Miro

What is Miro?

Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard platform designed for teams to work together visually, regardless of location. Founded in 2011 as RealtimeBoard and rebranded to Miro in 2019, the platform has grown to serve millions of users worldwide who use it for brainstorming, design thinking, agile workflows, strategic planning, and visual collaboration. Miro provides an infinite canvas where team members can simultaneously add sticky notes, diagrams, wireframes, and multimedia content, making it the virtual equivalent of a physical whiteboard with dramatically expanded capabilities.

What distinguishes Miro from simple diagramming tools is its focus on real-time collaboration and its extensive template library covering virtually every collaborative use case. Teams can conduct brainstorming sessions, run design sprints, map customer journeys, plan projects, and facilitate workshops with purpose-built templates and tools. The platform integrates with popular productivity applications including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Asana, and dozens of other tools, making it a central hub for visual thinking within existing workflows.

Miro has become essential for remote and distributed teams, providing the collaborative spontaneity of in-person whiteboarding sessions without geographical constraints. Companies from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises use Miro for everything from product ideation to organizational strategy. The platform’s ability to capture the messy, creative process of collaborative thinking has made it indispensable for modern knowledge work. Whether for a quick team brainstorm or a comprehensive strategic planning workshop, Miro provides the visual collaboration space that distributed teams need.

Key Features

• Infinite Canvas: Unlimited workspace that expands in all directions, accommodating projects of any size without space constraints.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can work simultaneously with live cursors, comments, and instant updates visible to all participants.
• Template Library: Hundreds of professionally designed templates for brainstorming, agile workflows, design thinking, mapping, and planning.
• Sticky Notes: Digital sticky notes with voting, clustering, and organization features essential for brainstorming sessions.
• Diagramming: Comprehensive diagramming tools for flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, and technical diagrams.
• Wireframing: Built-in UI components and wireframing tools for rapid interface design and prototyping.
• Video Chat: Integrated video conferencing for discussing boards without switching to separate meeting tools.
• Smart Drawing: Shape recognition that converts hand-drawn shapes into clean geometric forms.
• Integrations: Connections with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Asana, Google Workspace, and many other tools.
• Presentation Mode: Present directly from boards with frames that define presentation sequences.

What’s New

Miro continues to evolve rapidly with regular updates introducing AI capabilities, enhanced collaboration features, and deeper integrations.

• Miro AI: AI-powered features for generating content, summarizing boards, clustering sticky notes, and automating routine tasks.
• Intelligent Canvas: Smart suggestions and auto-layouts that help organize content and maintain visual clarity.
• Enhanced Diagramming: Improved diagramming tools with smarter connectors and automatic layout options.
• Talktrack: Record audio narration over board walkthroughs for asynchronous presentations.
• Improved Performance: Faster loading, smoother collaboration, and better handling of large boards.
• Expanded Integrations: New connections with additional enterprise tools and workflow automation platforms.
• Security Enhancements: Advanced enterprise security features including SSO, SCIM, and compliance certifications.
• Mobile Improvements: Better mobile and tablet experience for collaboration on the go.

System Requirements

Web Application

• Browser: Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest versions)
• Internet: Stable broadband connection required
• Display: 1280 x 800 minimum resolution
• RAM: 4 GB minimum for smooth performance

Desktop Application

• Windows: Windows 10 or 11
• macOS: macOS 10.14 or later
• Storage: 200 MB for installation
• RAM: 4 GB minimum

Mobile Application

• iOS: iOS 14.0 or later
• Android: Android 8.0 or later
• Tablet: Full functionality on iPad and Android tablets

How to Install Miro

Web Access

1. Visit miro.com in your web browser
2. Click “Sign up free” to create an account
3. Sign up with email, Google, or Microsoft account
4. Verify your email address
5. Complete onboarding questions
6. Start using Miro immediately in browser
7. No installation required for basic use

Desktop Installation

1. Visit miro.com/apps to download desktop app
2. Download installer for Windows or macOS
3. Run installer and follow prompts
4. Sign in with your Miro account
5. Desktop app syncs with web boards

# Windows installation via winget
winget install Miro.Miro

# macOS installation via Homebrew
brew install --cask miro

# After installation, launch Miro
# Sign in with your existing account

# Desktop app provides better performance
# for large boards than browser

Mobile Installation

1. Open App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android)
2. Search for “Miro”
3. Tap Install or Get
4. Open app and sign in
5. Access all boards from mobile

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Real-Time Collaboration: Seamless simultaneous editing with live cursors makes remote teamwork feel present.
• Template Library: Extensive professionally designed templates accelerate workshop and planning activities.
• Infinite Canvas: No space limitations enable projects to grow organically without restructuring.
• Integrations: Deep connections with productivity tools keep Miro central to existing workflows.
• Free Tier: Generous free plan with three editable boards suitable for individuals and small teams.
• Cross-Platform: Web, desktop, and mobile apps ensure access from any device anywhere.
• AI Features: Intelligent features help generate, organize, and summarize content efficiently.

Cons

• Pricing: Team plans at $8-16/user/month can become expensive for larger organizations.
• Performance: Very large boards with many elements can become slow, especially in browser.
• Learning Curve: Full feature set requires time to explore and master effectively.
• Board Limits: Free tier limits to three editable boards; more requires paid subscription.
• Internet Required: Cloud-based platform requires connectivity; limited offline functionality.

Miro vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Miro?

Miro is ideal for:

• Remote Teams: Distributed teams who need virtual whiteboard space for brainstorming and planning.
• Product Teams: Groups running design sprints, user story mapping, and product roadmapping.
• Agile Teams: Scrum and kanban teams who need visual boards for retrospectives and sprint planning.
• Facilitators: Workshop facilitators running design thinking sessions and collaborative exercises.
• Consultants: Strategy consultants conducting client workshops and visualizing recommendations.
• Educators: Teachers creating interactive learning experiences and collaborative student activities.

Miro may not be ideal for:

• Technical Diagramming: Those needing precise technical diagrams may prefer dedicated tools like Lucidchart.
• Offline Work: Users without reliable internet need tools with better offline capabilities.
• Budget-Constrained Teams: Large teams may find per-user pricing expensive at scale.
• Simple Notes: Those needing basic notes rather than visual collaboration have simpler options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Miro free to use?

Miro offers a free plan that includes three editable boards, unlimited team members on those boards, and core features like sticky notes, shapes, and templates. This works well for individuals and small teams with limited needs. For more boards, advanced features, and enterprise capabilities, paid plans start at $8/user/month for Starter and $16/user/month for Business. Education and nonprofit discounts are available. The free tier provides genuine value for exploring Miro’s capabilities.

How does Miro compare to FigJam?

Both are collaborative whiteboard tools but serve different primary audiences. FigJam is designed by Figma primarily for design teams and integrates natively with Figma design files. Miro serves broader use cases including strategy, agile, and general business collaboration with more extensive templates and integrations. FigJam is simpler and less expensive; Miro is more feature-rich and versatile. Design teams already using Figma may prefer FigJam; teams needing comprehensive collaboration choose Miro.

Can Miro be used for project management?

Miro supports project management activities like roadmapping, Kanban boards, and sprint planning, and integrates with dedicated project management tools like Jira, Asana, and Monday.com. However, Miro is primarily a visual collaboration tool, not a full project management system. It excels at planning and ideation phases but doesn’t replace tools designed for task tracking, resource management, and project execution. Many teams use Miro for planning workshops and visualization while managing projects in dedicated PM tools.

Is Miro secure for enterprise use?

Miro provides enterprise-grade security features including SOC 2 Type II certification, GDPR compliance, SSO integration, SCIM provisioning, and data encryption in transit and at rest. Enterprise plans add features like advanced admin controls, audit logs, and dedicated customer success support. Major enterprises including Dell, Cisco, and Deloitte use Miro for sensitive collaboration. Review Miro’s security documentation and trust center for specific compliance requirements your organization needs.

Can I use Miro offline?

Miro is primarily cloud-based and requires internet connectivity for full functionality. The desktop app caches some content for viewing when offline, but editing and real-time collaboration require an active connection. For teams needing offline whiteboard capabilities, consider alternatives or plan for connectivity. Miro’s strength is real-time collaboration which inherently requires connectivity. For offline situations, export boards to PDF or image formats before disconnecting.

Final Verdict

Miro has established itself as the leading visual collaboration platform, successfully virtualizing the spontaneity and creativity of physical whiteboard sessions for distributed teams. The infinite canvas, real-time collaboration, and extensive template library create an environment where teams can brainstorm, plan, and think visually regardless of location. For organizations embracing remote and hybrid work, Miro provides essential infrastructure for collaborative creativity.

The platform’s greatest strength is making visual collaboration accessible and effective. The template library means teams don’t start from blank canvas; they build on proven formats for common activities. Real-time collaboration with live cursors creates presence and spontaneity. The extensive integrations keep Miro connected to existing workflows rather than becoming another isolated tool. AI features increasingly automate routine tasks and enhance creative processes.

While pricing can scale significantly for larger teams and the platform requires reliable connectivity, Miro delivers genuine value for teams who need visual collaboration. The free tier provides meaningful capability for exploration, and paid plans unlock features that justify their cost for regular users. For remote teams, product managers, facilitators, and anyone who thinks visually, Miro provides the collaborative canvas that modern work demands.