SMART Notebook vs Ziteboard (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Ziteboard grades higher than SMART Notebook: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Ziteboard grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SMART Notebook
Lesson-building software for SMART Board classroom displays
Ziteboard
Lightweight online whiteboard for tutoring and live teamwork
Which one is for you
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
Pick Ziteboard if
- Fits if you run live lessons and need math tools on the board
- Works for tutors who share a board link
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with 3 owned boards and public boards only
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $9 against $85 for the year
- Watch out: letting people in without registration needs a paid add-on on top of Pro
- Watch out: payment is through PayPal, with bank transfer only on request
How we grade them
| 1.8GPASMART NotebookWeak | 2.2GPAZiteboardFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CMonthly Pro is $9, or $85 a year, which is about $7.08 a month. That's around the middle of what whiteboards charge. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo standalone free plan or trial is stated. The software is free only as part of a SMART Board purchase. | CA free Starter plan with 3 owned boards, public boards only and limited data traffic. |
| Features | CLesson building, PDF and PowerPoint import and a document camera link. Student-device collaboration is a separate product, Lumio. | CFreehand drawing, shape recognition, math tools, import and live chat. Private boards, full PDF import and backup export are Pro. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and it's lesson-building software tied to a board, which takes some getting used to. | CNo store rating on record. The homepage and the FAQ disagree about whether there are native apps. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and macOS desktop only. No web or tablet version is listed. | BWeb, iOS and Android plus a Chrome extension, WordPress and an enterprise API. No desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | lessons on a SMART Board | a simple tutoring whiteboard |
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: SMART Notebook and Ziteboard. How we grade
Price against what you get
SMART Notebook has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ziteboard starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3.
Ziteboard scores higher, and starts $9 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than SMART Notebook for less, and 16 score higher than Ziteboard 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
- SMART Notebook also covers presentations.
At a glance
| SMART Notebook | Ziteboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $9 per month, billed monthly ($85 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | Described by the vendor as free with a SMART Board, with no subscription required. | Starter plan: 3 boards owned, unlimited shared boards and collaborators, 3 basic colors, low-resolution images and first-page PDF import. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | SMART Technologies | Ziteboard |
| Price read from | smarttech.com | ziteboard.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Ziteboard
- The Starter plan allows 3 owned boards, public boards only, and limits data traffic unless a Pro user is on the board.
- Inviting people to a board without registration needs a paid anonymous whiteboard add-on on top of a Pro plan.
- The homepage mentions apps for iPad and Android, while the FAQ says no native app is needed; the Android listing is on Google Play.
- Payment is currently through PayPal, with bank transfer available on request.
Key features
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.
Ziteboard
- Realtime collaboration
- Unlimited people can share a board live. An integrated chat adds text, audio and video, and the video runs peer to peer.
- Math tools
- A formula editor takes LaTeX or a virtual keyboard, and a graph plotter and interactive compass cover functions and geometry.
- Drawing helpers
- Freehand strokes are smoothed, and rough circles and other shapes are recognized and redrawn. Sticky notes are included.
- Image and PDF import
- Images can be dragged in, and PDF pages or page ranges imported. Free accounts get lower-resolution images and the first PDF page.
- Export
- Boards export as PNG, SVG or PDF; a backup export is a paid feature.
Plans
SMART Notebook
With a SMART Board$0
Free with the purchase of a SMART Board; the vendor states no subscription is required.
Ziteboard
Starter$0
3 owned boards, unlimited collaborators, public boards only, limited data traffic, low-resolution image import.
One Week Pro$5
one-time payment for one week
All Pro features for a week: unlimited boards, private boards, audio and video chat, custom colors.
Monthly Pro$9
per month, billed monthly
Unlimited boards, private boards, custom colors, highlighter pens, HQ images, full PDF import, backup export and audio and video chat.
Annual Pro$85
per year
The Monthly Pro features, billed once a year.
Teams$8
per user / month for 2-5 users, billed monthly
Pro features for the whole team. Per-user price falls with team size and period: $4.50 at 21-100 users billed yearly.
EnterpriseCustom
Quoted by email: REST API, white label license, single sign-on, encryption and a dedicated server.
Ways to pay less
SMART Notebook
No public discounts listed.
Ziteboard
- Other savings
Team discounts for longer periods
The team price per user drops with team size and with 6-month, 1-year or 2-year periods, from $8 to $4.50 per user a month on the page's table.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SMART Notebook or Ziteboard?
As of Nov 12, 2026, SMART Notebook is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for Ziteboard. SMART Notebook is free, and Ziteboard starts at $9 per month, billed monthly ($85 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, SMART Notebook or Ziteboard?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both SMART Notebook and Ziteboard have a free plan.
Which platforms do SMART Notebook and Ziteboard run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only SMART Notebook lists macOS and Windows apps and only Ziteboard lists a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. 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.