Miro and Mural?
Miro and Mural are leading whiteboard tools. But Mural leans harder into facilitation. Its timers, private voting mode, and the ability to summon participants give workshop leaders tight control of a session. This makes it the stronger pick for guided, large-group workshops. Miro offers a broader feature set. It has integrations and a bigger template library, making it more of a general-purpose canvas. Both cap their free plans at three boards, so neither solves Miro’s main free-tier limitation.
Is FigJam a good replacement for Miro?
Yes, for most brainstorming and workshop use cases. FigJam delivers a Miro-like canvas with sticky notes, 300+ templates, and built-in AI at a lower entry price, billed through a Figma Collab seat. It’s lighter on diagramming and integrations. My honest take is that it’s best for design and product teams already in Figma.
What is the best Miro alternative for diagramming?
draw.io is the best free option for precise flowcharts, network diagrams, and process maps. It has an extensive shape library and local file management. Lucidspark, paired with Lucidchart, also bridges freeform ideation and structured diagrams in one suite. The trade-off is that Lucid’s full value spans two products: one to learn and one to license. draw.io remains free but offers no workshops or sticky note collaboration.
Can a Miro alternative turn whiteboards into tasks?
Yes, ClickUp Whiteboards let you convert sticky notes and shapes directly into tasks with owners and due dates. A brainstorm can be tracked as a task without requiring a separate project tool. This closes the gap Miro users describe most often. Ideas captured on a canvas that then have to be re-entered somewhere to get work done. It suits teams whose boards routinely turn into projects, not teams that only need a quick sketch space.
How do I migrate my boards from Miro?
Several alternatives offer import tools to migrate boards from Miro. Lucidspark, for example, can import existing Miro and Mural boards while preserving editability. For tools without direct import, you can usually export Miro boards as images or PDFs. Before migrating, check whether your target tool allows your boards to be editable or only as static copies. Also, confirm the free tier can hold the number of boards you plan to move over.
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