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WBO

Free plan Self-hostedWeb

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WBO's own site

What WBO is

WBO is a free, open-source online collaborative whiteboard for art, entertainment, design, and teaching. Multiple people can draw on one large board while connected users see real-time updates. Board state is persisted, and collaboration works by sharing the board URL. The public board is open to everyone and its contents are ephemeral. Private boards can use a random link or custom name; anyone who knows that link or name can access them. WBO runs on the web and can be self-hosted with the official Docker image or directly with Node.js. Self-hosted installations support JSON Web Token authentication and roles that control opening, editing, clearing, and read-only access. The server supports OpenTelemetry metrics, logs, and traces through OTLP exporters. A board preview can be downloaded as SVG, although the renderer is not fully faithful. The project is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and its README directs issue reports and feature proposals to GitHub.

Who it suits

WBO suits groups drawing together for teaching, design, art, or entertainment. Self-hosting and JWT controls also fit operators who want to run and manage their own instance.

What it does well

  • Real-time simultaneous drawing
  • Board state is persisted
  • Supports private boards and guest collaboration
  • Can be self-hosted with Docker or Node.js
  • JWT roles include read-only access

What to know first

  • Public board contents are ephemeral
  • Private access depends on knowing link or name
  • SVG renderer is not fully faithful
  • Requires self-hosting for server-level controls

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
WBOFree and open-source online collaborative whiteboardFree

As wbo.ophir.dev lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

WBO provides a free collaborative canvas with URL-based sharing and optional self-hosting. Its persistence, permission controls, and open-source license give teams deployment choices, while public-board content remains temporary.

Facts from WBO's own pages

Access controls
Self-hosters can use JWT roles to control board access and editing, including read-only boards. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Authentication
Self-hosted instances support board authentication using JSON Web Tokens, with capabilities to open, edit, and clear boards. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Export
A board preview can be downloaded in SVG format, though the README says its renderer is not fully faithful. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Founded
2013 · wbo.ophir.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Headquarters
Paris, France · wbo.ophir.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Integrations
The self-hosted server supports OpenTelemetry metrics, logs, and traces through OTLP exporters. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
License
The GitHub repository identifies the project license as AGPL-3.0. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Live collaboration
Many users can draw simultaneously on a large virtual board, with real-time updates for connected users. · wbo.ophir.dev, 11 Oct 2026
Persistence
The board state is always persisted. · wbo.ophir.dev, 11 Oct 2026
Private boards
Users can create private boards with a random link or a custom board name; access is available to people who know the link or name. · wbo.ophir.dev, 11 Oct 2026
Public board
The public board is accessible to everyone, and its contents are ephemeral. · wbo.ophir.dev, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose
WBO is a free and open-source online collaborative whiteboard for art, entertainment, design, and teaching. · wbo.ophir.dev, 11 Oct 2026
Self-hosting
WBO can be run on a user's own web server using the official Docker image or directly with Node.js. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Sharing
Users can collaborate by sending one another the board URL. · wbo.ophir.dev, 11 Oct 2026
Support
The project README directs users to open a GitHub issue to report an issue or propose a feature. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026

Where WBO stands on Freedom251

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