What Is a Digital Whiteboard and Does Your Meeting Room Actually Need One?

What is a digital whiteboard and does your meeting room actually need one? The honest guide to standalone devices, software solutions and when a physical whiteboard works better.

Chris Gore | Updated 2026

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Digital whiteboard is a term that covers several different things in a meeting room context. A standalone touchscreen device. An interactive display. A software whiteboarding application on an existing display. A physical whiteboard with a dedicated camera capturing content for remote participants. Each of these solves a slightly different problem, and the right choice depends on how whiteboarding actually happens in the specific room.

This guide explains what each type of digital whiteboard solution actually is, when it adds genuine value and when a simpler approach delivers the same outcome at a fraction of the cost.

What Digital Whiteboard Actually Means

Standalone digital whiteboard devices

A dedicated touchscreen device designed primarily for whiteboarding and visual collaboration. The Samsung Flip, Microsoft Surface Hub and Cisco Webex Board all fall into this category. Large format touch displays with integrated processing, stylus input and built-in software for drawing, annotating and sharing content. They function as video conferencing devices as well as whiteboarding tools. Premium hardware. Premium price. Typically starting from £3,000 for entry-level Samsung Flip up to £15,000 or more for Microsoft Surface Hub or Cisco Webex Board.

Interactive flat panel displays

Commercial displays with touchscreen capability and integrated Android compute. Less specialised than a dedicated digital whiteboard device but capable of running whiteboarding applications. Lower price point than standalone whiteboard devices. Often the right choice for rooms where whiteboarding is occasional rather than the primary use case.

Software whiteboarding on a standard display

Microsoft Whiteboard, Miro, MURAL and similar platforms run on any device with a display. In a Teams or Zoom meeting, participants can collaborate on a shared digital whiteboard without any specialist hardware in the room. For remote-first teams where whiteboarding happens on individual laptops, no room hardware is needed at all.

Physical whiteboard with a capture camera

A physical whiteboard remains in the room. A dedicated camera, Logitech Scribe being the primary example, mounts above it and captures the whiteboard surface in real time, sharing it as a clean, readable image to remote participants. Lower cost than any digital whiteboard device. Works with existing physical whiteboards. The right choice for rooms where people prefer to write on a physical board.

Does Your Meeting Room Actually Need a Digital Whiteboard?

Signs a digital whiteboard device is worth specifying

• Whiteboarding is the primary activity in the room — design reviews, strategy sessions, workshop facilitation

• Remote participants need to interact with whiteboard content in real time, not just view it

• The room is a dedicated collaboration or innovation space with budget to match the use case

• The organisation already runs Microsoft 365 or Webex and wants native integration with those platforms

• A flagship space where the technology itself needs to make a statement

Signs a simpler solution is more appropriate

• Whiteboarding happens occasionally rather than being the primary room activity

• Remote participants need to see whiteboard content but not interact with it — a Scribe camera is the right answer

• The room already has a physical whiteboard that people prefer to use

• Budget is constrained — a standalone digital whiteboard device is hard to justify for a room used mainly for standard video calls

• The use case is content sharing rather than collaborative drawing — a standard display with screen sharing covers this entirely

Cost Comparison by Solution Type

Physical whiteboard with Logitech Scribe camera

£1,500 to £2,500 for the Scribe hardware plus installation. Assumes a physical whiteboard is already in place. The most cost-effective option for rooms where physical whiteboarding is the preferred working style and remote viewing rather than interaction is the requirement.

Software whiteboarding on existing hardware

Microsoft Whiteboard is included in Microsoft 365. Miro and MURAL have subscription costs per user. Hardware cost: zero if the room already has a display and a certified video bar. The right choice for remote-first teams and rooms where the screen is already being used for video calls.

Interactive flat panel display

£2,000 to £5,000 depending on size and specification. Adds touch capability and whiteboarding software to a standard room setup. Mid-range option for rooms where occasional whiteboarding happens alongside standard meeting use.

Standalone digital whiteboard device

£3,000 to £15,000 or more depending on the device. Samsung Flip at the lower end. Microsoft Surface Hub and Cisco Webex Board at the premium end. Justifiable for dedicated collaboration spaces where whiteboarding is the primary activity. For the Surface Hub specifically, read Cisco Webex Board vs Microsoft Surface Hub.

SPOR Group specifies digital whiteboard solutions as part of full room installations across the UK. The right solution depends on how the room is actually used, not on the most impressive device available. Use the AV report quiz to get independent guidance on what your specific rooms actually need.

Not Sure What Whiteboard Solution Is Right for Your Room?

Five questions. Find out what specification is right before any supplier conversation.

Take the AV report quiz  >  sporgroup.net/avreport

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a digital whiteboard?

A digital whiteboard is a touchscreen display that allows people to draw, annotate and share content in a meeting room, with the ability to share that content with remote participants. The term covers standalone dedicated devices, interactive flat panels, software whiteboarding applications on existing displays, and physical whiteboards with dedicated capture cameras.

Do I need a digital whiteboard in my meeting room?

Only if whiteboarding is a genuine and regular part of how the room is used. For rooms where whiteboarding is occasional, a software solution or a Logitech Scribe camera over an existing physical whiteboard is significantly cheaper and performs the job adequately. Standalone digital whiteboard devices are justified in dedicated collaboration spaces where whiteboarding is the primary activity.

What is the cheapest way to share a whiteboard in a meeting?

A Logitech Scribe camera mounted above an existing physical whiteboard costs £1,500 to £2,500 installed and shares the whiteboard surface as a clear, readable image to remote participants in real time. This is significantly cheaper than any standalone digital whiteboard device.

What is the difference between Microsoft Surface Hub and a standard interactive display?

The Microsoft Surface Hub is a premium all-in-one device with Windows 11, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Whiteboard built in, designed for flagship collaboration spaces. An interactive flat panel is a commercial touchscreen display running Android with whiteboarding apps installed. The Surface Hub is more capable and significantly more expensive.