Discord is a good option.
Online platforms
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Hmm... Google sheets?
Yes we chat via discord, what I am looking for is a way to not be stuck with theater of the mind and basically have an online board with minis. It could be very crude (if a chess board were bigger I would use chess.com's features) but I am looking for something free or cheap.
Here is an image of a roll20 grid 
I'd want the functionality of being able to play on a grid for free (roll20 is paying for the DM) but I don't care about the bells and whistles. It may not yet exist, I am just asking.
Google sheets is a great idea.
graph paper
Not online.
graph paper is the anti-matter of on line.
the computers that were in our heads, before they were in our homes
LIMITLESS!
Right, I use graph paper all the time, but the question specified online.
Ok, that works. But all you said was graph paper, which immediately makes one think of real paper.
everything is on-line now.
everything.
Hello I am a relatively new D and D player. I am DMing online campaigns and would like to find a free online D and D platform so I could set up the playing field and that other players could see the set up. Something like roll20 but I am fine with less functionalities but free.
I want to be able to set up a board and have dots I can move to represents each players and it to be available for all to see. Basically a grid with dots that people can look at live for free (them being able to edit it would be and added bonus).