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metaFox.onlineMicrosoft Whiteboard

Comparison

metaFox.online vs. Microsoft Whiteboard: the alternative for coaches

Microsoft Whiteboard is over for personal Microsoft accounts. metaFox.online is a room for coaching sessions with picture cards, a constellation board and video right next to the board.

Last checked: October 4, 2026

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Board in a metaFox.online session: picture cards and sticky notes about an issue, numbered boards along the top

Which one is for whom?

metaFox.online fits if

  • you are a coach who used a personal Microsoft account and need a new room for your sessions.
  • you work with pictures, cards and figures rather than sticky notes.
  • your clients should join with a link and no account, with video right next to the board.

Microsoft Whiteboard fits if

  • you have a work or school account with Microsoft 365 and already work in Teams.
  • you mostly work with colleagues inside your own organization.
  • you want an open canvas to sketch and write on.

What changed with Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft ended Whiteboard for personal Microsoft accounts. Work and school accounts are not affected.

  1. September 25, 2026

    Personal Microsoft accounts can no longer create or edit whiteboards. Viewing and exporting still work.

  2. October 16, 2026

    Microsoft permanently deletes legacy whiteboards of personal accounts.

  3. October 16, 2026

    The standalone Whiteboard apps for Windows, iOS and Android stop working for all accounts.

Who is affected

Account or appWhat applies
Personal Microsoft accountNo creating or editing since September 25, 2026. Microsoft deletes legacy boards on October 16, 2026.
Work or school account (Microsoft 365)Whiteboard continues, in Teams, on the web and through OneDrive.
Whiteboard apps for Windows, iOS and AndroidMicrosoft retires the standalone apps on October 16, 2026, for all accounts.

Sources: Microsoft 365 Message Center, MC1441775 and Microsoft Support on the retirement of the Whiteboard apps.

metaFox.online and Microsoft Whiteboard compared

Only criteria you can check yourself. Every statement about Microsoft Whiteboard links to a source.

Swipe sideways to compare.

Comparison of metaFox.online and Microsoft Whiteboard, last checked October 4, 2026
CriterionmetaFox.onlineMicrosoft Whiteboard
Core idea
A room for coaching sessions: boards, method cards, a constellation board, session templates and client management.
A digital whiteboard by Microsoft; for work and school accounts, part of Microsoft 365 and Teams.[1]
Works with a personal account
YesYes. You sign up with your email address; no Microsoft account needed.
NoNo. Since September 25, 2026, personal Microsoft accounts can no longer create or edit whiteboards.[1][2]
Price
Pro: €39.95 per month plus VAT. 14-day free trial, no credit card.
No subscription of its own. Included in Microsoft 365 for work and school accounts.[1]
Client access
YesOne link, no account, nothing to install.
PartlyExternal people can only collaborate during a Teams meeting. Outside meetings, Microsoft says sharing with external users is not supported.[3]
Working at the same time
YesYes, coach and client work live on the same board.
YesYes, in real time, also in a Teams meeting.[3]
Storage
YesEvery session is saved. The next appointment picks up where you left off.
PartlyWork accounts: in OneDrive. Personal accounts: Microsoft deletes legacy boards on October 16, 2026.[2][3]
Video call
YesBuilt into the board, right next to your workspace.
PartlyThrough a Teams meeting, not in the whiteboard itself.[3]
Methods and cards
YesPicture cards, values, strengths, emotions and beliefs cards, inner parts, a constellation board, Wheel of Life, scaling question and a template library.
NoGeneral templates, for example for brainstorming and retrospectives. Coaching card sets are not among them.[4]
Hosting and privacy
Servers in Frankfurt (Germany), GDPR-compliant.
Work accounts signed up in the EU or EFTA: within the EU Data Boundary, according to Microsoft.[5]

Last checked: October 4, 2026. Facts about Microsoft Whiteboard as stated on the vendor pages linked below. Prices may change.

Endless canvas or board by board?

A classic whiteboard is an open canvas you scroll and zoom around. metaFox.online organizes a session into boards that you go through one after another, like slides.

Endless canvas compared with board by boardOn the left, a large canvas with scattered sticky notes, of which you only ever see a part. On the right, numbered boards; the open board shows a picture card and three figures.Endless canvasWhat you seeBoard by board12345

You scroll and zoom and only ever see a part of it.

You always see a whole board, and you go through them one after another, like slides.

When Microsoft Whiteboard is the better choice

With a work or school account, little changes for you: Microsoft Whiteboard continues in Teams, on the web and through OneDrive. If you mostly work with colleagues in your organization and need an open canvas to sketch on, stay with it.

metaFox.online is built for coaching: for sessions with clients from outside your organization, and for methods instead of an empty canvas. If that is not your work, Microsoft Whiteboard is the simpler choice.

How you work in metaFox.online

Instead of an empty canvas, you open a session with boards you go through one after another. Your client joins with a link and sees you on video right next to the board.

A metaFox.online session: the Wheel of Life on the board, four participants in the video call on the rightWatch the walkthrough (7 min)
  1. 1

    Open a session

    Start blank or from a template, for example for a first session or a vision picture.

  2. 2

    Visualize together

    You both place picture cards, values cards or figures on the board, then move and group them. No drawing needed.

  3. 3

    Take the session with you

    Everything is saved. After the session, send your client the link to the board or a PDF.

Move over in three steps

You can take your Microsoft Whiteboard boards with you as images.

  1. 1

    Export your boards

    In Microsoft Whiteboard, open Settings, choose "Export image" and save the board as a PNG. With a personal account, this only works until October 16, 2026.

  2. 2

    Try metaFox.online

    Sign up and try it free for 14 days, no credit card.

  3. 3

    Upload the image or rebuild

    Upload the PNG to a board and keep working on it. Or rebuild the session with cards and figures.

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft Whiteboard being discontinued?

Not for everyone. Microsoft ended Whiteboard for personal Microsoft accounts: since September 25, 2026, they can no longer create or edit boards, and on October 16, 2026, Microsoft deletes legacy boards. For work and school accounts, Whiteboard continues in Teams, on the web and through OneDrive.

Does the whiteboard in Microsoft Teams still work?

With a work or school account, yes. According to Microsoft, external guests can only collaborate during a Teams meeting. Outside meetings, sharing with external users is not supported.

What happens to my boards?

With a personal account, export them as images before October 16, 2026: Settings, "Export image", PNG. After that, Microsoft permanently deletes legacy boards. In metaFox.online, you can upload the PNG to a board and keep working on it.

Do I have to draw in metaFox.online?

No. You and your client place picture cards, word cards and figures on the board, then move, group and connect them.

What does metaFox.online cost?

Pro costs €39.95 per month plus VAT. You can try it free for 14 days, no credit card. For teams, we make offers on request.

Where is my data stored?

The database and the app run in data centers in Frankfurt (Germany); video calls run through LiveKit's EU region in Frankfurt. Details are in our privacy policy.

Try metaFox.online free for 14 days

No credit card. Invite a client with a link and run your first session.

Start your 14-day free trialBook Demo Call

Sources and method

We only compare facts you can check on the vendors' own pages or in the product itself, and we recheck them every quarter. Something outdated or wrong? Tell us.

  1. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/whiteboard/retirement-standalone-microsoft-whiteboard-apps
  2. https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1441775
  3. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/whiteboard/manage-sharing-organizations
  4. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-templates-in-whiteboard-ba4b28e9-f1e0-4525-90ad-dbf9ea21b8c1
  5. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/eudb/eu-data-boundary-learn

Microsoft Whiteboard is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. metaFox.online is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation.