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Categories / Collaborative design / whiteboard

4 · Crowded Waters

Collaborative design / whiteboard

Browser-based, real-time multiplayer canvas tools where distributed teams design interfaces or brainstorm visually at the same time.

Last updated September 27, 2026

Our read

Collaborative design and whiteboarding grew out of a simple frustration: desktop design tools were single-player and file-based, and they cut designers off from the rest of the team. The first browser-based entrants showed up in 2011, and the term went mainstream in 2016 as Figma pushed 'multiplayer design' and Miro and Mural pushed the online whiteboard. We count three unicorns and about 150 active companies. The name is contested between visual collaboration, online whiteboard and infinite canvas. The pressure now comes from AI tools that generate designs straight from prompts, which could make the canvas itself less central. We've audited eight companies here.

Open question for founders

If AI lets your customers skip the interface where your product lives, which part of the job do you still own?

By the numbers

Companies tracked
7
As of September 27, 2026
Market size
~$3.2B (2025)
Estimates vary by definition
Years since the term went mainstream
10
As of July 14, 2026
Most common pricing model
per seat
per seat 4hybrid 2flat rate 1
n = 7 companies with a public pricing model · as of September 26, 2026
Open roles by department
230 open roles
Sales 43%Engineering 19%Design 7%Product 7%Marketing 6%Other 17%
n = 7 companies with public job boards · as of September 1, 2026

Stage history

  1. Crowded Watersrecorded September 26, 2026

Companies we track

Challengers

Also tracked

Fossils (acquired or shut down)

  • InVision

FAQ

What is Collaborative design / whiteboard?

Browser-based, real-time multiplayer canvas tools where distributed teams design interfaces or brainstorm visually at the same time.

How mature is the Collaborative design / whiteboard category?

We place it in stage 4, Crowded Waters. Mature category with established leaders. You're fighting for share against incumbents everyone already knows.

How big is the Collaborative design / whiteboard market?

Estimates put it at ~$3.2B (2025). Market sizes vary widely by how analysts draw the category's edges.

How do Collaborative design / whiteboard companies usually price?

Most price per seat: 57% of the 7 tracked companies with a public pricing model.

Which Collaborative design / whiteboard companies does First to Market track?

Excalidraw, tldraw, Conceptboard, Figma, Lucidspark, Miro, Mural.

Building in Collaborative design / whiteboard?

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