Google introduced final 12 months that assist for Jamboard units and apps will finish as of October 1, 2024. Google Jamboard delivers easy-to-use collaborative drawing capabilities to individuals who use Google Workspace by a mix of Jamboard apps and a Jamboard system. The Jamboard apps can be utilized with out shopping for a Jamboard system and work on the net, iOS, iPadOS and Android units and in Google Meet.
Individuals who use Jamboard units or apps might want to search options. For {hardware} choices, Google’s announcement beneficial both the Collection One Board 65 (priced round $9,000) or the Collection One Desk 27 (priced round $2,000), each by Avocor. Google introduced that three software program options — FigJam by Figma, Lucidspark by Lucid Software program and Miro — can be built-in to work with Collection One units, with import choices for Jamboard content material obtainable by March 2024.
Prime Jamboard opponents and options: Comparability desk
Individuals who use the Jamboard apps, unbiased of the Jamboard system, might take into account a variety of software program options. The next six choices all assist visible collaboration and may function appropriate replacements for Jamboard.
FigJam by Figma: Greatest for pleasant design
Figma, a collaborative interface design software firm, launched FigJam (Determine A) in 2021. FigJam helps drawing instruments, shapes, stickers, notes, textual content, connectors and stamps, together with part and desk administration options. You may additionally import pictures or insert hyperlinks to net assets, together with shared Google Drive recordsdata. Cursor chat permits an ephemeral dialog with collaborators that disappears if you exit the mode, whereas the remark system permits typical feedback on content material anyplace on the board. FigJam presents a number of extra options than Jamboard, delivered with a cleanly designed consumer interface, as you may count on.
Figma’s possession deserves point out since Adobe, a artistic content material big, introduced an settlement to amass Figma in September 2022; nonetheless, the deal was terminated in December 2023. Whereas possession doesn’t straight have an effect on product options, the truth that Figma as soon as sought to merge with a bigger firm might sign a long run potential for acquisition.
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
| FigJam app is accessible on the net (and Google Workspace Market) and iPad. |
No devoted FigJam iPhone or Android app. |
| Clear design. | No offline mode. |
| Extra options than Google Jamboard. | |
| Free version is accessible to college students and educators. |
Pricing
Figma presents 4 FigJam pricing plans: Starter, Skilled, Group and Enterprise.
- Starter, which is free and allows you to create as much as three Figma and three FigJam recordsdata, with limitless private recordsdata and limitless collaborators, amongst different options.
- Skilled, $3 per editor/month billed yearly ($36/12 months per consumer), consists of all Starter options and provides limitless FigJam recordsdata, open classes, sharing permissions, workforce libraries, voting and extra. College students and educators might entry this version without cost.
- Group, $60 per editor per 12 months, consists of all Profesional options plus organization-wide libraries, centralized content material administration, unified admin and billing choices, and extra.
- Enterprise, $60 per editor per 12 months, consists of all Group options, plus devoted workspaces, superior design techniques and visitor entry controls, together with many different consumer administration and safety features.
Miro: Greatest for enterprise integrations
Miro (Determine B), previously referred to as RealtimeBoard, offers a strong set of options all centered round visible collaboration. Commonplace drawing instruments can be found to attract, add shapes (together with flowchart and Unified Modeling Language symbols), sticky notes and textual content, together with many templates. Miro additionally permits you to add an enormous number of content material varieties, together with pictures, spreadsheets, tables, kanban, code blocks, charts, diagrams and extra. Timer, voting, chat, video chat and notes allow you to collaborate with others in numerous methods in your board content material.
Miro permits you to current your board to different folks a number of methods. The Talktrack function permits you to report a video together with your webcam (inset in a circle on the display screen) as you navigate and focus on the board. The ensuing video is saved and could also be shared. Alternatively, it’s possible you’ll current both your entire board, which hides many menus to emphasise your content material or current frames, which lets you outline and navigate chosen sections of content material so as. Enterprise and Enterprise editions provide entry to facilitation instruments to assist actions comparable to voting and including sticky notes or reactions.
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
| Miro app is accessible on the net (and Google Workspace Market), macOS, Home windows, iPhone, iPad and Android. |
No offline mode. |
| Very full-featured. | |
| Numerous sorts of content material may be added. | |
| Helpful number of presentation choices. |
Pricing
Miro presents 4 pricing plans for skilled use: Free, Starter, Enterprise and Enterprise.
- Free, which incorporates one workspace with three editable boards, 5 Talktracks, entry to templates and assist for integrations.
- Starter, $96 per member per 12 months paid yearly. This plan provides limitless boards, high-resolution exports, collaboration with limitless guests on public boards, limitless Talktracks, limitless mission folders, Personal Mode sticky notes, model historical past, assembly options (e.g., timers, voting and video chat) and personal boards.
- Enterprise, $192 per member per 12 months paid yearly. This plan consists of all Starter options, plus limitless boards for each workforce and consumer, safe collaboration with limitless company on personal and workforce boards, superior form entry, enhanced assembly options (e.g., breakouts and voting) and extra.
- Enterprise, which requires contacting gross sales for pricing. This plan consists of all Enterprise options plus added safety, compliance, administration and reporting capabilities, together with premium assist.
College students, educators and academic establishments might entry completely different Miro pricing plans.
- Scholar accounts are free and assist as much as 10 workforce members, availability for 2 years, limitless boards, one workspace with limitless tasks, limitless exterior guests, amongst different options.
- Educator accounts are free eternally and assist all pupil options, plus assist for as much as 100 workforce members, together with entry to coaching and discussion board assets.
- Establishment accounts can be found at a 50% low cost from commonplace pricing and embrace all pupil and educator options, plus further administrative and consumer administration options, together with assist.
Lucidspark by Lucid Software program: Greatest for experimental AI
Lucidspark (Determine C) offers a board on which you will draw and add pictures, shapes, sticky notes, textual content and contours. The feedback and activity system lets board collaborators not solely touch upon particular board content material but in addition assign work to a colleague. To help clarification, it’s possible you’ll outline body areas and designate paths, in order to indicate sections of the board in sequence. Visible actions templates assist numerous sorts of sorting, score and board engagement, together with further timer and voting instruments.
Lucidspark additionally presents menu customization and an experimental AI function. Customise the left-side on-screen menu with a Device pinning function to indicate solely the choices you choose. For instance, when you hardly ever want Jira integration, it’s possible you’ll unpin that choice and it’ll not show on-screen, though you should still entry it from the Extra menu. And a Collaborative AI choice generates concepts from an entered immediate. For instance, a immediate of “Greatest options of Lucidspark” created a 3×3 set of sticky notes, every crammed with two or three phrases describing options comparable to “Built-in Video Chat,” “Seamless Integrations” and “Presentation mode.”
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lucidspark app is accessible on the net (and Google Workspace Market) and Android. | Staff or Enterprise version accounts are required to make use of cell app on iOS or iPadOS. |
| Customizable menu for quick entry to most-used choices. | No offline mode. |
| Collaborative AI to generate concepts. | |
| Important variety of supported app integrations. |
Pricing
There are 4 Lucidspark plans: Free, Particular person, Staff and Enterprise.
- Free, which incorporates three editable boards, limitless shapes, drawing, emoji reactions, commenting, presentation mode, primary visible actions to assemble suggestions and mixture outcomes, amongst different options.
- Particular person, $7.95 per consumer monthly billed yearly ($95.40/yearly per consumer). This plan provides limitless editable boards, 1 GB of storage, premium visible actions to assemble suggestions and mixture outcomes, and extra.
- Staff, three workforce consumer licenses for $27 monthly billed yearly ($324/yearly for the three licenses, which is $108/consumer per 12 months). This plan provides superior controls for visible actions, chat, revision historical past and versioning, voting, a timer and facilitator instruments, amongst different options.
- Enterprise licenses require contacting gross sales. This plan presents entry to Lucidchart for diagramming and provides Staff Areas, many app integrations and entry to varied consumer administration and safety features.
Educators might entry a variant of the Staff plan without cost; this offers lecturers and college students entry to the cell app and plenty of Staff options at no cost. An elective improve to a paid workforce plan for schooling provides centralized account administration, audit logs and entry to precedence assist.
Microsoft Whiteboard: Greatest without cost use
Microsoft Whiteboard (Determine D) is free, however it does require a Microsoft account to view, create or collaborate on boards; due to this fact, this selection might take advantage of sense for people or organizations who already use different Microsoft providers, comparable to Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Whiteboard presents an ordinary set of instruments that features a pen, highlighter, ruler, notes, emoji-style reactions, textual content and shapes. You may additionally add pictures to a board. Plus, Microsoft Whiteboard presents a lot of templates for all kinds of brainstorming, planning, assembly and studying actions. You could customise the board background colour and choose from a set of 9 background grid designs. And there’s an included timer. Share the hyperlink to offer collaborators entry to all of those instruments, too.
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Whiteboard is accessible on the net, iPhone, iPad and Android, in addition to for Microsoft Floor Hub and Microsoft Groups Rooms units. |
Not obtainable within the Google Workspace Market. |
| Free. | Should check in with a Microsoft account. |
| Important number of templates for enterprise makes use of, comparable to brainstorming, mission planning and assembly actions. |
No offline mode. |
| Centered set of instruments. |
Pricing
Microsoft Whiteboard is free, though it’s essential to check in with a Microsoft account to make use of it. A Microsoft account could also be obtained without cost.
Zoom Whiteboard: Greatest for Zoom conferences
The Zoom conferencing platform presents Zoom Whiteboard (Determine E), which can be used both with an internet assembly or individually. For anybody with an current Zoom account, Zoom Whiteboard deserves consideration.
Zoom Whiteboard presents a lot of templates for brainstorming, diagramming, assembly, schooling or leisure; or, it’s possible you’ll merely create a brand new clean board. The system consists of instruments comparable to pens, shapes, traces, textual content, sticky notes and feedback. You could add pictures and PDFs to your board or add a thoughts map, desk, kanban board or playing cards. Specifically, playing cards allow you to assign duties and observe each dates and activity standing. Zoom boards additionally allow you to create a number of pages. As a presentation assist, it’s possible you’ll add frames round your board content material, then manage and current the frames in sequence. The timer and laser pointer could also be helpful throughout shows or collaborations as effectively.
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
| Accessible as a part of Zoom on the net (and Google Workspace Market), macOS, Home windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. | Zoom Whiteboard presents secondary performance to net conferences. |
| Giant variety of templates for enterprise makes use of, comparable to brainstorming and diagramming. | No offline mode |
| Help for a number of pages inside a board. | |
| Frames to order presentation sequence. |
Pricing
Three Zoom Whiteboard editions can be found: Whiteboard Fundamental, Whiteboard and Whiteboard Plus.
- Whiteboard Fundamental, which is included with Zoom One Fundamental and Zoom One Professional, consists of three concurrent editable boards owned and 25 MB of storage, together with all core drawing, annotation, picture and collaboration options.
- Whiteboard, $24.90 per consumer per 12 months, and could also be added to both the Zoom One Fundamental or Zoom One Professional plan. This plan provides limitless concurrent editable boards owned and 1 GB of storage, together with model historical past and non permanent lock options plus shared folders and private labels.
- Whiteboard Plus, $70 per consumer per 12 months and could also be added to both Zoom One Fundamental or Zoom One Professional plans, provides limitless storage and assist for private and organizational templates. Additionally, Zoom Whiteboard Plus is included as a part of Zoom Rooms plans.
SEE: use the brand new Zoom Whiteboard for hybrid conferences
Apple Freeform: Greatest for Apple system customers
Freeform (Determine F), a visible collaboration software by Apple, is included with present units that run iOS, iPadOS and macOS. The app is free, though solely individuals who use Apple units might use it. For instance, Freeform can be a wonderful choice for a classroom the place a instructor and college students all use iPadOS or macOS units, however wouldn’t be appropriate for a state of affairs the place collaborators may use Home windows, ChromeOS or Android units.
Freeform presents quite a few writing and drawing types, together with a pen, pencil, highlighter, crayon, ink and watercolor choices. On units that assist an Apple pencil, it’s possible you’ll leverage the system’s built-in handwriting recognition system, Scribble, to transform pencil strokes into textual content. Freeform permits you to add notes, hyperlinks, shapes and typed textual content. You could use a digital camera to seize a photograph or add a picture, video, audio file or PDF to a board. Freeform works offline, so you should utilize it to seize concepts virtually anyplace. Freeform permits as much as 100 folks to collaborate on a board, and it could be used with Messages or FaceTime.
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
| Accessible on present iPhone, iPad and macOS units. | Accessible solely on Apple units. |
| Can create and work offline. | |
| Works effectively with Apple Pencil, Messages and FaceTime. | |
| Wider vary of drawing software types (e.g., watercolor, ink and crayon) in comparison with lots of the different options on this article. |
Pricing
Freeform is accessible as one of many default apps on all trendy Apple units, together with iPhone, iPad and macOS techniques.
Extra Jamboard options to contemplate
Past the six providers lined above, many different collaborative drawing choices exist. Google suggests Google Drawings or Google Slides may meet some wants. Different providers which will advantage consideration embrace Canva Whiteboard, Conceptboard, Excalidraw, Clarify Every little thing, Inko, Pear Deck, Pencil Areas, Sketchboard or Whiteboard.chat.
Methodology
The primary three providers — FigJam by Figma, Miro and Lucidspark by Lucid Software program — are included as a result of Google particularly recommends these as options to Google Jamboard. All three will provide some kind of import software to can help you protect current Jamboard content material.
The remaining three choices had been chosen due to the widespread use of Microsoft, Zoom and Apple instruments within the schooling neighborhood — a big consumer of Jamboard apps. In case you and your collaborators use Apple {hardware}, Freeform is sensible as an alternative choice to Jamboard. In case you and your collaborators have current Microsoft or Zoom accounts, then both of these respective providers may serve you effectively.
The creator signed and actively examined every of the providers for testing functions, and has actively used and lined Google Jamboard since its inception. Every of the screenshots was taken throughout this experimentation. We depend on vendor web sites for pricing.
