About 21; min
Miro and FigJam are the two most popular digital whiteboards for product teams. Miro has been the category leader since 2020. FigJam launched as Figma’s lightweight alternative — simpler, cheaper, and designed specifically for brainstorming rather than complex diagramming.
Most teams use one or the other for standups, retrospectives, and workshops. Here’s how they compare on price and features in 2026.
Quick Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Miro | FigJam |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 3 editable boards, unlimited viewers | 3 editable files, unlimited viewers |
| Starter/Professional | $8/member/mo | $5/editor/mo (or free with Figma Pro) |
| Business | $16/member/mo | $5/editor/mo (same) |
| Enterprise | Custom | $5/editor/mo (same, included with Figma Org) |
FigJam costs $5/editor at every tier. Miro starts at $8 and goes to $16 for Business. If you already pay for Figma Professional ($15/editor), FigJam is included at no extra cost — making it effectively free for Figma users.
Miro Pricing Breakdown
Miro’s free plan limits you to 3 editable boards — but unlimited team members can view and comment on those boards. For a team that runs one weekly standup board and one roadmap board, the free plan works. The moment you need a third active board, you’re on Starter at $8/member.
Miro’s Strengths
- Canvas depth: Miro handles massive canvases with hundreds of objects. Mind maps, flowcharts, user story maps, and org charts all work at scale. FigJam struggles with complex diagrams
- Diagramming: Native flowchart, wireframe, and technical diagram tools. Shapes auto-connect, arrows route intelligently, and templates cover UML, ER diagrams, and architecture diagrams
- Miro Assist (AI): Generate mind maps from a topic, summarize sticky notes into themes, and create diagrams from text descriptions. The AI features are more advanced than FigJam’s
- Integration depth: 200+ integrations including Jira (two-way card sync), Asana, Slack, Confluence, and Google Workspace
- Workshop facilitation: Built-in timer, voting, anonymous mode, and facilitation tools. Purpose-built for running remote workshops and retrospectives
Miro’s Downsides
- Price at scale: $8–$16/member adds up. A 20-person team on Starter: $160/month. Business: $320/month. FigJam: $100/month
- Complexity: Miro has so many features that new users often feel overwhelmed. The toolbar, panels, and options create a steeper learning curve than FigJam
- Performance: Very large boards (500+ objects) can lag, especially on older devices. FigJam tends to perform better at scale due to its simpler rendering
FigJam Pricing Breakdown
FigJam’s pricing is simple: $5/editor, no tiers. No Business plan, no Enterprise upsell on FigJam-specific features. (Enterprise security comes through Figma Organization at $45/editor, which includes FigJam.)
If you already have Figma Professional ($15/editor), FigJam is included for free. A design team already paying for Figma gets whiteboarding at $0 additional cost. This is FigJam’s strongest competitive advantage — bundled value.
FigJam’s Strengths
- Simplicity: FigJam opens and you’re productive in 30 seconds. Sticky notes, stamps, connectors — the tools are obvious and the UI is uncluttered. No learning curve
- Figma integration: Drag designs from Figma into FigJam for discussion. Move FigJam brainstorms into Figma for implementation. The handoff between ideation and design is the smoothest in the industry
- Widgets: Third-party widgets (polls, standup boards, story point estimation) extend FigJam’s functionality. The widget library is growing fast
- Audio chat: Built-in voice calls within FigJam boards. No need to open a separate Zoom or Teams call for brainstorming sessions
- Free with Figma: Already paying $15/editor for Figma? FigJam costs nothing extra. This alone makes it the default for Figma teams
FigJam’s Limitations
- No real diagramming: FigJam handles sticky notes, basic shapes, and simple connectors. It doesn’t compete with Miro for flowcharts, ER diagrams, or technical architecture diagrams
- Limited templates: Miro has thousands of templates for every workshop type. FigJam has fewer, though the community template library is growing
- No Jira integration: Miro’s two-way Jira card sync is a killer feature for engineering teams. FigJam doesn’t connect to project management tools as deeply
- No advanced facilitation: Miro’s anonymous mode, advanced voting, and timed activities are better for structured workshops. FigJam is better for casual brainstorming
Cost Comparison
| Team Size | Miro Starter | Miro Business | FigJam Pro | FigJam (with Figma Pro) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 editors | $480/yr | $960/yr | $300/yr | $0 (included) |
| 10 editors | $960/yr | $1,920/yr | $600/yr | $0 (included) |
| 20 editors | $1,920/yr | $3,840/yr | $1,200/yr | $0 (included) |
| 50 editors | $4,800/yr | $9,600/yr | $3,000/yr | $0 (included) |
A 50-person team on Miro Business spends $9,600/year. FigJam Pro costs $3,000/year. If the team already has Figma: $0. The cost difference is enormous — $9,600/year for a whiteboard tool is hard to justify when a capable alternative is free.
Use Case Comparison
| Use Case | Better Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quick brainstorm (30 min) | FigJam | Faster to start, simpler interface, audio chat built in |
| Sprint retrospective | FigJam | Sticky notes + voting is all you need. Timer included |
| User story mapping | Miro | Larger canvas, better for complex maps with many levels |
| Technical architecture diagram | Miro | Real diagramming tools, smart connectors, shape libraries |
| Design critique/review | FigJam | Drag Figma designs in, annotate with stamps and comments |
| All-day workshop (50+ people) | Miro | Facilitation tools, anonymous mode, structured activities |
| Product roadmap | Miro | Timeline templates, Jira sync, more structured layouts |
| Daily standup board | FigJam | Quick, visual, no overhead. Widgets for standup format |
Other Alternatives
| Tool | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | Free (open-source) | Quick, hand-drawn-style diagrams. Embeds in Notion and Obsidian |
| Whimsical | Free (limited), $10/editor | Flowcharts and wireframes with a clean, opinionated UI |
| tldraw | Free (open-source) | Minimal infinite canvas for sketching. Dead simple |
| Lucidchart | Free (limited), $7.95/user | Professional diagramming (flowcharts, ER diagrams, org charts) |
Excalidraw is worth mentioning: completely free, open-source, and produces charming hand-drawn-style diagrams. It’s not a full whiteboard (no sticky notes, no voting, no facilitation), but for quick diagrams shared in Slack or embedded in docs, it’s the fastest option at $0.
Who Should Pick What
Pick Miro If:
- You run structured workshops (retrospectives, story mapping, design sprints) with 10+ participants
- Technical diagramming (flowcharts, architecture, ER diagrams) is a regular need
- Jira integration with two-way card sync matters for your engineering workflow
- You need advanced facilitation (anonymous mode, timed activities, structured voting)
- You don’t use Figma and need a standalone whiteboard tool
Pick FigJam If:
- You already use Figma (FigJam is free with Figma Pro — immediate decision)
- Your whiteboard needs are brainstorming, standups, and design reviews — not complex diagramming
- Simplicity and speed of use matter more than feature depth
- Budget is a concern — $5/editor vs Miro’s $8–$16 saves 37–69%
- The Figma-to-FigJam workflow (ideation → design) is part of your process
Best for structured workshops: Miro — facilitation tools, diagramming depth, and Jira integration make it the professional workshop platform. Worth $8–$16/editor for teams that run regular workshops.
Best for Figma teams: FigJam — it’s free if you already pay for Figma. Even without Figma, $5/editor undercuts Miro by 37–69%. The obvious choice for casual brainstorming and design reviews.
Best free whiteboard: Excalidraw — open-source, no account needed, and the hand-drawn style looks great in documentation. Perfect for quick diagrams.
Decision shortcut: Use Figma? Pick FigJam. Need real diagramming? Pick Miro. Need neither? Excalidraw is free.
FAQ
Can FigJam replace Miro completely?
For brainstorming and standups, yes. For technical diagramming, user story mapping, and large-scale workshops, no. FigJam is intentionally simpler — it covers 60% of whiteboard use cases at 40% of the cost.
Do viewers need paid seats?
Neither tool charges for viewers. Both Miro and FigJam allow unlimited viewers on all plans. You only pay for people who create and edit boards/files.
Which is better on mobile?
Miro’s mobile app is more feature-rich (view, edit, present). FigJam’s mobile experience is more limited — primarily for viewing and adding sticky notes. Neither is ideal for creating complex boards on a phone.
Can I import Miro boards into FigJam?
Not directly. There’s no automated migration path. You’d need to recreate boards manually. For teams with years of Miro content, switching costs are high — the investment in existing boards creates real lock-in.
