Quick Comparison
| Feature | NextRetro | FunRetro |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free forever | Free with limits, $2-4/user/month |
| Real-time Sync | ✅ Instant | ✅ Instant |
| Anonymous Cards | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Voting System | ✅ Flexible voting | ✅ Dot voting |
| Phase Management | ✅ Built-in workflow | ⚠️ Manual |
| No Signup Required | ✅ Participants join freely | ❌ Account needed |
| Export Options | PDF, MD, Jira, Confluence | Google Sheets, Confluence |
| Facilitator Controls | ✅ Lock phases | ⚠️ Limited |
| Card Grouping | ✅ Drag to merge | ✅ Manual grouping |
| Modern UI | ✅ 2026 design | ⚠️ Dated interface |
Overview
NextRetro and FunRetro are both dedicated retrospective tools, unlike general whiteboards like Miro. This makes the comparison more direct - both are purpose-built for agile teams running sprint retrospectives.
FunRetro (also known as Easy Retro) has been around since 2015 and is one of the most established retro tools. NextRetro is newer (2024) but offers modern features like no-signup participation, advanced phase management, and a more contemporary user experience.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
1. Getting Started & Onboarding
NextRetro:
- Create a board in < 30 seconds
- Share link - participants join without signup
- No email required for participants
- Clean, minimal onboarding
- Instant board creation
FunRetro:
- Requires Google account to create board
- Participants need to sign in (Google/Email)
- More friction for ad-hoc retros
- Traditional account-based model
- Setup takes 2-3 minutes
Winner: NextRetro - significantly lower barrier to entry.
2. User Interface & Design
NextRetro:
- Modern glassmorphism design (2024-2026 aesthetics)
- Dark mode support
- Smooth animations and transitions
- Mobile-responsive with touch optimization
- Clean, distraction-free interface
FunRetro:
- Classic retro board layout (unchanged since 2015)
- Colorful sticky notes
- Simpler visual style
- Functional but dated design
- Limited mobile optimization
Winner: NextRetro - significantly more modern and polished.
3. Real-Time Collaboration
NextRetro:
- Sub-second sync across participants
- Live cursor tracking
- Real-time vote updates
- Instant card creation/editing
- Optimized for 5-50 participants
FunRetro:
- Real-time updates (slightly slower)
- No live cursors
- Reliable sync for small teams
- Optimized for 3-15 participants
- Occasional lag with 20+ users
Winner: Slight edge to NextRetro for larger teams.
4. Voting & Prioritization
NextRetro:
- Customizable vote limits (1-10 votes)
- Hide/reveal votes (facilitator control)
- Anonymous voting option
- Vote distribution shown clearly
- Export votes with data
FunRetro:
- Dot voting (default 2 votes)
- Votes always visible
- No anonymous voting
- Simple upvote system
- Export includes vote counts
Winner: NextRetro - more flexibility and facilitator control.
5. Phase & Workflow Management
NextRetro:
- Built-in phases: Collect → Group → Vote → Discuss
- Facilitator can lock phases (prevent editing)
- Phase timers included
- Guided workflow for consistency
- Optional strict mode
FunRetro:
- No built-in phase management
- Manual facilitation required
- No locking mechanism
- Freedom but requires discipline
- Relies on facilitator to guide
Winner: NextRetro - better for structured, consistent retros.
6. Privacy & Anonymity
NextRetro:
- Full anonymous mode (hide authors)
- Toggle anonymity per retro
- Anonymous voting separate control
- No account needed for participants
- Privacy-first design
FunRetro:
- Anonymous card creation
- Shows Google profile photos by default
- Can hide authors manually
- Requires Google account (less private)
- Basic anonymity features
Winner: NextRetro - stronger privacy controls.
7. Templates & Customization
NextRetro:
- 17+ built-in templates
- Popular formats: Start Stop Continue, 4Ls, Sailboat, Mad Sad Glad
- Custom templates (Pro plan)
- Template library with guidance
- Can start blank
FunRetro:
- 6-8 standard templates
- Classic formats: Went Well / To Improve / Action Items
- Less variety
- Can customize columns manually
- Simple template selection
Winner: NextRetro - more templates and better organization.
8. Export & Integrations
NextRetro:
- Export to PDF (formatted)
- Export to Markdown
- Jira integration (direct export)
- Confluence export
- Clean, action-focused exports
FunRetro:
- Export to Google Sheets
- Export to Confluence
- CSV export available
- Basic integration options
- No Jira integration
Winner: NextRetro - better export formats and Jira support.
9. Action Item Management
NextRetro:
- Assign action items to team members
- Set due dates
- Track action item status
- Export with assignments
- Follow-up reminders (coming soon)
FunRetro:
- Basic action item notes
- No assignment system
- No due dates
- Manual tracking needed
- Limited action management
Winner: NextRetro - much stronger action item features.
10. Pricing & Value
NextRetro:
- Free Plan: Unlimited boards, unlimited participants, all core features
- Pro Plan: $20/month flat rate (workspace features)
- No per-user pricing
- No credit card for free tier
- No board limits
FunRetro (Easy Retro):
- Free Plan: Limited boards (3-5), basic features
- Team Plan: $2-4/user/month
- Pricing scales with team size
- Board limits on free tier
- Premium features locked
Winner: NextRetro - more generous free tier, better scaling.
Pricing Comparison
Cost for Different Team Sizes
| Team Size | NextRetro Free | FunRetro Free | FunRetro Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 people | $0/month | $0 (limited) | $10-20/month |
| 10 people | $0/month | $0 (limited) | $20-40/month |
| 25 people | $0/month | Not viable | $50-100/month |
| 50 people | $0/month | Not viable | $100-200/month |
FunRetro pricing is per-user, making it expensive for larger teams.
Pros & Cons
NextRetro Pros ✅
- No signup required for participants
- Modern, polished UI with dark mode
- Advanced phase management and facilitator controls
- Flexible voting with hide/reveal
- Unlimited free plan
- Better action item management
- Faster setup (< 30 seconds)
- More templates
NextRetro Cons ❌
- Newer product (smaller community)
- Fewer years of proven reliability
- Some advanced features still coming (Pro plan)
- Less name recognition
FunRetro Pros ✅
- Established tool (9+ years)
- Large existing user base
- Simple, familiar interface
- Reliable and stable
- Good for teams already using it
- Confluence integration
FunRetro Cons ❌
- Requires Google account for all users
- Dated UI design
- Limited phase management
- Board limits on free plan
- Per-user pricing gets expensive
- Less modern feature set
- No Jira integration
- Weaker action item tracking
Use Case Recommendations
Choose NextRetro if:
- ✅ You want participants to join without signing up
- ✅ You value modern UI and smooth user experience
- ✅ You need facilitator controls and phase management
- ✅ You want unlimited boards on free tier
- ✅ Your team is 10+ people (better pricing)
- ✅ You need strong action item management
- ✅ You want Jira integration
- ✅ You're starting fresh with a new tool
Choose FunRetro if:
- ✅ Your team already uses FunRetro (migration cost)
- ✅ You prefer simple, established tools
- ✅ Your team is very small (3-5 people)
- ✅ You need Google Sheets export
- ✅ You're comfortable with dated UI
- ✅ Your team prefers familiar tools
- ✅ You only run occasional retros
Migration: Switching from FunRetro to NextRetro
Why teams switch:
- No signup friction for participants
- Modern, faster user experience
- Better free tier (unlimited boards)
- Advanced facilitator controls
- Lower cost for growing teams
Migration process:
- Export your FunRetro board (Google Sheets/Confluence)
- Create equivalent template in NextRetro
- Manually recreate active action items
- Run your next retro on NextRetro
- Compare team feedback
Migration time: 20-30 minutes per board
Feature Matrix
| Feature | NextRetro | FunRetro |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time collaboration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Anonymous cards | ✅ | ✅ |
| Voting system | ✅ Flexible | ✅ Basic |
| Phase management | ✅ | ❌ |
| Facilitator locks | ✅ | ❌ |
| No signup required | ✅ | ❌ |
| Action item tracking | ✅ Advanced | ⚠️ Basic |
| Export to PDF | ✅ | ❌ |
| Export to Markdown | ✅ | ❌ |
| Export to Google Sheets | ❌ | ✅ |
| Jira integration | ✅ | ❌ |
| Confluence integration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile responsive | ✅ | ⚠️ |
| Dark mode | ✅ | ❌ |
| Custom templates | ✅ Pro | ⚠️ |
| Unlimited boards (free) | ✅ | ❌ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import FunRetro boards into NextRetro?
Not directly. You'll need to export from FunRetro (Google Sheets) and manually recreate boards in NextRetro. This typically takes 15-30 minutes per board.
Is NextRetro as reliable as FunRetro?
FunRetro has 9+ years of reliability. NextRetro is newer but built on modern, stable infrastructure (Supabase). Both have >99% uptime.
Which tool has better performance?
NextRetro is faster due to modern tech stack. FunRetro works well but shows its age with larger groups.
Can I use both tools?
Yes, though it's better to standardize on one tool for consistency across retros.
Does NextRetro have the same features as FunRetro?
NextRetro has all of FunRetro's core features plus phase management, better voting, stronger privacy controls, and modern UI.
Real User Feedback
Teams switching from FunRetro to NextRetro report:
- "Setup is 10x faster without forcing signups"
- "The modern UI makes retros feel less like a chore"
- "Phase management keeps us on track - we used to go over time"
- "Unlimited free boards saved us $50/month"
- "Our remote team loves the facilitator controls"
Teams staying with FunRetro cite:
- "We've used it for years, no reason to change"
- "Simple interface, everyone knows how to use it"
- "Google Sheets export fits our workflow"
Final Verdict
For modern teams starting fresh: NextRetro is the clear winner with better UX, more features, and superior free tier.
For teams already on FunRetro: Evaluate if the modern features (phase management, no signup, facilitator controls) are worth a 30-minute migration.
Bottom line: NextRetro offers everything FunRetro does, plus modern features that make retros faster and smoother. The only reason to choose FunRetro today is if you're already invested in it and don't need the additional capabilities.
Try NextRetro Free
Ready to experience modern retrospectives with no signup required? Create a free NextRetro board in under 30 seconds.
Last Updated: January 2026
Reading Time: 7 minutes
