9 Miro Alternatives & Competitors to consider in 2021

Miro is probably the most perfect software for what it is made for and they have grown really fast after their rebranding (from RealtimeBoard). But when SaaS companies grow bigger unfortunately they also get expensive and that’s why we have a list of some really great options to look at if you find Miro expensive.

In this list we take you through the alternatives like Deskle, Mural, Whimsical and MindMeister that would make using the software an enjoyable experience for you.

(We mention the hidden gems 💎 on top of our list, to give them more exposure, over the already popular ones)

💎 HIDDEN GEMS

1. XMind

Xmind offers mind-mapping and brainstorming tools for remote working teams through its desktop, web and mobile application. Xmind also offers theme and image editors, along with outliner tools designed for teams and professionals who are working from home.

Pros

✔️ Flexible user interface with features to seamlessly switch between outliner and mind-mapping views

✔️ Versatile theme editor which allows users to customize shapes, lines, colors and styles easily

✔️ Handy image exporting options which make it easy to insert images and slides into Keynote and Powerpoint documents

✔️ Unique LaTeX features to present mathematical and chemical formulas with ease.

Cons

❌ Glitches occur occasionally when mind maps are being saved

❌ Communication tools are not-well integrated into the platform compared to peers

Pricing

💰 Free plan available

💰 XMind 2020 Web, Desktop and Mobile- $39.99 for 6 months

💰 XMind 8 pro for PC- $129 for 2 users (lifelong use)

💰 Customised plans are available for large enterprises

Best known for

Xmind is best known for its CREAM user interface, which allows for fluent interactions between mind maps and Gantt charts, along with the flexibility to switch views easily and fold/unfold topics to eliminate clutter from mind maps.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.7/5

2. Creately

Creately offers a cloud based desktop and mobile application that smoothens the collaboration process. Along with plenty of readily available diagram templates, Creately also offers business/ technical diagramming and document sharing tools.

Pros

✔️ Versatile business and technical diagramming tools with numerous shape libraries

✔️ Vast community based library with thousands of diagram templates and examples

✔️ Robust real-time collaboration and file sharing features, with tools to add comments and threaded discussions into mind-maps and whiteboards.

✔️ Easy drawing shortcuts to create shapes and connectors with quick toolbars

Cons

❌ Lack of integration options compared to peers

❌ Lack of features to import data from Microsoft Word/Excel

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan is available

💰 Personal plan- $4.95 per month per user

💰 Team plan- $6 per month per user

💰 Enterprise plan- $15 per month per user

Best known for

Creately is best known for its versatile business and technical diagramming tools. Some of the unique diagramming tools that are available on Creately are family tree makers, Gantt chart tools, storyboard makers, timeline/infographic makers, Venn/sequence diagram makers and AWS architecture diagram tools, to name a few.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.4/5

3. Whimsical

Whimsical offers a unified suite of collaboration tools for businesses of all sizes. Whimsical offers mind-mapping, business and technical diagramming and documentation tools through its browser-based application. It also has tools for brainstorming and ideation.

Pros

✔️ User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop features and handy shortcut tools for easy plotting

✔️ Versatile collaboration features with tools such as customizable sticky notes, Kanban boards and live cursors

✔️ Robust flowchart and wireframe chart features with categorized and searchable icons which can be inserted as buttons, form fields or by themselves

✔️ Unlimited free access available for views and guests on paid plans

Cons

❌ Mobile app is not available

❌ Diagramming tools and options are very limited compared to peers

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan available

💰 Pro plan- $12 per user per month

💰 Organization plan- $20 per user per month

Best known for

Whimsical is best known for its sticky-notes features, which have expandable options to attach rich text, images and comments, along with resizable stacks for convenient grouping and sorting.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.6/5

4. Plectica

Plectica provides visual mapping tools for businesses of all sizes. Plectica provides diagramming tools and templates that are designed for strategists, educators, designers, policy makers and professionals working in intellectually driven creative fields.

Pros

✔️ Vast collection of job and industry-specific templates to enhance visual presentations

✔️ Versatile brainstorming and ideation tools with features to add attachments and notes

✔️ Unique admin features to onboard new hires, structure teams and prioritize tasks

✔️ Competitive pricing plans compared to many peers

Cons

❌ Mobile app is not available

❌ Communication tools are lacking compared to peers

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan is available

💰 Student plan- $4 per user per month

💰 Pro plan- $9 per user per month

💰 Team plan- customized pricing plans

Best known for

Plectica is best known for its job and industry specific templates that make visual presentations and charts easy for any professional. Some examples of industry-specific designs include empathy map templates for designers, sprint planning diagrams and schema designs for technologists and team alignment charts for admin and HR professionals.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.6/5

🥇 TOP PERFORMERS

5. Mural

Mural offers a wide range of visual collaboration and whiteboarding tools with affordable pricing plans. Along with tools for charts and diagrams (which are referred to as Murals on the platform), communication, file sharing and workshop tools are also available from Mural’s mobile and web based app.

Pros

✔️ Advanced communication tools with chatting, commenting, voice calling and quick sharing features

✔️ Versatile workshop facilitation features with tools to add timers and guided instructions, lock content and summon participants as required

✔️ Handy analytics tools to provide information on activity levels of users and editors, template usage and integrations

✔️ Ample integration options

Cons

❌ Only available in English, no multilingual options available

❌ Limited tools to edit frameworks, export canvas’ and add second pages to murals

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan is available

💰 Starter plan- $12 per user per month

💰 Plus plan- $20 per user per month

💰 Customised pricing available for enterprise plans

Best known for

Mural is best known for its workshop features, which allow users to write detailed instructions onto templates, set timers for scheduling purposes, lock content to control the flow of the workshop, summon users to vote on ideas and instantly share workshop links with all the participants. Mural’s workshop tools make it easy for participants to follow facilitators during workshops.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.7/5

6. MindMeister

Mindmeister’s platform offers a visually driven mind-mapping tool through its web-based app. Along with mind-mapping tools, Mindmeister also offers brainstorming, collaboration, task management ,document sharing and presentation tools with flexible pricing plans.

Pros

✔️ Versatile built-in presentation mode that turns mind-maps into slideshows

✔️ Seamless integration with MeisterTask enables users to convert mind-maps into actionable tasks with drag-and-drop tools

✔️ Hand collaboration tools to share mind maps, live chat, vote on ideas and keep track of every input into a mind map

✔️ Robust mind mapping editor with ample customisation options and templates

Cons

❌ iOS synchronization issues are common

❌ Platform tends to lag if too many images or boundaries are added

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan is available

💰 Personal plan-  $2.49 per user per month

💰 Pro plan-  $4.19 per user per month

💰 Business plan-  $6.29 per user per month

Best known for

Mindmeister is best known for its presentation mode, which allows users to add icons, images, charts and graphics to convert mind maps into presentations that can be broadcasted live to all collaborators and exported into multiple formats.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.6/5

7. Freehand (Invision)

A part of the InVision software suite, Freehand offers online white-boarding tools that are best suited for real-time collaboration. Freehand offers task and role-specific brainstorming, planning, diagramming and mapping tools along with several pre-defined templates.

Pros

✔️ Enhanced collaboration features to discuss, and save notes from feedback sessions

✔️ Handy tools to convert brainstorms and mind-maps to presentations using online whiteboards

✔️ Ample templates are available for brainstorming, strategy, planning and wireframes/flowcharts

✔️ Attractive value-for-money pricing plans

Cons

❌ Public-sharing links have limitations

❌ Integration glitches are common with some platforms, like Slack for example.

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan available

💰 Pro plan- $9.95 per team per month

💰 Customised pricing plans available for enterprise solutions

Best known for

Freehand is best known for its value-for-money pricing plans. For $9.95 per team per month, users get access to Invision tools such as Prototypes, Studio and Boards along with unfettered access to Freehand as well. 

⭐ Our Rating – 4.5/5

🌟 RISING STARS

8. Ayoa

Ayoa offers a comprehensive whiteboarding platform from its web, mobile and desktop platform. Along with whiteboards, Ayoa also offers mind mapping, task management, brainstorming and collaboration tools, which can be accessed through its online and offline platforms.

Pros

✔️ Versatile whiteboarding features with tools to add images, sticky notes, flowcharts , lists and attachments.

✔️ Handy mind-mapping tools that give users the options to plot organic and speed mind maps

✔️ Robust cloud-based task management solutions with tools for Kanban, Canvas and Gantt charts

✔️ Unique radial views to present aims and ideas in the form of visual pie charts

Cons

❌ Many desktop features are not readily available on the mobile app

❌ Lack of integration options compared to peers

Pricing

💰 Free starter plan available

💰 Pro plan- $13.33 per user per month

💰 Ultimate plan- $17.33 per user per month

Best known for

Ayoa is best known for its task management features, such as Kanban style workflow views, colourful bubble cavas views, Gantt timelines and radial views, which enable users to monitor task progress and meet deadlines effectively.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.4/5

9. Ryeboard

Ryeboard offers visually driven collaboration tools for businesses of all sizes. Along with real-time collaboration and whiteboarding, Ryeboard also offers note-card based whiteboarding and file sharing tools through its web based platform, which is completely cloud based.

Pros

✔️ Unique note-card based whiteboarding solutions that allow for easy idea, checklist and timeline sharing, along with linked card systems to update collaborators if changes are made

✔️ Handy marketing strategy tools to launch email campaigns and funnels

✔️ Robust document sharing tools which allow users to share files and add them to online boards

✔️ Flexible tag features to automatically arrange and organize content on boards

Cons

❌ More templates need to be added

❌ Communication tools are not well-developed compared to peers

Pricing

💰 Free trial plan is available

💰 Basic plan- $7.5 for 2 users per month

💰 Team plan- $17 for 2 users per month

Best known for

Ryeboard is best known for its marketing strategy tools, which can enable users to launch email campaigns, funnels, personas and more through a detailed strategy model, which can be implemented through Ryeboard’s card based whiteboarding tools.

⭐ Our Rating – 4.3/5

Conclusion

We have published a special list of whiteboard collaboration softwares in our next article. Do check it out and let us know in the comments if we missed something out.