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Top 10 Free Digital Whiteboards in 2026

Weje, Excalidraw, Eraser, Creately, xTiles, Sketchlie, Spreo, Witeboard, Scrintal and Sticky Studio make up our list of the best free digital whiteboards for 2026. Every pick offers a genuinely free way to start creating, whether through a permanent free plan, a free trial, or a tool that requires no payment at all to begin sketching and collaborating.

This list is for designers, developers, project managers and anyone who needs a digital canvas without an upfront investment. We’ve focused on tools that let you try the core experience at no cost, and we highlight exactly what each free plan includes and where paid plans begin if you need more power.

How we picked these digital whiteboards

We looked for digital whiteboards with clear, accessible free tiers or free trials that genuinely let you complete real work. Each candidate was evaluated on the depth of its free offering—number of boards, collaborators, and features included—as well as the clarity of its pricing when it came time to upgrade. We prioritised tools that are reliable, well-supported, and fit a range of use cases from quick sketching to full team retrospectives. The result is a shortlist that balances generous free plans with practical functionality.

Also worth a look: Top 10 Digital Whiteboards in 2026.

Tool Best for Key features Pricing Free trial
Weje teams and individuals who want a completely free, unrestricted whiteboard with no paid tiers Unlimited whiteboards, Visual cards, Mind maps Free — the entire collaborative workspace, no paid tiers Free plan
Excalidraw sketchers and developers who love hand-drawn diagrams and need a lightweight, embeddable whiteboard Hand-drawn style, Real-time collaboration, End-to-end encryption Free forever — full editor, 1 infinite scene, unlimited collaborators 14-day free trial
Eraser engineering teams that want AI-generated diagrams and diagram-as-code in a developer-friendly whiteboard AI diagram generation, Diagram-as-code, Codebase integration Free — $0/member/month, 3 files and 3 AI diagrams Free plan
Creately teams that need an all-in-one visual workspace with built-in video calls and a huge shape library Infinite canvas, Built-in video calls, Diagramming library Free plan — unlimited canvases, up to 45 items per canvas Free plan
xTiles visual thinkers who want to blend a canvas with structured documents and calendar sync Visual pages, AI assistant, Templates Free — $0/month, no credit card required Free plan
Sketchlie small teams looking for a straightforward real-time whiteboard with a free plan to start Real-time ideation, Flexible layers, Team workspaces Free plan — 3 boards, basic tools Free plan
Spreo agile teams who want structured retrospectives with Jira sync and facilitation controls Retrospective templates, Facilitation controls, Jira sync Starter — $4 per member/month billed annually 30-day free trial
Witeboard anyone who needs an instant, no-sign-up collaborative sketch tool Instant boards, Shareable links, Cross-device Pricing on request —
Scrintal knowledge workers and researchers who want a visual wiki with bidirectional links Infinite canvas, Bidirectional links, Document view Pricing on request — Scrintal Pro is billed monthly or annually —
Sticky Studio problem-solving workshops that need a simple, structured sticky-note canvas Collaborative canvas, Structured sticky notes, Simple interface Pricing on request —

The best digital whiteboards in 2026

Below we break down each pick, explaining its best use case, what the free plan includes, and where paid plans start for those who need more.

1. Weje

Weje — online whiteboard with visual cards and mind map

Weje is best for: teams and individuals who want a completely free, unrestricted whiteboard with no paid tiers

Weje provides unlimited whiteboards and real-time collaboration at zero cost, supported by optional donations. Its visual cards, mind maps, and website embeds make it a versatile choice for brainstorming and planning without ever needing a subscription.

Key Weje features

  • Unlimited whiteboards — create as many boards as needed at no cost
  • Visual cards — organizes ideas with color-coded text and image cards
  • Mind maps — branches out ideas directly on the canvas
  • Website embeds — drops live links and embedded pages onto a board
  • Real-time collaboration — works on the same board with a team

Weje pricing

  • Free — the entire collaborative workspace, no paid tiers
  • Optional one-time contribution — $19
  • Optional monthly contribution — $9/month
  • Free trial: Free plan

Visit Weje

2. Excalidraw

Excalidraw — hand-drawn style diagram on an infinite canvas

Excalidraw is best for: sketchers and developers who love hand-drawn diagrams and need a lightweight, embeddable whiteboard

Excalidraw’s hand-drawn aesthetic and open-source roots make it a favorite for quick diagrams inside apps like Notion. The free forever plan includes an infinite scene, unlimited collaborators, and end-to-end encryption; paid Plus plans add cloud sync.

Key Excalidraw features

  • Hand-drawn style — sketches diagrams with a distinctive, informal look
  • Real-time collaboration — multiple people can draw on the same canvas live
  • End-to-end encryption — shared boards stay private by default
  • Library integrations — works inside Notion and Obsidian
  • Export anywhere — save to PNG, SVG or a local file

Excalidraw pricing

  • Free forever — full editor, 1 infinite scene, unlimited collaborators
  • Plus — $6 per user/month, unlimited scenes and cloud sync
  • Free trial: 14-day free trial

Visit Excalidraw

3. Eraser

Eraser — AI-generated technical diagram and documentation view

Eraser is best for: engineering teams that want AI-generated diagrams and diagram-as-code in a developer-friendly whiteboard

Eraser pairs AI diagram generation with version-controlled diagram-as-code, making it ideal for technical documentation. The free tier includes 3 files and 3 AI diagrams; paid plans unlock more storage and team features.

Key Eraser features

  • AI diagram generation — turns natural-language prompts into polished diagrams
  • Diagram-as-code — defines diagrams in text so they stay version-controlled
  • Codebase integration — diagrams can auto-update as the underlying code changes
  • Markdown notes — pairs technical docs with diagrams on the same page
  • Unlimited guests — invites reviewers without paying for extra seats

Eraser pricing

  • Free — $0/member/month, 3 files and 3 AI diagrams
  • Starter — $15/member/month billed annually
  • Business — $45/member/month billed annually
  • Enterprise — custom pricing
  • Free trial: Free plan

Visit Eraser

4. Creately

Creately — visual workspace with diagramming canvas

Creately is best for: teams that need an all-in-one visual workspace with built-in video calls and a huge shape library

Creately combines infinite canvases, video calls, and thousands of shapes for flowcharts and diagrams. Its free plan supports unlimited canvases with up to 45 items each, while paid plans remove limitations and add advanced features.

Key Creately features

  • Infinite canvas — brainstorm, plan and map processes without running out of space
  • Built-in video calls — discuss a board without switching to another app
  • Diagramming library — thousands of shapes for flowcharts, org charts and maps
  • Real-time collaboration — co-edit boards with cursors and comments
  • Data-linked shapes — connect diagrams to live data and spreadsheets

Creately pricing

  • Free plan — unlimited canvases, up to 45 items per canvas
  • Starter, Team and Business plans — tiered per-user pricing, billed monthly or annually
  • Enterprise — custom pricing with SSO and on-premise options
  • Free trial: Free plan

Visit Creately

5. xTiles

xTiles — visual workspace with pages and tiles

xTiles is best for: visual thinkers who want to blend a canvas with structured documents and calendar sync

xTiles mixes a flexible visual canvas with text, images, and tasks in one workspace. The free plan requires no credit card; paid Plus and Pro plans add AI assistant and more templates.

Key xTiles features

  • Visual pages — mix text, images, files and tasks on one flexible canvas
  • AI assistant — generates suggestions and summaries inside a page
  • Templates — 100+ premade layouts for planning and note-taking
  • Calendar integration — syncs with Google and Outlook calendars
  • Collections — groups related pages into one organized workspace

xTiles pricing

  • Free — $0/month, no credit card required
  • Plus — $12.42/month billed annually
  • Pro — $24.92/month billed annually
  • Enterprise — custom pricing
  • Free trial: Free plan

Visit xTiles

6. Sketchlie

Sketchlie — real-time collaborative ideation canvas

Sketchlie is best for: small teams looking for a straightforward real-time whiteboard with a free plan to start

Sketchlie offers real-time ideation and flexible layers. Its free plan includes 3 boards and basic tools, enough for small projects; paid plans unlock unlimited boards and team workspaces.

Key Sketchlie features

  • Real-time ideation — brainstorms with a team on one live canvas
  • Flexible layers — builds up complex boards with unlimited layers on paid plans
  • Team workspaces — organizes boards by team on higher tiers
  • Single sign-on — available on the Business plan for larger organizations

Sketchlie pricing

  • Free plan — 3 boards, basic tools
  • Starter and Business plans — unlimited boards, pricing shown in local currency on the vendor's site
  • Free trial: Free plan

Visit Sketchlie

7. Spreo

Spreo — agile retrospective board with sticky notes and voting

Spreo is best for: agile teams who want structured retrospectives with Jira sync and facilitation controls

Spreo specialises in agile ceremonies with 100+ retrospective templates, timers, and voting. A 30-day free trial lets teams test its facilitation features before committing to paid Starter or Business plans.

Key Spreo features

  • Retrospective templates — 100+ expert templates for agile ceremonies
  • Facilitation controls — timers, voting and grouping keep sessions on track
  • Jira sync — two-way sync turns board action items into tracked tickets
  • Time machine replay — reviews how a board evolved during a session
  • Action tracking — turns retro outcomes into follow-up tasks

Spreo pricing

  • Starter — $4 per member/month billed annually
  • Business — $6 per member/month billed annually
  • Enterprise — custom pricing
  • Free trial: 30-day free trial

Visit Spreo

8. Witeboard

Witeboard — instant shareable online whiteboard

Witeboard is best for: anyone who needs an instant, no-sign-up collaborative sketch tool

Witeboard strips away friction: start drawing immediately without signing up, share a link, and collaborate in real time. It works across devices and is completely free to use, with pricing available on request for advanced features.

Key Witeboard features

  • Instant boards — starts drawing with no sign-up or install required
  • Shareable links — sends a board link for anyone to join and draw
  • Cross-device — works on mobile, tablet and desktop alike
  • Real-time sync — every stroke appears instantly for all viewers

Witeboard pricing

  • Pricing on request

Visit Witeboard

9. Scrintal

Scrintal — visual canvas with linked note cards

Scrintal is best for: knowledge workers and researchers who want a visual wiki with bidirectional links

Scrintal transforms a canvas into a connected web of notes using bidirectional links. Its infinite canvas supports multimedia cards and real-time collaboration, and pricing is published on the vendor’s site for the Pro plan.

Key Scrintal features

  • Infinite canvas — places notes, files and PDFs anywhere on the board
  • Bidirectional links — connects related cards to build a web of ideas
  • Document view — turns canvas blocks into a structured, linear document
  • Real-time collaboration — brainstorms and writes together live
  • Multimedia cards — embeds images, links and files directly on cards

Scrintal pricing

  • Pricing on request — Scrintal Pro is billed monthly or annually

Visit Scrintal

10. Sticky Studio

Sticky Studio — collaborative canvas with clustered sticky notes

Sticky Studio is best for: problem-solving workshops that need a simple, structured sticky-note canvas

Sticky Studio focuses on collaborative mapping with structured sticky notes and a clean interface. It is ideal for untangling complexity in real time, and its pricing is available on request.

Key Sticky Studio features

  • Collaborative canvas — maps out complex problems together in real time
  • Structured sticky notes — groups and clusters ideas as a team
  • Simple interface — minimal learning curve for new participants
  • Shareable boards — invites teammates straight into a working session

Sticky Studio pricing

  • Pricing on request

Visit Sticky Studio

Which digital whiteboards should you choose?

If you want a whiteboard that stays free forever with no limits, Weje is the clear choice: its entire collaborative workspace is free, supported only by optional donations. For quick hand-drawn diagrams that embed seamlessly into Notion or Obsidian, choose Excalidraw—its free forever plan includes end-to-end encryption and unlimited collaborators. Engineering teams will prefer Eraser for AI-generated diagrams and version-controlled diagram-as-code, with a free tier that covers three files and AI diagrams.

For an all-in-one visual workspace with built-in video calls, Creately offers unlimited canvases on its free plan. Visual thinkers who like structured pages alongside a canvas should try xTiles, while small teams can start with Sketchlie’s three-board free plan. Agile teams needing structured retrospectives benefit from Spreo’s 30-day free trial. If you want instant sketching with no sign-up, Witeboard is the fastest option. Finally, researchers and workshop facilitators should explore Scrintal for its bidirectional links and Sticky Studio for structured sticky-note sessions.

Frequently asked questions

A digital whiteboard is an online canvas where teams can brainstorm, diagram, and collaborate in real time. It replaces physical whiteboards with infinite space, drawing tools, and sharing features.

Free plans usually limit the number of boards, items per board, or advanced features like AI and integrations. Paid plans remove those limits and often add admin controls, priority support, and more storage.

Yes, many free plans support real-time collaboration with multiple users. Tools like Weje, Excalidraw, and Eraser allow unlimited collaborators on their free tiers.

It depends. Excalidraw offers end-to-end encryption on its free plan, while others provide standard security. Always check the vendor’s security documentation for specific needs.

Consider the number of boards allowed, collaboration features, export options, and whether the tool integrates with your existing apps like Notion or Jira.

Yes, Witeboard lets you start drawing instantly without signing up. Others like Excalidraw require no account to use the basic editor, but collaboration may need a login.

Most free whiteboards support export to image formats like PNG and SVG. Excalidraw and Eraser also allow export to files that preserve editability.

Topics: Collaboration toolsDesign & CreativeDigital whiteboardsFree whiteboards

David Hall

About the author

David Hall

Senior Editor at ShortlistMag

David Hall is the Senior Editor at ShortlistMag, where he researches, compares and ranks the software and products that make our shortlists. He spent more than a decade covering technology and consumer products for trade and business publications before moving into product research full-time, and has evaluated hundreds of SaaS tools, apps and gadgets along the way. His method is simple: start with what a category is actually for, check every feature and price on the maker’s own site, and keep only the picks he would recommend to a friend. Nothing on his lists is paid for, and every shortlist is revisited as products change. Away from the desk he is usually trialling a new note-taking app he will probably abandon, cycling, or hunting for the perfect flat white.

All shortlists by David Hall