Alternatives to Miro now span everything from doc-first tools that keep brainstorming lightweight, to design-native whiteboards, to sketchy diagramming canvases and newer “text-to-diagram” approaches. Teams tend to split along a familiar line: some want a visual canvas for sticky-note thinking, while others want the fastest path from ideas to written decisions.
FigJam
FigJam stands out when brainstorming is tightly coupled to the design workflow. Teams already living in Figma often treat FigJam as the natural place to do quick sticky-note sessions, since it helps
reduce the number of tools we are using rather than adding another whiteboard platform to the stack.
It’s also a strong fit for groups who only occasionally need a whiteboard: the same setup that handles design handoff can handle a quick ideation board without changing contexts.
Best for
- Design orgs standardized on Figma
- Teams that want “good enough” whiteboarding without adding another standalone tool
- Occasional sticky-note brainstorms and lightweight workshops
Notion
Notion also pairs well with meeting-centric tools; if your team already has breakout rooms and facilitation features elsewhere, you may not need a separate whiteboard just to capture thoughts.
Best for
- Text-first brainstorming that becomes specs, briefs, or documentation
- Teams that don’t actually need sticky-note canvases very often
- Knowledge-base-centric workflows where ideas must live on as readable pages
Excalidraw
Excalidraw is a favorite for people who want diagrams to feel like sketching: fast, informal, and low-friction. Some users keep it close to their notes by using
excalidraw inside obsidian, which makes it easy to brainstorm visually without moving out of a personal knowledge system.
Best for
- Lightweight diagramming and collaborative sketching
- Teams that like a “hand-drawn” aesthetic for flows and concepts
- Obsidian users who want diagrams embedded alongside notes
NodeLand
NodeLand is built around a specific pain point: many teams ideate in whiteboards and then immediately jump into docs to finish the thought. Its pitch is eliminating that split by keeping visual thinking and documentation together, so you don’t lose momentum to tab-switching—framed as solving the moment when you brainstorm in Miro/Mural but need to continue in Google Docs, Notion, or Confluence
just to continue the thought.
Best for
- Teams that want brainstorming and documentation in one continuous workspace
- Workshops that must end in a structured deliverable (not just a canvas)
- Cross-functional groups tired of duplicating content between boards and docs
Splotch
For teams that already brainstorm in documents, this flips the usual workflow—diagrams become a byproduct of clear writing rather than a separate artifact to maintain.
Best for
- Live system/process diagramming driven by written descriptions
- Teams that want diagrams to stay in sync with evolving notes
- Fast iteration during brainstorms without “drawing overhead”
