Why digital whiteboards?

Whether you’re interested in blended learning, the flipped classroom, remote teaching, or differentiated instruction, technology is a necessity in most classrooms. It gives students direct access to content, which frees the teacher for facilitation, feedback, and deeper learning tasks.

iPads function exceptionally well in this capacity, and one of their talents is to function as a digital whiteboard. Whether you want to lead an in-person class through the iPad screen, or you need remote access for e-learners or school-to-school programs, you’ve got options.

Below are eight current digital whiteboard apps—each with different strengths. The best way to know what fits is to try them against your goals, devices, and workflow.

Current Digital Whiteboard Tools

• Explain Everything — Full-featured whiteboard with recording, annotation, and real-time collaboration; strong for flipped lessons and asynchronous walkthroughs. Website.
• Microsoft Whiteboard — Collaborative canvas integrated with Microsoft 365/Teams; cross-platform with templates and reactions. Learn more.
• ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard — iPad-friendly whiteboard for recording mini-lessons and student explainers; easy voiceover and image import. App Store.
• Whiteboard.fi — Teacher dashboard + individual student boards for quick checks for understanding; simple link-based access. Overview.
• Canva Whiteboards (Education) — Collaborative boards with sticky notes, images, and timers; included with Canva for Education tiers. Whiteboards.
• FigJam (Figma) — Infinite canvas for brainstorming and planning; reactions, stamps, and templates; free edu plans available. FigJam.
• Miro — Powerful “infinite canvas” collaboration with robust template library; great for PBL and cross-class projects. Whiteboard.
• Lucidspark — Brainstorming-oriented boards with voting, timers, and breakout spaces; integrates with common EDU workflows. Website.

How to choose (quick criteria)

• Student access: link-only vs account required; roster sync and privacy.
• Device mix: Chromebooks, iPads, Windows/macOS; touch/pen support.
• Collaboration: teacher view of all boards; breakout rooms; reactions.
• Integrations: LMS (e.g., Google Classroom, Canvas), Microsoft 365, Drive.
• Templates & export: PDFs/images; version history; easy archiving.
• Pricing & data: free edu tiers; COPPA/FERPA considerations.

Jamboard retirement (migration note)

Google Jamboard was retired on December 31, 2024. Export any legacy Jams (PDF/PNG) and transition to current platforms such as FigJam, Lucidspark, Miro, Microsoft Whiteboard, or Explain Everything.

Quick classroom tips

• Use individual student boards (e.g., Whiteboard.fi) for rapid formative assessment.
• Pre-load templates (timers, discussion frames, T-charts) to reduce transition time.
• Keep a “clean copy” of each board and duplicate per class section for easy archiving.
• When bandwidth is tight, favor lightweight tools or local workflows (e.g., record once, share later).