Mural Alternatives (2026): 10 Tools Compared

Mural is an online visual collaboration space where teams run workshops, brainstorms and planning sessions on a shared digital canvas. If you're weighing it up against other options, perhaps because you want a different feel, a simpler tool or a different way of working, there are plenty of whiteboards worth a look.

Below you'll find ten Mural alternatives in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. A few are well known and most are smaller or more specialised. I've drawn each description from the tool's own website, so check current details there before you commit. If you're organising a team around the board, my notes on the benefits of team collaboration set out why working together visually is worth the effort.

The ten whiteboard options side by side

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes a plan you can keep using without a time limit. Trial only means a free trial but no ongoing free plan. No means the site states neither. Limits change, so check before you start.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Boardmix	Online whiteboard	Brainstorms, diagrams and team planning	Yes
Conceptboard	Team whiteboard	Workshops with European data hosting	Yes
Excalidraw	Open source sketchboard	Quick hand-drawn style diagrams	Yes
FigJam	Design-team whiteboard	Workshops beside design files	Yes
Klaxoon	Meeting platform	Interactive sessions with polls and voting	Trial only
Miro	Online whiteboard	Workshops, mapping and planning	Yes
Padlet	Idea boards	Collecting and sharing posts on a board	Yes
Stormboard	Planning whiteboard	Smart templates and exported reports	Yes
Whimsical	Diagram whiteboard	Flowcharts, mind maps and wireframes	Yes
Ziteboard	Teaching whiteboard	Realtime drawing with unlimited collaborators	Yes

Ten online whiteboard tools to weigh against Mural

Boardmix

Best for: Teams who want one shared canvas for notes, diagrams and planning, with templates to start from.

Conceptboard

Best for: Organisations who want a shared whiteboard with data hosting in Germany and a security-minded approach.

Excalidraw

Best for: Anyone who wants a simple, open source whiteboard for rough sketches and diagrams that look hand-drawn.

FigJam

Best for: Product and design teams who already work in the same company's design tool and want whiteboards alongside it.

Klaxoon

Best for: Facilitators who run live workshops and want questions, voting and whiteboards in one interactive meeting space.

Miro

Best for: Teams of many sizes who want a widely used infinite canvas with templates for workshops and planning.

Padlet

Best for: Teachers, trainers and community leaders who want people to add posts to a shared board without training.

Stormboard

Best for: Planning sessions where you want sticky notes, templates and reports you can export afterwards.

Whimsical

Best for: People who map processes, plan sites or sketch screens and want diagrams to stay tidy and quick to make.

Ziteboard

Best for: Tutors and small groups who want a plain realtime whiteboard that anyone can join to draw together.

What to check in an online whiteboard before a team workshop

Whiteboards look similar in a demo and feel very different in a live session with a dozen people. Before you pick one, run through the things your group will touch most.

• Canvas feel. Does it stay quick when many people add notes at the same moment?
• Templates. Look for starting points that match your sessions, such as retrospectives or journey maps.
• Facilitation. Timers, voting and a way to guide everyone to the same spot save a lot of herding.
• Guest access. Check whether outsiders can join without creating an account.
• Export. You'll want pictures, documents or lists you can drop into a report afterwards.
• Integrations. See whether it connects to the chat, calendar and task tools you already use.

Whiteboard, diagram tool or idea board: which suits you?

The word whiteboard covers three slightly different jobs. A freeform canvas is best for messy thinking, where people throw up notes and rearrange them. A diagram tool keeps shapes aligned and is better when the end result is a flowchart or site map. An idea board works more like a noticeboard, where people post and others respond.

Most of the options here lean one way or another, so decide which job you do most. If you run workshops once a month, a flexible canvas is probably the right shape. If you document processes every week, a tidy diagram tool will save you time.

Running a remote brainstorm without losing the thread

The tool is only half of a good session. These habits help whichever whiteboard you choose.

1. Share the question and the time you've got before anyone opens the board.
2. Give people a few quiet minutes to add their own notes first.
3. Group similar notes together and give each group a plain label.
4. Vote or mark priorities so the loudest voice doesn't win.
5. Finish by writing owners and next steps on the board itself.

For a wider look at how teams plan work once the brainstorm ends, my plain-English guide to project management methods may help.

Moving your boards out of Mural and into a new whiteboard

A switch is easier if you treat it as a tidy-up. Most teams find that only a handful of boards need moving across.

• List the boards you still use and archive the rest.
• Export what you need as images or documents before you change anything.
• Rebuild your most-used templates in the new tool and test them with a small group.
• Tell your team where the new boards live and when the old ones will stop being used.

Privacy and guest access on a shared whiteboard

Whiteboards often hold early ideas, customer notes and plans you wouldn't want public. Check who can see a board by default, how links can be shared and whether you can remove access later. If your boards include personal data about customers or staff, remember that data protection rules such as UK GDPR can apply. This isn't legal advice, so check the rules for your own situation.

Why a smaller whiteboard app can be a sensible choice

Smaller tools often do fewer things and do them plainly. You may find a cleaner screen, a faster start and makers who answer questions quickly. That can suit a small team that wants to get on with the work rather than learn a large system.

Look at when the product was last updated, read its help pages and try a real session with a few colleagues before you move everyone over.

Do you make a whiteboard or visual collaboration tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

A short checklist before you settle on a whiteboard

Pick two options that suit your sessions, run the same short workshop in each and ask your group which felt easier. Keep the one that gets people contributing quickly, because a board nobody enjoys using soon goes quiet.

Frequently asked questions

What is an online whiteboard?

It's a shared digital canvas where several people can add notes, shapes, drawings and diagrams at the same time, usually while they talk on a call. It replaces the physical whiteboard and sticky notes.

Why would someone look for a Mural alternative?

Reasons vary: a different look, a simpler tool, a different way of handling guests or a better fit for diagrams or teaching. Start by listing what your sessions need most.

Can I move my boards to a new tool?

Usually you can export boards as images or documents, but you'll normally rebuild the board in the new tool by hand. Move the boards you still use first and archive the rest.

Do I need an account to join a shared board?

It depends on the tool and on how the board owner has set it up. Some allow guests through a link and others ask everyone to sign in, so check before a workshop.

Is a free plan enough for a small team?

It can be for occasional sessions. Read the limits on boards and collaborators, and check the templates and exports you want are included, before you rely on one.