OpenBoard vs SMART Notebook (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenBoard grades higher than SMART Notebook: 3.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
OpenBoard grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OpenBoard
Free open-source interactive whiteboard software for classrooms
SMART Notebook
Lesson-building software for SMART Board classroom displays
Which one is for you
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
Pick SMART Notebook if
- Fits if your classroom already has a SMART Board
- Works for teachers moving PDF and PowerPoint lessons onto an interactive board
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't own a SMART Board, as the pages frame it as free with one
- Not for you if you want a web or tablet version, since only Windows and macOS are named
- Too light for live work on student devices, which is the separate Lumio product
- Watch out: no price is given for the software on its own
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAOpenBoardVery good | 1.8GPASMART NotebookWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and use under the GPLv3 licence, with no registration. | CThe vendor says it's free with a SMART Board and needs no subscription, but gives no price for the software alone. The board is the real cost. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no cap a normal person would reach. | DNo standalone free plan or trial is stated. The software is free only as part of a SMART Board purchase. |
| Features | CHandwriting, annotation and classroom hardware support. It covers the classroom job fully, which is a smaller job than a shared whiteboard, and the site lists no online collaboration. | CLesson building, PDF and PowerPoint import and a document camera link. Student-device collaboration is a separate product, Lumio. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and start writing with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record, and it's lesson-building software tied to a board, which takes some getting used to. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, macOS and Linux programs only. No web, iOS or Android version is listed. | CWindows and macOS desktop only. No web or tablet version is listed. |
| Best for | a free classroom whiteboard on your own computer | lessons on a SMART Board |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: OpenBoard and SMART Notebook. How we grade
Price against what you get
OpenBoard has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SMART Notebook has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
OpenBoard scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than OpenBoard for less, and none scores higher than SMART Notebook for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- OpenBoard is open source, according to its own site.
- SMART Notebook also covers presentations.
At a glance
| OpenBoard | SMART Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no registration needed. | Described by the vendor as free with a SMART Board, with no subscription required. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | OpenBoard | SMART Technologies |
| Price read from | openboard.ch | smarttech.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SMART Notebook
- The vendor frames it as free with a SMART Board; the pages read do not give a price for the software on its own.
- Desktop only: Windows and macOS are the platforms named, with no web or tablet version listed.
- Collaboration across student devices is a separate product, Lumio.
Key features
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.
SMART Notebook
- Lesson creation
- Teachers build and deliver lessons on a SMART Board from desktop software.
- Object awareness
- The software is designed so a teacher can pick up a pen or eraser and start writing without changing a tool on screen.
- Content import
- PDF and PPT files and other curriculum content can be imported into lessons.
- Document camera link
- A SMART Document Camera can be connected to bring physical material into a lesson.
Plans
OpenBoard
Free$0
The full software, free to download and use under GPLv3.
SMART Notebook
With a SMART Board$0
Free with the purchase of a SMART Board; the vendor states no subscription is required.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenBoard or SMART Notebook?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both OpenBoard and SMART Notebook are free to use.
Which has a free plan, OpenBoard or SMART Notebook?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both OpenBoard and SMART Notebook have a free plan.
Which platforms do OpenBoard and SMART Notebook run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only OpenBoard lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.