Table of Contents
Collaboration plays a vital role in the progress of any project. With the increasing trend of remote work, virtual collaboration has become a significant aspect of every project’s success. However, virtual collaboration can be challenging without effective communication media. When it comes to online meetings, whiteboard tools play a crucial role in providing the visual representation of ideas, making virtual collaboration a successful experience.
In this blog post, we will bring you the top best 8 whiteboard tools for Windows, which can help enhance your virtual collaboration experience.
Video Tutorial:
What is a Whiteboard Tool?
A whiteboard tool is a computer software application that provides an online platform to visually represent information, ideas, and concepts. It serves as a virtual canvas, allowing users to collaborate with colleagues, brainstorm ideas, and create diagrams and charts. With a whiteboard tool, it becomes easy to share your ideas, concepts, and strategies with others, making virtual collaboration more efficient.
Top Best 8 Whiteboard Tools for Windows Recommend on 2022
1. Miro
Miro is a popular online whiteboard tool designed for remote teams to collaborate efficiently. It offers a range of templates, integrations, and features to support visual collaboration. With Miro, teams can create diagrams, user workflows, and customer journey maps, brainstorms ideas, and more. The intuitive interface makes it easy to use for beginner and advanced-level users.
Pros:
– Real-time collaboration
– Wide range of templates
– Good exporting options
– Integrations with third-party tools
Cons:
– Slightly expensive
– Steep learning curve for advanced features
2. Stormboard
Stormboard offers an interactive whiteboard platform for teams to brainstorm and collaborate on ideas effortlessly. Its unique feature is the addition of sticky notes, which makes capturing and arranging ideas easy. The platform integrates with leading apps and services, making it easy to embed and share with others.
Pros:
– Slick and user-friendly interface
– Ability to upload files and images
– Integration with third-party apps
– Unlimited brainstorming!
Cons:
– Free account limitations
– Not suited for large groups
3. Mural
Mural is an online collaboration platform that enables remote teams to collaborate more effectively. It provides a platform for creating diagrams, wireframes, user flows, and other visuals. Mural also provides templates and integrations with other productivity tools such as Trello, Slack, and Zoom.
Pros:
– Simple and user-friendly platform
– Wide range of templates
– Tight third-party app integration
– Good exporting and sharing options
Cons:
– Can be slow to load
– Expensive compared to other alternatives
4. Conceptboard
Conceptboard is a cloud-based collaboration platform that offers a virtual workspace for teams to work together in real-time. It helps teams collaborate on ideas, plans, and strategies easily. With Conceptboard, you can create diagrams, workflows, project schedules, and more. It is also easy to invite team members and clients to give feedback or edit.
Pros:
– Collaboration in real-time
– Integrations with third-party apps
– User-friendly interface
– Unlimited Team members
– Good for Agile teams.
Cons:
– No free plan available like other players
– Plan renews automatically without prior notification.
5. Meltano Whiteboard
Meltano Whiteboard is an open-source whiteboard tool that enables real-time collaboration for users. It provides features such as sketch, text, and image tools to create and share ideas with others. Users can simply share their product roadmap, study notes, or brainstorming ideas with others through this program.
Pros:
– Opensource and Free
– Real-time collaboration
– User-friendly interface
– Supports integration with other applications.
Cons:
– Minimal feature
6. Limnu
Limnu is a cross-platform whiteboard tool that enables real-time collaboration for remote and distributed teams. Users can draw, take notes, and highlight various elements in their virtual presentation. It features a simple interface, and users can easily switch between boards.
Pros:
– No limits to how many boards you can work on
– Multiple versions for tracking and comparison
– Pens that work like actual colored markers
– Separate trial period available for the company-led team.
Cons:
– The import/export policy is unclear
– Voice recognition is not up to the mark
7. InVision Freehand
InVision freehand is a powerful whiteboard tool popular among designers and UI/UX professionals. It provides users with a platform to create interactive prototypes, ideate, and collaborate with teammates. It offers the ability to import images and draw vector shapes.
Pros:
– Best suited for UI/UX designing
– Real-time online collaboration
– Wide range of templates.
– Embedable in presentations
Cons:
– Only basic features are available in the free version
– Not good for the development team.
8. Sketchboard
Sketchboard is a free-form online whiteboard for teams that helps brainstorm ideas and develop concepts through drawings and diagrams. The tool provides many features, from free-form drawing to shapes, chat, and annotations.
Pros:
– An intuitive graphical interface.
– Integrations with slack, Google drive, Trello, and more.
– Supports automatic saving and version control.
Cons:
– The free version is limited to a few features
– No video conferencing features.
Comprehensive Comparison of Each Software
| Whiteboard Tool | Free Trial | Price | Ease-of-Use | Value for Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miro | Yes | $8/user/month | Easy | Excellent |
| Stormboard | Yes | $10/user/month | Easy | Good |
| Mural | Yes | $12/user/month | Easy | Average |
| Conceptboard | Yes | $6/user/month | Easy | Excellent |
| Meltano Whiteboard | Yes | Free | Easy | Excellent |
| Limnu | 30 days | $7/user/month | Easy | Good |
| InVision Freehand | Yes | $15/user/month | Intermediate | Average |
| Sketchboard | Yes | Free | Easy | Excellent |
Our Thoughts on Whiteboard Tools
Undoubtedly whiteboard tools play a crucial role in virtual collaboration. They provide an easy and efficient way for remote teams to collaborate and communicate visually. Miro, Conceptboard, Mural, and Stormboard are leading apps that provide the best features and services for remote teams. However, each tool is different and caters to specific requirements. Companies’ choice would depend on their team structures, cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and need for integrations. Therefore, when selecting the right whiteboard tool, it is important to evaluate the pros and cons of each software and make sure to match it with your requirements.
FAQs on Whiteboard Tools
Q1. How Can Whiteboard Tools Benefit Remote Teams?
A: Whiteboard tools help remote teams collaborate through visualization and enhance productivity. It acts as a virtual workspace, sharing screens, drawing diagrams, brainstorming ideas, and providing an efficient way to discuss any project’s aspects.
Q2. What Should I Look for in a Good Whiteboard Tool?
A: When choosing a whiteboard tool, you should make sure it’s compatible with your device, has an intuitive user interface, provides a wide range of features, offers real-time collaboration services, and supports integrations with other productivity tools.
Q3. Are Whiteboard Tools Expensive?
A: Whiteboard tools come with different price ranges; some may come with a free version that provides limited features, while others may offer a subscription-based plan depending on the tools’ functionalities and the number of users.
Q4. Can I Share my Whiteboard with other Non-participants?
A: Yes, you can share your whiteboard with non-participants. Most whiteboard tools provide you with the option of exporting your whiteboard as an image or a PDF.
Q5. Can I Get a Free Trial of Whiteboard Tools?
A: Yes, most companies offer a free trial before committing to a specific tool; users can choose the best fit by testing its features, functionalities and make an informed decision.
In Conclusion
Whiteboard tools are a great way to enhance virtual collaboration, making it more efficient and productive. With a wide range of functionalities and intuitive interfaces, whiteboard tools pave the way for better project management and communication. In this blog post, we’ve introduced the top best 8 whiteboard tools for Windows, with a comprehensive comparison between the software. Our recommendation is Miro, as it offers the most functionality, the best integration, and the greatest overall value for money – though we suggest you choose the tool according to your specific needs and budget.