The 5 Best Free Online Digital Whiteboard Apps That Aren’t Google or Microsoft

Microsoft has recently launched an online whiteboard application, but not yet available for use on devices other than Surface. Google’s whiteboard, called Jamboard for teams, it is a paid application that is part of G Suite. If all you need is a simple free whiteboard app to use with your colleagues, there are better options available right now.

1. I look (Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS) – the best whiteboard app

Miro makes it easy for newcomers to use a whiteboard even if they have never tried such an application before. You can use it on desktops or phones and tablets, and it’s best on touch screens.

The mainboard has a variety of templates that you can insert, such as kanban boards, flow charts, mind maps, etc. The rest of the whiteboard space remains blank and you can insert multiple templates. It is a fantastic system to use different methods to brainstorm on a whiteboard.

Collaboration is a key element of Miro. You and team members can chat and send messages, add comments, leave sticky notes, and create a centralized note for meeting items. You can also link and embed in other team apps like Slack. The premium version also includes video chat, voting, and screen sharing.

Miro is without a doubt the best whiteboard application for desktop or mobile. It is packed with more features than any other existing application. The only problem is that its free version limits many of these features, making it ideal for really small individuals or teams. If you have more than three people who need to use a whiteboard app, consider paying for Miro or one of the other alternatives in this article.

To download: I look for Windows The | Mac OS (Free)

To download: I look for Android The | iOS (Free)

2. Aww (Web): Packed with features like templates and badge saving

Like Miro, Aww is a feature-packed free whiteboard app. It also comes with a number of templates like a kanban board, a user story map, SWOT analysis, and more. However, you cannot insert multiple templates on the same whiteboard space.

Using free whiteboard is as simple as any other application. It has a blank space for drawing, adding shapes, adding text or post-it notes. Once you sign up, you can even save your boards for later and duplicate them too. You can also export the board as a PDF or an image.

Aww has other features like the ability to manage which users can see which whiteboards, embed whiteboards on web pages, basic text chat, etc.

Compared to Miro, Aww is easier for teams to use for the free version. Again, the free whiteboard is limited, and if you like it, consider buying a premium plan for online brainstorming with a whiteboard.

3. Board (Web): automatic shape detection for attractive whiteboards

Whiteboard integrates with Slack

25 weird and wonderful lazy integrations you should try
After many sleepless nights roaming the depths of the internet and drinking too many Red Bulls, I managed to find a list of 25 Slack integrations (instead of 45) that , activating the chat application for your team. But the main feature of Whiteboard is shape detection.

Drawing on a touchpad or mouse on a whiteboard is not as accurate as using your hand on a whiteboard. But when you trace the approximate shape of a circle or rectangle on Whiteboard, it automatically makes it a perfect circle or rectangle. You end up getting an attractive virtual whiteboard instead of one filled with poorly drawn shapes and figures.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to draw shapes without shape detection. Press R for rectangle, C for circle and hold Shift for a straight line, then click and draw the shape.

Whiteboard also saves all the tables you have drawn in your browser’s cache, so you don’t need to remember the link or search for it again. Of course, these badges will be erased if you clear your cache.

This free whiteboard app is as easy to use as Microsoft’s whiteboard or Google’s whiteboard apps, and you don’t even need anyone to sign up to use it. In fact, if you are looking for a whiteboard extension for Google Meet video calls, you can open Whiteboard in a separate tab and share the screen with participants. It works like a thousand wonders.

4) Ryeboard (Web): Adding images to a whiteboard

When the board has gone digital, it naturally makes sense to add other digital elements to it. Why shouldn’t you be able to add a photo to your whiteboard online? Ryeboard is the application to use if you want to attach images.

Ryeboard offers you three types of elements for the whiteboard: note, picture, or drawing. Drag and drop the item onto the canvas and add text, photos, or start freehand drawing. You can resize the note or image and lock it on the screen when you’re done. For images, you will need to load them from your hard drive as Ryeboard does not allow you to make links directly.

Like the others, you can share your digital whiteboard online with a simple link. You will need to register to use Ryeboard, but think twice before using a social login

5. Draw. Chat (Web): Multiple whiteboards with video, audio and text chat

When you’re collaborating with your team on a whiteboard, you may want to chat at the same time. Draw. Chat adds text, audio, or video chat to the whiteboard process.

Draw. Chat isn’t exactly a whiteboard app, it’s actually more of a paint app. But that works just as well when you need a whiteboard, right? Being a paint app really gives you more tools, like drawing shapes, lines, and even using an eyedropper if necessary. Draw. Chat also allows you to add images.

Also, with Draw. Chat, you can create multiple virtual whiteboards within your main link. So you could have a whiteboard for a flowchart, one for your brainstorming, etc.

The only downside is that it may be a bit too much for those looking for a free and simple online whiteboard. It does a lot and in turn, consumes a lot of resources while using it.

Other online team tools to use

A whiteboard is an excellent tool for teams that work remotely or collaborate primarily online. In addition to whiteboards like Miro, you should also check out these other free online meeting tools for teams

The 6 best free tools for online meetings to collaborate with your team
Here are some great free online meeting tools that allow you to collaborate and chat with your colleagues, no matter where they are.