Obeya Cloud vs iObeya
Two visual management platforms, different approaches. A fair, fact-based comparison to help you choose the right tool for your team.
Last updated: March 2026
iObeya is a mature digital whiteboarding platform built for Lean and Agile visual management. It shines in large enterprise deployments where teams need beautiful, flexible visual boards for strategy rooms and transformation programs.
Obeya Cloud combines visual management with structured project execution (Kanban, Gantt, Table views) and purpose-built pharma compliance features. It is open source, self-hostable, and starts free — making it more accessible for teams of all sizes.
Choose iObeya for enterprise-wide Lean transformation with rich whiteboarding. Choose Obeya Cloud for pharma teams that need both visual management and structured project delivery with regulatory compliance.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Obeya Cloud | iObeya |
|---|---|---|
| Kanban Boards | ||
| Gantt / Timeline Charts | ||
| SQCDP Dashboards | ||
| TIER Meeting Mode | ||
| Visual Whiteboards | ||
| 21 CFR Part 11 Ready | Partial | |
| Audit Trail | ||
| Custom Fields (25+ types) | Limited | |
| Real-time Collaboration | ||
| Self-hosting Option | ||
| Open Source | ||
| API Access | ||
| SSO / SAML | ||
| Mobile App | Roadmap | |
| Languages | 6 | 5+ |
| Starting Price | Free | ~€15/user/mo |
Visual Management
Obeya Cloud offers five integrated views for the same data: Kanban, Table, Timeline/Gantt, Calendar, and free-form Visual Board. This means teams can switch between structured project tracking and visual whiteboarding without duplicating data.
Native SQCDP dashboards with traffic-light KPI indicators provide real-time shopfloor visibility, and TIER meeting mode enables full-screen facilitated stand-ups.
iObeya is purpose-built for digital whiteboarding with a strong focus on Lean and Agile visual management. Its visual rooms are beautifully designed and support free-form collaboration with sticky notes, annotations, and real-time co-editing.
iObeya excels at A3 thinking, Hoshin Kanri planning, and large-scale visual strategy boards. It is a mature product used by many Fortune 500 companies for enterprise Lean transformation programs.
Pharma Compliance
Designed from the ground up for regulated pharma environments with 21 CFR Part 11 readiness, EU Annex 11 alignment, immutable audit trails, electronic signatures, and role-based access control (RBAC).
Full CSV documentation suite (URS, FS, DS, IQ, OQ, PQ) is maintained alongside the codebase. GAMP 5 Category 4 software with documented validation lifecycle.
iObeya provides enterprise-grade security with SSO/SAML, audit logs, and data encryption. However, it was not specifically designed for pharmaceutical regulatory compliance.
Teams in regulated environments may need additional configuration and documentation to meet 21 CFR Part 11 requirements. iObeya does not provide out-of-the-box CSV documentation or GxP validation packages.
Pricing Comparison
- Free tier: 3 users, 1 workspace, 5 projects
- Starter: €9/user/month
- Pro: €19/user/month (all features)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing + self-hosting
- Open source: Self-host free forever
- No free tier — enterprise-only sales model
- Typical range: €15–25/user/month
- Contact sales required for all pricing
- Not open source — proprietary license
Deployment & Security
- Cloud-hosted SaaS (EU data centers)
- Self-hosted on-premise option (Docker)
- Open source — full code transparency
- SSO/SAML, RBAC, AES-256 encryption
- Cloud-hosted SaaS
- No self-hosting option
- Proprietary — no code visibility
- SSO/SAML, enterprise security features
- You need rich digital whiteboarding for enterprise-wide Lean or Agile transformation programs
- Your primary use case is visual strategy rooms, A3 thinking, and Hoshin Kanri planning
- You are a large enterprise with an established iObeya deployment and change management costs outweigh benefits
- You prioritize whiteboard fidelity over structured project management features
- You need both visual management and structured project execution (Kanban, Gantt, Table) in one platform
- You work in a regulated pharma environment and need 21 CFR Part 11 readiness out of the box
- You want an open source platform you can self-host and customize for your specific workflows
- You need SQCDP dashboards, TIER meeting mode, and shopfloor daily management in a single tool
- Budget matters — you want a free tier or transparent pricing without mandatory sales calls
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Obeya Cloud a direct replacement for iObeya?
Obeya Cloud and iObeya serve overlapping but different use cases. iObeya excels at digital whiteboarding and visual collaboration for Lean/Agile transformation. Obeya Cloud goes further with native SQCDP dashboards, TIER meeting facilitation, structured project management (Kanban, Gantt, Table views), and pharma-grade compliance features like 21 CFR Part 11 readiness. For teams that need both visual management and structured project execution, Obeya Cloud provides a unified platform.
Can I migrate from iObeya to Obeya Cloud?
Yes. Obeya Cloud supports CSV data import with column mapping, making it straightforward to migrate boards, action items, and KPI data. Our onboarding team can assist with migration planning for larger deployments. We also provide pre-built pharma templates (SQCDP, QC Lab, HSE) so you can be productive immediately.
Does Obeya Cloud support the same visual board experience as iObeya?
Obeya Cloud includes a free-form visual board canvas where you can arrange cards, sticky notes, and visual elements freely. While iObeya has a longer track record in pure whiteboarding, Obeya Cloud combines this capability with structured data views (Kanban, Gantt, Table, Calendar) that iObeya does not natively offer, giving you both flexibility and structure.
How does pricing compare between Obeya Cloud and iObeya?
Obeya Cloud starts free for up to 3 users, with paid plans from €9/user/month. iObeya is enterprise-only with pricing typically in the €15–25/user/month range (contact sales required). Additionally, Obeya Cloud is open source, so you can self-host at no licensing cost if you prefer to manage your own infrastructure.
Which tool is better for regulated pharma environments?
Obeya Cloud was purpose-built for pharma with 21 CFR Part 11 readiness, immutable audit trails, electronic signatures, RBAC, and GxP-compliant workflows. iObeya offers audit trails and enterprise security but was not specifically designed for pharmaceutical regulatory compliance. For GMP/GxP environments, Obeya Cloud provides more out-of-the-box compliance features.
Try Obeya Cloud Free
Start with 3 users at no cost. No credit card required. See how Obeya Cloud compares to iObeya with your own data.