Softwr

Remote Work · head to head

Mural vs Nginx

Mural logo

Mural

Remote Work

The digital workspace for visual collaboration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nginx logo

Nginx

Web Development

High-performance web server and reverse proxy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mural the free plan allows 3 editable murals at a time, so working on a fourth means archiving one; Nginx open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • They diverge on capability: Mural covers Infinite canvas, Nginx covers High-performance web server.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mural and Nginx actually diverge.

Attributes where Mural and Nginx differ
AttributeMuralNginx
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryRemote WorkWeb Development

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2011).

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 Mural

  • Infinite canvas
  • Sticky notes
  • Shapes & connectors
  • Image uploads
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Templates
  • Voting & feedback
  • Slack

Only in Nginx

  • High-performance web server
  • Reverse proxy
  • Load balancing
  • HTTP caching
  • SSL/TLS termination
  • Gzip compression
  • Rate limiting
  • Static file serving

What people use each for

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

Mural

  • Running collaborative workshops and retrospectives on a shared whiteboardnot Nginx
  • Mapping journeys and diagrams with a distributed teamnot Nginx

Nginx

  • HTTP web server and static file servingnot Mural
  • Reverse proxy and load balancernot Mural
  • TLS/SSL termination (SNI, HTTP/2, HTTP/3)not Mural
  • Content cachingnot Mural
  • Kubernetes Ingress Controller backendnot Mural
  • TCP/UDP stream proxyingnot Mural

Where each one falls short

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

Mural

  • The free plan allows 3 editable murals at a time, so working on a fourth means archiving one
  • Mural AI and the Zoom and Webex integrations require Team+ at $9.99 per member per month billed annually
  • SSO and the Okta, Azure and GitHub integrations are Business only at $17.99 per member per month
  • Multiple workspaces, SCIM, audit logs and enforced 2FA are Enterprise only with no published price

Nginx

  • Open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • No official built-in GUI or dashboard for management or live metrics in the open-source edition
  • Advanced capabilities such as active health checks, dynamic upstream reconfiguration without reload, and a full API gateway feature set are exclusive to the paid NGINX Plus product, not open-source nginx
  • No published list price for NGINX Plus on the current F5 product page; pricing requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Mural

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 mural
    • Basic shapes
    • File uploads
  • Team$16/month
    • Unlimited murals
    • Advanced templates
    • Team collaboration

Nginx

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Web server
    • Reverse proxy
    • Load balancing

Which should you pick?

Choose Mural if

  • You need infinite canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want sticky notes.
Mural review

Choose Nginx if

  • You need high-performance web server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want reverse proxy.
Nginx review

Questions people ask

Is Mural or Nginx better?
Neither clearly leads. Mural starts at Free and Nginx at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mural or Nginx?
Mural starts at Free and Nginx at Free.
Does Mural or Nginx run on more platforms?
Mural runs on Web, Ios, Android. Nginx runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Mural for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mural best used for?
Mural is most often used for running collaborative workshops and retrospectives on a shared whiteboard, mapping journeys and diagrams with a distributed team. Of those, running collaborative workshops and retrospectives on a shared whiteboard and mapping journeys and diagrams with a distributed team are not what Nginx is typically brought in for.
What can Mural do that Nginx cannot?
Mural covers Infinite canvas, Sticky notes, Shapes & connectors, Image uploads. Nginx covers High-performance web server, Reverse proxy, Load balancing, HTTP caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mural: How much does Mural cost?

Mural Team+ is $9.99 per member per month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly. Business is $17.99 per member per month billed annually. Enterprise is quoted by sales.

Source
Nginx: How much does nginx cost?

nginx is free and open source software distributed under the 2-clause BSD License. Enterprise distributions, commercial support, and training are available from F5 Inc. at custom pricing.

Source
Mural: What does the free Mural plan limit?

The free plan allows unlimited murals in total but only 3 that can be edited at a time, and it is restricted to a single workspace with open rooms only.

Source
Mural: Which Mural plan includes single sign-on?

SSO via SAML 2.0 starts on the Business plan at $17.99 per member per month, which also adds unlimited external guests and advanced integrations.

Source
Mural: When do I need Mural Enterprise?

Enterprise adds multiple workspaces, SCIM user and group management and data residency options. Team+ and Business are both limited to a single workspace.

Source
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