In the bustling world of interactive whiteboards, where every brand promises innovation and seamless collaboration, cutting through the noise to find the truly ‘best interactive whiteboard’ for K-12 classrooms can be a daunting task. With major players around every corner including ViewSonic, Promethean, Newline and SMART, where do you start? When choosing the best interactive whiteboard for your school’s classrooms, it’s important to evaluate three main components: the hardware, the software, and the support/training.
- Hardware: Is the display reliable, responsive, and durable?
- Software: Are lesson-creation and collaboration effortless and innovative?
- Support/Training: Does the manufacturer and/or vendor help teachers and IT teams get the most value out of the classroom technology?
Let’s take a look at which interactive whiteboards are the best for K-12 classrooms.
Best Interactive Whiteboard: Contender Snapshot
There are quite a few manufacturers when it comes to the interactive display market, so for this blog we are going to focus on four of the top players we see in the K-12 education space.
- ViewSonic – two series specifically designed for education (ViewBoard IFP51 series and the ViewBoard IFPG1 series, modern EDLA-certified and AOSP display options, extensive software suite including myViewBoard, ClassSwift and Manager, and very strong teacher certification and professional development options.
- Promethean – multiple display offerings (ActivPanel 10/ActivPanel LE,ActivPanel LX), powerful classroom features, Explain Everything and ActivInspire ecosystems, dedicated support packages.
- SMART Technologies – multiple display options for education (RX Series, MX Series, GX Series), long-time market incumbent, software solutions including SMART Notebook and Lumio, strong teacher certification/PD.
- Newline – various display offerings for education (Q Pro Series, Z Pro Series, C Series), multiple software offerings for digital whiteboarding, casting, and device management.
Which Manufacturer Delivers the Best Interactive Whiteboards for K-12 Schools?
As you can see, each top contender offers seem competitive when it comes to hardware, software, and support/training. So let’s take a look at each category a little deeper to see who comes out on top.
Interactive Whiteboard Hardware
When it comes to interactive whiteboards for classrooms there are three types of displays options:
EDLA-Certified
EDLA-certified interactive whiteboards offer a fully licensed version of the Android operating system with Google Mobile Services (GMS), meaning you have access to the Google Play Store and security and firmware updates from Google. The ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP51 series and Promethean ActivPanel LE are the only two that offer Android 14 EDLA, although we would expect most manufacturers to be pushing an automatic Android 15 update by the end of this year. The ViewBoard IFP51 series offers five different size options, up to 50 points of touch, 16GB DDR4 Ram, 128GB eMMC, an 8-array microphone, and 70W audio which is superior to Promethean, SMART, and Newline’s comparable offerings. It is also the second lightest display, only a few pounds heavier than Promethean’s comparable EDLA displays.
AOSP
AOSP interactive whiteboards run on the open-source version of Android without GMS aka very similar experience as EDLA-certified except there is no access to the Google Play Store or Google security and firmware updates. The hardware, however, will be very similar to the EDLA-certified displays. For example, the ViewBoard IFP51 series enables the user to choose their OS when setting up their panel (either EDLA or AOSP) but the display hardware itself is the same.
OS-Free
OS-Free interactive whiteboards essentially function as a large touchscreen monitor and, as the name suggests, there is no built-in operating system. Instead, the display is powered by an external device of choice (slot-in PC, laptop, or desktop PC). Both the ViewBoard IFPG1 series, Newline C series, and SMART GX Zero series offer up to 40 points of touch, 4K UHD resolution, and 400 nits brightness. ViewSonic’s IFPG1 series offers the lightest display options while SMART’s GX Zero series offers the best audio (40W).
Our Winner: While every manufacturer offers high-quality displays in every category, ViewSonic consistently offers comparable or superior specifications at a more competitive price point.
Interactive Whiteboard Software
Now, hardware is only part of the story. Especially in classroom and learning environments, an interactive whiteboard is only as good as the software that powers it. When it comes to software for interactive whiteboards, we really want to focus on three key areas when deciding which is the best interactive whiteboard for K-12: digital whiteboarding/lesson creation, content sharing, and device management.
ViewSonic
The latest release of their digital whiteboarding platform, myViewBoard 3.0, offers a complete presentation and teaching tool with incredible features to make teaching and learning more interactive, inclusive, and seamless. The recent updates have also been recognized for pedagogy and accessibility improvements, earning ISTE Seal recognition in the “Creativity Tools” category. Their Manager software is second to none when it comes to easy and effective device management, and AirSync wireless casting makes sharing screen content incredibly easy, secure, and reliable.
Promethean
Their ActivInspire is a legacy product when it comes to desktop teaching software, so this is great if your teachers are used to using Promethean lesson formats. Their merger with Explain Everything software enables them to bring a stronger offering on lesson-creation and delivery tools than before. Admin Tools enables basic management of ActivPanel displays and another partnership (Radix) allows for centralized, web-based control of your Promethean devices.
SMART
Another legacy product when it comes to lesson creation, SMART Notebook remains a solid contender if your curriculum materials are heavily SMART-Notebook centric. SMART also offers SMART remote management for maintaining, controlling and securing devices from any web browser.
Newline
Newline’s software offerings have shown tremendous growth over the last few years. Their portfolio is quite comprehensive and delivers software that covers digital whiteboarding (Engage Cloud), screen sharing (Cast), and remote device management (Display Management Plus) needs.
Our Winner: While every manufacturer remains competitive in the software category, ViewSonic’s award-winning integrated ecosystem provides a seamless experience that rivals, and often surpasses, competitors. Promethean’s ActivInspire and SMART’s Notebook are powerful tools, but they can sometimes feel more siloed or require additional licensing for full functionality. Newline’s software offerings are growing but don’t yet match the breadth and integration of myViewBoard and the full ViewSonic software suite. ViewSonic’s software suite is also fully developed by ViewSonic so they are constantly making updates based on real-time feedback.
Support and Training
An interactive whiteboard is an investment, and robust support and training are paramount to maximizing that investment. Every manufacturer offers an extensive knowledge base, professional development options, and teacher certification/education. While Promethean, SMART, and Newline generally offer good, solid support, ViewSonic’s proactive approach to training is unmatched, offering both complimentary and premium options to help every teacher get the most out of their new technology and unlock new ways of teaching.
Our Winner: ViewSonic is heavily focused on providing users with authentic experiences that give teachers actionable knowledge and resources that can be immediately used in the classroom, ensuring that teachers and staff are not maximizing their investment in their technology. Additionally, with resources like the ViewSonic Educator Community, teachers can continuously discover new ways to leverage their interactive whiteboards in the classroom.
The Verdict: ViewSonic Offers the Best Interactive Displays for K-12 Education
No manufacturer is perfect for every single use case, and K-12 districts that are long-time users of a specific brand may reasonably choose to continue with that display partner. Specific school/district needs or preferences may also influence decision makers to favor a certain manufacturer over another. All that being said, we believe when you weigh hardware innovation, a powerful and integrated software ecosystem, and a strong commitment to user support and training, ViewSonic emerges as the undisputed leader when it comes to the best interactive whiteboard choice for most classrooms.
Designed by teachers to support student-centric learning, prioritizing intuitive designs and real-world classroom applications, ViewSonic’s hardware, software and support optimize participation, seamless integrate with existing technologies, and empower educators with the best tools they need at a very competitive price point. ViewSonic’s blend of performance, flexibility, and teacher-focused products and support shortens the path from purchase to real adoption — and, in our opinion, that’s what truly determines whether an interactive whiteboard is “the best.”
