Heptabase
Google Jamboard
| Feature | Heptabase | Google Jamboard |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $11.99/mo | Free only |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 3.7 / 5 |
| Best For | researchers, students, visual-thinkers, phd-students | educators, students, small-teams, google-workspace-users |
| Founded | 2021 | 2016 |
| Whiteboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Card System | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mindmaps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Journal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pdf Annotation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Drawing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sticky Notes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Images | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Pointer | ✗ | ✓ |
| Frames | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Heptabase Pros
- Visual-first approach to note-taking
- Whiteboards for spatial thinking
- Card-based system is very flexible
- Great for research and learning
✗ Heptabase Cons
- No free plan
- Mobile app is limited
- Steeper learning curve than simple note apps
✓ Google Jamboard Pros
- Free with Google account
- Simple to use
- Google integration
- Real-time collaboration
✗ Google Jamboard Cons
- Very basic features
- Being deprecated
- Limited tools
- No templates
The Verdict
Heptabase is built for researchers and students, with a focus on whiteboards and card-system. Google Jamboard targets educators and students and leads with drawing and sticky-notes.
Google Jamboard uses custom enterprise pricing, while Heptabase starts at $11.99/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Google Jamboard has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Heptabase requires a paid subscription from day one.
Heptabase edges out on user ratings (4.6 vs 3.7). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for students — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Heptabase has a slight overall edge — but if free with google account matters most to you, Google Jamboard may still be the right call.