18 of the best visual collaboration tools for designing and building together

Building great products is a team effort, but most tools are built for individuals. You design in one place, document in another, and present somewhere else entirely. By the time a decision gets made, the context behind it is scattered across four apps. Visual collaboration tools bring that context into one shared space, so the work speaks for itself.

This guide covers 18 of the best visual collaboration tools across whiteboarding, design, diagramming, project management, and presentation, so you can find what fits your team’s workflow.

Read on to learn:

• 18 tools across whiteboarding, design, diagramming, and project visualization
• What to look for when you’re choosing between them

Whiteboarding and brainstorming tools

Whiteboarding tools give product and design teams a shared canvas to think out loud before they build. Whether that’s mapping a user journey, running a retro, or making sense of a brainstorm, this is where most visual collaboration begins.

1. FigJam

Ideal for: Brainstorming, workshops, and collaborative planning before design begins

FigJam is an online collaborative whiteboard, built for the moments before a design file exists. Teams can brainstorm together, using sticky notes, diagrams, comments, votes, and reactions to build on each other’s thinking in real time. It works just as well for a quick async brainstorm as it does for a live workshop with 20 people.

Because FigJam lives inside the same platform as Figma Design, ideas move directly into a design file, keeping the full context of how a concept developed intact. Plus, the Asana and Jira plugins let teams create and track tasks directly from the board.

Figma’s MCP server integration lets you generate wireframes and architecture maps using production UI and codebase context. Once a brainstorm wraps up, teams can use AI to turn the FigJam board into a Figma Slides deck for stakeholder presentations and embed Figma Make prototypes directly in the board. That way, everyone can interact with a working concept in the same space where the idea started.

Key features

• Infinite canvas. A freeform workspace that scales to any brainstorm, workshop, or planning session without running out of room.
• Template library. Dozens of ready-to-use templates for retros, user journey maps, flowcharts, and more.
• AI clustering and summarization. Automatically groups sticky notes and summarizes themes so teams can move from raw ideas to clear direction faster.
• Figma Design integration. Move ideas from the whiteboard directly into a design file, preserving full context.

2. Miro

Ideal for: Cross-functional planning and alignment in tool-heavy organizations

Miro is a popular visual collaboration platform for enterprises, and its integration depth is a big reason why. Jira, Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and dozens of other connectors make it easy. If your team runs agile ceremonies, sprint planning, or cross-functional workshops, Miro has a template library that covers most of those use cases out of the box.

It’s worth noting where Miro’s workflow ends, though. It works well for planning and alignment, but teams that need to move from a whiteboard session into high-fidelity design and developer handoff will find themselves switching tools to finish the job.

Key features

• Third-party integrations. Connects with Jira, Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and 100+ other tools natively.
• Template library. Covers agile ceremonies, sprint planning, brainstorming, and strategic planning workshops.
• Enterprise security controls. Org-level permissions, SSO, and compliance features built for large distributed teams.

3. Mural

Ideal for: Running structured workshops and facilitated sessions with distributed teams

Where most whiteboarding tools hand you a blank canvas and get out of the way, Mural is built around the facilitator. Its Facilitation Superpowers features let session leaders guide participants through structured exercises and keep distributed teams focused without the usual chaos of a free-for-all brainstorm.

As visual collaboration software goes, Mural skews more toward the facilitation layer than the design layer. Teams that need their whiteboard to connect into a design and development workflow will likely need additional tools alongside it.

Key features

• Facilitation Superpowers. Timed activities and guided session tools that help facilitators keep distributed teams on track.
• Design thinking templates. Pre-built frameworks for design sprints, retrospectives, empathy mapping, and more.
• Guest access. Invite external collaborators into a session without requiring a paid seat.

4. Microsoft Whiteboard

Ideal for: Quick internal brainstorms and meeting collaboration within Microsoft 365

Microsoft Whiteboard is the lowest-friction entry point for organizations already running on Teams, Office, and SharePoint. You can launch it directly inside a Teams meeting, so there’s no separate subscription to manage or new tool for participants to learn. It gets the job done for quick, collaborative internal sessions.

Teams doing serious UX work or needing structured facilitation will hit their limits quickly. But for organizations deep in the Microsoft ecosystem that need a whiteboard available at a moment’s notice, it’s a practical default.

Key features

• Teams integration. Launches directly inside Microsoft Teams meetings without requiring a separate login or subscription.
• Sticky notes and ink tools. Basic drawing and annotation features for capturing ideas during live sessions.
• Microsoft 365 sync. Boards save automatically to OneDrive and stay accessible across the Microsoft suite.

5. Conceptboard

Ideal for: Bridging brainstorming and project execution in one workspace

Conceptboard sits at the intersection of whiteboarding and project management. Teams can brainstorm on a shared canvas and move straight into execution, with task management and structured comment threads built directly into the same workspace.

This tool makes the most sense if keeping planning and execution connected matters more than deep design capabilities. Action items, owners, and deadlines live right next to the ideas that generated them, which keeps planning sessions actionable.

Key features

• Task management. Create and assign tasks directly from the board without switching to a separate project management tool.
• Structured comment threads. Feedback stays organized and tied to specific areas of the canvas.
• Real-time collaboration. Different team members can work on the board at the same time with live cursor visibility.

Design and prototyping tools

Once the whiteboards and sticky notes have done their job, you’ll need creative collaboration tools to start building. These tools are where you trade rough sketches for pixel-level precision, building out interactive prototypes and design systems that act as your team’s source of truth.

6. Figma Design

Ideal for: Building production-ready products in a shared environment

Figma Design is where cross-functional product teams do their best collaborative work. The multiplayer editing model lets designers, product managers, and developers work on the same file at the same time. That turns the design process into a continuous conversation, keeping the whole team aligned as the product takes shape.

When you need a working concept fast, you can start with Figma Make. It turns natural language prompts into editable, high-fidelity prototypes to help you validate ideas. You can pull these AI-generated drafts directly into Figma Design to riff, refine, and iterate with your team in real time.

As the design matures, Dev Mode and Code Connect keep the momentum going through the build. Developers can inspect elements, grab production-ready code snippets, and export assets without needing a separate handoff document.

With design systems, you can scale that work across multiple teams. Shared components, variables, and styles are your universal source of truth across every file, keeping your product and brand in sync.

Key features

• Multiplayer editing. Work alongside your teammates in real time within a shared source of truth.
• Prototyping. Build high-fidelity interactions that look and feel like a finished product before writing code.
• Design systems. Scale your design language by using shared components and variables that update across all files.
• Dev Mode. Access exact specs, assets, and code snippets needed to build designs with technical precision.

7. Sketch

Ideal for: Mac-based design teams with established plugin workflows

Sketch was one of the first design tools to introduce patterns that are now standard in UI design, like reusable symbols, artboard-based layouts, and an open plugin ecosystem. It still has a strong following among designers who built their practice around it.

Sketch mostly focuses on UI and interactive prototyping. The plugin ecosystem runs deep, and teams that have customized their setup around it rarely want to leave. Just keep in mind that it’s macOS-only, which makes it a tough sell for cross-platform teams. It recently introduced web-based collaboration, but teams used to multiplayer editing will find it a different experience.

Key features

• Symbols. Reusable design components that update across every artboard when you edit the source.
• Plugin ecosystem. A deep library of community-built plugins for extending Sketch’s functionality.
• Prototyping. Link artboards together to create clickable, interactive flows for user testing and stakeholder review.

8. Axure RP

Ideal for: Prototyping complex, logic-heavy interactions

Axure RP handles multi-step forms, branching user flows, and conditional logic—the level of interaction complexity goes well beyond what most prototyping tools support. That precision makes it a go-to for enterprise UX teams documenting intricate specifications.

Designers share prototypes with stakeholders and developers via a live link, collect feedback via annotations, and maintain detailed UX documentation alongside the prototype. The learning curve is steeper than other tools, but on complex enterprise products, that tradeoff is usually worth it.

Key features

• Conditional logic. Build interactions that respond to user input, including branching flows, form validation, and dynamic content.
• Dynamic panels. Create components that change state based on user actions, like tabs, carousels, and dropdown menus.
• Annotations and specs. Document UX requirements and interaction details directly alongside the prototype for developer reference.

Diagramming and visual documentation tools

Diagramming tools create structured, logic-based visuals, like system architecture maps, network diagrams, org charts, and technical documentation. FigJam covers lighter diagramming needs for flowcharts and user journey maps, but teams working on more complex technical documentation will find the dedicated tools below worth a look.

9. Lucidchart

Ideal for: Technical diagramming and system documentation

Lucidchart is a cloud-based diagramming tool for teams that need structured, precise visuals. The shape library covers cloud architecture, org charts, database schemas, UML, and more, so most teams can find what they need. The grid-based canvas keeps complex diagrams readable at any size.

Lucidchart also connects well to the rest of the team’s workflow. Diagrams embed directly into Confluence pages and Jira tickets, so technical documentation stays alongside the work it describes. It also integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, so teams can pull data from spreadsheets to auto-generate org charts or process flows.

Key features

• Technical shape libraries. Pre-built shapes for AWS, GCP, Azure, UML, ERDs, org charts, and more.
• Atlassian integration. Diagrams embed directly into Confluence pages and Jira tickets for in-context documentation.
• Data-linked diagrams. Connect to Google Sheets or CSV files to automatically generate and update diagrams from live data.

Whimsical

Ideal for: Sketching product flows and information architecture

Whimsical is a whiteboard and diagramming tool that keeps things simple. Customization is limited by design, so the output looks clean and consistent without much effort. That’s useful for product managers who need to sketch a user flow or map an information architecture on the fly.

It covers four use cases: flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps, and sticky notes, all inside one lightweight workspace. Switching between them feels natural, which makes Whimsical a good fit for early-stage product thinking where getting your idea in front of teammates matters most.

Key features

• Flowcharts. Clean, auto-formatted diagrams that stay readable without manual adjustment.
• Wireframing. A simple set of UI components for sketching screen layouts and product flows without design expertise.
• Mind maps. A flexible format for exploring ideas and mapping relationships between concepts before committing to a structure.

11. Cacoo

Ideal for: Straightforward diagramming with project management integration

Cacoo is a cloud diagramming tool from Nulab, the team behind the project management platform Backlog. If your team already uses Backlog, the integration is simple—diagrams link directly to projects and tasks. It supports real-time editing, version history, and templates for flowcharts, network diagrams, and wireframes.

Because it’s part of Nulab’s ecosystem, Cacoo works well for teams that review and iterate on diagrams together. Commenting happens directly on the canvas, so feedback stays tied to specific elements. Combined with version history, teams can track how a diagram evolved through a review cycle and revert if needed.

Key features

• Backlog integration. Links directly to Nulab’s project management platform for teams already in that ecosystem.
• Version history. Track changes over time and restore previous versions of any diagram.
• Real-time editing. Multiple people can work on a diagram at the same time with live updates.

Visual project management tools

Visual project management tools help everyone see a project’s status at a glance, whether that’s a kanban board tracking sprint progress, a Gantt chart mapping dependencies, or a roadmap showing what’s coming next. Most teams use one of these alongside a whiteboarding or design tool to handle the execution side of the workflow.

12. Trello

Ideal for: Task tracking and kanban-based project management

Trello’s card-and-board model is about as intuitive as project management gets. Each card represents a task, boards represent projects, and work moves across columns as it progresses. It’s visual by default, so any team member can understand the project status without a walkthrough.

Power-Ups significantly extend Trello’s core functionality. Calendar views, timeline charts, and automation rules are all available, giving teams more flexibility as projects get more complex. It’s simpler than most tools in this category, which works in its favor for smaller teams or non-technical workflows that don’t need the overhead of a full project management platform.

Key features

• Kanban boards. A drag-and-drop card system that makes task status visible and easy to update.
• Power-Ups. Extend Trello with calendar, timeline, automation, and hundreds of third-party integrations.
• Card detail views. Attach files, add checklists, set due dates, and leave comments all within a task card.

13. Asana

Ideal for: Cross-functional project tracking across different teams

Asana gives teams a lot of flexibility in how they view and manage work. The same project can be a kanban board for one team member, a timeline for another, and a workload chart for a manager keeping an eye on capacity. That versatility makes it one of the easier tools to roll out across teams with different working styles.

It bridges design and non-design teams particularly well. Product, marketing, and engineering can all work from the same project without needing to translate between tools or workflows. Also, Asana integrates with Figma, so design tasks and files stay connected to the broader project.

Key features

• Multiple project views. Switch between kanban, timeline, list, and workload views depending on how your team prefers to work.
• Cross-team projects. Share projects across departments without duplicating work or managing separate boards.
• Figma integration. Connect Figma files to Asana tasks to keep design work tied to the project timeline.

14. Notion

Ideal for: Centralizing docs, databases, and project tracking

Notion brings pages, databases, kanban boards, calendars, and galleries into one workspace. Product teams gravitate toward it because PRDs, roadmaps, and task boards can all live together without jumping between apps. The flexibility is a big part of the appeal, with teams shaping Notion around their own workflows rather than the other way around.

You can switch any database between table, board, calendar, and gallery views, depending on what your team needs to see. Product managers tracking a product roadmap, designers reviewing assets, and engineers checking sprint status can all get what they need from the same source.

Key features

• Database views. Switch between table, kanban, calendar, and gallery views on any database without duplicating data.
• Connected docs and tasks. Link pages, databases, and tasks together so context stays connected across the workspace.
• Flexible templates. A large library of community and official templates for roadmaps, PRDs, sprint planning, and more.

15. ClickUp

Ideal for: Customized workflows with granular task and project control

ClickUp packs list, board, Gantt, workload, mind map, and whiteboard views into one tool. Custom fields let you track the data points that matter most, whether that’s priority level, story points, or campaign stage. Custom statuses mean teams aren’t stuck with generic labels like “in progress” or “done.” They can define workflow stages that reflect how work actually moves forward.

The built-in whiteboard covers basic ideation needs, but teams doing serious workshop facilitation or design-connected brainstorming will likely want a dedicated tool alongside it.

Key features

• Multiple project views. Switch between list, board, Gantt, workload, mind map, and whiteboard views within the same project.
• Custom fields and statuses. Tailor workflows to match how your team tracks and moves work forward.
• Built-in whiteboarding. A native whiteboard feature that keeps ideation connected to the tasks it generates.

Visual presentation and async video tools

Presenting work is its own form of collaboration. These tools help teams share context, walk stakeholders through decisions, and collect feedback when a live meeting isn’t practical. Whether a team is running a design review or documenting a bug report, having the right presentation or async video tool keeps the conversation moving.

16. Figma Slides

Ideal for: Design reviews and stakeholder presentations

Figma Slides is a presentation tool that lets you embed design files, prototypes, and FigJam boards directly into slide decks. When designs update, the presentation updates with them, so stakeholders always see the most current version.

With real-time presenter mode, multiple presenters can drive the deck, and attendees can follow along on their own screens. It also comes with live engagement tools like polls and voting, turning a one-way presentation into a conversation.

Since everything lives in the same platform, there’s no exporting, re-linking, or switching tabs when it’s time to present.

Key features

• Live design embeds. Pull design files, prototypes, and FigJam boards directly into slides without exporting.
• Real-time presenter mode. Multiple presenters can drive the deck while attendees follow along on their own screens.
• Live engagement tools. Polls, voting, and alignment scales turn presentations into two-way conversations.
• Auto-updating content. Embedded designs stay current as files update, so presentations never show stale work.

17. Loom

Ideal for: Asynchronous walkthroughs and high-context feedback

Loom adds an async video layer to your team’s toolkit. When a static screenshot isn’t enough to explain a flow, you can record a quick screen capture with narration and share it in seconds.

Product teams use Loom for design feedback, bug reports, and feature demos where a live meeting would only create scheduling friction. Viewers can leave time-stamped comments, so feedback stays anchored to specific moments and actionable.

Key features

• Screen and cam recording. Capture your screen and camera to provide narrated context.
• Time-stamped comments. Drop feedback at exact moments to keep discussions productive.
• Instant sharing. Send a link immediately so teammates can watch and respond on their own time.

18. Pitch

Ideal for: High-polish decks and visual storytelling

Pitch treats slide decks with the same level of craft you’d give a production-ready prototype. It uses smart layout blocks, so your content snaps into place as you add it. That frees you up to focus on the narrative flow and transitions.

The workflow revolves around live data and real-time collaboration. You can connect external data sources to your charts to keep your numbers up to date. While you’re refining the visual style, a teammate can update data links in the same file, keeping the deck accurate right up until the moment you present.

Key features

• Smart layout blocks. Use content-aware containers that automatically adjust your slide design as you add or remove elements.
• Live data integration. Link your charts to sources like Google Sheets or ChartMogul so your numbers update themselves.
• Cinematic animations. Create fluid, high-fidelity transitions between slides to keep your audience engaged.

What to look for in a visual collaboration tool

With so many tools covering overlapping ground, the right choice depends on your team’s workflow. A few things worth thinking through:

• Real-time vs. async collaboration. Think about whether your team needs live multiplayer editing, async commenting, or both. A strong stack supports both.
• Fidelity range. Consider how far a tool takes you, from rough brainstorming to high-fidelity prototypes. Tools that cover multiple stages reduce friction as work progresses.
• Integration depth. Look at how well a tool connects to the rest of your stack, whether that’s Jira, Slack, GitHub, or your codebase.
• AI-powered features. Auto-clustering, diagram generation, and prompt-to-prototype tools have become differentiators worth factoring in.
• Access and permissions. Guest sharing, viewer roles, and org-level controls matter as teams grow and more stakeholders get pulled into the review process.

Of course, no tool will check every box. The sweet spot is usually a stack where the tools connect, like moving from a FigJam brainstorm into a Figma Design file, then turning a finished design into a Figma Slides deck. The work stays in one place, and so does the thinking behind it.

Bring your team’s visual collaboration into one place

Visual collaboration tools should make it easier to keep everyone on the same page, no matter where the work stands. We’ve built our products to work together so that context travels from first idea to final build.

Here’s how to get started:

• Start brainstorming in FigJam—templates for retros, workshops, and user journey mapping are ready to go.
• Move from concept to high-fidelity design in Figma Design, with multiplayer editing and Dev Mode for a smooth handoff.
• Use Figma Make to generate working prototypes from natural language prompts.
• Present work to stakeholders in Figma Slides, with live design embeds and real-time engagement tools.