# Collaboard — Design

Collaboard by IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG holds a panel rating of 2/5 from 6 AI judges (category median 2/5), as of 2026-10-15. Provenance: UK / wider Europe; sovereignty: not determined.

- Vendor: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG (https://www.collaboard.app)
- Category: [Design](https://whats-best.ai/software/design.md)
- Provenance (editorial classification): UK / wider Europe
- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/design/collaboard
- Alternatives: https://whats-best.ai/software/design/collaboard/alternatives ([markdown](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/collaboard/alternatives.md))
- Data as of: 2026-10-20 · evaluated 2026-10-15 · oldest source captured 2026-10-01

**AI-generated.** Every score, rationale and verdict here is written by a panel of AI judges from public evidence — an analysis, not a hands-on test. Every fact quotes the vendor page it was read from. No score can be bought. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## At a glance

- Vendor: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG
- Headquarters: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Data hosting: Default not stated; pages mention Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Europe [S2]
- Free plan: Yes, per the vendor’s own page [S2]

## The panel's verdict

Collaboard, an online whiteboard from IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG, scores highest on collaboration and handoff at 4 to 6 and file ownership and portability at 4 to 6, resting on free browser guests, password-protected expiring invitations, terms naming the user sole owner of the data, and import from Miro, Mural and Conceptboard. Design and prototyping holds at 2 to 3 — a template-and-shapes toolkit, not components or prototypes. AI and content rights scores lowest at 1 to 2: the documented AI is background removal and sticky-note detection, with no public answers on models, training or output rights. Pricing transparency matches at 1 to 2 — no per-seat price published, Germany hosting an additional charge without a figure. Sovereignty genuinely splits the judges, 3 to 7: three of six scored 7 for selectable hosting — Microsoft Azure in Switzerland or the Netherlands, Germany's Open Telekom Cloud, or self-hosting — while the data protection officer scored 3, citing different residency figures across captured pages, a privacy policy storing exclusively in Switzerland, and an independently sourced assessment marking all four sovereignty attributes unconfirmed.

**Speaks for it:**
- Guests join free in the browser with no account or licence, under invitations with configurable permissions, optional passwords and link expiry
- The terms state the user remains sole owner of the data, with release on demand by electronic transmission and deletion of all user data on termination
- Runs on-premises or in the cloud of the customer's choice, with hosting selectable among Microsoft Azure Switzerland, Microsoft Azure in the Netherlands and Germany's Open Telekom Cloud
- Boards import from Miro, Mural and Conceptboard, with imported PDFs converted into editable board elements
- A free trial runs 14 days with up to 3 boards and five people per session, with all key features available to try

**Held against it:**
- No public price per seat appears for any plan, so an annual cost cannot be computed, and Germany hosting carries an additional charge with no stated figure
- The documented AI is image background removal and sticky-note detection, with no public information on models, providers, processing location, training on customer content or commercial rights to output
- Exports reach image, PDF, text and table CSV, with no public information on structured whole-board export or a developer inspect mode with measurements
- The documented design toolkit is templates, shapes, pens and tables, and we found no public information on reusable components, shared styles, tokens or interactive prototypes
- The captured pages give different figures for data residency — a privacy policy storing exclusively in Switzerland against a choice of Germany, Switzerland or the EU elsewhere — and we found no public information on a subprocessor list, where AI features process data, or the contracting entity's jurisdiction

**Best for:**
- You run client workshops and need external participants to join free in the browser without accounts, under password-protected invitations that expire
- You must choose where your boards live — Microsoft Azure in Switzerland or the Netherlands, Germany's Open Telekom Cloud, or your own servers on-premises
- You are migrating boards from Miro, Mural or Conceptboard and want written terms naming you sole owner of your data with deletion on termination
- Your teams rely on ready-made workshop structures — the template library offers search, categories and templates with locked or pinned objects

**Avoid if:**
- You need a published per-seat price before talking to sales — the pricing page names plans and features but shows no figures, and Germany hosting is an additional charge without an amount
- Your product design work needs reusable components, shared styles, tokens or interactive prototypes — the documented toolkit is a whiteboard of templates, shapes and sticky notes
- Your developer handoff needs measurements, styles or code-linked components — the documented export reaches image, PDF, text and table CSV
- Your AI use requires disclosed models, processing locations or commercial rights to output — the documented AI is image background removal and sticky-note detection

## Scores by judge and criterion

Scores out of 5, each judge scoring independently against the published rubric (v1). "n/r" = not rated: the vendor publishes no price.

| Criterion | The Product Designer | The Frontend Engineer | The Brand Marketer | The Agency Owner | The Data Protection Officer | The Skeptic |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Design, prototyping & design systems | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| Collaboration, review & developer handoff | 3/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Brand assets & governance | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 |
| Files, formats & portability | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 |
| AI features & rights to the work | 0.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 0.5/5 | 0.5/5 | 0.5/5 |
| European sovereignty | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 3/5 |
| Pricing transparency | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 0.5/5 |
| **Weighted verdict** | **2/5** | **2/5** | **2/5** | **1.5/5** | **1.5/5** | **1.5/5** |

### The judges

- **The Product Designer** (v1.0): Owns the design system of a B2B software product. Wants components with variants, tokens with modes, prototypes that test a real flow, and library releases that are versioned and reviewable — a design system is a product, not a page of nicely arranged buttons.
- **The Frontend Engineer** (v1.0): Turns the designs into code and gets the ticket when they disagree. Wants an inspect mode without a paid seat, tokens exported in a documented format, components mapped to the code ones, and an API that reads the whole file rather than a screenshot of it.
- **The Brand Marketer** (v1.0): Keeps the brand consistent across twelve sales offices that make their own flyers. Wants locked templates non-designers can use, guidelines inside the tool, licence and expiry dates on every stock image, and a clear answer on whether a generated image may go on a trade-fair stand.
- **The Agency Owner** (v1.0): Runs a design agency of fifteen and hands every project over to the client at the end. Wants files that export with layers and components intact, guests who are not billed as editors, and terms that say the client owns the work — and what happens to it after a cancellation.
- **The Data Protection Officer** (v1.0): Reviews every tool where unreleased products, customer screenshots and employee photos end up. Wants the contracting entity and hosting region named, the AI providers on the subprocessor list, and training on customer files excluded for the whole organisation in the terms — not behind a toggle each user has to find.
- **The Skeptic** (v1.0): Has read "free for viewers", "commercially safe AI" and "export anytime" on every page in this category. Reads instead for the click that turns a reviewer into a billed editor, the plan the IP indemnity actually covers, and whether the export keeps a single component.

## European sovereignty — proven facts

Built only from facts on the vendor's own pages; a dimension we could not prove is left open, never scored as zero. Headline: not determined.

| Dimension | Finding | Points | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | — | — |
| Ownership | Not determined | — | — |
| Data residency | Not determined | — | — |
| Subprocessors | Not determined | — | — |

## Key facts

Each fact is the vendor's own statement, cited to the source page it was read from ([S*n*] → Sources).

**Compliance**
- AI addendum exists: DPA addendum covering use of AI in personal data processing [S15]
- AI addendum liability: Vendor liable for breaches of the addendum per main contract and DPA terms [S15]
- AI addendum term: Addendum effective upon signature by both parties and valid for duration of existing DPA [S15]
- AI admin enablement: Organization administrators can enable AI functions for their organization [S15]
- AI art22 protection: Automated decisions with significant effects only per Art. 22 GDPR with safeguards [S15]
- AI data categories disclosure: Prior written notice of categories of personal data processed by AI [S15]
- AI data subject rights support: Vendor supports customer with data subject rights (Art. 15–22 GDPR) regarding automated AI processing [S15]
- AI GDPR compliance commitment: AI use must comply with GDPR principles of lawfulness, transparency and purpose limitation [S15]
- AI prior written notice: Vendor must inform customer in advance in writing about deployed AI systems and their functions [S15]
- DPA: yes [S5]
- GDPR: all plans · yes [S2]
- GDPR: yes [S6]
- GDPR dsg basis: Swiss DSG · EU-GDPR [S3]
- Google analytics de ch exclusion: no · no [S3]
- Hubspot certifications: TRUSTe Certified for Enterprise Privacy · ISO 27001 · SOC2 Type II [S3]
- Incident contact: support@ibv.ch [S5]
- Ssl tls: yes [S3]
- Swiss made: Swiss-made software [S15]

**Data**
- Ch storage de ch hosting: yes [S3]
- Deletion on termination: yes [S5]
- Deletion policy: yes [S3]
- Export: electronic transmission · yes [S5]
- Newsletter revocation: yes [S3]
- Ownership: yes [S5]
- Retention payment data: until legal retention periods expire [S3]
- Third party no passing: no [S3]

**Hosting**
- Availability SLA: 99 [S5]
- Azure regions: Microsoft Switzerland data centres in western and northern Switzerland · Western Europe [S3]
- Customer choice: yes [S3]
- Data residency: Europe · Germany · Switzerland · yes [S6]
- Environments: DE-Hosting · Open Telekom Cloud · Germany · CH-Hosting / EDU-Hosting · Microsoft Azure Switzerland · Switzerland · Global Hosting · Microsoft Azure Holland · Europe [S3]
- Providers: T Cloud Public · Microsoft Azure · Microsoft Azure · yes [S2]
- Region options: Switzerland · Germany · EU · self-hosted [S6]
- Regions: Netherlands · Switzerland · Germany [S2]
- Run in own environment: Runs on-premises or in the cloud of your choice [S13]
- Self hosting: Enterprise · yes [S2]
- Self hosting: yes [S6]
- Swiss made: yes [S11]
- Telekom provider: Telekom Deutschland GmbH · Germany only [S3]

**Integrations**
- API: yes [S2]
- Existing solutions: yes [S6]
- Export formats: Image · PDF · Text [S12]
- Export project: three-dot icon in the top-right toolbar, then Export project · yes [S12]
- Export quick links pdf: PDF · structured A4 handouts · yes [S12]
- Export selection: yes [S12]
- Export sticky notes text: yes [S12]
- Export tables CSV: CSV · yes [S12]
- Import from: Miro · Mural · Conceptboard [S2]
- Jira confluence: yes [S2]
- List: Microsoft Teams · Cisco Webex · Pexip · Nextcloud · Rocket.Chat · Stashcat · Jira · Confluence · MCP Server · Public API [S1]
- List: Image search · YouTube · Microsoft Teams · Webex · Pexip · Rocket.Chat · Stashcat [S2]
- Nextcloud: yes [S2]
- Nextcloud: yes [S10]
- Page present: Integrations [S4]

**Legal**
- Company: 2026 · IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG [S10]
- Consumer revocation: 14 [S5]
- Controller: Stallikerstrasse 1, 8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland · IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG [S3]
- Copyright entity: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG [S7]
- Copyright entity: Collaboard is by IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG [S8]
- Copyright entity: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG [S9]
- Copyright owner: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG [S12]
- Developer: IBV Informatik AG [S1]
- German entity: IBV GmbH, Informatik, Beratung, Vertrieb · Georges-Köhler-Straße 2, DE-79539 Lörrach · Germany [S4]
- German register: Amtsgericht Freiburg · HRB 411717 [S4]
- German VAT: DE142394318 [S4]
- Gtc version: 1.2 · 2026-08-01 [S5]
- Jurisdiction: Swiss law · registered office of IBV [S5]
- Policy updated: 2020-05-12 · 2022-04-29 [S3]
- Swiss entity: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG · Stallikerstrasse 1a, CH-8906 Bonstetten · Switzerland [S4]
- Swiss VAT: CHE-108.018.903 MWST [S4]
- Vendor entity: IBV Informatik, Beratungs und Vertriebs AG · Stallikerstrasse 1a, 8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland [S5]

**Pricing**
- Advanced eur: Advanced · 10 [S2]
- Advanced limits: unlimited · unlimited [S2]
- Advanced price: user per month · 11.5 · yearly · USD [S2]
- Auto renewal: yes · telephone · e-mail · letter [S5]
- Basic eur: Basic · 5 [S2]
- Basic price: user per month · 6 · yearly · USD [S2]
- Billing options: yearly · monthly · 17 [S2]
- Currencies: USD · EUR · CHF [S2]
- Currency: EUR · yes [S5]
- Customization faq: FAQ indicates some subscription model offers customizing options (answer not shown) [S1]
- Education conditions: FAQ mentions special conditions for educational institutions (answer not shown) [S1]
- Education discount: yes [S2]
- Enterprise price: Enterprise · custom [S2]
- Eur comparison: Free · 0 [S2]
- Free plan limits: 3 · 5 [S6]
- Free price: Free · 0 [S2]
- Free tier: yes · no [S2]
- Free trial: yes · 3 · yes · 5 [S6]
- Free trial: 3 · yes · 5 [S11]
- Free trial features: yes · 3 · 5 [S6]
- Payment provider: Stripe [S5]
- Payment providers by hosting: no · no · yes [S3]
- Public sector discount: yes [S2]
- Subscription annual notice: 12 · 1 [S5]
- Trial: 3 · yes · 5 [S1]
- VAT treatment: yes [S5]

**Product**
- Admin enforced parameters: yes [S9]
- AI: Collaboard AI [S1]
- AI background removal: image background removal via context menu [S14]
- AI on premise activation: on-premise activation via static feature flags [S14]
- AI sticky note detection: detect sticky notes in images and create sticky notes on board [S14]
- Audit logs: Enterprise · yes [S2]
- Board export: yes [S2]
- Board versions: yes [S2]
- Branding: Advanced · yes [S2]
- Branding admin settings: branding configured in admin area, applies to all users [S11]
- Branding availability: yes · yes [S10]
- Branding color palette: custom color preset with HEX values/color picker and reset to default preset [S10]
- Branding color palette limit: 18 [S11]
- Branding color theme: app color theme selection with preview and reset [S10]
- Branding customization: Set appearance of collaboard.app and //authenticate/yourcompany page for registered tenants; shown to all subscription members and guest users [S10]
- Branding customization: customize app name, colors, logo, welcome video [S11]
- Branding logo: logo upload with cropping, optional logo width [S10]
- Branding logo locations: login screen · dashboard · whiteboard [S11]
- Branding requirements: administrator/manager of enterprise subscription · yes [S10]
- Branding welcome video: custom welcome video via URL or mp4 upload, enabled in mini back office Configuration tab [S10]
- Branding welcome video link: video via upload or external link (YouTube or own server) [S11]
- Collaboration invites: yes [S6]
- Comments context menu: Comments can be added to objects via context menu; multiple comments supported; hidden when object hidden [S8]
- Comments creation: Comments can be added via left menu 'more' or hot-key 'C' [S8]
- Comments like delete: Comments can be liked/unliked and deleted [S8]
- Comments mentions: @-mentions of Collaboard users trigger email notifications; can mention a single user or all members of your project [S8]
- Comments object attach: Comments can be attached to objects; attached comments move with the object [S8]
- Comments unlimited: Unlimited comments per comment object [S8]
- Comments unread indicator: Red circle number badge shows count of unread comments [S8]
- Contract origin: yes [S5]
- Core: online whiteboard platform [S1]
- Demo request process: Demo via contact form [S13]
- Description: digital whiteboard · web · native OS [S5]
- Export image pdf: image · pdf [S6]
- Export prevention: yes [S2]
- Facilitation tools: Advanced · yes [S2]
- First invite permission rule: yes [S9]
- GDPR data security: Data security (GDPR) [S4]
- GDPR data security: yes [S11]
- GDPR data security page: yes [S13]
- Guest access: yes · no · no [S6]
- Guest users: no · no · no [S9]
- Guests require name option: yes [S9]
- Industries: Public Sector · Education · Aerospace & Defense · Banking · Critical Infrastructure · Consulting · Insurance · Coaching / Training [S4]
- Infinite canvas multiple personas: yes · yes [S6]
- Invite expiry: yes [S9]
- Manage invitations: yes · yes [S9]
- Manage permission: yes [S9]
- Mcp server: Advanced · beta · yes [S2]
- Moderation: voting & rating, timer, lock, pin, hide, presentation mode, focus mode, quick links [S1]
- Multiple invites: yes [S9]
- No app browser: yes [S6]
- Org only boards: yes [S2]
- Origin: yes [S1]
- Origin switzerland: Switzerland [S6]
- Password protection: yes [S9]
- Pdf import conversion: yes [S2]
- Persona duration: 90 · 45 [S6]
- Persona participants: Marketing, sales and product teams [S6]
- Persona template: Collaboard offers free persona templates that can be adapted to user needs [S6]
- Persona template free: yes [S6]
- Persona template purpose: Persona template for describing a typical customer based on research and real data [S6]
- Qr download format: yes [S9]
- Realtime collaboration: yes [S6]
- Recommended persona count: 5 · 3 [S6]
- Registered user read permission: yes [S9]

**Support**
- Channels: help resources · email [S2]
- Fault clearance: next working day · 2 [S5]
- On premise contact: yes [S9]
- Premium: Enterprise · yes [S2]
- Self hosting faq: FAQ on self-hosting options (answer not shown) [S1]

32 more facts on the canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/design/collaboard

## Questions

### Is Collaboard European?

Yes, though not from the EU. whats-best.ai classifies Collaboard as UK / wider Europe.

### Where does Collaboard store data?

The default storage location for customer data is not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026. The vendor’s pages mention Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Europe as hosting locations, per [the vendor’s page captured 13 Oct 2026](https://whats-best.ai/evidence/6245).

### Does Collaboard have a free plan?

Yes. Collaboard has a free plan, per [the vendor’s page captured 13 Oct 2026](https://whats-best.ai/evidence/6245).

### What are the best alternatives to Collaboard?

As of 16 Oct 2026, the panel rates [Penpot (2.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/penpot), [Sketch (2.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/sketch) and [Frontify (2.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/frontify) highest among the other 13 Design products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is [Penpot](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/penpot) (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering). The full list, with European products first: [Collaboard alternatives](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/collaboard/alternatives).

## What this page leaves out

- 9 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 8 compliance facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 5 legal facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 5 subprocessors facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 4 hosting facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 integrations facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 2 pricing facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 support fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 sovereignty dimensions could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages and are shown as unknown.
- 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement.

## Sources

- [S1] Vendor homepage: https://www.collaboard.app/ (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S2] Pricing page: https://www.collaboard.app/pricing (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S3] Privacy policy: https://www.collaboard.app/privacy (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S4] Legal notice: https://www.collaboard.app/imprint (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S5] Terms of service: https://www.collaboard.app/legal (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S6] Design, prototyping & design systems — found from sitemap: https://www.collaboard.app/templates/persona (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S7] Design, prototyping & design systems — found from sitemap: https://help.collaboard.app/template-library (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S8] Collaboration, review & developer handoff — found from sitemap: https://help.collaboard.app/comments (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S9] Collaboration, review & developer handoff — found from sitemap: https://help.collaboard.app/invite-collaborators (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S10] Brand assets & governance — found from sitemap: https://help.collaboard.app/branding (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S11] Brand assets & governance — found from sitemap: https://www.collaboard.app/features/branding (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S12] Files, formats & portability — found from sitemap: https://help.collaboard.app/how-to-export-a-collaboard-project (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S13] Files, formats & portability — found from sitemap: https://www.collaboard.app/request-demo-self-hosting-on-premises-azure-aws (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S14] AI features & rights to the work — found from sitemap: https://help.collaboard.app/ai-features (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S15] AI features & rights to the work — found from sitemap: https://www.collaboard.app/addendum-avv-einsatz-ki (checked 2026-10-13)

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "Collaboard — Design", AI panel analysis, as of 2026-10-20. https://whats-best.ai/software/design/collaboard

Corrections: https://whats-best.ai/correct/606?target=page