The OpenBoard Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about OpenBoard in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
OpenBoard
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source interactive whiteboard software for classrooms
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from OpenBoard’s own pages.
Made by OpenBoard · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from OpenBoard’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on OpenBoard’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 53 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about OpenBoard, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is desktop only, has no online collaboration, and is maintained by a community with no paid support plan.
- 1
Best for a free classroom whiteboard on your own computer
OpenBoard is a free, open-source whiteboard program for schools, built to run with an interactive whiteboard or a pen tablet.
- 2
It is free
OpenBoard has no paid plan at all. Free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no registration needed.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 4
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.
- 5
Handwriting and annotation
Teachers can write and annotate a course with a pen tablet, an interactive whiteboard or a mouse.
- 6
Windows, macOS and Linux
The project lists all three desktop systems as supported.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 53 of 61
That is against the other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
OpenBoard is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
OpenBoard at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- OpenBoard
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a free classroom whiteboard on your own computer
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who OpenBoard is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
OpenBoard is free to use.
Free outright, with no cap a normal person would reach.
Free
$0
The full software, free to download and use under GPLv3.
The free plan
Free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no registration needed.
Read from openboard.ch on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Free open-source interactive whiteboard software for classrooms. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, whiteboard.
Handwriting, annotation and classroom hardware support.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
OpenBoard is made by OpenBoard.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
53/61
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
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.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 62 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. OpenBoard’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 47 of 61
- AFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 61
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 61
- BEase of useAbove 45 of 61
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 61
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 55 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. OpenBoard is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
What you could not
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- Hooks into the device itself: handwriting.
What this rests on. OpenBoard’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
SMART Notebook, Explain Everything, Microsoft Whiteboard, Ziteboard and Limnu
The 5 tools OpenBoard is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
SMART Notebook
Free
Lesson-building software for SMART Board classroom displays.
- Only OpenBoard lists a Linux app.
- OpenBoard is open source, according to its own site.
- SMART Notebook also covers presentations.
- 2.2GPA
Explain Everything
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
Teaching whiteboard with slides, video recording and collaboration.
- Only OpenBoard lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Explain Everything lists a web app.
- Only Explain Everything lists iOS and Android apps.
- 3.4GPA
Microsoft Whiteboard
Free
Free collaborative canvas built into Microsoft 365 and Teams.
- Only OpenBoard lists macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Microsoft Whiteboard lists a web app.
- Only Microsoft Whiteboard lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.2GPA
Ziteboard
Free plan · from $9/mo
Lightweight online whiteboard for tutoring and live teamwork.
- Only OpenBoard lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Ziteboard lists a web app.
- Only Ziteboard lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.6GPA
Limnu
Free plan · from $5/mo
Freehand online whiteboard for quick sketching with others.
- Only OpenBoard lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Limnu lists a web app.
- Only Limnu lists an iOS app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is OpenBoard free?
Yes. OpenBoard is free to use.
How much does OpenBoard cost?
OpenBoard lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does OpenBoard work on?
OpenBoard is available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does OpenBoard have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. OpenBoard is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does OpenBoard have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. OpenBoard is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is OpenBoard open source?
Yes. OpenBoard is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes OpenBoard?
OpenBoard is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to OpenBoard?
The closest alternatives to OpenBoard in our directory are SMART Notebook, Explain Everything, Microsoft Whiteboard, Ziteboard and Limnu.
How does OpenBoard compare with other 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.
Is OpenBoard good value for money?
ToolGPA grades OpenBoard A for value for money. OpenBoard has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of OpenBoard?
OpenBoard is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from OpenBoard’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by OpenBoard. Prices change, so check openboard.ch before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- OpenBoard, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/openboard
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "OpenBoard: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/openboard
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/openboard/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded whiteboard and mind map tools after OpenBoard, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 62 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Whiteboard Insider's GuideFree collaborative canvas built into Microsoft 365 and Teams3.4 GPA
- draw.io Insider's GuideFree diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose3.2 GPA
- tldraw Insider's GuideFree online whiteboard with a local desktop app3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what OpenBoard’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. OpenBoard is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by OpenBoard. Prices and plans change: check openboard.ch before you buy.