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Miro vs OpenBoard
Miro vs OpenBoard
A side-by-side look at Miro (the paid SaaS) and OpenBoard (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Miro | OpenBoard | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Online whiteboard for workshops, retros, and diagrams. | Interactive whiteboard designed for teaching. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | GPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free up to 3 boards; Starter from $8/user/month. | Free to self-host |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 1/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | No |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | None official |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
Teachers and classrooms wanting a purpose-built whiteboard.
OpenBoard strengths
- Purpose-built for teachers and classrooms.
- Desktop-first — no server needed.
- Stylus and tablet friendly.
OpenBoard weaknesses
- Not a real-time multi-user whiteboard.
- Desktop-only; no cloud collaboration.
- Smaller community than Excalidraw.
What's the catch with Miro?
- Pricing scales with boards and seats.
- Cloud-only — no self-host for confidential workshops.
- Large boards can lag in the browser.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Miro: see Miro alternatives, or learn more about OpenBoard on its project page.
Recommended reading
When self-hosting goes wrong: seven failure modes and how to avoid them
An honest retrospective on the ways self-hosted setups break — not in theory, but in practice — and the small habits that prevent most of them.
Will the open source project you depend on still exist in three years?
Bus factor, maintainer burnout, funding models, and the signals that separate OSS projects that survive from those that quietly decay.
From SaaS to self-hosted: a 30-day migration playbook
A week-by-week plan to move one service off SaaS and onto your own server without breaking your team's workflow.