Category: Collaboration

WBO
  • Collaborative boards
Collaborative whiteboard software. Basic writing and drawing tools on anonymous surface.

Collaborative whiteboard software. Basic writing and drawing tools: Ellipses, rectangles, lines of various thickness; one font, ten colours. Generate private boards with UUID in URL, or with (guessable) chosen name; self-hosted or use the demo server (with no data-retention nor -protection policy described, hence not GDPR-compliant).

Open source, free of charge, no registration needed. Released 2020.

  • "Tested; Not yet rated."
  • no registration
  • open source
  • sufficiently free
Reetro
  • Collaborative boards
  • Project management
Specific tool for SCRUM retrospective meetings. Private provider, free of charge, registration required.

Specific tool for SCRUM retrospective meetings which were managed elsewhere (Trello, KanbanFlow, JIRA, …), with action tracker, polls and health checks. SSO/two-factor authentication and secure (ISO 27001), but registration required (hence not GDPR).

Private provider, free of charge, registration required. Released 2021.

  • "Tested; Not yet rated."
  • sufficiently free
Scrumblr
  • Collaborative boards
  • Project management
Simple collaborative Kanban board; two types of notes, coloured by user. Open source, free of charge, no registration needed. Released 2011.

Simple collaborative Kanban board; two types of notes, coloured by user (eight colours), single (black) font. Not clear how many users possible, no stated data security policy. Looks good but very limited.

Open source, free of charge, no registration needed. Released 2011.

  • "Tested; Not yet rated."
  • no registration
  • open source
  • sufficiently free
DrawChat
  • Collaborative boards
Collaborative whiteboard software focused on drawing options. Free of charge, GDPR compliant, no registration needed. Released 2017.

Collaborative whiteboard software focused on drawing options. Background is colour, a PDF, or an Openstreetview map. Many freehand drawing options, plus boxes and ellipses. First user is admin, who can ban/unban others via chat.

A few unusual options in chat (YouTube player, random dice throw generator), presumably from a specific gaming need of authors. Boards get deleted after 30 days of disuse, or on request. A few bugs (e.g., map not changeable).

Free of charge, GDPR compliant, no registration needed. Released 2017.

  • "Tested; Not yet rated."
  • GDPR
  • no registration
  • sufficiently free
OnTheSamePage
  • Collaborative boards
Collaborative whiteboard software allowing only text and black-and-white drawings. Free of charge, without registration. Released around 2017.

Collaborative whiteboard software. Black-and-white drawings only (with mouse/stylus/pointer) and text (keyboard input). Boards have a random URL. Probably GDPR compatible but doesn’t explicitly claim so. Only two simultaneous users allowed per board in free version, but more seemed no problem in testing.

Free of charge, without registration. Released around 2017.

  • "Tested; Not yet rated."
  • no registration
  • sufficiently free
Ideaflip
  • Collaborative boards
  • Project management
Create fixed-size diagrams from sticky notes, together. Used to be free tool, registration required for owner.

Collaboratively create diagrams from sticky notes, on fixed-size boards. Several shapes and colours of sticky notes, which can be turned into diagrams with connectors (arrows) and icons. In Pro version, visitors don’t have to register (just choose a screen name) and are able to edit.

A variety of templates are available (Kanban, SWOT, retrospectives, breakout groups, … ); custom templates in Pro version.

Used to be free tool, registration required for owner. Released 2011.

  • "Tested; Not yet rated."
    Mural
    • Collaborative boards
    • Project management
    Collaborative board with many templates Commercial provider, registration required.

    Collaborative board with extensive template options (Kanban, mind map, SWOT, flowchart, …), fixed or infinite size. Text, tables, sticky notes, all flowchart shapes and connectors, 200 icons, images, etc. View-only link can be set to expire, visitor password can be required. Chat, timer and voting options. Can show all cursors, or broadcast owner’s.

    Commercial provider, registration required to edit (view-only access with just a screen name). Released 2010.

    • "Tested; Not yet rated."
    • sufficiently free
    HedgeDoc
    • Collaborative documents
    Create and edit documents (using Markdown, flow and bar charts, maths, … ) together.
    Create and edit documents (using Markdown for text formatting, flow charts and sequence diagrams, Mathjax, bar charts, … ) together.

    Free, open source tool, GDPR-compliant but requiring login via TUM (SSO) or self-hosted instance. This project is a fork of a fork: HackMD released 2015, from which CodiMD forked 2017, from which HedgeDoc forked 2018.

    • "Tested; Not yet rated."
    • GDPR
    • open source
    • sufficiently free
    • TUM
    Cryptpad
    • Collaborative documents
    Collaborative usable office suite (e.g. texts, code, spreadsheets, whiteboard, markdown slides, diagrams, or kanban boards).

    Collaborative usable office suite (e.g. texts, code, spreadsheets, whiteboard, markdown slides, diagrams, or kanban boards).

    Open source, privacy by design, usable without registration (but registration needed to upload files). Hosted by TUM at https://cryptpad.rbg.tum.de/. Released 2014.

    • "Tested; Not yet rated."
    • GDPR
    • no registration
    • open source
    • sufficiently free
    • TUM
    Spatial.chat
    • Collaborative boards
    • Live chat
    • Presentations
    • Quiz/ survey
    • Video conferencing
    Videoconferencing system focusing on online event/group work.

    Videoconferencing system focusing on online event/group work. Virtual space “Proximity chat”, where participants move their avatars close to allow chatting; environment is a collaborative board so you can put any type of material or decoration.

    Private provider, cost scaling by participants ($300 for up to 25, $500 for up to 100, etc) registration required. Released 2020.

    • "Tested; Not yet rated."
      Kumospace
      • Collaborative boards
      • Live chat
      • Video conferencing
      Video conferencing system focused on online event/group work.

      Video conferencing system focused on online event/group work. Virtual space       “Proximity chat”, where participants move their avatars close to allow chatting; an open office type environment with chairs and plants to make physical breakout rooms (with whiteboards, games like chess, virtual TVs, … ).

      Private provider, not GDPR compliant (except Enterprise plan), free of charge up to 50 participants, registration required. Released 2021.

      • "Tested; Not yet rated."
      • sufficiently free
      Trember
      • Collaborative documents
      • Video conferencing
      Video conferencing system focusing on online event/group work.

      Video conferencing system focusing on online event/group work. Virtual space “Proximity chat”, where participants move their avatars close to allow chatting; an open office type environment with chairs and plants to make physical breakout rooms (with whiteboards, games like chess, virtual TVs, … ).

      Private provider, GDPR conform, free of charge up to 25 participants, registration required. Released 2019(?).

      • "Tested; Not yet rated."
        Taskcards
        • Collaborative boards
        • Communicate with students
        • Other
        • Presentations
        Pinboard, either collaborative or for instructor to put information and tasks on.

        Pinboard, mainly intended for a teacher to present information (images, videos, text, links, …) and tasks. The students then have only reading permission, except where the teacher has inserted a commentary field or a rating field (with stars, or thumbs up/down). But alternatively, a board can be cooperative if you invite others and give them write permissions. Boards can be chosen to be public or private.

        Commercial provider, free basic version, registration required. Since 2021.

        • "Tested; Not yet rated."
        • GDPR
        • sufficiently free
        Wakelet
        • Collaborative boards
        • Create learning material
        Pinboard, either collaborative or for teacher to put tasks and resources on.

        Pinboard, mainly intended for a teacher to present information (images, videos, text, links, …) and tasks. The students then have only reading permission, except where the teacher has inserted a commentary or ‘like’ button. Integrations with many other services.

        Commercial provider, free basic version, registration required. Since 2010.

        • "Tested; Not yet rated."
        • open source
        • sufficiently free