As a remote worker, you know the importance of having reliable online whiteboards. Online whiteboards let you have meetings, strategize, and present your work before teams.
There are so many to choose from, and this can leave you feeling confused. So, we have selected two popular online whiteboards, Miro and Jamboard. These two have similar features, making it difficult to distinguish between them.
In this guide, I have compared the features and other parameters of Miro and Jamboard to understand them better.
Ultimately, you will understand how the two online whiteboards work in detail, making it easier for you to choose.
Let’s discuss Miro vs Jamboard.
What Is Miro?
Miro is an online whiteboard platform that allows teams to collaborate and work effectively, from brainstorming to planning and managing workflows. The platform also enables teams to work together anywhere and anytime.
The platform allows collaboration to organize workshops and meetings and manage cross-functional teamwork effortlessly using sharing, presentation, and video chats.
How Does Miro Work?
Miro is an all-in-one software with excellent features for project managers, consultants, developers, and individual contributors.
It works just like a physical whiteboard; you and your teammates can add text and images and create diagrams and maps using the visual templates available on the platform.
Because it is a digital platform, it offers more than a physical whiteboard. Miro allows you to import and add images from different folders. Also, it comes with the option of more than 25 add-ons to enhance your user experience, and these add-ons include Slack, Sketch, and Jira.
You can use Miro for several tasks other than brainstorming, and they include:
- Agile ceremonies
- Workshopping
- Strategy mapping
- Customer discovery
- Product development
- Visualization
What Is Jamboard?
Jamboard is a Google G-suite digital whiteboard that lets teams collaborate in real-time either on a mobile app, a web browser, or a Jamboard device.
Colleagues and students use the app to sketch their ideas and collaboratively list strategies.
How Does Jamboard Work?
Jamboard allows you and your team to create a jam session on your web browser, mobile app, or Jamboard device. After sharing the jam session, you can write and draw on the digital whiteboard, which includes a stylus.
You can also search on Google and insert web pages or images onto the digital platform. Jamboard will let you drag or resize the inserted images.
If you use Jamboard on the Jamboard device – a 55-inch digital whiteboard, you can sketch an image. The device comes with an image recognition technology that converts the drawn picture into a polished one.
Using Jamboard on your computer or web browser will allow you to present your jam on a Google Meet video call.
Jamboard lets you access the other Google G-Suite apps, including Google Calendar and Google Drive. You can also add Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets to your jam.
Key Features
Miro
Miro has excellent features to enhance team collaboration and performance. The features give the platform an entire toolkit for wireframing, customer journey maps, user stories, retros, or sprint planning.
The features include:
Templates and frameworks. Miro has an inbuilt template and frameworks to help you start your projects. You can also create your template and frameworks on the platform.
Infinite Canvas. The canvas gives you and your team a platform for creativity and flexibility.
Widgets. Miro has additional widgets, including a freeform pen, sticky notes, arrows, shapes, and smart drawings to enhance your experience.
Mouseover collaborations. The feature lets you see and track how other users engage with the board.
Easy screen sharing and presentation. You can easily share your work with your teammates through the Miro platform.
It has video, chat, and commenting features embedded. The feature allows you to review what others are doing and participate in real-time collaborations.
Jamboard
Jamboard comes with features that enhance the use of the platform. Some features include:
Sticky notes. This feature allows brainstorming between team members. You can also drag and move the sticky notes across the board or edit them.
Laser pointer. You can use the laser pointer to emphasize an item on the screen and help your team members see your current work.
Stylus. You can use this feature to write or draw on the board. You can also use it as an eraser.
Shape recognition. You can use the stylus or your finger to draw a shape on the board, and the shape recognition feature will convert the shape into a clearer image.
Access to Google Drive. Jamboard lets you work on your Google Drive, and you can add Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to your jam, which will automatically save them on your drive. Because it is saved on your Google Drive, you can access, edit, and save them as long as you have access to the internet.
Host video meetings. You can set the meeting agenda and schedule video meetings on Google Calendar. Jamboard lets you present your jam and even hold meetings on Google Meet video calls.
Verdict
Here, Miro takes the day. The board includes many sophisticated features that help in planning, project development, and presentations. With this app, You will take your team collaboration a notch higher.
Main Uses
Miro
The platform has features that will help you design the ultimate customer experience. You can share insights on research, create a project, capture data, analyze data, and collaborate with your team to interpret and report findings. Besides, you can use Miro to wireframe early concepts and solutions and capture actionable feedback.
You can use Miro for:
Marketing. Miro is an excellent platform to bring teams together to develop campaigns, design, present, and obtain feedback.
Sales. Miro has excellent features that you can use to display sales performance. You can even invite your customers to take part in developing strategies to ensure your products and services align with customer needs.
Product management. If you are designing a product, Miro provides features to help you create the vision for your product.
Engineering. Miro’s mindmap, drawing, and planning features will help you plan and streamline workflow. You can also use the platform to visualize systems, processes, and designs, making understanding and communicating complex concepts easier.
Jamboard
Jamboard is a simple but excellent tool for teams. The app is perfect for brainstorming as different team members can add notes and collaborate. Because of this, Jamboard is ideal for business strategy meetings.
It is a perfect tool for both physical classrooms and online learning. Teachers can use it in place of the physical board for teaching and sharing notes. Students can also participate in education through small group discussions or whole class collaborations.
Verdict
If you are looking for a versatile platform, Miro is your platform. It has features that give it more functionality than Jamboard.
OS Compatibility
Miro
Miro runs on both iOS and Android. You can download the app and use it on your mobile or tablet, and It comes with Android and iOS versions, which you can download on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, respectively.
The minimum iOS version that supports Miro is version 12, and the minimum Android version is 6.
If you cannot access the app on your device, you can opt for the web version, which you can access on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Edge, or Yandex.
Jamboard
Jamboard runs on an Android tablet or a phone with an Android version of 6.0 or later. You can access Jamboard on an iPhone or an iPad with iOS 9 or later.
You can download the iOS app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod. You can also download it on your Android phone or tablet.
Also, you can access Jamboard from a web browser and download it on your desktop PC.
Verdict
Here there is a tie, and this is because you can access Miro or Jamboard in your web browser, desktop, and on Android and iOS mobile devices.
Integrations
Miro
Miro integrates with over 100 apps to make your work and team collaborations effective. You can import your work to Miro boards like Axure Cards, Jira Cards, or Rally Cards.
Miro lets you upload files from other storage apps like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Sketch, and Adobe XD. You can paste images and icons from different databases like Unsplash or IconFinder.
With Miro, you can collaborate, share, and embed on other platforms like Trello, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Asana, Google Calendar, Webex, and Confluence. You can set it to receive notifications on Microsoft Teams or Slack.
You can also install extensions to Chrome and Google Calendar.
Jamboard
You can integrate your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to your jams on Jamboard. The platform also lets you save your activity on Google Drive.
Jamboard lets you plan and schedule your meetings on Google Calendar. Also, you can hold your meeting on Google Meet.
Verdict
Miro has more integrations compared to Jamboard.
Interactive Display
Miro
You can take your brainstorming to another level by using the app on an interactive display. You can use Miro on an interactive display in two ways. The first way is to connect an interactive display to your PC and the second is to use a PC with built-in interactive displays.
Miro is a resource-consuming app, so it recommends the following PC specifications.
- CPU of 2.8 GHz (4 cores/8 threads)
- GPU higher than the NVidia Geforce series and AMD Ryzen Zen 2, Intel Gen 12
- RAM that is higher than 16GB
You can also use the app on any PC with a Windows 10-based display supported by Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge version 85 or higher. Other devices that support Miro include Cisco Webex, Dell Interactive Touch Monitors, Avocor, and Microsoft Surface Hubs 2S.
Jamboard
Google’s G-Suite has also developed a 55-inch digital whiteboard that lets you access Jamboard for display and team collaboration. It has a 4k UHD display and a 60 Hz video refresh rate. To use the device, you will need to connect it to power and a network connection.
The Jamboard display comes with a 32 ms (single-touch) end-to-end latency and a 100 Hz Touch scan rate. Security and diagnostic tools include permission controls, 256-bit SSL encryption, hardware troubleshooting, and screen contamination detection.
You can also add other supported peripherals, which include Logitech USB cameras, with the preferred make being Logitech® MeetUp ConferenceCam.
The preferred supported USB speaker mics for Jamboard include Logitech MeetUp Conference Cam or Google Meet speaker mic.
Verdict
Here, there is a tie. You can access both platforms on your mobile and PC devices. Also, if your Android or iOS devices are incompatible with platforms, you can still access the web-based version.
Personal Workspaces
Miro
Miro allows you to have private boards to help you work on individual projects, or if you would like to prepare a board that you can later share with your team, you can do this in two ways.
The first way is through the company admin, who can set permissions for you to have your board. The second option is to create your board and place it so no one else can access it.
Jamboard
Jamboard has an option that restricts sharing of your board. You will need to sign in to your Jamboard using your administrator account, then limit the sharing of your board.
Verdict
Both Miro and Jamboard let users access personal workspaces.
Board Access
Miro
Miro allows for only one board owner. However, users can be given different levels of access to the board, which include viewing, commenting, and editing.
Board owners have certain rights. They can move boards between accounts, create co-owners and transfer ownerships, download backups, set passwords, secure locks, delete boards, and configure board contents. But, you can only access the add board co-owners option in the Consultant and Enterprise purchase plans.
On Miro, only editors have full access to the tools on the board, so they can edit, delete, upload, or change content on the board. Commentators can only view the board and leave comments and suggestions. Viewers can only see the board’s contents but cannot make changes.
Jamboard
On Jamboard, only the administrator can set user access on the board. The administrator can assign access to specific users within the organization or an organizational unit.
The admin can easily do this by moving the user or organizational unit to a turned-on drive. The admin can also customize services for a group of users.
Verdict
Both Miro and Jamboard allow their system administrator to set access to users within the app. In terms of board access, there is a tie.
Templates
Miro
Miro comes with more than 300 ready-made templates, or you can choose to create templates for your projects.
The platform has workflow templates for meetings and workshops, brainstorming and creativity, research and design, strategy and planning, agile workflow, and mapping and diagramming templates.
You can also check templates from the community platform called Microverse and even share your own on the community platform.
Jamboard
Jamboard does not come with templates. You can customize the background of your jam on the app and create templates using the tools and features available.
Verdict
Miro has more than 300 templates based on their function and application. So Miro takes the win.
Pricing
Miro
Miro has different pricing options depending on your needs. A free version comes with three editable boards, templates, basic board exports, and attention management.
If you want the paid versions, you can purchase the Team version at $8 or the Business version at $16 per month.
You can also opt for the Enterprise version, which comes with additional controls, security, and support for your organization, and with this, you get custom pricing depending on your needs.
Jamboard
Jamboard is a free app and platform. You can download the mobile versions or use the web-based platforms for free.
However, you can purchase the Google Jamboard display if you wish to, at a starting price of $4,999, which includes one Jamboard display, one wall mount, one eraser, and two styluses. You will also pay a $600 annual fee for support and management.
If you are a Google Workplace for Education customer, you can purchase the Google Jamboard but only pay a one-time $600 fee for management and support.
Verdict
Jamboard is the winner because it is available for free use on your devices and browser. You do not need to pay to access all the app’s features unless you want to purchase the Google Jamboard device.
Support and Training
Miro
Miro has excellent support and training to ensure you get the best outcome from their app.
To get started on the app, you can visit their Help Center, see trending topics, and even search for answers on their Help Center page. You can also see topics that will help you to get started and learn how to use the platform successfully. There is also a community forum where you interact with other users.
To enhance your skills, you can visit the Miro Academy. Here, you can register for live training sessions. You will learn more from experts on new features and get your questions answered.
Miro also offers Courses by Miro experts that are aimed at helping you improve your project outcomes. What’s more, you get certification for every course or training. You can join the team of experts and offer training if you have been using Miro for more than one year.
Jamboard
To get started on Jamboard, a video that educates you on how to use the platform is available. The 1:36 minute video demonstrates how to use the platform successfully. There are also videos from Jamboard users on tips and tricks that will make you a pro on the platform.
Jamboard also had training courses and resources to accelerate your proficiency. The courses are offered at fundamental and advanced levels based on your proficiency using the app.
Also, Jamboard has a Help Page where you can browse topics, ask the community for help, or search for answers.
Verdict
Miro and Jamboard offer their users extensive help, guides, and resources. So here there is a tie.
Jamboard vs Miro: Similarities and Differences
Similarities
- Both are online whiteboards that cross-functional teams can use to run online meetings and workshops.
- They have functions to allow teams to brainstorm ideas on the limitless whiteboard.
- Both are connected to apps that allow meeting scheduling and running video conferences.
- Both have integrative functions to upload or copy content from other devices, apps, or desktops.
- You can access Miro and Jamboard on your devices and a web-based app.
- Both have an intuitive platform.
Differences
- Jamboard is a free app, while Miro has a limited free version that lets you access only three editable boards.
- Miro has many customizable templates and features that make the app versatile. On the other hand, you will be required to create your templates on Jamboard.
- Miro is integrated into many other applications allowing users to borrow functions from other apps to enhance their projects. Jamboard only allows integration from apps available on Google.
- Jamboard has a more straightforward interface and fewer features, making it easier to use than Miro.
Miro vs Jamboard: Pros and Cons
Miro
Pros
- Miro has many features and can allow integration with more than 100 apps making it versatile.
- It comes with customizable templates, so you do not need to create them from scratch.
- The features allow ease of collaboration and communication between team members.
Cons
- You have to pay to access most of the features available on the app.
- Because Miro has many features, it is complex, and beginners will need to be trained on how to use the platform.
Jamboard
Pros
- It is available for free use and download.
- It is user-friendly, and even beginners can use it.
- You can use it with your Google G-suite apps and save it on Google Drive.
- The features of Jamboard are similar to other Google tools, so individuals familiar with them will have an easier time using it.
- The Google Jamboard device is a great alternative to the physical whiteboard and thus excellent for simulating brainstorming and discussions around the physical whiteboard.
Cons
- It has limited features and templates, limiting how you can apply it.
Conclusion – Jamboard vs Miro
Jamboard is a simple app and is ideal for beginners. However, I would choose Miro because of its functionality. The intuitive interface makes it user-friendly. The templates allow many functionalities including planning, project management, presentation, and general meetings.
Miro is more versatile, so whether you work in sales, engineering, marketing, or UX & Design, Miro will allow you to work with excellence.
