The best brainstorming tool depends on how you think. For open-ended team sessions, an infinite whiteboard such as Miro, FigJam or Mural works best. For solo idea mapping, a mind map app such as MindMeister, Xmind or Coggle is faster. For collecting references and mood, Milanote fits. This guide covers twelve tools and a few everyday apps, and tells you what each one is good at.
One note first: Google Jamboard has been retired, so if an older article still lists it, skip it. Whiteboards such as FigJam and Miro, which appear below, are where most former Jamboard users went.
Whiteboard versus mind map: pick the shape first
Most brainstorming tools fall into two shapes, and choosing between them saves more time than comparing features.
- Whiteboards give you a free canvas with sticky notes, shapes, drawing and templates. They suit groups, workshops and messy early thinking.
- Mind maps start from one central idea and branch outward. They suit one person, or a small group, who wants structure as they go.
- Boards and notes collect text, images and links in one place. They suit gathering material before you decide anything.
Pick the shape that matches the session, then look at price and integrations.
Online whiteboards for group sessions
1. Miro
Miro is an online whiteboard with an effectively endless canvas. Teams add sticky notes, diagrams, images and documents, and work on the same board at the same time. It has a large template library covering brainstorming, retrospectives and planning, and it connects to common workplace apps.
Good for: remote teams and workshop leaders who want a flexible space with templates.
Watch for: new users can feel lost on a blank canvas, so start from a template. A free plan exists, with paid plans for larger teams. See Miro.
2. FigJam
FigJam is the whiteboard from Figma. It is built for quick, informal collaboration, with stickies, stamps, voting and a lightweight feel. Design teams that already use Figma find it easy to move between design files and brainstorms.
Good for: product and design teams, and anyone who wants a simple, friendly whiteboard. See FigJam.
3. Mural
Mural is a visual collaboration workspace aimed at facilitated sessions. It offers templates, voting, timers and facilitation tools, which makes it a fit for workshops where someone leads the group through steps.
Good for: facilitators, agencies and larger organizations running structured workshops. See Mural.
4. Lucidspark
Lucidspark is the whiteboard from Lucid, the company behind Lucidchart. It handles sticky notes, freehand drawing and voting, and it links to Lucidchart when an idea needs to become a formal diagram.
Good for: teams that go from brainstorm to flowchart or process diagram. See Lucid.
5. Whimsical
Whimsical combines whiteboards, flowcharts, wireframes, docs and mind maps in one app. The interface is clean and fast, and it is popular with product teams who want to sketch an idea and then document it in the same place.
Good for: product managers and small teams who want several formats in one tool. See Whimsical.
6. Excalidraw
Excalidraw is a free, open source virtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn look. You open it in the browser, start drawing and share a link to collaborate. It has no heavy setup, which makes it good for quick sketches.
Good for: developers, educators and anyone who wants a fast sketch without an account. See Excalidraw.
Mind mapping apps for structured thinking
7. MindMeister
MindMeister is an online mind mapping tool. You start with a central topic and add branches, with real-time collaboration and options to present a map as slides. It is part of the Meister family of tools, which includes task management.
Good for: students, writers and teams who think in branches. A free plan is available with limits on the number of maps. See MindMeister.
8. Xmind
Xmind is a mind mapping app with desktop and mobile versions. It offers many map structures, including logic charts and org charts, plus an outline view that turns a map into a list.
Good for: people who want to work offline or switch between map and outline views. See Xmind.
9. Coggle
Coggle makes simple, clean mind maps that you can build together in real time. It keeps a version history so you can see what changed, and it has a free plan.
Good for: beginners and groups who want a quick, uncluttered map. See Coggle.
10. Ayoa
Ayoa combines mind maps with task management and whiteboards. You can turn the branches of a map into tasks, which suits people who want to move straight from idea to action. Its focus on visual thinking has made it popular with teams and with neurodivergent users.
Good for: people who want a map and a to-do list in one app. See Ayoa.
Boards for collecting ideas and references
11. Stormboard
Stormboard is a digital whiteboard built around virtual sticky notes, with templates for common planning and brainstorming methods. It leans toward turning ideas into plans, with ways to group and score them.
Good for: teams who need a session to end with a ranked list. See Stormboard.
12. Milanote
Milanote is a board app for creative projects. You drop in notes, images, links and files and arrange them freely, much like a physical mood board. It is common among designers, writers and marketers.
Good for: collecting visual references and early concepts. See Milanote.
Everyday apps that work for quick brainstorms
You may not need a dedicated tool. Three apps you probably already use can handle a lot.
- Notion works as a shared notes and database space. It is a good home for the ideas you decide to keep.
- Trello uses cards and columns. Use a column per stage, such as new, shortlisted and chosen, to move ideas through a simple process.
- Google Keep captures quick notes and lists on your phone. It is handy when an idea shows up away from your desk.
Comparison table
| Tool | Shape | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Miro | Whiteboard | Remote workshops with templates |
| FigJam | Whiteboard | Design and product teams |
| Mural | Whiteboard | Facilitated sessions |
| Lucidspark | Whiteboard | Moving from ideas to diagrams |
| Whimsical | Whiteboard and docs | Several formats in one app |
| Excalidraw | Whiteboard | Fast, free sketching |
| MindMeister | Mind map | Branching ideas, teams |
| Xmind | Mind map | Offline use, outline view |
| Coggle | Mind map | Simple shared maps |
| Ayoa | Mind map and tasks | Idea to action |
| Stormboard | Sticky note board | Ranked outcomes |
| Milanote | Mood board | Visual references |
How to run a brainstorm that produces something
A good tool helps, but the session design matters more. A few habits make the difference.
- State one question. “How might we get more members to post in their first week?” works better than “ideas for growth”.
- Write alone first. Give everyone a few minutes to add notes silently before anyone talks. It stops the loudest voice from setting the direction.
- Separate making ideas from judging them. Collect first, group second, vote third.
- Cluster, then vote. Group similar notes, name each group, and let people vote with a fixed number of dots.
- End with owners. Every chosen idea gets a name and a next step before the session closes.
How to pick a tool
- Group size. A free plan works for one person or a small group. Larger teams usually need a paid plan for more boards or members.
- Where your team already works. A tool that connects to your chat and project apps will get used. One that needs a new login gets forgotten.
- Template quality. Templates save the first ten minutes of every session.
- Export. Check that you can export boards as images, PDFs or text. Ideas should not be trapped.
- Mobile use. If ideas arrive on the go, test the phone app before you commit.
Using a brainstorm tool with people outside your company
Clients, students and customers often join a board as guests. Before you invite them, check whether the tool lets guests view or comment without making an account, and whether you can lock parts of the board so nobody moves your frame by accident. Share a link only after you have removed anything private. It sounds minor, but a messy shared board is the quickest way to make a client session feel unprepared.
Techniques worth trying in any tool
The tool is the canvas. The method decides what you paint on it. Four simple methods work in every app above.
- Brainwriting. Everyone writes ideas on their own notes for five minutes, then the group reads them together. It gives quiet people the same airtime as confident ones.
- Crazy eights. Fold a sheet into eight panels, or draw eight boxes on the board, and sketch eight rough ideas in eight minutes. The time limit forces you past the obvious first answer.
- SCAMPER. Take an existing product or process and ask what you could substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate or reverse. It works well when you improve something instead of starting fresh.
- Reverse brainstorming. Ask “how could we make this worse?” Then flip each answer into a fix. It is a good way to surface risks that a positive session misses.
Remote sessions versus in-room sessions
Online whiteboards were built for remote work, but they help in the room too. Put the board on a shared screen and let people add notes from their own laptops, so nobody has to walk to a wall. For remote groups, agree on a few rules first: cameras on or off, who facilitates, how long each phase lasts, and how people signal they want to speak. A timer on the board keeps phases honest. After the session, export the board and share it with a short summary, because a link to a busy canvas is hard for anyone who was not there to read.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free brainstorming tool?
Excalidraw is free and needs no account, and Coggle, MindMeister, Miro and Whimsical offer free plans with limits. Pick based on the shape: Excalidraw for sketches, Coggle or MindMeister for mind maps, Miro for team whiteboards.
What is the difference between a whiteboard and a mind map tool?
A whiteboard is a free canvas for notes, shapes and drawings. A mind map starts from a central idea and branches outward in a fixed structure. Use a whiteboard for messy group thinking and a mind map for organizing one topic.
What happened to Google Jamboard?
Google retired Jamboard. If you used it, FigJam, Miro, Mural and Excalidraw are common places to move your boards.
Which brainstorming tool is best for remote teams?
Miro, FigJam and Mural are all built for real-time remote work, with cursors, comments, voting and timers. Choose the one your team already has a login for, or the one with templates that match your sessions.
Can I brainstorm alone with these tools?
Yes. Mind map apps such as MindMeister, Xmind and Coggle are especially good for solo work, and Milanote suits collecting references on your own.
How do I keep a brainstorm from turning into a long list nobody uses?
End with a vote and an owner for each chosen idea. Without owners, a board of sticky notes just sits there. Cluster the notes, vote, and assign next steps before everyone leaves.
Do I need a dedicated tool, or are notes enough?
Notes are enough for quick personal ideas. A dedicated tool helps when several people contribute at once, when you need voting, or when you want the board to become a map, diagram or plan.
Wrap-up
Pick one tool from the list and run one session this week around a single clear question. If it helps you reach decisions, keep it. If not, try a different shape: a mind map instead of a whiteboard, or a plain shared note. For more ways to organize your work, see our roundups of writing apps for productivity and creativity, productivity tool alternatives and AI tools for research.