5 Best Online Digital Whiteboard Apps for 2025 | AFFiNE

Imagine this:

You are using Office Word to organize your thoughts, but you find its limits quite inconvenient. The inability to cooperate and graphically present ideas is a source of frustration. Suddenly, you remember the old-school free online whiteboard you used to use, filled in sticky notes and magnets, where you could draw and describe whatever you wanted. Even while those online whiteboards provided additional flexibility, they fell short of meeting your collaboration and convenience requirements. They were unsightly and impracticable due to their limited bounds and continuous erasure of incorrect text.

This is where modern whiteboards come into play. There are now a variety of digital whiteboards on the market, but which one is best? Which one is actually worth using?

This post will walk you through the selection process and help you discover the best free whiteboard software for your needs. Let us explore this new era of creative tools together, unlocking your imagination and increasing your productivity. Whether you are a professional or a student, online whiteboards will be your go-to tool for increasing teamwork and creativity.

Why an online whiteboard? What makes up a good whiteboard?

The whiteboard online is a versatile tool that has become an essential component of many professional settings, educational institutions, customizable templates, and creative spaces. It is usually a smooth, erasable surface where users may write, draw, and visualize ideas with markers or pens.

An online whiteboard tool's simplicity and versatility make it an effective medium for brainstorming, problem-solving, and collaborative projects. Here are a few reasons why digital whiteboards are commonly adopted:

1. Visual Communication: Online whiteboards facilitate visual communication by converting abstract concepts into tangible representations. A web whiteboard is a clear and easy-to-understand visual medium for sketching diagrams, demonstrating procedures, adding sticky notes, and planning strategies.

2. Idea Generation and development: The large size of a whiteboard facilitates free thought and idea development. It acts as a canvas for ideas to be brainstormed, developed upon, and refined in real time, encouraging creativity and innovation.

3. Cooperation & Teamwork: Whiteboards are wonderful tools for encouraging visual cooperation among team members. They encourage group discussions, allowing team members to contribute, build on one another's ideas, and work together to solve difficulties. The interactive nature of whiteboards promotes active engagement and participation.

We feel that an excellent whiteboard combines the following crucial elements:

1. Intuitive User UI: The app's UI is clean and easy to navigate and utilize.

2. Drawing Tools: A wide range of drawing tools, including pens, markers, shapes, and colors, enable creative expression and exact depiction.

3. Real-time collaboration features allow numerous users to work on the same whiteboard, encouraging teamwork and idea sharing.

4. File Integration and Sharing: The ability to import photos, text boxes, documents, and other resources improves the visual representation of brainstorming ideas, while easy sharing fosters seamless collaboration.

5. Save and Export Options: The option to save and export whiteboard information in a variety of forms, including pictures and PDF files, allows for easy sharing and future reference.

These aspects combine to form a complete and feature-rich whiteboard tool that improves collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

Fortunately, you are in good hands.

Following thorough research, testing, comparison, and evaluation, we have developed the definitive list of the best digital whiteboard software for brainstorming sessions. We have meticulously ranked these tools to give you with a handy reference, allowing you to unleash your brainstorming potential like a pro.

5 virtual whiteboard tools for enterprise customers

With so many digital whiteboard alternatives available, it is crucial to understand that they are not all the same. Take the time to carefully examine and assess each choice, taking into account your individual wants and expectations. This ensures that you choose the ideal brainstorming session that corresponds with your ideas and goals.

1.AFFiNE

AFFiNE's Edgeless mode, which functions like a whiteboard, provides users with a secure and private workplace in which they have complete control over their data. Furthermore, AFFiNE's Edgeless mode includes a variety of features such as forms with the option to change their size, background, and boundary, pens with different colors, and connectors for visualizing and connecting your ideas.

One of AFFiNE's most notable characteristics is its ability to move fluidly between paper mode and whiteboard mode (Page and Edgeless), making it a versatile tool for brainstorming, planning, and collaboration. So it supports users' transition from linear thinking (Page mode) to pictorial thinking (Edgeless mode).

Here are some quick views of what AFFiNE can do:

• Powerful Edgeless mode

  • Visualize and connect your ideas smoothly with better cartoon-style shape, slick pen, and connectors. No constraints. Limited only by your imagination. Ohhh, by the way, images now are supported to upload!! We just make everything easy for you, now you may enjoy your drawing time!

  

• Database (plus one, you can use it to do something more than just whiteboard)

  • Easily create, organize, and track your data like never before. Say goodbye to complex processes and welcome an unprecedented ease-of-use way

AFFiNE’s Price:

In addition to those mentioned above, AFFiNE is a fantastic, completely free daily planner app that welcomes everyone to experience its powerful features, making it a delightful surprise for those seeking a comprehensive solution for their daily planning needs.

• Come and check out our latest beta version, enjoy your creative moments.

• For more things related to AFFiNE, come and check out our website: AFFiNE — All In One KnowledgeOS

2.Miro

Miro, a remarkable collaborative whiteboard software, embraces the philosophy that success thrives when we support and cheer for others. Let's face it: Miro is undeniably cool! This powerful platform is purpose-built for mind mapping and productive brainstorming sessions, making it a go-to choice for teams worldwide.

Designed to cater to diverse team dynamics, the Miro digital version offers an intuitive interface that unleashes the potential of visual idea presentation. With its expansive whiteboards, you can express your thoughts in a visual and engaging manner, facilitating asynchronous communication, hosting efficient meetings, and even co-creating organizational charts—all without the fear of running out of space.

Miro empowers teams of all sizes and backgrounds to collaborate seamlessly, fostering a creative and inclusive environment where ideas flow freely. Its robust features and user-friendly approach make it a trusted ally for enhancing productivity and driving innovation.

Pros of Miro:

1. Seamless Collaboration: Miro enables real-time collaboration, enhancing communication and productivity.

2. Versatile Visual Tools: With a range of visual tools, Miro allows creative expression and engaging visual representations.

3. Integrations and Customization: Miro integrates with third-party apps and offers customization options for tailored workflows.

Cons of Miro:

1. Learning Curve: Miro's extensive features may require time to explore and master.

2. Limited Free Plan: Miro's free plan has limitations on the number of boards and users.

3. Pricing: Miro's pricing can be relatively high for larger teams or organizations.

Miro offers various pricing plans to cater to different needs:

1. Free Plan（Shared Whiteboard): Includes unlimited team members, three editable boards, core integrations, premade templates, and basic attention management.

2. Team Plan ($8 per member, per month): Provides unlimited boards, unlimited visitors, custom templates, project management, and private boards.

3. Business Plan ($16 per member, per month): Offers unlimited guests, smart diagramming, and single sign-on (SSO) integration.

4. Enterprise Plan (contact for pricing): Designed for large organizations,it includes enterprise-grade security and compliance, data governance, centralized account management and insights, and premium support.

3.Clickup

The highly awaited Whiteboards feature is now available. After being introduced and deployed in beta in November 2021, it soon became a user favorite. As ClickUp's only collaborative whiteboard, it enables teams to seamlessly convert real-time ideas into actionable initiatives.

This highly desired feature has driven ClickUp Whiteboards to the top of our list, winning over customers with its robust capabilities and easy interaction with the ClickUp productivity platform.

Pros:

1. Seamless integration: ClickUp Whiteboards seamlessly integrates with the ClickUp productivity platform, allowing teams to effortlessly turn ideas into actionable projects.

2. Real-time collaboration: The collaborative nature of ClickUp Whiteboards enables teams to work together in real-time, fostering creativity and productivity.

3. Versatile and customizable: With a wide range of tools and options, ClickUp Whiteboards offer flexibility and customization to suit various brainstorming and planning needs.

Cons:

1. Limited functionality: While ClickUp Whiteboards provide essential collaborative features, they may lack the advanced functionalities found in dedicated whiteboard tools.

2. Learning curve: Users unfamiliar with the ClickUp platform may require some time to learn and navigate the interface of ClickUp Whiteboards.

3. Platform dependency: ClickUp Whiteboards are tightly integrated with the ClickUp productivity platform, which means users need to rely on ClickUp for accessing and utilizing their whiteboard content.

Clickup Price:

1. Free Forever: This plan offers a range of powerful Whiteboard features, unlimited tasks and members, 100MB of storage, and more.

2. Unlimited ($5 per member, per month): With the Unlimited plan, you get unlimited storage, unlimited integrations, unlimited Dashboards, agile reporting, and more.

3. Business ($12 per member, per month): The business plan includes features such as Google SSO, unlimited teams, custom exporting, advanced public sharing, and advanced automations.

4. Business Plus ($19 per member, per month): The Business Plus plan offers additional features like subtasks in multiple lists, custom role creation, custom permissions, increased automations and API access, and more.

5. Enterprise (contact sales for pricing): The Enterprise plan provides white labeling options, enterprise API access, guided onboarding, and a dedicated success manager.

4.Limnu

Limnu is a dynamic and collaborative whiteboard software that allows for real-time brainstorming and idea visualization. It provides an easy-to-use interface that allows numerous team members to collaborate at the same time. Limnu allows users to express themselves creatively by providing a variety of tools such as sticky notes, drawing pens, and image uploads.

The platform is available through a mobile app, which provides flexibility and convenience. You can personalize the design of your whiteboard, adjust collaboration controls, and upgrade to have access to extra features and integration capabilities. Limnu is the right answer for teams wishing to improve their collaborative and visual brainstorming processes.

Pros:

1. Real-time Collaboration: Limnu allows team members to collaborate in real-time, enabling seamless communication and idea sharing. Multiple users can work on the whiteboard simultaneously, making it ideal for remote teams.

2. Intuitive Interface: Limnu offers a simple and user-friendly interface, making it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and utilize its features. The intuitive design enhances the overall user experience.

3. Versatile Tools: Limnu provides a variety of tools, such as sticky notes, drawing pens, and image uploads, to enhance creativity and visual representation. Users can express their ideas effectively and customize the whiteboard to suit their needs.

Cons:

1. Limited Free Version: The free version of Limnu has limitations on the number of boards and the amount of storage available. Users with more extensive collaboration needs may need to upgrade to a paid plan.

2. Mobile App Limitations: While Limnu offers a mobile app, it may not provide the same level of functionality as the desktop version. Some advanced features may be limited or not available on mobile devices.

3. Integration Options: Limnu's integration options with other software and platforms may be more limited compared to some other whiteboard tools. Users who require extensive integration with other tools may need to consider this limitation.

Limnu price:

1. Team Plan: This plan is priced at $8 per user, per month when billed annually. It includes features such as unlimited boards, real-time collaboration, basic integrations, and access to the Limnu mobile app.

2. Enterprise Plan: For larger organizations with advanced requirements, Limnu offers custom pricing for its Enterprise plan.

5.Excalidraw

Excalidraw is an open-source, web-based virtual whiteboard that enables users to create diagrams, sticky notes, mind maps, flowcharts, and other visual representations collaboratively and interactively. It has a simple and minimalist design that resembles a typical whiteboard, making it easy to use and navigate for both new and expert users.

Excalidraw's object library is quite small when compared to Miro's huge range of templates, widgets, and connectors. Miro has a large number of pre-designed templates for various use cases, making it more appropriate for specific sectors or workflows.

Furthermore, it does not even provide note-taking methods, which may cause numerous hassles when compared to other programs such as AFFiNE, which not only provides the Edgeless mode (whiteboard), but also a smooth transition to page mode, allowing users to write with the use of blockhubs.

AFFiNE is still in beta, but we are working to improve its features and stability. Join us on our journey throughout various media channels.

Excalidraw is an open source whiteboard, so it doesn't charge at all.

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Which Digital whiteboard app offers the best solution?

While each of the digital whiteboard apps discussed offers its own unique and appealing features, we encourage users to choose the ideal option based on their specific needs and pain points.

However, with a humble perspective, we still propose that AFFiNE emerges as the ultimate winner in this evaluation, providing a comprehensive and versatile solution for drawing and visualizing ideas, daily tasks and goals, catering to a wide range of user requirements.

AFFiNE is still in beta, but we are continuing to build to a more feature-rich and stable version. Come and join us on our journey over on our media platforms.