# OpenBoard review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source interactive whiteboard software for classrooms Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. OpenBoard is cross-platform teaching software for interactive whiteboards, aimed at schools and universities. It works with an interactive whiteboard, with a pen-tablet display and projector, or on a computer alone. It is free, released under the GPLv3 license, and needs no registration. - **Category:** Whiteboards & Mind Maps - **Made by:** OpenBoard - **Website:** https://openboard.ch - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want live online collaboration, as none is listed. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenBoard is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no registration needed. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full software, free to download and use under GPLv3. | Read from https://openboard.ch/en on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with OpenBoard before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Teachers who want a free lesson-delivery whiteboard - Schools standardizing on open-source software ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. OpenBoard is a free, open-source whiteboard program for schools, built to run with an interactive whiteboard or a pen tablet. It is desktop only, has no online collaboration, and is maintained by a community with no paid support plan. - **Value for money: A.** Free to download and use under the GPLv3 licence, with no registration. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no cap a normal person would reach. - **Features: C.** Handwriting, 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. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record, but you install it and start writing with nothing to set up. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, macOS and Linux programs only. No web, iOS or Android version is listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OpenBoard's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among whiteboard and mind map tools - OpenBoard's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 53 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 5. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 61) and worst on features (C, above 0). - OpenBoard has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/whiteboards ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** OpenBoard is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 53 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade. - You could not: An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. - You could not: Hooks into the device itself: handwriting. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Whiteboard, Open source ## Alternatives - [SMART Notebook](https://toolgpa.com/tools/smart-notebook): Lesson-building software for SMART Board classroom displays. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/openboard-vs-smart-notebook) - [Explain Everything](https://toolgpa.com/tools/explain-everything): Teaching whiteboard with slides, video recording and collaboration. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/explain-everything-vs-openboard) - [Microsoft Whiteboard](https://toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-whiteboard): Free collaborative canvas built into Microsoft 365 and Teams. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/microsoft-whiteboard-vs-openboard) - [Ziteboard](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ziteboard): Lightweight online whiteboard for tutoring and live teamwork. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/openboard-vs-ziteboard) - [Limnu](https://toolgpa.com/tools/limnu): Freehand online whiteboard for quick sketching with others. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/limnu-vs-openboard) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://openboard.ch/en Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/openboard Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).