- What should you look for in an online whiteboard tool?
- Online whiteboard tools compared
- The best online whiteboard tools
- 1. Miro
- 2. Mural
- 3. FigJam
- 4. Lucidspark
- 5. Microsoft Whiteboard
- 6. Canva Whiteboards
- 7. Whimsical
- 8. Excalidraw
- 9. Zoom Whiteboard
- How to choose the right online whiteboard tool
- Frequently asked questions
The best online whiteboard tool depends on how your team works. Miro suits teams that want the biggest template library, Mural suits facilitated workshops, FigJam suits design and product teams using Figma, Lucidspark suits teams that move from ideas to diagrams, Microsoft Whiteboard suits Microsoft 365 users, Canva Whiteboards suits marketers already in Canva, Whimsical suits fast flowcharts and mind maps, Excalidraw suits quick hand-drawn sketches, and Zoom Whiteboard suits teams brainstorming in Zoom calls.
An online whiteboard gives your team one big shared canvas for ideas. Sticky notes, arrows, diagrams and templates make brainstorms, planning sessions and workshops work just as well remotely as they do in a room. Often better, because nothing gets wiped at the end, and anyone who missed the session can catch up on the board in their own time.
The tools below are well known and widely used. Some are full collaboration platforms and others are quick sketching tools. I've focused on what each one is known for, so shortlist two and run your next brainstorm in each.
What should you look for in an online whiteboard tool?
- Templates. Ready-made boards for retrospectives, customer journeys and planning save setup time.
- Ease for guests. Clients and freelancers should be able to join without a long setup.
- Facilitation tools. Timers, voting and follow-the-leader views keep workshops on track.
- Diagrams. Check it handles flowcharts and mind maps if you need them.
- Integrations. Links to your video calls, project tools and design tools keep work flowing.
- AI features. Many boards can now sort sticky notes, summarise ideas and draft outlines.
Online whiteboard tools compared
| Tool | Best for | Stand-out feature |
|---|---|---|
| Miro | Most teams | Huge template library |
| Mural | Facilitated workshops | Facilitation tools |
| FigJam | Design and product teams | Works alongside Figma |
| Lucidspark | Ideas to diagrams | Links with Lucidchart |
| Microsoft Whiteboard | Microsoft 365 users | Built into Teams |
| Canva Whiteboards | Marketers using Canva | Whiteboards inside Canva |
| Whimsical | Flowcharts and mind maps | Fast, clean diagrams |
| Excalidraw | Quick sketches | Hand-drawn style, open source |
| Zoom Whiteboard | Brainstorms in Zoom calls | Whiteboard inside Zoom |
Plans and features change often, so check each vendor's current plans before you commit.
The best online whiteboard tools
1. Miro
Miro is the best-known online whiteboard. It offers an infinite canvas, sticky notes, diagrams, a large library of templates made by Miro and its community, and AI features for organising ideas.
Who it suits: most teams, from marketing and product to consultants running client workshops.
What stands out: the template library. There's a starting point for almost any session.
Watch out for: boards can grow large and busy, so tidy them into frames and sections as you go.
2. Mural
Mural is a visual collaboration platform with a strong focus on facilitation. It includes timers, voting, private mode and tools to guide people through structured workshops.
Who it suits: facilitators, consultants and teams that run regular structured workshops.
What stands out: facilitation. It's built to help one person guide a group through a session.
Watch out for: if you mostly need quick, informal sketching, a simpler tool may feel lighter.
3. FigJam
FigJam is Figma's online whiteboard. It's designed for brainstorming, diagramming and workshops, and it works alongside Figma design files.
Who it suits: design and product teams that already use Figma.
What stands out: the Figma connection. Ideas and designs live side by side.
Watch out for: if your team doesn't use Figma, you lose one of its main advantages.
4. Lucidspark
Lucidspark is the whiteboard from Lucid, the company behind Lucidchart. You can brainstorm in Lucidspark and turn ideas into detailed diagrams in Lucidchart.
Who it suits: teams that move from brainstorming to formal diagrams and process maps.
What stands out: the path from sticky notes to finished diagrams in one family of tools.
Watch out for: its biggest strength comes from using it with Lucidchart.
5. Microsoft Whiteboard
Microsoft Whiteboard is Microsoft's digital whiteboard, available in Teams meetings and as an app, with templates, sticky notes and inking for touch screens and pens.
Who it suits: businesses on Microsoft 365 that want a whiteboard inside Teams.
What stands out: convenience. It's already there in your Teams meetings.
Watch out for: it's lighter on templates and integrations than dedicated tools such as Miro.
6. Canva Whiteboards
Canva includes whiteboards alongside its design tools. You can brainstorm on a board and turn ideas into designs, presentations and social posts in the same place.
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Who it suits: marketers and small businesses that already create in Canva.
What stands out: the jump from idea to finished design without changing tools.
Watch out for: for heavy workshop facilitation, Miro or Mural offer more.
7. Whimsical
Whimsical is a visual workspace for flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps and docs. It's known for being fast and producing clean, tidy diagrams.
Who it suits: people who want quick flowcharts and mind maps that look neat with little effort.
What stands out: speed. Diagrams snap into place quickly.
Watch out for: it's more of a diagram tool than a large workshop canvas.
8. Excalidraw
Excalidraw is an open source virtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn look. You can sketch diagrams quickly and share a link to collaborate.
Who it suits: anyone who wants to sketch an idea in seconds without signing up for a big platform.
What stands out: simplicity. The hand-drawn style keeps sketches informal and quick.
Watch out for: it's a sketching tool, so it doesn't have the templates and facilitation features of Miro or Mural.
9. Zoom Whiteboard
Zoom Whiteboard is part of Zoom Workplace. You can open a whiteboard during a meeting, collaborate in real time and come back to it afterwards.
Who it suits: teams that run most of their meetings in Zoom.
What stands out: convenience. Brainstorming starts inside the call without sharing another link.
Watch out for: it's simpler than dedicated whiteboard tools, so bigger workshops may need more.
How to choose the right online whiteboard tool
Start with where your meetings happen. If you live in Microsoft Teams or Zoom, try their built-in whiteboards first. If you're already in Figma or Canva, FigJam or Canva Whiteboards will feel natural.
For regular workshops, client sessions and planning days, Miro and Mural are the most complete. For quick diagrams and mind maps, Whimsical and Excalidraw are hard to beat for speed. Whatever you choose, save your best boards as templates, so your next session takes minutes to set up.
For ideas on running the session itself, read my tips for a successful brainstorming session. My roundup of collaboration tools for teams covers the wider toolkit, and Miro's marketing strategy shows how one of these tools grew.
Building a tool in this space? Here's how tools get considered for my roundups.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best online whiteboard tool?
Miro is the best known and has the biggest template library. Mural suits facilitated workshops, FigJam suits Figma users and Microsoft Whiteboard suits Teams users.
What is an online whiteboard used for?
Brainstorming, workshops, planning, mapping customer journeys, retrospectives and sketching diagrams with a team, whether you're in the same room or not.
Can clients join an online whiteboard?
Yes. Most tools let you invite guests or share a link. Check the permission settings so clients only see the boards you want them to.
Do Zoom and Microsoft Teams have whiteboards?
Yes. Zoom has Zoom Whiteboard and Teams has Microsoft Whiteboard, both of which work inside meetings.
