Miro vs FigJam vs Spreadboard: Which is Best for Architects?

Infinite canvas tools have transformed how architects collaborate, brainstorm, and present. But with so many options available, choosing the right platform for your practice can be overwhelming.

Three tools frequently appear on architects' radars: Miro, the enterprise collaboration giant; FigJam, Figma's whiteboard companion; and Spreadboard, the architecture-focused presentation platform.

Each serves different needs. This comparison will help you understand which tool—or combination of tools—best fits your workflow.

Quick Comparison Overview

Understanding Each Platform

Miro: The Enterprise Collaboration Powerhouse

What it is: Miro is a comprehensive visual collaboration platform designed for enterprise teams across all industries. It offers an infinite canvas with extensive template libraries, integrations, and collaboration features.

Founded: 2011 (originally RealtimeBoard)

Users: 60+ million worldwide

Primary market: Enterprise teams, consultants, product managers

Key Strengths:

Architecture-Relevant Features:

FigJam: The Designer's Whiteboard

What it is: FigJam is Figma's whiteboard tool, designed to complement the Figma design platform. It emphasizes simplicity, playfulness, and tight integration with Figma files.

Launched: 2021

Users: Millions (integrated with Figma user base)

Primary market: Designers, product teams, UX professionals

Key Strengths:

Architecture-Relevant Features:

Spreadboard: The Architecture Presentation Platform

What it is: Spreadboard is an infinite canvas platform built specifically for architects and designers to create interactive client presentations. It focuses on the architect-to-client communication workflow.

Target market: Architecture firms, interior designers, design studios

Key Strengths:

Architecture-Specific Features:

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Canvas & Navigation

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Spreadboard—its canvas scale and navigation are designed for architectural drawing sizes.

PDF & Document Handling

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Spreadboard—by a significant margin. Handling construction documents and drawings is fundamental to architecture, and Spreadboard is the only platform that treats PDFs as first-class citizens.

Interactive Presentations

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Spreadboard—its entire design philosophy centers on interactive client presentations, with unique features like View Nodes that no other platform offers.

Real-Time Collaboration

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Tie between Miro and Spreadboard. Miro has more facilitation features; Spreadboard has architecture-specific collaboration like follow mode for design reviews.

Shapes & Drawing

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Miro for general drawing; Spreadboard for architecture-specific elements like revision clouds and View Nodes.

Integration & Ecosystem

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Miro for general integrations; FigJam if your team uses Figma; Spreadboard for Google Drive-centric workflows common in smaller firms.

Mobile Experience

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Winner for Architects: Miro for dedicated mobile app; Spreadboard for tablet presentation scenarios.

Pricing Comparison

Miro:

FigJam:

Spreadboard:

Note: Pricing changes; check current rates on each platform's website.

Winner for Architects: Depends on team size and needs. FigJam offers best value if you already use Figma. Miro provides most features but higher cost. Spreadboard focuses value on architecture-specific features.

Use Case Analysis

Best for: Initial Design Brainstorming

Recommended: Miro or FigJam

Why: These platforms excel at unstructured ideation. Miro's templates help kickstart sessions; FigJam's simplicity reduces friction. Neither is optimized for architecture specifically, but both work well for early-stage thinking.

Spreadboard alternative: Can work but may be more than needed for pure brainstorming.

Best for: Client Presentations

Recommended: Spreadboard

Why: This is Spreadboard's core use case. View Nodes on floor plans, wire connections to renders, non-linear exploration—no other platform offers these architecture-specific features. Clients can explore designs at their own pace.

Miro/FigJam limitation: Linear presentations don't showcase spatial relationships as effectively.

Best for: Team Design Reviews

Recommended: Spreadboard or Miro

Why: Spreadboard's follow mode lets team members see each other's views during reviews. Miro's robust collaboration features support large team discussions. Choice depends on whether review focuses on presentation materials (Spreadboard) or broader collaboration (Miro).

Best for: Remote Workshops

Recommended: Miro

Why: Miro's facilitation tools (voting, timers, ice-breakers, templates) are designed for workshop scenarios. If you're running client workshops, stakeholder sessions, or team exercises, Miro has the most complete toolkit.

Best for: Construction Document Review

Recommended: Spreadboard

Why: Full PDF support with annotation, multi-page viewing, and markup tools make Spreadboard suitable for CD review sessions. Neither Miro nor FigJam handles PDFs well enough for this use case.

Best for: Marketing & Portfolio

Recommended: Spreadboard or Figma (not FigJam)

Why: Spreadboard's presentation publishing to community serves marketing. Figma (the design tool, not FigJam) is better for creating portfolio pieces. FigJam and Miro are collaboration tools, not presentation outputs.

Workflow Integration: Using Multiple Tools

Many architecture firms use multiple tools for different purposes:

Recommended Stack for Small Firms (1-5 people)

1. Spreadboard for client presentations and design reviews

2. FigJam for internal brainstorming (if using Figma already)

3. Google Drive for file storage (integrates with Spreadboard)

Recommended Stack for Medium Firms (5-20 people)

1. Spreadboard for client presentations

2. Miro for team workshops and stakeholder sessions

3. Figma for graphic design elements

4. Project management tool (Asana, Monday, etc.)

Recommended Stack for Large Firms (20+ people)

1. Spreadboard for client-facing presentations

2. Miro for enterprise-wide collaboration

3. Figma Organization for design system management

4. Enterprise PM (Jira, etc.)

5. BIM coordination tools (separate from canvas tools)

Decision Framework

Answer these questions to determine the best tool for your needs:

Question 1: What's your primary use case?

Question 2: How important is PDF handling?

Question 3: Do you already use Figma?

Question 4: What's your team size?

Question 5: How technical is your team?

Migration Considerations

Moving from Miro to Spreadboard

What transfers:

What doesn't transfer:

Migration strategy:

1. Start using Spreadboard for new client presentations

2. Keep Miro for internal collaboration

3. Gradually transition as team builds Spreadboard expertise

Moving from FigJam to Spreadboard

What transfers:

What doesn't transfer:

Migration strategy:

1. Identify presentation-specific work for Spreadboard

2. Keep FigJam for Figma-adjacent brainstorming

3. Use both tools in parallel based on task

The Verdict: Which Tool Should Architects Choose?

There's no single "best" tool—the right choice depends on your priorities:

Choose Miro if:

Choose FigJam if:

Choose Spreadboard if:

The Combination Approach

For many architecture firms, the answer isn't choosing one tool—it's using the right tool for each job:

Conclusion

The infinite canvas tool landscape offers genuine choices for architects. Miro provides the most comprehensive feature set for general collaboration. FigJam offers simplicity and Figma integration. Spreadboard delivers purpose-built features for architecture presentations.

Your choice should align with your primary use case. If client communication and design presentations are where you spend significant time—and where clear communication directly impacts project success—a tool designed for that workflow will deliver the most value.

Try each platform's free tier. Import a real project. Attempt your actual workflow. The best tool is the one that makes your specific work easier and your presentations more effective.

Summary Comparison Table