A user story mapping tool has gained a lot of popularity in teams that work within the agile framework. The story mapping tool provides, in essence, a visualization of the user’s path or journey when using the product. For this reason, it allows developers to find which tasks will offer them the experience they are looking for. Therefore, with a user story mapping tool, the agile team can prioritize the work that will boost user satisfaction.
If you want to use a story mapping tool, you are at the right place. This post will have a detailed review of several top-notch user story mapping tools. You can then choose the one that suits you best!
However, before we get started, you need to know how to select a tool that serves you best. These are a few things that you must keep in mind to find the most suitable user story mapping tool for your team:
- Find a platform that prioritizes collaboration – user mapping is a process that requires contributions from the whole team. For this reason, you need to find a story mapping tool that allows every team member, from the managers and stakeholders to the UX designers and other employees to access the user map and make the appropriate changes or leave their feedback.
- Choose a platform with audio and video conference features – when it comes to a user story mapping tool, it is essential to find one that facilitates your user mapping sessions. This can easily happen through video and audio calls where every team member can take part, even when they are working remotely.
- Select a tool with numerous templates – the best story mapping tool for you is the one that makes the process quick and easy. When you are first beginning with user mapping, you might find it intimidating to create it. If you have several high-quality templates though, you can save time by creating a fully-functional map without much effort.
With these things in mind, you can find the most appropriate user story mapping tool for your team. Below, we have selected the top platforms that can take the title of the best story mapping tool.
Top 6 User Story Mapping Tools
Boardmix
Boardmix is a qualified user story mapping tool that brings you all the features you might need to make the process as easy as possible. The great thing about this tool is that it provides you with numerous resources to create user story maps, plus any other type of flowchart you might need for your project. Namely, you can use it to create UML diagrams, mind maps, and conference flowcharts among others.
In addition to this, Boardmix is a story mapping tool that truly stands out for its collaborative features. The platform has been designed to help agile teams come together, even when all the members are working from different locations. For instance, any member can access the user story map, create changes, and leave feedback. The rest of the team members will see the changes happen in real-time, a thing that will boost the team’s overall productivity. And to top things up, you can also do audio and video conferences.
Boardmix gives you access to a Starter plan, which is free.
Craft.io
Another great user story mapping tool is Craft.io. This platform brings you all the features that you might need for agile product development, from creating roadmaps to progress tracking. Therefore, it is not just a story mapping tool but a versatile platform for multiple purposes.
What is truly amazing about this platform is the number of features, which will allow your team to bring your vision to life. For instance, the story mapping tool allows you to visualize the user journey in just a few clicks. Plus, the resulting maps and flowcharts are easy to understand for everyone involved, even when they don’t have any technical knowledge.
Craft.io is available in the Essential plan for $49 per user/month and the Pro plan for $109 per editor/month.
Avion
One more user story mapping tool that you need to check is Avion. This platform has been developed to satisfy the needs of agile product management teams. For this reason, you will find a high-quality story mapping tool with which you can build detailed user journeys without investing much time or effort.
One of Avion’s main advantages is that it can break down your complex backlog so that you know what you need to prioritize. And to top things up, this user story mapping tool integrates with all the third-party tools that your team might already be using.
Avion is available in the Startup plan for $19 per month for the first 3 users and the Professional plan for $49 per month for the first 3 users. Each additional user in both plans costs $9 per month.
StoriesOnBoard
If you are looking for a straightforward platform, then StoriesOnBoard is the best story mapping tool for you. This agile product management tool uses a simplistic approach that aims to make the process more efficient than ever.
The great thing about this user story mapping tool is that it places story mapping at its center. For this reason, you can create simple maps that everyone can follow, even your clients and stakeholders.
StoriesOnBoard is available for a free 14-day trial period. Moreover, there is the Basic plan for $19 for the first user and an additional $9 per user/month, the Standard plan for $26 for the first user and an extra $12 per user/month, and the Pro plan for $45 for the first user and an additional $15 per user/plan.
FeatureMap
FeatureMap is another user story mapping tool that stands out for its simplicity. With this tool, you can create a visually-clear board within a few minutes as it provides you with an efficient drag-and-drop editor.
One benefit of this story mapping tool is that gives you unlimited virtual space to organize your backlog in the way that suits you the most. Furthermore, it has incorporated real-time collaboration features.
You can get the FeatureMap Starter plan for free. The FeatureMap Premium costs $6 per month and you can try it for free for two weeks.
Featmap
Featmap is an open-source user story mapping tool that covers all of your agile team’s needs. With this platform, you can easily plan and communicate your backlog, thus prioritizing the right tasks.
This tool sets itself apart from the rest because it focuses on making the process easier and simpler than ever before. As an open-source project, you can install it on your server for free. Alternatively, you can get a 15-day free trial period and the Team plan for $9 per editor/month.
In Conclusion
In this list, you will find the best story mapping tool for your agile project management team. Boardmix is a platform that definitely stands out as it provides you with many advanced features, such as real-time collaboration, ready-made templates and video calling. Try this tool for your team to manage your backlog effectively.
