I need a collaborative whiteboard tool that is self-hosted and does not require internet access.

If you need multiple people collaborating over a LAN with zero Internet dependency, I’d look at:

• WBO (Whitebophir) — lightweight, open-source collaborative whiteboard designed to self-host. Runs with Docker or Node.js and stores boards locally.
• Self-hosted Excalidraw + collaboration server — better drawing/diagramming UX, with real-time collaboration. Community self-hosted stacks can run entirely on your local network.
• ExcaliDash — a more full-featured Excalidraw-based platform with multi-user collaboration, persistent storage, authentication, and version history.

My pick for an air-gapped environment: WBO for simplicity; Excalidraw + collaboration server if you want a polished diagramming experience.

If you tell me whether this is Docker/Linux, Windows, or an air-gapped corporate network, I can give you a deployment that requires no Internet connectivity at runtime.

Finding a collaborative whiteboard that is completely self-hosted and functions entirely offline (no internet access) requires a local-first architecture. True real-time multi-user collaboration over a local network (LAN) without internet relies on local servers or peer-to-peer sync, rather than cloud infrastructure.

Top options matching these requirements include:

• AFFiNE (Self-Hosted via Docker)
  • How it works: AFFiNE is an open-source, local-first workspace that combines an infinite canvas whiteboard with structured documents. It is architected for full offline functionality where data stays on your device, but it also supports a self-hosted Docker Compose deployment for team synchronization over a local network.
  • Internet requirement: Runs completely offline on your local network or machine once deployed.
  • Get started: Deployment instructions are available via AFFiNE Blog and its GitHub Repository.
• tldraw offline (Desktop App)
  • How it works: While not a traditional multi-user server you host on a local machine for a browser team, tldraw offline is a dedicated local desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) built on the tldraw SDK. It saves projects as self-contained .tldraw files that can be shared manually or locally, requiring zero servers or internet connection. It's ideal if "collaboration" means passing a file around or letting local AI agents interact with the canvas.
  • Internet requirement: Completely offline-first with zero cloud dependency.
  • Get started: Available to download directly from tldraw Offline.
• Excalidraw (Self-Hosted with Local WebSocket Room Server)
  • How it works: The standard Excalidraw Docker image is just a static client. However, you can self-host Excalidraw alongside a local collaboration backend (like a local excalidraw-room WebSocket server) inside your local network. Once the containers are running on a local server or NAS, clients on the same LAN can connect, draw, and collaborate in real-time without touching the wider internet.
  • Internet requirement: Requires local network (LAN) access to your internal server, but zero external internet connection once images/assets are pulled.
  • Get started: Read the technical breakdown on Sliplane's Self-Hosting Guide or explore community setups like GitHub - alswl/excalidraw-collaboration.

Would you prefer a solution that runs as a Docker container on a local server for multi-user browser access over your LAN, or a standalone desktop app for an individual workstation?

If you need a real-time collaborative whiteboard that you can self-host entirely offline (in an air-gapped environment or local network without any internet connection), a few open-source projects fit the bill.

The top options that can be spun up locally and function without calling out to external CDN or cloud APIs include:

1. • WBO (Whitebophir)
   • What it is: A lightweight, minimalist, open-source online collaborative whiteboard. Multiple users can draw simultaneously on an infinite canvas, and changes update in real time.
   • Offline/Self-hosted suitability: Excellent. It has a very small footprint and no external dependencies. You can run it locally via Docker using the official lovasoa/wbo Docker Image . Data is stored locally or persisted in a mounted volume.
   • Quick local Docker command:
     docker run -it --publish 5001:80 --volume "$(pwd)/wbo-boards:/opt/app/server-data" lovasoa/wbo:latest
2. • Excalidraw (with local collaboration server)
   • What it is: The immensely popular hand-drawn style whiteboard.
   • Offline/Self-hosted suitability: While Excalidraw's frontend is a static web app, true real-time collaboration offline requires running both the frontend and the companion WebSocket collaboration room server (excalidraw-room ) locally. Because it relies on end-to-end encryption, it is very secure for local networks. You can deploy it via Docker containers on your local machine or private server.
3. • AFFiNE
   • What it is: A next-gen local-first workspace that combines an edgeless infinite canvas (whiteboard mode) with structured document/page modes.
   • Offline/Self-hosted suitability: Designed to be local-first, meaning it works entirely offline in your browser or desktop app, but it also provides a Self-host AFFiNE Docker Compose Setup for team sync across a local network without cloud dependency. It is heavier than WBO (running with Postgres and Redis backend containers), but offers advanced features.
4. • Draw.io (Desktop or Self-Hosted)
   • What it is: A robust diagramming and whiteboard tool.
   • Offline/Self-hosted suitability: While standard draw.io is meant for single users offline via its desktop app, you can self-host the pure HTML/JS instance on a local server or Docker container. Note that out-of-the-box real-time multi-user cursor collaboration requires extra configuration compared to WBO.

To help narrow this down, let me know:

• Do you need true multi-user real-time collaboration locally, or just a tool for a single user offline?
• Are you looking to deploy this via Docker , or do you prefer a standalone desktop application?

Yes. If by “does not require internet access” you mean the machines can be on an isolated LAN or completely air-gapped network, there are a few good choices.

Best options

• WBO — probably the best fit for simple, real-time collaborative whiteboarding on a private LAN. It is open source, can run as a Docker container, persists boards locally, and users connect through a browser. You can run it entirely on an internal server with no Internet connection.
• Excalidraw self-hosted — excellent drawing/diagramming experience and supports offline browser use, but there's an important caveat: the project's official self-hosted Docker image currently does not support its sharing/collaboration features. So I wouldn't choose it if simultaneous multi-user editing is a hard requirement.
• tldraw offline multiplayer — particularly interesting if you want a polished modern canvas. The current desktop application works without Internet, and its LAN multiplayer mode lets another computer join your canvas over the local network, with your machine acting as the server.
• OpenBoard — worth considering if this is primarily for teaching/presentations rather than a Miro-style collaborative workspace. It runs locally and stores its data locally; the current project emphasizes zero cloud/telemetry and localhost operation.

My recommendation

If your requirements are:

Self-hosted + multiple people editing simultaneously + completely isolated from the Internet I'd start with WBO. It's specifically designed around collaborative real-time boards and is straightforward to deploy on an internal server.

If you want something much more polished and modern, I'd investigate tldraw offline multiplayer first. Its LAN approach is particularly well suited to an environment where Internet access is prohibited but computers can communicate with one another locally.

If you tell me whether your environment is (a) completely air-gapped, (b) an isolated LAN, or (c) individual PCs with no network between them, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and give you the exact deployment setup.

WBO (Web Based Object) and AFFiNE are the top self-hosted collaborative whiteboards that can run completely offline on a local network or single machine without internet access .

When you need an air-gapped or local-only digital workspace, traditional cloud-based tools fail. Choosing the right local open-source option depends on whether you need multi-user live synchronization over a local Wi-Fi/LAN or a purely local-first app.

Top Self-Hosted Offline Whiteboard Options

Breakdown of Recommendations

1. WBO (Web Based Object)
   • How it works: It is an open-source, extremely lightweight virtual whiteboard packaged as a simple Docker image.
   • Offline features: You can host the container on a local machine or local NAS. Clients on the same local network (LAN) connect via the host's local IP address to collaborate in real time without any connection to external servers.
   • Setup: Easily deployable using standard Docker run commands or compose files mapping local storage.
2. AFFiNE
   • How it works: A modern, powerful open-source alternative to Notion and Miro that features an infinite canvas and doc mode.
   • Offline features: Built with a local-first architecture , meaning it operates fully offline in your browser or desktop app. For team collaboration on a local network, you can deploy its sync backend via Docker Compose.
3. Excalidraw (Self-Hosted)
   • How it works: The popular hand-drawn style whiteboard can be completely self-hosted.
   • Offline features: By hosting both the static React frontend and the companion excalidraw-room WebSocket server locally, your team can collaborate securely behind your own firewall or local network router without hitting the public internet.

If you want to proceed, let me know:

• Do you need true multi-user real-time collaboration on a local network (LAN), or just single-user offline use on one device?
• Would you prefer a Docker setup guide for WBO or AFFiNE?

Yes. The key distinction is whether you mean “no internet, but several people can collaborate over a local LAN” or “completely standalone/offline on one machine.”

Best options

• tldraw offline + LAN multiplayer — my top pick. The new tldraw offline desktop app runs without internet, has no server/account requirement, and saves boards as local .tldraw files. More importantly for your use case, tldraw added offline multiplayer over a LAN, where one machine can act as the server and coworkers can join the canvas on the local network.
• Self-hosted Excalidraw — best open-source choice. Excalidraw is open source and supports real-time collaboration. There are community-maintained Docker deployments that provide a fully self-hosted collaboration server, including local docker-compose setups.
• ExcaliSol — interesting self-hosted alternative. This is an independent, self-hostable infinite-canvas whiteboard based around the Excalidraw interaction model, with persistence, import/export, and Docker Compose support.

What I'd choose

If your environment is something like an office, classroom, lab, factory, or air-gapped network where machines can communicate with each other but cannot reach the internet, I'd start with tldraw offline multiplayer. It is specifically designed around this scenario and avoids having to maintain a conventional web server.

If you need a central server, persistent boards, multiple users, authentication, and browser-based access, I'd choose self-hosted Excalidraw instead.

If you tell me whether you need LAN collaboration (e.g. 5–20 people) or a permanent self-hosted server, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 choices and give you the installation steps.

Finding a truly self-hosted whiteboard that can function entirely offline (without internet access) while still allowing multi-user collaboration requires a local network setup where a lightweight server runs on one machine and others connect to it via local IP.

The top self-hosted, open-source options capable of running completely disconnected from the wider internet include:

1. WBO (Web Whiteboard / Whitebophir)
   • Overview: A lightweight, open-source, multi-user collaborative whiteboard. It is specifically designed to be simple, highly performant, and easily self-hosted on a local network.
   • Offline/Self-Hosted Viability: It has a straightforward official Docker image (lovasoa/wbo ) that stores board state locally on disk. Once the container is running on a local server or a spare machine, other devices on the same local network can open the browser and collaborate in real-time without an internet connection.
   • How to run locally: You can deploy it via Docker:bash``` docker run -it --publish 5001:80 --volume "$(pwd)/wbo-boards:/opt/app/server-data" lovasoa/wbo:latest

Use code with caution.Access it locally at `http://<host-ip>:5001`.[](https://github.com/lovasoa/whitebophir) [[1]](https://github.com/lovasoa/whitebophir)[[2]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sxMaFdDFYM&t=9)[[3]](https://hub.docker.com/r/lovasoa/wbo)
2. **Excalidraw (with Local Collaboration Server)** 
	- **Overview:** Famous for its hand-drawn look, infinite canvas, and incredible ease of use.
	- **Offline/Self-Hosted Viability:** You can host the static Excalidraw frontend locally. However, to achieve *real-time collaboration* locally without internet, you must pair the frontend with the companion `excalidraw-room` WebSocket server [2.2.]. Because it operates entirely locally once bundled or containerized, it needs zero external internet traffic to relay strokes between local peers.[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUi2phQIyNk) [[1]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUi2phQIyNk)[[2]](https://www.opensourcealternatives.to/blog/best-open-source-whiteboard-tools)[[3]](https://storyflow.so/blog/best-miro-alternatives-open-source-2026)
3. **tldraw offline** 
	- **Overview:** A desktop-focused version of the infinite canvas tool.
	- **Offline/Self-Hosted Viability:** If your definition of "collaborative" includes AI-assisted local workflows or single-user local file editing rather than multi-human live networking, **tldraw offline** is a dedicated desktop application requiring zero servers or internet. It saves work into self-contained `.tldraw` files that can be version-controlled or passed around.[](https://offline.tldraw.com/) [[1]](https://offline.tldraw.com/)[[2]](https://tldraw.dev/blog/tldraw-offline)

If you'd like to proceed, tell me:

- Do you need **true multi-user live collaboration** over a local Wi-Fi/LAN, or is a **single-user local app** sufficient?
- Are you planning to deploy this via **Docker** on a local server?

If you mean multiple people collaborating on the same whiteboard over a completely isolated LAN/intranet, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 My recommendation: WBO

WBO is probably the closest match. It is specifically designed for simultaneous multi-user drawing, persists boards, and can run entirely on your own server. It can be deployed as a Docker container and accessed via something like http://192.168.1.10:5001 on an isolated network.

You could therefore have:

                    Isolated LAN
                         │
        ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
        │                │                │
     Laptop 1         Laptop 2         Tablet
        │                │                │
        └────────────────┼────────────────┘
                         │
                    WBO Server
                  (Docker / Linux)

No cloud service or Internet connection is required once the software/images are installed.

Excalidraw

Excalidraw is considerably nicer for technical diagrams and architecture sketches. The application itself supports offline/PWA operation and is open source.

However, there's an important catch: the official self-hosted Docker image currently does not support sharing/collaboration. Docker Hub So I wouldn't choose it if simultaneous multiplayer editing is a hard requirement.

tldraw Offline

tldraw Offline is excellent if you don't actually need simultaneous collaboration. It's a desktop application with no accounts or servers and works entirely offline, storing boards as .tldraw files.

But it's not a multiplayer whiteboard, so it doesn't satisfy your requirement if several users need to edit simultaneously.

What I'd choose

If your requirements are:

• No Internet at all
• Self-hosted
• Multiple users simultaneously
• Works over an isolated LAN
• Preferably open source
• Ideally Docker-based

→ WBO is the strongest straightforward choice.

If you tell me how many users, whether they need pen/tablet support, and whether this is a completely air-gapped network or just an Internet-disabled LAN, I can narrow it down further and give you a Docker Compose setup for the best option.

                    Isolated LAN
                         │
        ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
        │                │                │
     Laptop 1         Laptop 2         Tablet
        │                │                │
        └────────────────┼────────────────┘
                         │
                    WBO Server
                  (Docker / Linux)

No cloud service or Internet connection is required once the software/images are installed.

Excalidraw

Excalidraw is considerably nicer for technical diagrams and architecture sketches. The application itself supports offline/PWA operation and is open source.

However, there's an important catch: the official self-hosted Docker image currently does not support sharing/collaboration. hub.docker.com So I wouldn't choose it if simultaneous multiplayer editing is a hard requirement.

tldraw Offline

tldraw Offline is excellent if you don't actually need simultaneous collaboration. It's a desktop application with no accounts or servers and works entirely offline, storing boards as .tldraw files.

But it's not a multiplayer whiteboard, so it doesn't satisfy your requirement if several users need to edit simultaneously.

What I'd choose

If your requirements are:

If you need a tool that is self-hosted (runs entirely on your local infrastructure/server) and works without an internet connection (completely local-first or local network-dependent), a few open-source projects fit this exact requirement.

Note on "Collaboration" vs "Offline": True real-time multi-user collaboration requires a local network connection (LAN/Wi-Fi) between the clients and the host server, even if there is no gateway to the wider public internet.

Top recommendations for a self-hosted, offline-capable collaborative whiteboard:

- **What it is:** A lightweight, open-source real-time collaborative whiteboard. Multiple users can draw simultaneously on the same canvas via a local web interface.
- **Why it fits:** It has virtually zero external dependencies, making it trivial to run entirely offline on an air-gapped local network or homelab.
- **How to deploy:** Easily run via Docker locally using the [WBO Docker Hub Image](https://hub.docker.com/r/lovasoa/wbo) . You just point it to a local data directory to persist your boards.[](https://hub.docker.com/r/lovasoa/wbo) [[1]](https://hub.docker.com/r/lovasoa/wbo)[[2]](https://github.com/lovasoa/whitebophir)

- **What it is:** A next-generation local-first, open-source alternative to Notion and Miro that combines infinite whiteboards (edgeless canvas mode) and structured documents.
- **Why it fits:** Built with a local-first architecture, it features robust offline functionality where data stays on your device or syncs locally if you deploy the self-hosted sync server via Docker Compose.
- **How to deploy:** Follow the deployment steps outlined in the [Self-Host AFFiNE Documentation](https://affine.pro/self-host) to run the container stack locally.[](https://docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine/) [[1]](https://docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine/)[[2]](https://www.opensourcealternatives.to/blog/best-open-source-whiteboard-tools)[[3]](https://affine.pro/self-host)

- **What it is:** The hugely popular virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams.
- **Why it fits:** While usually used as a cloud app, Excalidraw is fully open-source and can be packaged locally. If you run it on a local server or container, your team can access it over the local network without external internet. (Note: For live multi-user collaboration in a self-hosted Excalidraw setup, you also need to spin up the companion collaboration socket server, `excalidraw-room`).
- **How to deploy:** You can review configuration details on the Excalidraw GitHub Repository to run the static assets and backend locally.[](https://www.opensourcealternatives.to/blog/best-open-source-whiteboard-tools) [[1]](https://www.opensourcealternatives.to/blog/best-open-source-whiteboard-tools)

If you want to narrow this down, let me know:

• Do you need real-time multi-user collaboration on a local network, or is this strictly for a single user working completely offline on one machine?
• Are you planning to deploy this using Docker , or do you need a different installation method?

Yes. If by “does not require internet access” you mean the users and server can be on a completely isolated LAN, there are a few good options.

Best fit: WBO

WBO is probably the closest match.

• Self-hosted: Run it on your own server.
• LAN-only: Users can connect to it via something like http://192.168.1.50:5001; it doesn't need an external cloud service.
• Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can draw simultaneously.
• Persistent boards: Board state is stored on the server.
• Docker: There is an official Docker image, making offline deployment relatively straightforward.
• Open source: AGPL-3.0.

A basic deployment looks like:

mkdir wbo-boards

docker run -it \
  --publish 5001:8080 \
  --volume "$(pwd)/wbo-boards:/opt/app/server-data" \
  lovasoa/wbo:latest

Then users on the same network can open:

http://<server-ip>:5001

You can even configure it to listen only on the LAN/loopback interfaces if desired.

Another option: Excalidraw

Excalidraw has an excellent drawing experience and is open source. Its editor itself supports offline/PWA use, but the standard Excalidraw setup isn't as straightforward for completely offline, self-hosted multiplayer collaboration.

There are third-party self-hosted Excalidraw projects, but at least one prominent one, excalidraw-persistent, explicitly doesn't provide multiplayer collaboration, so I wouldn't choose it for your requirement.

tldraw Offline

tldraw now has an official tldraw offline desktop application that works without an internet connection and saves .tldraw files locally. However, it's designed for local documents rather than multiple people simultaneously editing the same board. It's also not open source.

My recommendation

I'd start with WBO if your goal is something like “put a whiteboard server on an isolated office/classroom network, let 5–50 people connect to it, and have everyone see each other's drawing in real time.”

If you tell me how many users you expect and what your server is running (Linux/Windows/NAS/Raspberry Pi/Docker), I can narrow this down and give you an offline installation procedure, including how to install it without the server ever having internet access.