Jamboard is a virtual whiteboard from Google. What it does is allow many people to write and draw on the same canvas at the same time. It is essentially a collaborative canvas, which works like Google Docs.
In Google Docs, people can edit the same word document at the same time. In Jamboard, people can edit images, add texts, and upload files on the same blank canvas online.
People can also use Jamboard while meeting, say, in Google Meet. Instead of opening another tool to draw, the facilitator can open Jamboard, and the rest of the participants can access it.
But why do you need an alternative?
Although Jamboard comes from Google, there are some essential features that it does not have. For example, it does not recognize some file types.
Jamboard also lacks integrations, which can be a challenge for organizations or instructors who are already invested in another learning management system. In addition, one cannot add some types of media content like videos or music to Jamboard which other whiteboard software programs allow.
Given all these reasons, it is a wise idea to explore Jamboard alternatives that can meet your specific needs, which I will show in the succeeding sections.
Stay tuned.
Best Jamboard Alternatives
1. Microsoft Whiteboard
MS Whiteboard is a collaborative digital whiteboard that works similarly to Jamboard. It works with Microsoft 365 and can help you run a meeting requiring ideas and creativity.
Here are the features of MS Whiteboard:
- Flexibility – You can use the app on Teams, Surface Hub, and other devices. On top of that, an organization can make it part of its arsenal of tools, making it accessible to everyone.
- Shareability – You can create a whiteboard on the app, copy the link, and share it with your team for viewing or editing.
- Endless Scrolling – People can keep on adding notes to the board without the need to create a new board for the same users.
Unlike Jamboard, the MS Whiteboard is digital. The problem with Google’s Jamboard is that while it has a digital version, you will get the best of it if you buy the hardware, which costs around $5,000.
Microsoft Whiteboard also has what is called a smart pen feature. The system recognizes uneven shapes and corrects them automatically, while Jamboard does not do this.
Also Read: Miro vs Lucidchart
2. Witeboard
Witeboard is a cloud-based program that allows you to collaborate with teams visually. The good thing about it is that different people can access the same board at the same time, no matter where they are:
Here are some of its features:
- Sharing – The creator of a new “witeboard” can get the whiteboard URL and share it with other users.
- Shortcuts – The tool implements keyboard shortcuts to draw shapes. The system can also convert pencil drawings into computer-drawn images.
- Virtual tools – The users participating in the collaboration have virtual pencils and erasers to manipulate the drawings.
- Downloads – You can download the entire whiteboard as a PNG file, which makes it easier to share and view on mobile devices.
Witeboard excels at tracking changes to the document. While Jamboard can do this, you need a Jamboard license before you can access the log event information.
Another feature that Witeboard has that Jamboard does not is Slack integration. There is a plugin you need to enable this integration. On Jamboard, you will not get notifications if people make changes to the board.
3. Padlet
Padlet is a multimedia bulletin board that also allows interactivity. It is one of the most sought-after digital whiteboards in the academic industry because people can upload, store, and manage files collaboratively.
Here are the best features of Padlet:
- Multiple Types – There are several options for the board you can make. For example, you can create maps, timelines, grids, streams, or a canvas.
- User Interface – The program is easy to use, and you can lick, copy, drag, drop, and paste items on the board.
- Link-Sharing – Like many whiteboards, Padlet has a URL for each board you make, which you can share with team members or students. All changes to the board are also autosaved, which reduces the likelihood of losing data.
- Support – Padlet supports many types of files, such as those that come from Photoshop, YouTube, Illustrator, Autocad, and so much more.
What I love about Padlet is that it is available in 43 languages, while Jamboard is only available in English and Japanese.
In addition, Padlet does not impose a limit on the number of people who can use it at the same time. Jamboard has a limit of 50 users per board, which makes it undesirable for a huge class or collaborative effort.
4. ClickUp Interactive Whiteboard
ClickUp’s whiteboard allows people to create digital whiteboards from pre-made templates – all of which are accessible to people who are part of the collaboration. Creators can also start with a blank canvas and allow the collaborator to fill up the board.
Here are the best features of ClickUp Whiteboard:
- Everything View – Leaders who created several whiteboards have a view of the progress of tasks such as Ready, In Progress, and In Review.
- Space and Folders – Users can organize teams in “spaces” and data content into folders and put these into a hierarchy. It makes things more structured and reduces the risk of compiling data into a big pile.
- Functionality – There are many things users can do with the whiteboard, such as uploading files and images, adding website cards, drawing, and adding connectors.
With ClickUp, you can add the actual whiteboard as a task on the ClickUp task management system. Unfortunately, Jamboard cannot do this as Google is not exactly a task management platform.
I will give another point to ClickUp over Jamboard because of the number of keyboard shortcuts you can use. Jamboard is currently offering only a few, and Google is still in the process of making keyboard shortcuts for the tool. On the other hand, ClickUp already has many existing keyboard shortcuts.
5. Miro
Miro is a special tool because it offers an infinite canvas. What it does is allow leaders to work with their teams in so many ways. Overall, it is an excellent platform for documentation and digital brainstorming.
Here are the best features of Miro:
- Templates – There are several pre-built templates in the Miro ecosystem, such as fishbone diagrams, mind maps, business models, and canvases.
- Adding Files – You can add files and upload images straight to the canvas. The beauty of Miro is that you can also upload Excel files and PDFs, and all it takes is to drag the files from your desktop to the canvas.
- Sharing – The whiteboard you create comes with a URL you can share with your team members.
As far as tools are concerned, Miro tops Jamboard because Miro has connectors, tables, mind maps, and so many more. Jamboard, on the other hand, only has pens, erasers, a spotlight, and basic text.
Miro also offers advanced tools for the users and participants, which Jamboard does not. For example, Miro has a voting system, video, chat, and other features that can make your collaboration more exciting.
6. Conceptboard
Conceptboard is a digital whiteboard that adds a strong layer of security to what you do. The whiteboard platform offers a solution to companies’ conundrum regarding meetings, collaboration, Agile management, and design thinking.
Here are the things the Conceptboard can do:
- Infinite Canvas – There is no end to the whiteboard, and people can keep adding notes and other items at the bottom.
- Templates – There is a massive library of templates that you can use to get started with a meeting. There is even an icebreaker game on the board itself to kickstart sessions.
- File Import – You can import many types of files on Conceptboard. You can even attach CMYK files and the system will automatically detect this color scheme.
Conceptboard has a live cursor, which is not currently available in Jamboard. You can see the person’s name on the cursor as he edits the board, making it easy to see who wrote the idea.
In addition, Conceptboard allows you to upload uncommon file types, such as SVG, AI, and EPS. These are files from vector programs and Adobe Illustrator. You cannot do this with Jamboard.
7. Mural
Mural is one of the most advanced alternatives to Jamboard. It offers several ways by which you can integrate it with other systems, and it has robust security.
Here are the best features of Mural:
- Templates – There are several templates you can use to get started. Some examples are process flowcharts, workflows, mind maps, and data flow diagrams.
- Infinite Canvas – The canvas extends for as long as the users scroll. There is also an option to resize the canvas to make it more organized instead of cluttered.
- Permissions – After sharing the template, it is up to you to control who has access and what access they have. For example, you can set who the facilitator is and choose those with view-only access.
Mural offers a system they call Facilitation Superpowers. This term is trademarked, allowing leaders to control the virtual room, drive effective decisions, and make collaborative sessions more productive.
Like the previous tool in this list, Mural also offers a live cursor where people’s names show on each cursor moving on the whiteboard. The users can also change their cursor colors, making it easier to track who is doing what.
8. Kinopio
Kinopio is a visually stimulating whiteboard in that some of the items users put on it are animated. Users can even add videos or GIFs on the whiteboard, and these items will play automatically.
Here are the best features of Kinopio:
- Privacy Settings – You can set the whiteboard so that it is inaccessible to other people and you can choose who may participate.
- Mobile – The application works on both desktop and mobile. Unfortunately, it does not have an app for phones and tablets, but there is a way to add them to the home screen.
- Data Export – You can export your whiteboard to PDF and JSON files. There is also an option to save the specific cards on the whiteboard as PDFs.
Kinopio has connectors. The process for connecting different ideas like texts and images is simple and intuitive. All you need to do is click on one end of the box and this connector will appear.
You can also create new boxes or ideas from another box. Each image or element added on Jamboard can only be toggled, but you cannot add a new one from that specific element.
9. Explain Everything
Explain Everything is primarily geared toward teachers. It allows instructors to teach like they are using a real whiteboard, albeit a digital one, and they can also use the system to build a content repository.
Here are the best features of Explain Everything:
- Integration with LMS – You can connect the system with a learning management system like Moodle. Use it to assign whiteboard activities to the participants and grade their submissions from the same LMS.
- Conferencing Tools – You can use this tool in conjunction with other programs like Google Classroom and Zoom.
- Security – You can keep your business information secure as the tool uses Amazon Web Services security. The entire platform is also compliant with GDPR.
Explain Everything can record videos. After recording the video, you can keep it for later use or enhance it for publication.
Explain Everything also offers a custom onboarding and training session for paying members, which Google Jamboard does not have. In addition, you can have on-demand group templates, clip art, and reports that are unavailable on Jamboard.
10. Lucidspark
Lucidspark is an excellent whiteboard alternative to Jamboard because the entire system rests on the backbone of collaboration. In addition, business leaders and coaches have the option to make the collaboration happen in real time or asynchronously.
Here are the best features of Lucidspark:
- Integrations – You can use Lucidspark with Zoom or Microsoft Teams. This integration makes the entire meeting much more seamless and easier to manage, especially if you want the attendees to participate.
- Mobile App – Even if Lucidspark runs on a browser, there is an app for iOS. What this means is you or your team members can use it on an iPad.
- Templates – The system has separate categories for templates. You must go to these categories and choose the appropriate template, such as brainstorming, creativity, planning, project management and planning, meeting, etc.
Lucidspark has an excellent project management system. It means that a leader can assign tasks to specific people on the canvas and these people can go to the digital breakout rooms to focus on their specific assignments.
Lucidspark also has visual workflow management. With this feature, the users can design something on the canvas using a drag-and-drop editor, making things easier to understand and organize visually.
11. Whiteboard Fox
Whiteboard Fox is an easy-to-use virtual ad digital whiteboard that works on a browser. All it takes to start collaborating is a link that you would share, and the recipients can open it without any special application.
Although Whiteboard Fox has a free version, it has a limited capacity, such as only being able to use seven colors. The paid version has more to offer.
Here are the best features of Whiteboard Fox:
- Colors – You can use up to 67 colors in your drawing.
- Expiration – There is an option for the whiteboard creator to set an expiration date for the whiteboard.
- Editing Tools – The members can use several tools to put their ideas up, such as a pencil, eraser, and ruler.
With Whiteboard Fox, you can share your whiteboard with people as a webpage, which you cannot do with Google. However, this webpage is no longer editable. You can only use it to show your whiteboard in a team meeting for presentation purposes.
Whiteboard Fox also offers several controls that you will not find on Jamboard. Some examples of these are zoom in and out, move, clear, and replay.
12. Stormboard
Stormboard offers a shared whiteboard workspace that you can use during large and remote meetings. Apart from the whiteboard, the company offers a suite of tools that can give you an advantage, especially if your organization is 100% remote.
Here are the best features of Stormboard:
- Flexibility – You can use the whiteboard in person, collaboratively, or through an asynchronous collaboration. The whiteboard also works on any device.
- Integration – You can integrate the whiteboard with many platforms such as Zapier, Zira, Microsoft teams, and more.
- High Security – There is no need to worry about your ideas being hacked or stolen. The platform uses best-in-class security and the company will also work with your IT department if security is paramount.
Stormboard does well with live integrations, so you can implement an Agile framework. It is much more technically inclined than Jamboard. You can use it with Scaled Agile Framework, PI planning, and many more.
I also like that Stormboard can provide a report. It is the only whiteboard canvas that can turn itself into an editable document meant for CEOs.
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13. Limnu
Limnu is an excellent platform where you can sketch. Like other whiteboard platforms, the whiteboard does not have boundaries, so you can keep expanding them.
Here are the key features of Limnu:
- Collaboration – Sharing the whiteboard with your team members is easy, and they can immediately start working together. There are even games on the whiteboard that you can use as an icebreaker.
- Security Controls – You can control team members’ access to the whiteboard; for example, you can restrict their sharing capabilities.
- Sharing – All it takes is a link, and you can share your whiteboard with your intended recipients.
You can share your whiteboard via Slack, which you cannot do with Jamboard. Another thing that Limnu excels at is team admin control. You can only share the invite with specific people and prevent others from accessing the whiteboard.
Also Read: Best Free Visio Alternatives
14. InVision Freehand
InVision is not just a digital whiteboard but also a project management tool. It shows project managers the status of each work, like To Do, In Progress, and Done.
Here are its key features:
- Templates – You will find more than 100 templates, and these templates come from big companies like Microsoft, American Express, etc.
- Unlimited Freehand – There is no limitation to the number of people drawing on the same whiteboard, but this only applies to the paid plan. On the other hand, Google Jamboard only allows 16 to 50.
- Voting – People who participate in the whiteboard meeting can vote.
The whiteboard shows the name of the person moving his cursor, and as mentioned earlier, Jamboard does not do this. Another thing that it excels at is emojis. If you love what someone did, you can add a “love” emoji on it to show your support.
15. Draw Chat
Draw Chat is both a whiteboard platform and a video conferencing tool. Apart from drawing, people can use text messages through a chat box, which also comes with offline notifications.
People who use draw chat can use it as an alternative to Jamboard as it also offers what Jamboard has. Here are some of its capabilities:
- Sketchboard with historical data
- Cloud storage
- Document uploads
- Export file to PDF, PNG, or JSON
- Open a JSON file
What makes this different from Jamboard is that you can annotate a PDF file. The system also allows you to draw on pictures or on maps that you upload.
Another thing that it does well compared to Jamboard is that it has so many shortcut keys. For example, you can just press “P” for the pen, “S” for the smooth pen, “C” for the circle, and many more.
Conclusion
After using these alternatives myself, I can say that the best alternative to Jamboard is Microsoft Whiteboard.
It is easy to use and works seamlessly within the Microsoft universe. I am amazed at what Microsoft did here, considering that it has templates, drawings, sticky notes, voting and polls, and much more.
Knowing that the product is from Microsoft, I can say that it is dependable and that I can expect more features in the future.
For now, it does work perfectly, especially if used in conjunction with Microsoft Teams, where people meet online.
