Migrating from Mural to Nextcloud Whiteboard: what the work involves
The move from Mural to Nextcloud Whiteboard is mainly an archive, rebuild and rollout exercise, not a file conversion. Mural boards do not carry over as editable objects into Nextcloud Whiteboard, so the practical work is to decide which boards must be kept as static records, which must be rebuilt as live boards, and how people will be trained to use the new space. Teams that arrive here usually have a renewal date, a data residency requirement or a lock-in concern, and the first step is to inventory boards by owner, last edit date and whether they are still used in workshops.
The work is usually done by an internal platform or IT team that already runs Nextcloud or is willing to add it, sometimes with an implementation partner for the server build, identity integration and cutover. Nextcloud Whiteboard is the official whiteboard app for Nextcloud, built on Excalidraw and licensed under AGPL-3.0, and it stores boards inside Nextcloud, so boards sit under the same storage, sharing and access controls as the rest of your files. Effort and risk depend mostly on how many boards must be preserved, how many workshop templates need rebuilding and whether a Nextcloud instance already exists. Ask any partner for a written scope that separates archive, rebuild and rollout work, and confirm the Nextcloud and Whiteboard versions you plan to run against the current release notes before committing to a timeline.
Which Mural capabilities map to Nextcloud Whiteboard, and which need rework
This table maps the Mural capabilities that teams rely on to their closest Nextcloud Whiteboard equivalent, marked as clean, needs rework or gap. Treat every row as a starting point, because Nextcloud Whiteboard feature support changes between releases and must be checked against the Nextcloud Whiteboard repository before you commit a workshop or archive plan to it. The main takeaway is that board drawing and file storage map well, while facilitation and template workflows usually need rebuilding.
| Mural capability | Nextcloud Whiteboard equivalent | Status | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board creation | Whiteboards created and stored as files inside Nextcloud | Yes | Confirm the create flow and file placement in your Nextcloud version |
| Real-time collaboration | Multi-user editing of a board, built on Excalidraw collaboration | needs rework | Test concurrent editing with your expected group size and network path |
| Sharing and permissions | Nextcloud file sharing and group folders control board access | needs rework | Map Mural viewer, commenter and editor roles to Nextcloud share levels |
| SSO through Nextcloud | Login through Nextcloud, with LDAP, OpenID Connect or SAML backends | Yes | Confirm which identity backend your Nextcloud instance uses |
| PDF and PNG export | Export of the drawing to image formats; PDF availability to be confirmed | needs rework | Check PDF export in the current Nextcloud Whiteboard release before relying on it |
| Shape libraries | Excalidraw-style libraries and open .excalidraw data | needs rework | Mural stickers and custom shapes must be re-imported or rebuilt |
| Facilitation features | No equivalent of Mural facilitation mode or session timers | gap | Plan a separate facilitation tool or a manual workshop process |
| Workshop templates | Templates must be rebuilt as board files in Nextcloud | needs rework | Recreate high-use Mural templates and store them in a shared folder |
What data can leave Mural and what has to be rebuilt by hand
Mural exports give you a static archive, not a working board. Plan the move around three questions: what you can export, what a static file cannot carry, and which identities and integrations must be recreated in Nextcloud before the subscription ends.
Static PDF and PNG archives
Mural's documented export paths produce PDF and PNG files of a board, which suit an archive for audit trails, approvals and workshop records. Export each board in the format your records policy requires and store the files in a location your retention rules cover. Check that every board exports fully, including frames and large canvases, before you rely on the archive. Treat these files as read-only evidence, not as a source for rebuilding.
Editable objects do not survive export
A PNG or PDF is a picture of the board. Sticky-note text, shape connectors, sticky-note links to other boards, voting results and comment threads are not editable after export, and links inside notes may stop working. Make a list of boards where these elements matter to the work, such as facilitation templates or decision logs, because those boards need to be rebuilt rather than archived.
Rebuilding boards in Excalidraw format
Nextcloud Whiteboard is built on Excalidraw, so rebuilt boards are stored as drawings in an open JSON-based format rather than a proprietary Mural file. Decide which boards are worth recreating from scratch and which can be redrawn as simple diagrams. Ask the Nextcloud administrator to confirm how Whiteboard files are stored and backed up with the rest of Nextcloud data, and test that a rebuilt board opens after a restore.
Mapping Mural accounts to Nextcloud users
Build a table that maps each Mural member, guest and workspace owner to a Nextcloud user or group, along with the permissions each one holds on boards. Nextcloud can connect to LDAP or Active Directory and documents OpenID Connect and SAML backends, so confirm which directory is the source of truth before you create accounts. Remove stale accounts and external guests first, since they often hold the most access.
Inventorying SSO and embedded integrations
Mural boards often sit inside Confluence pages, Jira tickets, slide decks and intranet pages through embeds, and some sign-ins rely on Mural's SSO setup. Ask the owner of each integration to list where the board is embedded, which account opens it and whether the embed is a public link. Each embed must point to the new Nextcloud Whiteboard location, and each sign-in flow must be retested against the new identity provider before cutover.
Workshop templates and facilitation assets
Facilitation templates, icon sets and sticky-note layouts are usually saved as Mural templates that teams copy for each workshop. Export the template as a picture for reference, then recreate it as a starting board in Nextcloud Whiteboard. Confirm with facilitators which steps depend on Mural's built-in facilitation features, since those will need a manual replacement in the workshop plan.
Migration sequence from inventory to decommissioning Mural
This sequence moves boards, workshop templates and people from Mural to Nextcloud Whiteboard in an order that keeps an archive of every board before anything changes. Each step closes with a written output, so the cutover and the Mural shutdown rest on evidence rather than memory.
Inventory every board and its owner
Workspace administrators export or list every mural in the Mural account, recording the board name, owner, members, last edited date and whether the board is a template or a live workshop asset. Ask Mural's support or your account owner to confirm what the admin console exposes for your plan, since the inventory is the basis for every later step. The output is an inventory sheet with one row per board and a named owner for each row. The step is done when every owner has confirmed their rows in writing.
Archive PDF and PNG copies of each board
Owners export each board as PDF or PNG, and the archive keeps those files in a folder structure that mirrors the inventory. Static exports keep the visual content but not editable sticky notes, connectors or comments as objects, so the archive should also include a short text note for boards where the discussion matters. The output is an archive index that links each board name to its exported files and records the export date. The step is done when a second person has opened a sample of files from each owner and confirmed they are readable.
Decide which boards to rebuild
Teams sort the inventory into three groups: boards to rebuild as live whiteboards in Nextcloud, boards to keep only as archive, and templates that must be recreated for repeat workshops. Facilitators should decide this with the people who still run the work, because a board that is only read once rarely justifies a rebuild. The output is a rebuild list with an owner, a target Nextcloud folder and a decision for each board. The step is done when the list has been approved by the business owner of each team.
Install Nextcloud with the Whiteboard app and collaboration backend
The platform team installs Nextcloud Server, then adds the Whiteboard app from the Nextcloud app store and deploys its collaboration backend alongside it, following the Whiteboard project documentation for your version. Check the Nextcloud 35 system requirements for the database, PHP and web server before you choose the installation method, and confirm with your team whether an existing Nextcloud instance can host the boards. The output is a test instance with a working board, confirmed through a browser session from two accounts at once. The step is done when real-time editing works across the two accounts and the backend logs show no errors during the test.
Run a pilot with one team
One team moves its rebuild list into Nextcloud Whiteboard and runs a live workshop, with the facilitator recording friction in a shared log. The pilot covers sharing, permissions, guest access, login through the organization's identity provider and the exact steps for exporting a board from Nextcloud for the team's own archive. The output is a pilot report listing each issue, its owner and whether it blocks rollout. The step is done when the pilot sponsor has signed off the report and every blocking issue is closed.
Run Mural and Nextcloud in parallel
For a defined period agreed with the business owners, teams keep Mural for existing projects while new workshops start in Nextcloud Whiteboard. The platform team watches backups, storage growth, user access and support tickets, and the rebuild list is updated as boards move. The output is a parallel-run log showing which boards are live in each system and any incidents that occurred. The step is done when no board on the rebuild list remains active only in Mural.
Cut over workshop templates
Facilitators recreate each reusable Mural template as a Nextcloud Whiteboard template or as a starter board in a shared folder, and they update the workshop guides that reference Mural links. Templates that used Mural-only features should be redesigned rather than copied, and the facilitator confirms each template works end to end in a test session. The output is a template register with the new location, the owner and the date each template was tested. The step is done when every workshop guide points to Nextcloud and no template is referenced from Mural.
Decommission Mural and keep the archive
Before you cancel, confirm the archive index is complete, check that the exported files open correctly, and record the final export date with the administrator who approves the change. Then revoke member access, end the subscription through the vendor's process, and retain the archive under the same retention rules that applied to the original boards. The output is a decommissioning record that names the archive location, the retention owner and the date access was removed. The step is done when the record is signed by the IT owner and the records owner.
How the migration differs by starting point
If your organization already runs Nextcloud, Nextcloud Whiteboard is an app addition rather than a new platform. The main work is checking that the existing instance is current enough to receive the app, confirming that the whiteboard data sits where your backup and retention policies expect, and deciding who gets access to which boards. Boards live inside Nextcloud, so they inherit the sharing and file controls your team already uses.
- Version check: Confirm your current major version is still inside its support window before adding apps, since Nextcloud 35 is the current release line and each major version is supported for one year.
- Upgrade path: If you are behind, plan one major version at a time, because Nextcloud does not allow skipping major releases.
- Identity: Reuse the LDAP, OpenID Connect or SAML backend already connected to the instance so Mural's sign-in replacement needs no separate accounts.
- Backups: Back up before the app is installed and before each upgrade, and disable third-party apps until they are confirmed compatible.
- Collaboration backend: Review how the whiteboard collaboration service is deployed alongside your existing stack.
Ask your Nextcloud administrator for the current version, the identity backend in use and the backup schedule before deciding on a pilot group.
If you have no Nextcloud today, this path builds the platform for the whiteboard and then, usually, for the files and sharing that come with it. You choose the hosting model, database and web server, then install and harden the instance inside your own cloud account, data center or private network. Because the instance is new, you set the identity, backup and upgrade standards before the first board is created, which is easier than retrofitting them later.
- Installation method: Nextcloud All-in-One is the official installation method and bundles caching, PostgreSQL, backups and optional Talk, with a Helm chart for Kubernetes.
- Database and runtime: Nextcloud 35 recommends MariaDB 11.8 or PostgreSQL 18 with PHP 8.5, served by Apache 2.4 or nginx with php-fpm.
- Identity from day one: Connect LDAP or Active Directory, or OpenID Connect or SAML, before users are invited.
- Support model: Decide whether community support is enough or whether a paid Nextcloud Enterprise tier with maintenance and support hours fits your risk profile.
- Operating routine: Set a calendar for monthly maintenance releases and for major upgrades.
Confirm the hosting location, the identity source and the support model in writing before procurement, since these choices shape every later step.
Some teams do not need a full whiteboard platform. They have a handful of finished workshops, retrospectives or process maps that must remain readable, and the live work has moved elsewhere. In this path, Mural's export features carry most of the work: PDF or PNG files for reading and records, stored in an archive your organization controls. Rebuilding is limited to the few boards that still drive decisions, and those can be recreated in Nextcloud Whiteboard or Excalidraw on demand.
- Export first: Export each archived board to PDF or PNG and store the files with their board names, dates and owners.
- Static limits: Expect exports to lose editable sticky notes, connectors and embedded content, so keep the originals or a list of what they contained.
- Selective rebuild: Pick only the boards referenced by active projects or audits for recreation.
- Storage location: Place the archive in a Nextcloud folder with restricted sharing, or in your existing document system.
- Retention rules: Map each archive to your retention schedule before the Mural subscription ends.
Ask your Mural administrator which boards are in the workspace and who owns them, then confirm the retention requirements with your records team before you export anything.
What drives cost and duration of the Mural move
This table lists the cost and effort components of moving from Mural to Nextcloud Whiteboard, showing who is paid, whether each item is one-time or recurring, and what drives it up or down. Use it to scope a quote before you agree on a fixed-scope plan. The main takeaway is that board inventory and identity integration usually matter more than the software license, which is zero for the community edition.
| Cost component | One-time or recurring | What drives it | What to ask for in a quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board inventory and triage | One-time | Number of murals, their age, and how many are still in active use | A written inventory method, the archive-versus-rebuild split, and the export format for each group |
| Workshop template rebuild | One-time | Number of workshop templates and how many sticky-note, voting or facilitation features they rely on | A list of templates to rebuild as Excalidraw scenes or Nextcloud Whiteboard boards, with items the platform cannot reproduce flagged |
| Identity integration | One-time, with ongoing admin effort | Whether users sign in through LDAP, Active Directory, OpenID Connect or SAML, and how many groups need mapping | Which authentication backend is in scope, how group and access rules map to Nextcloud, and who tests login |
| Server and database setup | One-time, then recurring hosting | Choice of MariaDB 11.8 or PostgreSQL 18, PHP 8.5, web server, and the hosting environment in your data center or cloud account | Architecture diagram, backup target, and whether the Nextcloud All-in-One installation method is proposed |
| Migration testing | One-time | Number of boards sampled for fidelity checks and number of user acceptance rounds | Test cases covering exports, rebuilt templates, permissions, and an agreed sign-off point |
| Backup and restore planning | One-time setup, recurring operation | Backup frequency, retention, and whether a restore has been tested | A documented restore test and who owns the backup job after handover |
| Upgrades every four months | Recurring | Nextcloud publishes a new major version every four months and supports each for one year. Upgrades must go one major version at a time, with a backup first and third-party apps disabled until confirmed | Who performs each major upgrade, the test environment used, and the maintenance window |
| Nextcloud Enterprise support | Recurring, optional | Support tier and user count. Nextcloud's pricing page lists Standard, Premium and Ultimate tiers with a 100-user minimum, starting at 71.29, 104.99 and 204.75 euros per user per year for 100 or more users | Whether the vendor subscription or a DeployOpen retainer covers support, response times, and maintenance lifecycle |
What usually goes wrong and how to prevent it
Most failed Mural migrations trace back to a few decisions made too late or not tested at all. The cards below cover timing, export fidelity, testing, identity and Nextcloud's upgrade rules, with a prevention step for each.
Archiving after the subscription ends
Teams often start the archive once the Mural plan is already lapsing, then find that exports take longer than expected and some boards were edited by people who have since left. Start the bulk export while the subscription is still active, so you can re-export any board that fails or needs a second look. Confirm with Mural which export options your plan and admin role allow, and check how long download links remain available before you rely on them.
Treating static exports as editable copies
PDF and PNG exports keep the look of a board but not its sticky notes as objects, connectors, comments or votes. Anyone who expects to reopen and edit an archived board in Nextcloud Whiteboard will be disappointed. Decide per board whether it is an archive (static export is enough) or a working file (rebuild it on Excalidraw-based canvas), and label archived files so nobody mistakes them for live content.
Skipping the pilot
Rolling Nextcloud Whiteboard out to the whole company before a single workshop has run on it tends to surface missing permissions, slow boards and unfamiliar facilitation habits in front of paying stakeholders. Run a pilot with one or two active teams and one real workshop template, then record what broke. Use the pilot to confirm how sharing, guest access and board ownership behave in your Nextcloud instance before cutover.
Identity mapping gaps
Mural users who signed in with a corporate identity provider will not automatically map to Nextcloud accounts, and orphaned boards can appear with owners who no longer log in. Nextcloud can connect to LDAP and Active Directory, and also documents OpenID Connect and SAML backends, so decide which source is authoritative before migration. Match users by a stable identifier, not by display name, and list every board owner who has no active account.
Skipping Nextcloud major versions
Nextcloud does not allow skipping major releases during upgrades, so an instance installed on an older major version must step through each one in order. Teams that defer upgrades for a year can face several sequential migrations. Take a full backup before every upgrade, and plan upgrades against the release schedule. Nextcloud 35 was released on 16 September 2026, so confirm which version your deployment starts on and map the path to the target.
Third-party apps breaking on upgrade
Apps installed for workshop use, such as extra file viewers, calendar or chat integrations, can stop working or block an upgrade after a Nextcloud major release. Nextcloud's guidance is to disable third-party apps until each one is confirmed compatible with the new version. Keep an inventory of installed apps with their versions, test each upgrade on a staging copy restored from backup, and re-enable apps only after the Whiteboard and file workflows pass your checklist.
Questions buyers ask before moving Mural boards to Nextcloud Whiteboard
What does it cost to move Mural boards to Nextcloud Whiteboard?
The software license is free, so the cost is the work and the infrastructure. Nextcloud Whiteboard is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and Nextcloud Server is also AGPL-3.0, so there is no per-member fee. Costs fall into four groups: servers and storage you run, one-time setup and migration effort, identity integration, and ongoing operations. If you want a vendor-backed support contract, Nextcloud Enterprise lists Standard at 71.29 euros per user per year for 100 or more users, with a 100-user minimum, according to Nextcloud's pricing page. Ask any implementation partner for a fixed-scope quote built from the number of boards, the export work and the environment, and compare it with your current Mural renewal over the same period.
How long does a Mural to Nextcloud Whiteboard migration take?
The duration depends mainly on how many boards you keep, how many need to stay editable, and whether Nextcloud is already running. The export step is quick for static archives, but rebuilding active workshop boards and templates takes longer because each one needs review. Teams usually sort boards into three groups: archive as PDF or PNG, rebuild as Excalidraw-based boards, and retire. Your own inventory will set the timeline, so ask for a written schedule that lists the board count, the review steps and the cutover date before work starts. No fixed duration is given here because none was researched for this scope.
What does the internal team need to provide for the move?
Your team needs to supply decisions and access, not whiteboard design skills. You will need someone who owns the board inventory and can decide which boards are archived, rebuilt or retired, a Nextcloud administrator with rights to install apps and manage the database and storage, and an identity owner who can confirm how users sign in. Workshop facilitators should review the templates they use, because Nextcloud Whiteboard does not reproduce Mural's facilitation features. Plan time for these people in the schedule, since the migration stalls quickly when decisions wait on a single owner.
Can our own team migrate Mural boards without an implementation partner?
Yes, a capable team can do much of the work alone, but the risk sits in the parts that are easy to underestimate. Exporting murals as PDF or PNG is straightforward, and Nextcloud's installation methods are documented. The harder parts are running the database and backups correctly, handling upgrades that must go one major version at a time, and hardening the server. Nextcloud All-in-One bundles caching, PostgreSQL, backups and antivirus, which reduces the setup load. Decide early which parts your team owns and which you will buy as a fixed-scope engagement, and write that split down.
How do we keep boards editable after moving them off Mural?
A PDF or PNG export keeps the picture but not the editable objects, so boards that must stay editable need to be rebuilt in Nextcloud Whiteboard or Excalidraw. Mural exports are static, so sticky notes, connectors and frames do not come back as working objects. For boards that people still edit, recreate the layout in the new tool and keep the PDF or PNG as the historical record. Excalidraw saves drawings in an open .excalidraw JSON format, which helps if you need to move content again later. Confirm with your Mural export what each board contains before deciding which ones to rebuild.
How does SSO work with Nextcloud Whiteboard?
Nextcloud Whiteboard uses the sign-in that Nextcloud already provides, so users log in to Nextcloud and open boards from there. Nextcloud's LDAP app lets LDAP and Active Directory users appear in Nextcloud and log in with their directory credentials. Nextcloud also documents OpenID Connect and SAML user authentication backends. Confirm which of these matches your identity provider and whether your directory groups map to the sharing rules you need. Whether a specific SSO setup needs extra apps or configuration should be verified against the Nextcloud documentation for your version before rollout.
How are Nextcloud upgrades handled with whiteboards in use?
Nextcloud releases a new major version every four months and supports each one for a year through monthly maintenance releases. Nextcloud does not allow skipping major releases, so administrators must upgrade one major version at a time. Back up before each upgrade and disable third-party apps until they are confirmed compatible, which includes Nextcloud Whiteboard. Nextcloud 35 was released on 16 September 2026, with end of life in September 2027, and Nextcloud 36 is scheduled for 17 February 2027. Build upgrade windows into your operating plan, and ask any partner who would own them after go-live.
What should we check about security and compliance before cutover?
Start by confirming where your boards will be stored, who can reach the server, and how backups and access logs are kept. Self-hosting keeps boards on your own servers, which matters for data residency, but the controls around them are still your responsibility. Check encryption in transit and at rest, backup restore tests, and the access rules for shared boards. Nextcloud Whiteboard is built on Excalidraw, which describes its collaboration as end-to-end encrypted, so confirm how that applies to boards stored in Nextcloud in your configuration. DeployOpen prepares systems, controls and evidence for compliance assessments, but independent auditors and certification bodies issue any audit reports or attestations.
How DeployOpen scopes and runs a Mural migration
A Mural migration starts with a written scope, not with an installation. DeployOpen agrees the scope, deliverables and timelines in writing before work begins, and most engagements are fixed-scope. In practice the first deliverable is an inventory: every board in scope, its owner, its last edit date, the workshops that depend on it, and whether it needs to be rebuilt, archived as PDF or PNG, or retired. Mural's own export options carry static images and documents, so the inventory also records which boards hold editable content that will be lost in the move. Ask for this inventory as a named deliverable in any quote, along with the archive format agreed with your records or legal team.
Nextcloud Whiteboard is installed and hardened inside your own infrastructure, whether that is your cloud account, a data center or an air-gapped network. The scope should name the Nextcloud version, the database (MariaDB or PostgreSQL, per the current system requirements), the whiteboard app and its collaboration backend, identity integration with your directory or SSO, backup, and access rules for who can create and share boards. Confirm with your team which of these are in scope and which stay with your own staff. Upgrades are one major version at a time with a backup before each, so the scope should state who performs them after go-live. Cutover and documentation close the work: a dated switch-over plan, a runbook for the operators, and a record of what was archived and what was rebuilt. Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as retainers, which you can price separately from the fixed-scope work.
