Virtual brainstorming has become more and more common in the last few years. In fact, a study stated that virtual workshops lead to more ideas than in-person brainstorming sessions. To make that a reality, virtual brainstorming tools play a pivotal role. There are plenty of helpful online brainstorming tools available. The problem you face is: How to know which one of them is best for you? No worries, we can help.
In this post, we’ll compare 8 top tools for brainstorming, analyzing their pros, and cons to help you make an informed decision on choosing your brainstorming software platform. We tried the brainstorming tools ourselves to give you a fair comparison. We evaluated the tools based on our own trial experience of the software, as well as evaluations in review sites such as G2 and Capterra. Here’s the list of the brainstorming tools I'll cover in this article:
In this post, we’ll compare 8 top tools for brainstorming, analyzing their pros, and cons to help you make an informed decision on choosing your brainstorming software platform. We tried the brainstorming tools ourselves to give you a fair comparison. We evaluated the tools based on our own trial experience of the software, as well as evaluations in review sites such as G2 and Capterra. Here’s the list of the brainstorming tools I'll cover in this article:Each brainstorming software has its own strengths. Some are better for the structured development of ideas into solutions, whereas some are better for brainstorming in a visual and inspiring way.
Infinite whiteboards are usually great for the latter case. The benefit of the whiteboards is also that you can use them for various needs. The downside you face with infinite whiteboards is that they require more preparation and skills from the facilitator. The facilitator must know the method and how to use the tool in order to smooth the workshop experience for the participants.
Software that has a built-in process for brainstorming is much more approachable. The facilitator needs less preparation and experience. However, these tools usually have more restricted use cases. In this blog post, we'll review both kinds of brainstorming tools. So let's dive in - here’s our review of the best online brainstorming tools, their functions, and their pricing. Read on and get insights on which one suits your needs.
We will demonstrate the pricing with 2 cases: 1) an annual contract for multiple brainstorming sessions and 2) a one-time workshop. (Note that we used the prices at the moment of the writing, and the prices might change over time.)
Case 1 - Annual contract: 10 ongoing users, 5 guest users (viewing + editing) for 5 days each
Case 2 - One-time workshop: 14 days, 7 users + 3 guest users (viewing + editing).
Miro is an online collaborative whiteboard that you can use for pretty much anything. It offers different features for workshops like chat, timer, and voting. You can build your own board by adding notes, shapes, icons, and other elements, or use a template and build on it. Miro is a great choice if you like to ideate visually and appreciate a wide range of other use cases.
In our experience, building a board from scratch for a workshop takes a lot from the facilitator. With Miro, there are a few templates for brainstorming that can make it easier. They provide the basis for the workshops and some tips for the brainstorming session. Still, the facilitator must be on track with the method to make the brainstorming session smooth.
Image source: Miro
Annual contract: Business $20 x 10 users x 12months + 5 guests (free)
= $2400
One-time workshop: Business $20 x 7 users x 1 month + 3 guests (free)
= $140
MURAL is a workspace for visual collaboration. Since it is an online whiteboard, you can use it for many different purposes, including brainstorming or collaborative mind mapping. Like Miro, MURAL has several features like templates and frameworks. It is a useful tool, if you want to collaborate visually with your team or if you want to use the tool for multiple use cases. We found MURAL and Miro have quite similar pros and cons.
The main difference between them is that Miro has more integrations and apps. MURAL on the other hand has better instructions for brainstorming templates which makes facilitation easier.
Image source: MURAL
Annual contract: Business $17,99 x 10 users x 12months + free visitors
=$2158,8
One-time workshop: Free trial or 14 days: 1 month x 7 users x $17,99 + 3 visitors (free)
=$125,93 (The price depends on how many users need full access. If only 1, the price is $17,99 and others can join as one-time collaborators)
With our AI-powered brainstorming tool Orchidea Workshop, you can create and collect ideas rapidly, develop them with others, and turn ideas into concepts with the help of AI. Orchidea Workshop focuses solely on brainstorming, so it doesn't cover as many use cases as the infinite whiteboards. It does provide all the needed practical features for brainstorming like a timer, voting, and versatile ways to invite participants.
The main benefits of Orchidea are the easiness of facilitation with a built-in step-by-step process and AI additions. The process contains steps for creating ideas, developing and voting on them together, and finally selecting the best ones. There are also pre-made templates to choose from as well as a possibility to customize the steps. Running a brainstorming session requires less preparation since the platform helps you navigate through the steps. You can also invite all the relevant stakeholders with a simple link.
In Orchidea Workshop, you can harness AI through the phases. In ideation, it generates ideas among the other participants and adds creativity. You can also build solution drafts in seconds by dragging the chosen ideas to the AI.
One-time workshop: Free. (5 active workshops and up to 50 members and guests)
Annual contract: Free or if needed more than 5 active workshops, $19 per manager /month. With one manager, $228/year. You can invite as many guests to your workshop as you want. Extra facilitators must get their own $15 plan.
Team plan $15 x managers x 12 months + free visitors
= $228/year (per manager)
Microsoft Whiteboard is a free online whiteboard. You can add sticky notes, text, and icons or draw to the whiteboard and make your brainstorming visual. Microsoft whiteboard is a handy tool and works well on collaboration and ideation. You can use it with your team or share a link with external users.
Microsoft whiteboard is good for you if you are already using other Microsoft products. The features are more limited than in other whiteboards in this comparison, but the advantage is that Microsoft Whiteboard is a free brainstorming tool
Image source: Microsoft Whiteboard
Stormboard is a collaboration and idea visualization tool. Stormboard has a lot of handy features for workshopping and decision-making like voting, timer, tasks, and an automatic reporting tool. It also has released an AI co-collaborator, which is fully available only for Enterprise pricing plans. In Stormboard, you can use templates or create your own board for your workshop activities.
Image source: Stormboard
Annual contract: Business $10 x 10 users x 12 months + 5 guests x $10 business (needs own license in a Business plan if wanted to contribute)
=$1250
One-time workshop: You can use the free trial for one-time brainstorming session. After free trial, 7 users x 1 month x $10.00 (Business) + 3 guests x $10
= $100
Bubbl.us is an easy-to-use brainstorming app. It focuses mostly on mind mapping and building charts. Add your concept, connect the subtopics to it, and adjust the visuals. You can share your mind map with your team or invite them to join in via a shareable link. Bubbl.us is a great tool if you’re looking for a mind mapping software that isn’t expensive, is handy, and covers the basic functions of mind mapping and chart building.
Image source: Bubbl.us
Annual contract: 10 users x 12 months x $6 + free guest users
=$720
One-time workshop: You can use your 30-day trial for free. After free trial, $6 x 7 users + 3 guests
= $42
Groupmap is a versatile online brainstorming tool. It has multiple templates for brainstorming, mind mapping, SWOT analysis, etc. It has fewer functions and visual elements than some whiteboards, but it covers the basic functions for workshopping well.
Groupmap has a built-in process that helps in facilitating the brainstorming session and idea processing. The process has for example steps for brainstorming, idea grouping, and voting, but you can also customize it as you want.
Annual contract: 10 users (or as many as need the facilitating map creation rights) x $20 basic plan x 12 months
=$2400 (less if not so many facilitation rights needed)
One-time workshop: Use your 14-day free trial, after the free trial $20 /month
= Free trial or $20
Ideaflip is an online sticky note software you can use in your brainstorming activities. Ideaflip offers you a simple solution to writing your ideas down. You can use templates to ease your brainstorming, or you can build your own board. Ideaflip is especially good for writing ideas down to notepads fast and effortlessly.
Image source: Ideaflip
Annual contract: 10 users x 12 months x $12 professional plan
= $1440
One-time workshop: Use your free trial or 7x $12 (+ 3 guests)
= $84
Each brainstorming tool has its own pros and cons and there is no absolute best software over others. What works for you depends on your use case, preferences, and budget. All in all, each of the reviewed workshopping tools has its own sweet spots. Some of them work best in writing notes, some in graphic brainstorming, and some offer you more help in facilitation and the brainstorming process.
You should take a minute and decide which features are most important for you and what is your use case. Also, it is notable to consider how much time are you willing to spend learning how to use the software or conducting a workshop.
If you’re looking for an easy solution, Orchidea can be great for you. On the other hand, if you are willing to take some more time and get to know all the useful features, tools like Miro and MURAL might be your choice.
Hopefully, this comparison helps you to pick the best brainstorming software for you. Have you used any brainstorming tools online? Share your experiences in the comments below!
If you want to start AI-powered brainstorms for free, sign up for Orchidea here!
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Note: The article was written in September 2023 and the pricing and features of the reviewed tools might change after writing.