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Head-to-head · Storyboarding Software

Storyboard That vs PanelForge

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Storyboard That #5 in Storyboarding Software 8.4/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 4 features Try Storyboard That
PanelForge #8 in Storyboarding Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit PanelForge

Storyboard That leads on 0 checks, PanelForge on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreStoryboard That · 8.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Storyboard That
  • Most featuresPanelForge · 1 of 4

Storyboard That scores higher on our rubric for storyboarding software: 8.4 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

Storyboard That is the better fit for educators and teams building visual storyboards. PanelForge is the better fit for desktop artists creating drawn animatics on a budget.

  • Storyboard That fits best

    Educators and teams building visual storyboards

  • PanelForge fits best

    Desktop artists creating drawn animatics on a budget

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Storyboard That 8.4/10 Visit ↗ PanelForge 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.4 7.9
Ranking #5 in Storyboarding Software #8 in Storyboarding Software
Best for Educators and teams building visual storyboards Desktop artists creating drawn animatics on a budget
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $9.99/mo £7/user/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud Desktop
Platforms Web Windows, macOS
Support Email, Phone, Docs Community, Email, Phone
Integrations 11 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Storyboard That 0/4 · PanelForge 1/4
Real-time collaboration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Animatic tools Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Script import Not checked yet Not checked yet
Custom characters Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Export formats ZIP image pack, high-resolution image, social media image, animated GIF, PDF, PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides MP4 H.264, QuickTime, PDF, PNG, JPEG, PSD, XML, Alembic
Supported platforms Not checked yet Windows, macOS
Our review
Pros
  • 13+ layouts support storyboards, worksheets, grids, and timelines
  • Audio, annotations, version history, and image uploads add creative depth
  • Classroom collaboration and LMS rostering support education workflows
  • Layered 2D canvas and 3D stage support detailed storyboard work
  • Timeline, multitrack audio and preview tools support animatic production
  • Exports to MP4, QuickTime, PDF, XML, Alembic and image sequences
Cons
  • The Free plan limits creation to 2 storyboards per week
  • Free downloads include watermarks and the classic layout only
  • The Teams plan is priced per user, which can raise costs as teams grow
  • Runs on Windows and macOS desktop systems only
  • Free projects are limited to 100 panels and 1080p resolution
  • Unlimited panels, 8k+ output and priority support require Studio
Our verdict

Storyboard That is a browser-based tool for creating visual storyboards and graphic organizers. It suits educators, students, and teams that need to plan ideas with scenes, characters, speech bubbles, and text rather than a text-only…

Read the review →

PanelForge is desktop pre-production software for animation, video and film teams. It brings together a layered 2D drawing canvas with brush and tablet support, a 3D stage for geometry, cameras, lighting and materials, storyboard panel…

Read the review →
  1. Storyboard ThatStoryboarding Software 8.4Free plan · 14-day trial
  2. PanelForgeStoryboarding Software 7.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Storyboard That — where it wins

    • 13+ layouts support storyboards, worksheets, grids, and timelines
    • Audio, annotations, version history, and image uploads add creative depth
    • Classroom collaboration and LMS rostering support education workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan limits creation to 2 storyboards per week
    • Free downloads include watermarks and the classic layout only
    • The Teams plan is priced per user, which can raise costs as teams grow

  • PanelForge — where it wins

    • Layered 2D canvas and 3D stage support detailed storyboard work
    • Timeline, multitrack audio and preview tools support animatic production
    • Exports to MP4, QuickTime, PDF, XML, Alembic and image sequences

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs on Windows and macOS desktop systems only
    • Free projects are limited to 100 panels and 1080p resolution
    • Unlimited panels, 8k+ output and priority support require Studio

More comparisons

All storyboarding software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update