Softwr

Design · head to head

Miro vs Principle

Miro logo

Miro

Design

The visual workspace for innovation

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit MiroFull review
P

Principle

Design

Animate your ideas, design better apps

From
$129/one-time
Free plan
No
Visit PrincipleFull review

The short version

  • Miro has a free plan, then $8/mo; Principle starts at $129 one-off.
  • Only Miro lists infinite canvas; only Principle lists timeline-based animation.
  • Where Miro falls short: free tier limited to 3 editable boards; additional boards must be shared as read-only.
  • Where Principle falls short: macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Miro and Principle actually diverge.

Attributes where Miro and Principle differ
AttributeMiroPrinciple
Starting priceFree$129/one-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebmacOS
Founded20112015

Identical on both: category (Design).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Principle.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Miro

  • Infinite canvas
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Digital sticky notes
  • Diagramming
  • Mind mapping
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • Templates

Only in Principle

  • Timeline-based animation
  • Interactive prototypes
  • Touch gestures
  • Component reuse
  • Video export
  • Sketch import
  • Figma import
  • Driver animations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Miro

  • Collaborative whiteboarding and diagrammingnot Principle
  • Team brainstorming and ideation sessionsnot Principle
  • Project planning and workflow visualisationnot Principle
  • Remote team collaborationnot Principle

Principle

  • Mobile app prototypesnot Miro
  • Micro-interactionsnot Miro
  • Animation designnot Miro
  • User flow designnot Miro
  • Gesture-based interfacesnot Miro

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Miro

  • Free tier limited to 3 editable boards; additional boards must be shared as read-only
  • AI credits heavily restricted: 25 credits per member per month on Starter, 50 on Business
  • Enterprise plan requires minimum 30 members
  • Large projects with numerous nested objects may impact performance on lower tiers

Principle

  • macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
  • No vector morphing capability for complex shape transformations
  • Limited asset creation tools; cannot create vectors or shapes directly within Principle
  • Sketch import flattens certain properties including paths, fills, borders, masks, blur effects, and text layers
  • Limited variable support, logical loops, and data input capabilities compared to tools like ProtoPie or Origami

Pricing, plan by plan

Miro

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 editable boards
    • 7,000+ templates
    • Multiple formats (Docs, Tables, Slides, Kanban)
  • Starter$8/mo
    • Unlimited boards
    • Visitor editing
    • High-resolution exports
  • Business$20/mo
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • Unlimited guests
    • 4,700+ diagramming shapes
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Custom pricing from 30 members
    • Enterprise-grade security
    • Regional data hosting

Principle

$129/one-time
  • License$129 one-off
    • One year of upgrades
    • Full access to all features
  • Upgrade License$99/yr
    • Annual renewal for ongoing upgrades

Which should you pick?

Choose Miro if

  • You need infinite canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Miro review

Choose Principle if

  • You need timeline-based animation.
  • You work on macOS.
  • You also want interactive prototypes.
Principle review

Questions people ask

Is Miro or Principle better?
Neither clearly leads. Miro starts at Free and Principle at $129/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Miro or Principle?
Miro has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Miro and $129/one-time for Principle.
Does Miro or Principle run on more platforms?
Miro runs on Web. Principle runs on macOS.
Can I use Miro for free?
Yes. Miro has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Principle starts at $129/one-time.
What is Miro best used for?
Miro is most often used for collaborative whiteboarding and diagramming, team brainstorming and ideation sessions, project planning and workflow visualisation, remote team collaboration. Of those, collaborative whiteboarding and diagramming and team brainstorming and ideation sessions are not what Principle is typically brought in for.
What can Miro do that Principle cannot?
Miro covers Infinite canvas, Real-time collaboration, Digital sticky notes, Diagramming. Principle covers Timeline-based animation, Interactive prototypes, Touch gestures, Component reuse.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Miro: How much does Miro cost per month?

Miro offers Free (no cost), Starter at $8/month per member (billed yearly), Business at $20/month per member (billed yearly), and Enterprise with custom pricing from 30 members.

Source
Principle: Does Principle run on Windows or Linux?

No. Principle is macOS only and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or Linux editor available; however, prototypes can be shared and viewed on any platform via web link.

Source
Miro: Is there a free version of Miro?

Yes, Miro's Free plan includes 3 editable boards, 7,000+ templates, multiple formats, limited AI trial, 250+ integrations, and 100 MCP calls per day.

Source
Principle: What is the cost of Principle?

Principle costs $129 for a one-time purchase with 1 year of upgrades included. After 1 year, upgrade licenses cost $99/year. A 14-day free trial is available with all features included.

Source
Miro: Do organizations get discounts on Miro?

Miro offers education and nonprofit discounts, as well as startup credits of $500-$1,000 for eligible startups.

Source
Principle: Can I import designs from Figma or Sketch into Principle?

Yes. Principle supports importing designs from Figma and Sketch with intelligent merging of re-imported files. Some Sketch properties such as paths, fills, borders, blur effects, masks, and text layers are flattened upon import.

Source
Miro: How does annual billing compare to monthly billing?

Annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly billing across all paid tiers on Miro.

Source
Principle: How do I share Principle prototypes with others?

Prototypes can be shared via web link with one click (File > Export > Share to Web). Recipients can view and interact with prototypes in any browser on any platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS. No installation required.

Source
Principle: Can I create vector shapes and morphing animations in Principle?

Principle does not support vector morphing, where vector objects transform into other vector shapes. It also has limited asset creation capabilities and editing is restricted to basic operations like scale and rotate.

Source
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