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Best Alternatives to Novastart in 2025

Novastart is an infinite canvas whiteboard OS that brings apps and files onto one boundless whiteboard, allowing people and AI agents to work together. It eliminates the need to juggle separate windows, tabs, and apps by letting you open Chrome, ChatGPT, Claude, Word, and Excel side by side with your own files. While Novastart offers a unique approach to workspace organization, several alternatives provide similar or complementary functionalities. Here are the best alternatives to Novastart for those seeking infinite canvas collaboration, visual workspace management, or AI-integrated productivity tools.

Miro

Miro is a leading online whiteboard platform that offers an infinite canvas for team collaboration. It supports a wide range of integrations, including AI tools, and allows embedding of files, documents, and web content. While it doesn't run native apps like Chrome or Excel directly, it provides a rich set of widgets and integrations to bring in external content, making it a strong alternative for visual collaboration and brainstorming.

FigJam

FigJam by Figma is an infinite whiteboard designed for teams to brainstorm, diagram, and collaborate in real time. It integrates seamlessly with Figma design files and offers plugins for AI and other tools. Although it doesn't host full desktop applications, its canvas supports embeds, sticky notes, and interactive elements, making it a great alternative for design-centric and collaborative workflows.

Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard provides an infinite canvas that integrates with Microsoft 365 apps, allowing users to insert documents, spreadsheets, and web content. It supports real-time collaboration and is available across devices. While it doesn't run apps like Chrome or ChatGPT natively, its deep integration with Office apps and AI features via Copilot makes it a viable alternative for Microsoft-centric teams.

Kosmik

Kosmik is a visual workspace that combines an infinite canvas with the ability to open websites, PDFs, and notes side by side. It supports AI assistance and is designed for research and creative work. Kosmik allows embedding of web apps and files, offering a similar experience to Novastart but with a focus on visual thinking and moodboarding rather than running full desktop applications.

Muse

Muse is a spatial canvas app for iPad and Mac that lets you arrange notes, PDFs, web content, and more on an infinite board. It emphasizes a tactile, spatial approach to organizing information and supports collaboration. While it doesn't run desktop apps like Excel, its ability to embed web views and files makes it a compelling alternative for individual and small-team visual organization.

Coda

Coda is a collaborative document platform that blends documents, spreadsheets, and apps into a single canvas. It allows embedding of external content and integrations with tools like Chrome and AI services. While not an infinite whiteboard, Coda's flexible building blocks and AI capabilities provide a unified workspace where teams can work together, making it an alternative for those who want to consolidate tools into one document-like interface.

Notion

Notion

In Directory

The all‑in‑one workspace

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines notes, databases, kanban boards, and calendars. It supports embedding of files, web content, and integrations with AI tools. Although it lacks an infinite canvas, Notion's flexible pages and databases allow users to create a centralized hub for work, similar to Novastart's goal of bringing everything into one space. It's a strong alternative for those who prefer a structured, document-based approach.

Novastart stands out by allowing native apps and AI agents to run side by side on an infinite canvas, creating a true OS-like whiteboard environment. The alternatives listed above offer varying degrees of similar functionality: Miro and FigJam excel in collaborative whiteboarding with integrations; Microsoft Whiteboard is ideal for Microsoft 365 users; Kosmik and Muse provide spatial canvases for visual thinkers; Coda and Notion offer unified workspaces with embedded content and AI. While none perfectly replicate Novastart's ability to run desktop applications directly on the canvas, each provides unique strengths for consolidating work into a single, collaborative space. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize native app integration, team collaboration, or a structured document approach.