The Parabol Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Parabol 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.
Parabol
The Insider’s Guide
Retrospectives, standups and sprint poker for agile teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from Parabol’s own pages.
Made by Parabol · checked Nov 13, 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 Parabol’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Parabol’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 58 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
Parabol is a meeting tool for agile teams that runs retrospectives, standups, check-ins and sprint poker, either live or asynchronously. It ships with more than 90 meeting templates, adds AI discussion prompts and summaries, and has a Team Health check built in. The vendor lists its code as open source.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Parabol, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You choose templates and set up teams before the first meeting.
- 1
Best for retros, standups and sprint poker in one app
Parabol runs retrospectives, standups, check-ins and sprint poker, live or asynchronously, with 90-plus templates and AI summaries.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $8 per active user / month.
- 3
There is a free plan
Starter: up to 2 teams, 10 meetings per month, unlimited users and 30 days of meeting history.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Retrospectives
Teams add anonymous suggestions, group them, vote and create tasks as they go, with discussion threads that document the conversation.
- 6
Other meeting formats
Standups, team check-ins and sprint poker run in the same app, and more than 90 meeting templates are included.
- 7
Team Health checks
Recurring, research-backed health checks with anonymous answers and trends. The vendor lists it on the Team and Enterprise plans.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 58 of 98
That is against the other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Parabol you could make: templates and tasks. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Parabol at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8 per active user / month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Parabol
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for retros, standups and sprint poker in one app
Parabol runs retrospectives, standups, check-ins and sprint poker, live or asynchronously, with 90-plus templates and AI summaries. The free Starter plan covers 2 teams and 10 meetings a month, and Team costs $8 per active user, with SSO and SCIM held for Enterprise.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $8 per active user a month, which is the category's middle, and it rises with how many people take part. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Starter is free for up to 2 teams, 10 meetings a month and unlimited users, with 30 days of history. One team could live on it. |
| Features | B | Retros, standups, sprint poker, Team Health checks and AI prompts, plus links to the backlog tools. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the meeting job. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You choose templates and set up teams before the first meeting. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, but it connects to Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Linear, Azure DevOps, Slack, Teams and Mattermost. |
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 Parabol is for
- Fits if your agile team wants retros, standups and poker in one app
- Works for small groups, since the free plan allows unlimited users
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay free: 2 teams, 10 meetings a month and 30 days of history
- Pricey if many people join, as Team is billed per active user
- Skip it if you need SAML SSO, SCIM or Jira Data Center, all Enterprise only
- Watch out: no desktop or mobile apps are listed on the pages we read
Good to know
Good for
- Agile teams that want one app for retros, standups and sprint poker
- Small organizations: the free plan allows unlimited users
- Regulated organizations that want SSO, SCIM or private hosting
Worth knowing
- The free Starter plan is limited to 2 teams and 10 meetings per month, with 30 days of history.
- The Team plan is priced per active user per month, so the bill moves with how many people take part.
- SAML SSO, SCIM and the Jira Data Center and self-managed GitLab integrations are Enterprise only.
- Parabol runs in a browser; the pages read list no desktop or mobile apps.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Parabol has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8 per active user / month.
Starter
$0
Up to 2 teams, 10 meetings per month, 30 days of history, 2 custom templates and 3 AI retrospective summaries.
Team
$8
per active user / month, billed monthly
Unlimited teams, meetings, history and custom templates, private teams, Team Health, AI summaries and icebreakers.
Enterprise
Custom
Annual contract with user tiers, SAML SSO, SCIM, org admin role, uptime SLA and optional on-prem or single-tenant hosting.
The free plan
Starter: up to 2 teams, 10 meetings per month, unlimited users and 30 days of meeting history.
Read from parabol.co on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Retrospectives, standups and sprint poker for agile teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, AI features, real-time collaboration, templates, tasks.
Retros, standups, sprint poker, Team Health checks and AI prompts, plus links to the backlog tools.
- Retrospectives
- Teams add anonymous suggestions, group them, vote and create tasks as they go, with discussion threads that document the conversation.
- Other meeting formats
- Standups, team check-ins and sprint poker run in the same app, and more than 90 meeting templates are included.
- Team Health checks
- Recurring, research-backed health checks with anonymous answers and trends. The vendor lists it on the Team and Enterprise plans.
- AI assistance
- AI discussion prompts and related discussions are on every plan; meeting summaries, group suggestions and icebreakers are on the paid plans.
- Backlog and chat integrations
- Tasks can be sent to Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Linear or Azure DevOps, and meeting reminders and summaries can go to Slack, Microsoft Teams or Mattermost.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Jira
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Linear
- Azure DevOps
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Mattermost
Parabol is made by Parabol.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
58/98
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
Parabol's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 58 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on features (B, above 77 of 98) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $8 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 34 of the 69 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 6 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Parabol’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 11 of 98
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
- BFeaturesAbove 77 of 98
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 98
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 35 of 98
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 88 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Parabol 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
The plain part of Parabol you could make: templates and tasks. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $96 a year. Parabol is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Templates and tasks: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Jira, GitHub and GitLab among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Parabol’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
Retrium, EasyRetro, Miro, Mural and Stormboard
The 5 tools Parabol is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Retrium
Free trial · from $39/mo
Facilitated sprint retrospectives for agile teams.
- Parabol has a free plan. Retrium does not, though it has a free trial.
- Parabol is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
EasyRetro
Free plan · from $23/mo
Online boards for sprint retrospectives.
- Parabol is open source, according to its own site.
- Parabol also covers tasks.
- EasyRetro also covers surveys.
- 3.0GPA
Miro
Free plan · from $8/mo
Online whiteboard for team brainstorming, diagrams and planning.
- Only Miro lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Parabol is open source, according to its own site.
- Parabol also covers tasks.
- 2.6GPA
Mural
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Online whiteboard with built-in facilitation tools for workshops.
- Only Mural lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Parabol is open source, according to its own site.
- Parabol also covers tasks.
- 2.6GPA
Stormboard
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
Sticky-note digital whiteboard with built-in reports.
- Only Stormboard lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Parabol is open source, according to its own site.
- Stormboard also covers whiteboard and reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Parabol free?
Parabol has a free plan. Starter: up to 2 teams, 10 meetings per month, unlimited users and 30 days of meeting history.
How much does Parabol cost?
Parabol lists 3 plans. Starter: $0.
What platforms does Parabol work on?
Parabol is available on Web.
Does Parabol have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Parabol is listed for Web.
Does Parabol have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Parabol is listed for Web.
Is Parabol open source?
Yes. Parabol is open source, according to its own site.
What does Parabol integrate with?
Parabol's listing names Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Linear, Azure DevOps, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Mattermost.
Who makes Parabol?
Parabol is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Parabol?
The closest alternatives to Parabol in our directory are Retrium, EasyRetro, Miro, Mural and Stormboard.
How does Parabol compare with other whiteboard and mind map tools?
Parabol's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 58 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 16.
Is Parabol good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Parabol C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 34 of the 69 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Parabol?
The plain part of Parabol you could make: templates and tasks. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Parabol’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Parabol's own pages on 13 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 Parabol. Prices change, so check parabol.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Parabol, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/parabol
- 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, "Parabol: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/parabol
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/parabol/guide
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See our other guides
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- Whiteboards & Mind Maps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 99 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, compared
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- 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 Parabol’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. Parabol is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Parabol. Prices and plans change: check parabol.co before you buy.