The best mind map software makes it simple and easy to create charts and diagram ideas, actions, and workflows, to improve productivity.
Best mind map software: quick menu
Sometimes it’s difficult to imagine how a complex set of ideas or concepts come together, but this is where mind mapping software can really come into its own. This means being able to set down each idea or concept individually, then connect them together in groups and/or in relation to each other.
The result is that the mind map makes it easy to see at a glance how everything is supposed to work together, and highlight actionable insights for improving processes. The result is greater clarity and the ability to apply it to work situations to improve efficiency and productivity.
Even better is that mind mapping software usually comes with collaborative tools, so that teams can work together to connect processes, making it easier for everyone to visualize how workflows and hierarchies can work. Additionally, a lot of mind mapping software can export results as files for use in other office software, making it easy to include it as diagrams in existing documents or presentations.
We’ve compared these mind map tools across numerous points, from their interface and ease of setup to their customizability and learning curve. We also checked their third-party integrations, collaboration features, and pricing plans, among other things.
Below we list what we think are the best in mind map software platforms currently available.
We’ve also featured the best flowchart software.
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Best overall
Scapple enjoys the distinction of being developed by writers for writers. The group ‘Literature and Latte’ was formed in 2006 with the sole purpose of offering writers a simple way to develop their skills.
The result has been one of the best-known mind map tools on the market today. On first launch, Scapple invites users to double click anywhere on the blank canvas to create a note. You can repeat this process as many times as you wish to offload your initial ‘brain dump’. Scapple also supports importing text files, PDF’s and even images. You can then work out how to link various ideas together.
Scapple has been particularly praised for being easy to master compared to other mind map software due its small number of mind map tools. This does mean however that more advanced features such as embedding audio & video aren’t supported.
Although the program itself is lightweight, Scapple won’t burden your purse too heavily. There’s a 30-day free trial, which only counts down those days on which you actually use the software.
Read our full Scapple review.
Best all-in-one
Miro is one of those online tools that aims to bridge the gap between traditional office working and the modern hybrid routine that many of us are familiar with. It is best described as a multipurpose online collaboration tool, and its list of features is pretty extensive stretching beyond the typical realms of similar software.
The majority of the work you’ll end up doing in Miro will revolve around what it calls boards, which start off as entirely blank spaces. Setting one up from scratch can be daunting and time-consuming, which is why the company has designed templates that you can pick from the get-go.
Some of its most commonly accessed templates include mind maps, Kanban boards, flowcharts, product roadmaps, and timelines. Many of these will serve well as project management tools, and anybody familiar with other project management software like Airtable or Trello will already be familiar with how they work.
Overall, we think Miro is hard to beat. Its long list of features should cover all parts of a typical business process from research and design to presentation, and its collaboration abilities are second to none. Furthermore, its transparency around security and reasonable pricing make it hard for us not to recommend it. The only thing we could wish for is better support channels.
Read our full Miro review.
Best for features
Mindomo offers a dedicated map mapping software platform, which includes a free version that allows the creation of up to 3 mind maps, which include all basic features.
‘Premium’ users enjoy a range of extra features denied to the free tier such as syncing projects across iOS/Android, audio and video embedding, and backing up to cloud-based services like Dropbox. Mindomo also allows paid subscribers to export mind maps in a variety of formats including images (PNG), Adobe PDF (PDF), plain text (TXT) and Microsoft Powerpoint (PPTX). The program can also import data from a number of file formats.
If you need to collaborate on a project, ‘Professional’ subscriptions support 1 user and up to 5 guests. All Mindomo paid subscriptions support password protection of mind maps to make sure only you and your team can see them.
Read our full Mindomo review.
Best for business
MindManager stands on the shoulders of giants having been acquired by software giant Corel in 2015. It is designed primarily for business users and has been adopted by big names like Proctor and Gamble.
As an enterprise-focused program MindManager is capable of integrating with Microsoft Office and indeed the overall interface will be very familiar to Word and PowerPoint users, right down to the built-in text editor and spreadsheet program.
Users are introduced to this gradually, as on first launch MindManager only displays a virtual whiteboard from where you can easily add ideas, then drag them into place. Maps are accessible via an easy to use dashboard.
The general look and feel is extremely professional, meaning the finished map would be suitable for all purposes, from notes for a book to a presentation at a board meeting.
This professional pedigree doesn’t come cheap, though the Mac version is around half the price of the Windows version, though has fewer features. Whichever version you choose there’s a 30-day free trial to check if you and/or your team are comfortable with the interface.
Read our full MindManager review.
Best for ease-of-use
Bubbl.us is a cloud-based mind map service and can be accessed from virtually any internet compatible device. Its existence is thanks to a flash of inspiration by project founder ‘Levon’. While at college, he was leafing through a copy of David Allen’s Getting Things Done and discovered a chapter on brainstorming. Levon started doing this on pen and paper but later teamed up with fellow programmer ‘Kirill’ to begin the development of Bubbl.us.
The beauty of Bubbl.us lies in its simplicity: the service is designed for mind mapping only, doing away with any redundant features. As it’s cloud-based there’s also no software to download. Users can get started right away and the project website claims that these include millions of musicians, artists, writers, teachers and people with dyslexia.
Like Mindomo, Bubbl.us offers a free tier which supports up to 3 mind maps with basic features. The Premium tier allows for real-time collaboration as well as revision history. There’s also a 30-day free trial to try out more advanced features.
Read our full Bubbl.us review.
Best free
XMind is the flagship product of Hong Kong based X Mind Ltd. It was originally released in November 2008 and the project website now claims over 1 million users.
Like MindManager, XMind seems to be more focused on enterprise level solutions. The ‘Idea Factory’ is a great place to start listing items and there’s even a useful built-in countdown timer to help regulate your mind mapping sessions.
XMind 8 Pro is the classic version of the software to download and install, but there’s also a cloud version of the software for desktop and mobile.
The dedicated brainstorming module allows you to group items and concepts, as well as create links between them. Business users can also make use of the presentation mode which can display maps as slides, as well as list tasks in chart form e.g. in ‘tree format’.
XMind has been singled out for praise online for its clear focus on business users, as well as its minimalist interface which allows for easy mind map creation through a series of templates. Another respectable feature includes ‘day and night’ mode which dims the screen to protect your eyes.
Read our full XMind review.
Other mind map software to consider
We’ve only featured five of the best mind mapping software solutions above, but there are plenty more to consider. It’s also worth noting that there can be something of an overlap between mind mapping software and diagramming apps. Here we’ll list a number of additional platforms worth considering.
Coggle is all about flow charts, connecting ideas and concepts together. It’s a simple app that’s easy to use, as all that’s require is for you to put down and join together ideas and the connections between them. You can then export your work as an image file or PDF as required. A handy feature is that the software continually autosaves so it’s easy to roll back to an early version. Even better, the software is free to download.
WiseMapping is a web-based app which means you should have no problem with cross-platform compatibility. It can also be used collaboratively, and your finished mind map can be shared easily, including to online blogs. There’s a free version available for individuals, but you can download a copy to your own company servers if you want to use it for business. Either way, it’s free to use.
IdeaFlip is another web-app that runs in your browser, so it shouldn’t matter which operating system you use, whether on desktop of mobile. It’s a more developed collaborative platform than some of the others, and has both team and management features built in. Also unlike some of the others listed here, it’s not free, with pricing dependent on how many users and features you want.
LucidChart is also focused on collaborative flowcharts for business users, and is probably best described as a diagramming app more than anything. This means that it is good for more than just mind mapping but also project flows. The flexibility built into the program means it has a large corporate following and boasts a number of Fortune 500 companies as clients. Even still, it’s not that expensive to use.
We’ve also listed the best free drawing software.
Mind map software FAQs
What is mind map software?
A mind map software is a tool to create a mind map digitally. Using this tool, users can create elaborate diagrams to display pieces of information and ideas visually, with relevant connections to each other.
The software allows users to customize their maps in many ways and also includes collaboration and presentation tools to make it easy for teams to work together.
Mind map software is commonly used by project managers, teachers, and students.
How to choose the best mind map software for yourself?
When choosing the best mind map software for yourself, start with assessing how easy the software is to use. If the learning curve is too steep, it could prevent you from utilizing the software properly.
You’ll want to consider the software’s pricing, user interface, and the customizability of the mind maps. A simple user interface will make it easy to get started with using the tool, while customizability will give users the flexibility to create mind maps for tackling different types of tasks.
Make sure to evaluate the mind mapping software’s collaboration and presentation features, especially if you’re going to have a team working together on the software.
Lastly, look out for the software’s additional features, like cloud-based functionality, project management features, video calling, and instant messaging.
The best mind map software: How we test
We’ve tested the best mind map software by looking at aspects like how easy the software is to set up, how lightweight it is, and how simple the interface is.
We checked the number of formats the mind map tools could import from and export to. We looked at the software’s learning curves, how quickly they could be mastered, and the customizability of the mind maps.
We made sure to evaluate the mind map tools’ additional features, like the third-party integrations, presentation tools, and collaboration tools. Lastly, we checked the software’s pricing plans and whether they came with free trials.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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