Mind Mapping Software is a method employed in idea generation where connections are made between various ideas. If done well, it is a wonderful mechanism for you to come up with new ideas and a way to solve some of the tough problems at hand, preview for an article or a presentation, or just arrange your thoughts in order. Whether we do it together or alone, it is often doing it individually.
The majority of my mind mappery is in digital form—usually not, but even when it is paper I recreate it online that it could be safely stored and easily looked for. It’s kind of a cross-breed but that’s the way that I do it.
During the past few years of modifying this list, I have tried almost 50 mind map software tools, many of them several times since newer versions added new features and enhancements. I’ve additionally constructed loads of mind maps amongst myself and on paper, as well as online. Although the pen and paper are the height of the bar, these are the mind mapping apps that manage to clear even the most difficult of the bars.
The Top 5 Mind Mapping Tools
- Xmind
- MindNode
- MindMeister
- Coggle
- Ayoa
What Exactly Is Mind Mapping?
Originally, a Mind Mapping Software is made on paper using pen (may be many colored pencils or markers, unfortunately). You start off by writing the central thought or theme in the center of a blank sheet of paper. Then the fun starts: as your central theme, you arrange “nodes” with lines in between each one related to similar ideas to one other. For instance, if the central theme was “Summer,” for a marketing campaign, I’ll think of some 5-7 nodes like “Good weather,” “BBQs,” “Vacation,” “Air conditioning,” and “School’s out” (or whatever you think of when summer comes to mind).
Then each node procedure the system replicates and goes deeper into the different ideas. “BBQs” for instance, can mean “Family time,” “Good food,” and “Burgers,” while “School’s out”, in this case, can be translated to “Summer jobs,” “Extracurriculars,” and “Alice Cooper.”
Conversely, other ideas will continue the thoughts of already expressed ideas. “Family time” can be partnered with “Good weather” and “Vacation” while “Burgers” can relate to “Summer jobs” for instance. However, seeing the way different things connect gets you to see the relationships between certain terms and ultimately generate new ideas. It had never crossed our mind before we started brainstorming that the guy we thought to be Alice Cooper would flip burgers at a family BBQ (or maybe at a fast food joint?) could just go with the ad of the summer. I didn’t but if I had lots of money I’d definitely buy one.
What Qualities Define The Best Mind Mapping Software?
Work with just your mental conceptualization, a piece of paper and a pen, and mind-mapping will seem effortless and natural. One moment you just draw and develop the design the very moment.
Although the virtual mode is highly comfortable, it does have some disadvantages too. As it is only a small piece of paper unless you have a big one knocking around you cannot cover the same surface as a huge white board. It’s not possible to search it, and if you want to edit things, you can’t. And the thing that makes things even worse is that once you’ve lost your mind map there is no alternative. To sum up, I find pen-and-paper mind mapping to be a great way of working, yet moving on to a mind mapping app might be a good option too.
It’s a mind-mapping app. A lot of these apps, the drawing, diagramming, flowchart ones—-are only marketed as mind map apps. Although you could make a mind map in them (them), you could also use PowerPoint, Photoshop, or MS Paint instead. Instead, you could insert a key and hew a mind map into your computer’s display. Mere possibility that something is suitable for making a mind map doesn’t equate to it being the best option or good at doing the job. These generic apps are often lacking the key features that make digital mind mapping as easy as possible.
They don’t have automatically linked nodes, brainstorming modes that allow for a very speedy conception of many ideas down, and a search option. I dug deep a lot for it to make the list and then I made sure that it was thought over and designed as a tool for brainstorming, as opposed to drawing or creating professional diagrams or charts. Forget about simple ordinary templates, they don’t stand a chance.
These apps are now coming up with GPT powered AI services where their AI helps them to make suggestions and even auto-filling mind maps for you. You will understand ChatGPT features’ abilities if you have messed a bit with it. Among the ones I tried, as described, they turned out to have some roughness in them, and many are still in the experimental stage. Accordingly, they were never in my mind as something remarkable until the day that I tried the AI-built thing, which destroyed every reason why I made my mind map in the first place in my own mind; at least, this is how I feel about it.
By now, it will be my fourth time updating this list, so I’m confident that I know all the top apps (as well as all those that are close, but not quite on top). I try to examine each mind map app by using it. Initially, I choose a funny idea and apply the principles of mind map to understand it well. (It means comparing the app to the other apps and to paper to be sure it hits all the targets.) If it’s easy to use and has everything necessary it might be considered for inclusion.
If it’s the wrong shape, it’s too big, or it doesn’t have a certain attribute that my gear needs, off it goes from the testing list (though I keep all the notes, and an increasingly complex spreadsheet is how I can check if it’ll work better the next year). However, from that shortlist I pick the best among the best And now, here are the top 5 mind mapping softwares.
A Quick Look At The Top Mind Mapping Software
| Name | Best for | Stand-out feature | Pricing |
| Xmind | Personal brainstorming | Great cross-platform availability | Limited free plan; from $5.99/month for Xmind Pro |
| MindNode | Apple users | Native app, iCloud sync, and integration with to-do apps | Limited free app; $2.49/month for MindNode Plus |
| MindMeister | Collaborating with a team | Real-time collaboration and integration with MeisterTask | Free for up to three mind maps; paid plans from $6.99/month |
| Coggle | Beginners and occasional use | Generous free plan | Free for up to three private diagrams; paid plans from $5/month |
| Ayoa | A modern approach | Multiple mind map types and AI-powered features | From $10/user/month, billed annually |
Top Mind Mapping Software For Individual Brainstorming
Xmind (Android, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS)
Xmind pros:
- They are simple, fast, and have an easy to use interface.
- Great native apps cross-platform
Xmind cons:
- Expensive for one person
Need to brainstorm with someone helps complete a mind-map, which means that a lot of tools we’ve seen will be unnecessary.
The majority of development time is dedicated to enhancing features like real-time collaboration and versioning. Unlike Xmind, which prioritizes refining the interface and improving speed and usability over extensive planning.
Xmind is available on the web if your mind maps are synced with a cloud storage provider (like Dropbox and Google Drive). It is in its native apps where Xmind is at its best. It’s available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, even Linux. You might find this to be useful if you want an app that is cross-platform so that your family (or co-workers) can easily use it even when you don’t all need to collaborate real-time. But it is hard to beat when all of you work or don’t on the same kind of project.
Even though it’s an individual viewpoint, I am of the opinion that the best-looking mind maps are those made by Xmind by default. It contains off-beat brushwork that reminds me of a drawing and I so much want to do something like that with my hands. It’s versatile enough to be great for the office (even the built-in Pitch mode in it adds a professional flavor), but stylish enough that you’ll want to wear it by choice.
Otherwise, Xmind leaves nothing out you would covet from a mind mapping app, and a little more. It makes a lot of sense indeed in the case of keyboard shortcuts, touch screen or the mouse clicking. We provide a lot of customizations, styling options and colors, to give you a look that fits you.
On the flipside, the major drawback is that at $5.99/month, it’s costly for one person to pay for it – especially when you look at the number of features you will not get in comparison to, say, Ayoa or MindMeister. If the quality of the offline experience away from other people all by yourself is more valuable than a number of features at the best price, then I’m confident to suggest to you. However, if you are not into it frequently or you have to brainstorm with other team members, you wouldn’t find it of any use.
Xmind pricing: The free plan becomes limited; from $5.99/month Xmind Pro.
Top Mind Mapping Software For Users Of Apple Products
MindNode (iOS, macOS)
MindNode pros:
- Native look of Mac, iPhone, and iPads on Windows.
- Syncing made so easy with all your gadgets.
MindNode cons:
- You’re unable to see it on a browser via a website.
Today, most brainstorming applications are web apps and, if there is a mobile app available. It is just a smartphone shell for the web app or a method to access the app on smartphones. It’s OK if you want the collaborating, sharing and the other features that an online service offers you. But what if you require a basic way to draw out your own principles?
Mind Mapping is a native app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Apple users (and when I’m in a big mind mapping buzz regardless of the platform, this app is often my preferred choice). Set a new map on a single device. And it gets synced to your other devices over iCloud in an instant. The app works just as well (and as powerfully) whether you prefer to use the ‘+’ button on your iPhone to add a new node or the ‘+’ button on your Mac. Besides, it can work effectively and without network because it is a fully native app.No problem.
On top of its multitude of other features for Apple users. MindNode also has a Quick Entry dialog in the Menu Bar on the Mac. Widget implementation on the Home screen or Notification center, Apple Watch app, the Apple Pencil support. As well as integration with well-known to-do apps like Apple Reminders, Things, and OmniFocus. Choose any node and click on the Add Task icon to change it into the to-do item. Need more? Open the share drop-down menu and Export to Tasks (or OmniFocus). And the generated mind-map will be in the form of a project. That you can proceed to check off the to-dos in any of your preferred apps. It’s a cool brainstorming app that involves your creative session as a useful thing.
MindNode pricing: Free for limited Mac and iOS version; $2.49/month for MindNode Plus with images support, tasks, themes and styles. What’s more, it is also offered through Setapp, which is a $9.99/month subscription, which includes many Mac apps.
Top Mind Mapping Software For Team Collaboration
MindMeister (Web, iOS, Android)
MindMeister pros:
- Great collaboration features
- Lots of customization options
- It also can be linked with MeisterTask if you need a more complete functionality.
MindMeister cons:
- The extra features make the controllers a bit less natural.
- A touch costly if you are a solo steersperson.
MindMeister is the outstanding out of many collaborative mind maps tools. It’s not as intuitive as Coggle, and some features that come handy for solo map works like exporting. The mind maps as pdf or image. And inserting images and videos are available on subscription basis only. Where you have to subscribe for at least six months which is more costly. For teams, though, its collaboration features are great: you can invite people, separately adding collaborators. And viewers, leave comments for each other, and roughly work together on the mind map.
Furthermore, it provides a compelling interface with various options that you can customize (inlcuding some more corporate design layouts). Moreover, it organizes your nodes which gives you an opportunity to develop fancy. Looking flow charts that will blend into any meeting room.
Indeed, MindMeister is owned by the same company that create MeisterTask – a Kanban-style project web application. They both come together, so what started as a brainstorming session turns into an actionable. Project with components each of your team members can follow. Progress will be tracked, as well, and in sync with all the other project boards included in MeisterTask. Which works well with Zapier.
MindMeister pricing: Free for the Basic plan which provides up to three mind maps and real-time collaboration as well. From $41.94/6 months ($6.99/month) for the Personal plan offer mind mapping unlimited file attachments and PDF outputs.
Top Mind Mapping Software For Beginners And Occasional Users
Coggle (Web)
Coggle pros:
- Very easy to use even if you’re inexperienced and new to mind mapping.
- Generous free plan
Coggle cons:
- Operable on the web only.
- The interface seems like it’s from the past.
The mind map maker equivalent to a highly advanced space exploration vessel. It is super quick, gets to the point and the interface is simple (with great keyboard shortcuts). While it is only available via your web browser. This marks the best fact that Coggle is free for as much as three private mind maps (it is a lifetime service but who wants public ones). The great thing is you can have unlimited free mind maps as long as you keep your new diagrams as PDF files. Plain text documents or images and delete your old drafts. If you’re willing to make do with digital option only every so often, it will undoubtedly do.
When you start with Coggle, a new diagram apears in the form of a central node of a new mind map. And from there you can create new nodes by clicking on the “+” sign or use the tab key if you want to work faster. Being the bottom-right corner of the app, there is a handy guide to remind all the shortcuts of the keyboard. To learn how to use them is worth it.
Even though UI is a little bit outdatedly, Coggle is full of the nice details. Moreover, the possibility to type your map items and messages in Markdown makes. This app an excellent option because this way you can easily add links, images, and even more formatting details. If you feel like you have some aspects that you would need to cross-check with a colleague, you can add them to your mind map. Have a conversation in the side message box, or open the presentation mode to take a step back. And come up with a more strategic-level creative ideas.
In summary, when you need a mind-map for instance either by yourself or with your comrades. Then Coggle is the best option for you and is free in this case. Definitely, their paid plans are worth considering as well. But why would you pay $50/year or $5/month when there are other mind-mapping apps that work natively rather than just through a web browser?
Coggle pricing: Free version can contain 3 personal diagrams; $5/month for unlimited private diagrams. And other mind mapping tools (for example, more figures and color control).
Are You In Need Of A Mind Mapping Application?
Maps of minds can be an excellent way to generate and connect ideas. So if you don’t do it every day it’s probably not required that you have a paid tool to create them, or at least one. So because, the definition of mind mapping software is just brainstorming software—and you can brainstorm pretty much everywhere. If you are after a compromise, Coggle is not a bad way to start the search for free mind map software as the free option is quite generously provided.
Reinvent the used pen-and-paper technique as well. Hardly any of them are able to surpass it, that’s why you can discover. So many mind mapping apps and only several of them are on our list. In addition, you could always save it or share it by simply taking a picture of it. It is not as technical as the application, but if you do not draw mind map as a job or even privately, it operates.
