
WBO
A free, open-source online whiteboard for drawing together in real time, self-hostable.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 4
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About WBO
WBO is a minimal open-source whiteboard for drawing together in the browser. There is no account or sign-up: you either join the busy public board, create a private board with a random name that only people with the link can reach, or create a named board at a custom address. Everyone connected sees strokes appear in real time on a large canvas, and board contents are saved on the server so you can come back later. Tools are basic: pencil, lines, rectangles, ellipses, text, an eraser, a hand tool and zoom, with export to an image. Because the code is open source, schools, companies and hobbyists often run their own instance with Docker, which keeps drawings on their own servers. The hosted site is free and community-run. It has no templates, sticky notes, permissions or integrations, and anyone with a board link can edit it, so it suits quick sketches, tutoring and casual collaboration rather than structured work.
Best for: Teachers, tinkerers and teams wanting a free shared drawing board they can self-host.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free with no account needed
- Open source and easy to self-host
- Real-time drawing with link sharing
Why people leave
- Very basic tools, no sticky notes or templates
- Anyone with the link can edit
- No integrations
Top WBO alternatives
See all 4- 1
Excalidraw66.5Open-source too, with shapes, libraries and end-to-end encrypted sharing.
- 2
tldraw62.6A more polished free canvas with smooth drawing.
- 3
OpenBoard59.6Free open-source desktop whiteboard for classroom displays.
- 4
Ziteboard57.2Simple hosted board with apps and video chat for tutoring.
Why people left WBO
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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WBO: common questions
Is WBO free?
Yes. WBO is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is WBO open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at lovasoa/whitebophir. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does WBO run on?
WBO is available for Web and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to WBO?
The highest-ranked WBO alternatives right now are Excalidraw, tldraw and OpenBoard. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.