12+ Best Mind Mapping Software Tools for Better Brainstorming

Mind mapping starts with a big idea. From there you work your way down into smaller and smaller concepts. The big idea is like the trunk of a tree, each idea a branch, each sub-idea a smaller branch, and so on down until you get to the twigs and leaves. You can always follow any branch back to get to the main idea.

We’ve got a full tutorial on mind mapping, Mind Mapping 101, so if you’re not  familiar with the concept, you should check it out before continuing. In today’s article we’re going to look at some of the best mind mapping apps available for both individual users and small teams.

What Makes a Great Mind Mapping Software Tool?

Mind mapping is a pretty free flowing concept, this means that you need an app that can take whatever you throw at it. Your idea of a neat and tidy mind map might be another persons’ idea of messy hell and vice versa. 

On the other hand, mind mapping is meant to help you structure chaotic ideas. It can’t be too free flowing, like say MS Paint; it just wouldn’t be of any use. 

Go From Brainstormed Ideas to Visual Order

So, for the best PC and mac mind mapping software, we’re looking for something that can take whatever brainstorming ideas you throw at it and turn it into an ordered mind map.

Other features, like collaboration, are nice but optional for some users. If you’re a solo writer, you don’t need to be able to work with other people. If you’re part of a small startup, you definitely do. We’ll be covering the most popular mind mapping software that’ll work for either case.

Finally, like all software decisions, what mind mapping app you use for brainstorming is intensely personal. My choice of the best PC or Mac mind mapping software might drive you up the wall. That’s why we’re going to cover a broad selection. 

Test Drive the Best Apps Before Committing

Try a few apps that have the features and feel that might fit your workflow and go with the one that works best. Many of the best apps to make mind maps are free, have free trials, or have a free tier so you can check them out before committing. 

12+ of the Best Mind Mapping (Software) Tools

Are you looking for a program to make mind maps? There are a lot of good mind mapping apps available and since the creative process tends to be quite personal, it’s difficult to draw hard and fast “this is better” comparisons between them.

Below, we’ve shared some of the best apps to make mind maps that we could find. Here are some of the best tools we found:

1. Coggle (Web)

Coggle is a browser-based mind mapping software tool. In this software you start with a single item. Click the plus sign to add more branches to the mind map. If you’ve got a small business, this tool may be just what you need.

Coggle automatically chooses the direction, placement, and color of the new item. You can right click and customize the items as needed. You can also add colleagues to collaborate on the mind map with you.

Coggle is free for up to three private mind maps. For access to unlimited private diagrams and other mind and thought mapping tools, the cost is $5 a month. The organizational level for teams begins at $8 per member per month.

 2. Mindly (macOS, iOS, Android)

If you want a mind mapping tool that you can easily carry with you, then Mindly is the option for you. You can download it onto most smart phones and tablets.

Start with an element in the middle and branch out with other items from that. If your map gets too large, tap the corner of the screen to easily find your way back to the middle element.

Mindly syncs. So, you can switch from mobile to desktop. Mindly also has a free mobile version where you get access to three mind maps and up 100 elements.

This app is $6.99 on iOS, $5.49 on Android, and $29.99 on macOS. On macOS, iOS and Android you get full access to Mindly with features such as a passcode and unlimited elements.

3. Bubbl.us (Web)

Bubbl.us is a web-based mind mapping software tool. Unlike some of the other solutions which often try to do a lot more, Bubbl.us is focused on pure mind mapping. It’s one of the simplest cloud brainstorming apps available. 

Bubbl.us has three tiers:

1. Basic (Free). Users on the Free plans are limited to three mind maps and only get basic features. 
2. Premium. The plan starts at $6/month/user. It enables features like real-time collaboration and revision history. 
3. Team. The Team plan starts at $18 a month for three users. It’s got features like custom sign-in domain and branding.

If you want to keep things as simple as possible and know you don’t need more than a mind mapping app, Bubbl.us might be what you’re looking for.

4. XMind 8 (macOS, Windows, iOS, Linux, Android, Web)

XMind is one of the more professional options available. It may be the best mind map software for Mac. There are five different pricing options:

1. All Platforms. $59.99/annually
2. Team Plan. Prices vary per number of users. Contact XMind for details.
3. Academia. This allows students and teachers to get the desktop and mobile version. It costs $34.99 annually or $22.49 for six months.
4. NPOs / NGOs / Government. Contact XMind with proper identification to tell them of your needs to get pricing.
5. Enterprise Pricing. This is premium pricing for large customers. Contact XMind to tell them of your needs and get pricing.

This is a full-featured mind and thought mapping tool that’ll help any size organization with their mind maps. But you can also use it to create almost any type of chart you might need including logic charts, timelines, fishbone diagrams, and more. Plus, they’ve recently added a smart color them algorithm.

XMind is billed as “the most popular mind mapping tool on the planet.” It’s easy to see why that would be the case. 

5. WiseMapping (Web)

WiseMapping is a free online mind mapping software solution for individuals and businesses. Since it just runs with a browser, it doesn’t matter what device you use to access it. 

If you’re running your own business, you can even run a copy of WiseMapping on your own server. This should alleviate any security concerns about using a web app.

6. Mindomo (macOS, Windows, Linux, iPad, Android)

Mindomo is a freemium mind mapping app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. There are also iPad and Android sync apps so you can work on your mind maps on the go. 

Mindomo is free with limited features. If you want to do things like back your maps up to Dropbox, add video or audio, or export them to other formats, you need to upgrade to a paid plan:

1. Premium. $5.50/month. A single user can get expanded access including unlimited diagram, password protected diagrams, 10 export formats, and 14 import formats. 
2. Professional. $13.50/month. This access includes a single user and five guest users. It includes all the features of the premium plan guest editing, expanded backup capabilities and more export formats. 
3. Team. Pricing starts at $16.50 per month for three users (more for additional users). It includes all premium and professional features plus a team interface and shared team folder.

7. FreeMind (macOS, Windows, Linux)

FreeMind is a free and open source application for macOS, Windows, and Linux. While it’s a little less user friendly and intuitive than some of the other solutions, it’s pretty powerful and flexible. 

FreeMind doesn’t have much in the way of a collaboration features so it’s best for just one user. Also, the last update was in 2016. So, if you’re looking for the latest trends you may want to pass on this one.

If you’re only making mind maps for yourself and the other free options seem a little basic or limited because of the paid plans, FreeMind might be the solution for you as there’s lots of flexibility in what it can do if you know how to use it. 

8. IdeaFlip (Web)

IdeaFlip is a web software designed for group brainstorming, although of course individuals can use it. As a web app, it can be used on any desktop or tablet device. 

Individual plans that would work for small teams start from $9 a month. Enterprise solutions start from $12 per user per month and come with team management features. 

9. MindNode (macOS, iOS)

MindNode is a beautiful macOS and iOS mind mapping solution. Both the macOS app and iOS app come with a free 14 day trail. After the trial there’s a $2.49 monthly plan and a $19.99 yearly plan. While some mind mapping solutions include everything and the kitchen sink, MindNode is really focused on brainstorming new ideas and then organizing them into coherent mind maps. 

MindNode really embraces Apple’s design ideas and includes features that aren’t available on other platforms like:

• focus mode
• iCloud Syncing
• Apple Watch app 

If you’re fully invested in Apple’s ecosystem, it could be the best app for you.

10. Scapple (macOS, Windows)

One of the classic examples of a use for a mind map is an author writing a book and Scapple is designed to do just that. Literature and Latte, the developers of writing app Scrivener, also created Scapple as a tool to help writers outline their projects.

It’s with a free trial. There are two options a Standard Licence for $18 and Educational Licence for $14.40. The Educational Licence is only available to students and academics. It requires an institutional affiliation. Scapple integrates with Scrivener so you’ll need both apps to get the most out of it. 

11. MindManager (macOS, Windows)

MindManager is the most enterprise focused mind mapping app on this list. It’s used by big companies like Proctor and Gamble and integrates with Microsoft’s Office suite. There are three plans:

1. The Essential plan is $99 a year.
2. The Professional Plan is $169.00 a year.
3. There is also an Enterprise plan that you’ll have to contact MindManager for a quote.

There’s also a 30-day free trial.

Obviously at that price point, and with its aim to be an enterprise solution, MindManager is one of the more powerful mind mapping software tools on this list. This isn’t just a visual brainstorming solution for a small team, it’s something the CFO of a Fortune 500 company can sign off on.

Most teams won’t need something as enterprise focused as MindManager. But if your team is looking to work with much larger companies, say as consultants, it might be worth a look, especially if that company is already using it.

12. Lucidchart (Web, PC, Mac, Linux)

Rather than being a strict mind mapping app, Lucidchart is a diagramming app. This makes it perfect for creating mind maps, but also gives it a huge amount more flexibility to diagram out other things like process flows. It’s used by the likes of Netflix, Spotify, and Ford.

If you want mind maps for brainstorming, but also want a tool that can be used for other things as well, Lucidchart is a good bet. There’s a limited free version with basic features. Here are the premium options:

1. Individual license starts at $7.95/month
2. Licenses for teams start at $9.00 per month per user (minimum three users) 
3. Enterprise licenses are also available

13. MindMeister (Web, iOS, Android)

This is a great mind mapping software tool for collaborating with a team. This software has elaborate collaboration features. Some of the collaboration features include:

• adding team members to your map
• upvote and downvote ideas
• leave comments

MindMeister also has keyboard shortcuts making mapping easy and the ability to embed video into your nodes. MindMeister has four plans:

1. Basic. The plan is free. You get access to three mind maps and real-time collaboration.
2. Personal. This is $4.99 a month. You get access to unlimited mind maps, file and image attachments, PDF export, image export, and mind map printing.
3. Pro. The Pro plan is $8.25 a month. You get access to everything in the Personal plan . Plus, you get  Word export, PowerPoint export, multiple team members, admin account and Google Workspace for sign-on.
4. Business. The Business plan which is $12.49 a month. It includes all the features in the Pro plan. Plus add groups within your team, compliance exports and backups, custom team domain, and multiple team administrators. 

If you’re looking for any easy to use tool with team collaboration features, you’ll want to take a look at this.

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Learn More About Brainstorming

Learn more about brainstorming techniques in our ultimate guide, or dive deeper into one of these topics: 

Choose the Best PC or Mac Mind Mapping Software for You

Mind mapping is a powerful tool for fine tuning and creating new ideas. You can do it with a piece of paper and a pen, but any of the apps in this article will help you keep everything safe and secure. A sheet of letter paper is a lot easier to lose than a properly backed up digital file. 

This is far from a complete list of mind mapping apps. Almost any app, from Word to Photoshop, can be repurposed to do it. Though you may need a dedicated mind mapping app, especially if you visually brainstorm your ideas out often. If so, try one of these apps out.  

Editorial Note: This article was originally published in September of 2017. It’s been completely updated and rewritten by Sarah Joy to make sure that its current and up to date.