An Online Alternative to Wonder Unit’s Storyboarder

The real gap: your board is a file on one machine

Wonder Unit Storyboarder is a desktop application for Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is no web version, and no live collaboration on the boards themselves — v2.0 added a multiuser VR mode for its 3D Shot Generator, but getting a board to your DP or producer still means exporting it or passing project files around. Clusters starts from the opposite premise: the board is a URL. Open it from the laptop at the production office, the phone on a location scout, or the iPad at the table read, and everyone is looking at the same, current version.

• Storyboarder: install on a desktop, share by exporting or sending files
• Clusters: open a link — same board on every device, always current
• Native iOS and Android apps when you want them; nothing to install when you don’t

Development has gone quiet — plan accordingly

Storyboarder is free, open source, and genuinely loved, and it earned that following. But its last stable release, v2.1.0, shipped in September 2020 — a v3.0.0 pre-release followed in early 2021 and never became final — and a community GitHub issue asking whether the project is still alive has sat unanswered since 2025. The downloads are still there and nothing stops you from keeping it installed; the question is whether a tool at the center of your production process will keep pace with new operating systems and formats. Clusters is a maintained commercial product — that cuts both ways, since it isn’t open source, but it means someone’s job is to keep the thing working.

Storyboards built by arranging, not only by drawing

Storyboarder assumes you’ll draw every frame. Clusters assumes your frames come from everywhere — quick sketches, location stills, blocking photos, pulls from the lookbook — and gives you a fast way to sequence them. A grid card splits into as many frames as the scene needs, and the storyboard takes shape by dragging, not just drawing.

• Split a grid card into frames and drop a still or a sketch into each — panels auto-number as you go
• Captions under every panel carry action, dialogue, and camera notes
• Drag panels to re-order a sequence; the numbering follows
• Sketch directly on the canvas when a quick drawing says it faster
• Non-destructive photo adjustments and palette extraction keep pulled stills on-look

One board, the whole crew in it

A storyboard is a conversation — between director and DP, between the agency and the client. Clusters is built for that conversation to happen in the board itself rather than in an email thread about an exported PDF. And the pricing fits how crews actually assemble: the free Demo tier has no credit card and no trial clock, and Creator is a flat rate for the board owner, not a per-seat meter that punishes you for inviting the gaffer.

• Live cursors and presence — see who’s in the board and where they’re working
• Comments pin to the exact card they’re about, not a general thread
• One public link opens a read-only preview; viewers never need an account
• Creator is $25/mo flat for unlimited boards, 100GB, and Edit Mode for collaborators

Honest about what Storyboarder does well

If your process is penciling every frame by hand, Storyboarder is still a terrific place to do it — and it’s free. Its six drawing tools are built for fast frame sketching, the Shot Generator mocks up a shot — type a description or block the scene in 3D — boards round-trip through Photoshop, and finished sequences export to Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, PDF, and animated GIF. Clusters has canvas sketch tools, but it is not a dedicated drawing app, and it won’t cut animatics or export into an NLE. Since Storyboarder costs nothing, plenty of teams simply keep both: draw the frames there, then plan, arrange, and share in Clusters.

How to move from Storyboarder to Clusters

1. Get your frames out — Storyboarder keeps each board as an image in your project folder, and its exports produce flattened PNGs and PDFs. Gather those frames — or screenshot finished boards — and they drop straight into Clusters.
2. Drop them into a grid card — Split a grid card into panels and drag one frame into each. Panels number themselves automatically, and captions hold your action and dialogue notes.
3. Put the plan next to the pictures — Flip the board to list view for a working shot list, add a schedule card to map shots to shoot days and locations, and keep the script in a doc on the same board — screenplay mode is built in.
4. Hand the crew one link — A public link opens a clean, read-only preview — no download, no account needed. Collaborators with Edit Mode rearrange panels with you live, cursors and all.

Clusters vs Wonder Unit Storyboarder

How the two compare for a production team as of July 2026 — including the rows Storyboarder clearly wins.

Made with Clusters

Real boards published from the canvas — open one and explore it live.

• Screenplay Beat Sheet
• Short Film Shot List

Frequently asked questions

Is Wonder Unit Storyboarder still maintained?

Its last stable release, v2.1.0, shipped in September 2020 — a v3.0.0 pre-release followed in 2021 but never went final — and a community GitHub issue asking whether the project is still alive has been open since 2025 without a maintainer reply. The downloads are still available, but by every public signal, development has gone quiet.

Is there an online or browser version of Storyboarder?

No — Wonder Unit Storyboarder is a desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux with no web version. Soleil Clusters covers the same storyboard-panel workflow entirely in the browser, which makes it the closest thing to “Storyboarder online.”

Is this the same app as Toon Boom Storyboard Pro or StoryboardThat?

No. This page compares Soleil Clusters with Wonder Unit’s Storyboarder, the free, open-source desktop app from wonderunit.com — a different product from both Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and StoryboardThat.

Can Soleil Clusters make animatics or export to Premiere?

No. Clusters exports boards and docs as PDF, but it does not render animatics or export to editing software — Storyboarder’s Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, and animated GIF exports remain a genuine advantage.

How do I move my existing Storyboarder boards into Clusters?

Every Storyboarder board is already an image in your project folder, and its exports produce flattened PNGs and PDFs. Drag those frames into a grid card in Clusters — each lands in its own auto-numbered panel with a caption for your notes.

Does Clusters have drawing tools, or do I need finished images?

Clusters has sketch and draw tools on the canvas, so quick thumbnails are easy — but it is arrangement-first, not a dedicated drawing app. If you pencil every frame by hand, Storyboarder’s brushes are still the better sketching surface.

What does a Storyboarder alternative like Clusters cost?

The Demo tier is free, with no credit card, no trial clock, and a generous card cap; collaborators can view boards read-only. Creator is a flat $25 per month — not per seat — with unlimited boards, 100GB of storage, any file type, and Edit Mode for collaborators.

Can my crew see the storyboard without installing anything?

Yes. One public link opens a clean, interactive read-only preview in any browser — viewers don’t need an account, and you control each board’s visibility and search indexing.