Limnu vs OpenBoard (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Limnu if

• Fits if you sketch with a stylus or marker and share the board live
• Works for tutors who lead students around a board

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Android or want a desktop app, as none is listed
• Watch out: exports are of the visible area, not the whole board
• Watch out: team security and admin controls are on the Team plan only
• Watch out: the Slack integration is not currently available
• Tight if you need video calls: the free plan has 30 minutes

Pick OpenBoard if

• Fits if you teach with an interactive whiteboard or a pen tablet and want free software
• Works for a school that wants open-source tools

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want live online collaboration, as none is listed
• Skip it if you want a web or phone version, since only Windows, macOS and Linux are listed
• Not for you if you need paid support, as none is offered
• Watch out: it is community maintained, by the Geneva education department
• Watch out: it is aimed at classrooms, not at office whiteboarding

Limnu

• Exports are of the area visible in the viewport, like a screenshot, not the whole board.
• Team security controls and admin controls are on the Team plan; the Free plan has limited ones.
• Limnu lists a browser and an iOS app; no Android or desktop app appears on the pages we read.
• The Slack integration is described as being upgraded and not currently available.

OpenBoard

• Desktop only: the site lists Windows, macOS and Linux and no web, iOS or Android version.
• Built around classroom teaching; there is no real-time online collaboration listed on the site.
• Community-maintained with no paid support plan listed.

Limnu

Freehand drawing

Boards have no edge boundaries and support markers, shapes, text, sticky notes and stylus or Wacom tablet input.

Leading mode

A board admin can lead, so that everyone on the board sees the same area. Leading works in solo-draw and collaboration modes.

File and image markup

PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPEG, PNG, GIF and SVG files can be added. They upload as images, one per page, and can be marked up.

Team controls

Team plans add admin controls over who can share and invite, and security settings that can restrict boards to an organization.

Whiteboard API

A separate API product lets a company embed whiteboards in its own app or website, priced through sales.

OpenBoard

Works with classroom hardware

Can be used with an interactive whiteboard, in a dual-screen setup with a pen-tablet display and projector, or on a computer alone.

Handwriting and annotation

Teachers can write and annotate a course with a pen tablet, an interactive whiteboard or a mouse.

Windows, macOS and Linux

The project lists all three desktop systems as supported.

Community maintained

Code is on GitHub; the site says the Education Department of the canton of Geneva currently maintains it.

Limnu

• Free$0

  Unlimited collaborators, collaborative or solo-draw boards, limited admin controls and 30 minutes of video conference time.

• Pro$5

  per month, billed monthly ($50 billed yearly)

  For individuals: unlimited boards and collaborators, private and collaborative boards, unlimited video conference time.

• Team$8

  per team member / month, billed monthly ($80 billed yearly)

  Unlimited boards, team or private boards, team security controls and unlimited video conference time.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Team features plus a customer success manager and a training and onboarding program; sold through sales.

OpenBoard

• Free$0

  The full software, free to download and use under GPLv3.

Limnu

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing saves $10 (Pro) or $16 (Team)

  The pricing page shows Pro at $50 a year (save $10) and Team at $80 a year per team member (save $16).

OpenBoard

No public discounts listed.