The 10 Best Mind Mapping Software to Help You Organize Your Thoughts and Be More Productive

Importance of Mind Mapping

Imagine trying to map out multiple ideas, especially interrelated ones. Writing them down on a piece of paper wouldn’t be enough.

You would need to thread them together, perhaps interconnecting and linking them to show how your thought process progressed. We call this process mind mapping.

These ideas need to be organized and processed. A mind-mapping strategy can help you develop concepts, structure ideas, and simplify seemingly random or disjointed thoughts into sensible connections.

This will help you visualize the ideas you’d like to explore, from the general sense to the specifically broken-down details and nuances.

Thanks to technological advancements, mind-mapping activities no longer need to involve scribbling and drawing shapes on a piece of paper; instead, software can assist in them.

iMindQ

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS

iMindQ is a premier mind-mapping software that comes with preset map styles in different main categories such as business, educational, and personal use.

Beyond just mind maps, it has abundant features that can help you to improve productivity, such as WBS charts, concept maps, flow charts, and other diagram types that lay out your thoughts in a comprehensive, understandable, and memorable format.

iMindQ won’t force you to build a map from scratch; it offers 50 free templates to choose from.

Pricing Plans

• Windows: 15 days free trial, $49 / year, $119 / lifetime license
• Mac: 15 days free trial, $39 / year, $79 / lifetime license

LucidChart

Supported Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux

LucidChart is mapping software for those who want to visualize their ideas more effectively.

The app comes with multiple template types to help you organize thoughts, groups, workplace operations, sales data, process flows, and anything else you could imagine mapping out.

This visual workplace aids mind mapping with data visualization, diagram creation, and collaboration to streamline projects within your internal teams. It is a cloud-based solution that is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Pricing Plans

• Basic: $4.95 / month per user
• Pro: $9.95 / month per user
• Team: starting $20 / month, 3 users minimum
• Enterprise: contact sales for a quote

MindMeister

Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows

MindMeister is a versatile mind mapping software that offers an ample selection of multi-mode mind map generation features that can ease structuring and visualizing your complex ideas.

The users can display their project planning through mind map layouts, flowcharts, data diagrams, and visual objects.

Over 13 million users utilize this award-winning mapper, which will enhance brainstorming, project planning, note-taking, idea sorting, and any other creative task.

XMind is a full mind mapping and brainstorming tool designed to help users generate their ideas easily and visualize them more vividly. It also offers collaboration to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Pricing Plans

• Basic: Free, 3 mind maps per user
• Personal: $4.99 / month, unlimited mind maps per user
• Pro: $8.25 / month, unlimited mind maps, 1+ users
• Business: $12.49 / month, unlimited mind maps, 1+ users

XMind

Supported Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

XMind allows you to not only generate mapping layouts but also export them with a transparent background into other tools for the inclusion of mind maps in other projects.

It also allows you to link up specific files that are associated with particular map points.

If you need to find the file, you need to click on the topic it was associated with, and it will take you to the file you seek. The app is available on Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.

Pricing Plans

• XMind for Pros: $39.99 / 6 months subscription & $59.99 yearly subscription
• XMind 8 Pro: $129
• Teachers & Students: $59 (Special Discount)
• Goverments & Non-Profits: $64.5 (Special Discount)

Mindomo

Supported Platforms: Web, macOS, Linux, Windows, Android, iOS

Mindomo is a visual mind tool that helps the user to create a mind map or a concept map, as well as the ability to create mapping outlines to form blueprints of your thought process.

This mind mapping app is a fantastic choice for students as it assists in a clear idea layout.

It also helps to develop experience with brainstorming, analysis, idea generation, problem-solving, questioning, synthesizing, and logistical planning. Maps can even be converted into or included in presentations.

Pricing Plans

• Work & Personal: Free, $5.5 / month per single user (Premium), $13.5 / month per user + guests (Professional), $16.5 / month min 3 users (Team)
• Education: Free, $3 / month per single user (Basic), $4.5 / month per teacher + students (Teacher), $16.5 / month min 2 teachers + 80 students (Classroom & School)

Cacoo

Supported Platforms: Web, Google Chrome Extension

Cacoo is an online drawing app that is designed to create high-quality diagrams. Through this tool, you can generate charts, site maps, wireframes, mind maps, and many other exceptionally useful mind-mapping methods.

It comes with collaborative features so that you can streamline the tasks with a team of people and allows third-party integrations with services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and many others.

Pricing Plans

The pricing starts at $5 / month per user (minimum 3 users) when paid annually and $6 when paid monthly. Individual users can sign up for Cacoo at $4.95 per month. There’s a free trial for all plans.

MindManager by MindJet

Supported Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS

MindManager, published by Mindjet, is a mind mapping tool available across various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and the web.

It is a useful tool for brainstorming, structuring ideas, making presentations, project management, and generating comprehensive flowcharts. Users can create timelines to schedule and organize their tasks more effectively.

Pricing Plans

• One Time Cost: $349 perpetual license
• Annual Subscription: $179 per year per user
• Organization of 5 or more: Request a demo

Coggle

Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, Android

Coggle is a web-based mind-mapping tool that allows users to share and create mind maps and flowcharts without installing an app.

The goal of the Coggle tool is to simplify brainstorming, planning, taking notes, and structuring ideas while still offering a wide array of editing features.

You can share mind map projects with teammates simply by adding them as collaborators. Once someone is added, they can see edits to the mind map made by any other collaborator in real time.

Pricing Plans

• Free: 3 private diagrams, unlimited public diagrams, over 1,600 icons
• Awesome: $5.00 per month, unlimited private diagrams, high-res image uploads, and more styling options
• Organization: $8.00 per member per month, bulk export, user & data management, branded diagrams

MindMup

Supported Platforms: iOS, Web, Android

MindMup is a web-based mind-mapping software that gives you a perfect canvas to visualize your ideas.

MindMup has a clear medium and straightforward interface that easily converts users’ ideas into visual mapping representation without distractions.

MindMup’s goal is to permit you to generate your mind maps at the speed of thought. Every branch off of the central theme of the mind map gets assigned its own color, and the font of any branched-out elements automatically gets reduced, making for less post-creation editing work.

The maps can be shared with other collaborators, and MindMup is free to use. Generated maps can be saved to the cloud and accessed instantly from any device.

Pricing Plans

• Free: Forever
• Personal Gold: $2.99/month or $25/year.
• Team Gold: $50/year for 10 users or $100/year for 100 users.
• Organizational Gold: $100 per year for all users.

MindGenius

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS

MindGenius is a versatile tool that can help you structure your ideas in bite-size fragments, effectively breaking down your ideas and sharing the mindmap with teammates.

MindGenius comes with six tools for conducting collaboration projects, eliminating the necessity of using multiple apps.

These six tools are Mind Maps, Charts, Resource Management, Categories View, Priority View, and Status View, and they cover a wide range of potential mind-mapping approaches.

Pricing Plans

• Perpetual: $256, one-time cost with a free subscription to MindGenius online
• Subscription: first year $160, then $56/year onwards with 12 months of free subscription to MindGenius online
• Upgrade to MindGenius 20 (from an earlier version): $80 per year
• MindGenius for Education: $91, perpetual license

SmartDraw

Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, Windows

SmartDraw is diagram-drawing software designed for users who need to visually represent their ideas while maintaining a level useful to beginners and experienced professionals.

It comes with hundreds of ready-to-use templates. The maps operate on an intuitive click-and-drop method, where any shape on the map can be altered or dragged to a different part of the map.

If you prefer to operate the keyboard, SmartDraw permits you to achieve your mind mapping needs using just the keyboard.

SmartDraw’s main appeal is that the elements of the maps are logically sorted and the generation can be automated, making it one of the most sophisticated mind-mapping resources for optimal planning.

Pricing Plans

• Single User: $9.95 per month, billed annually
• Multiple Users: $5.95 per user per month (min 5 users), billed annually
• Enterprise: $2,995 per year

SimpleMind

Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

SimpleMind offers an unlimited amount of canvas space for creating mind maps. With this tool, you have the freedom to create as many mind map elements as you want.

You can use many shapes and icons through SimpleMind’s platform to easily manage many tasks in one place.

You can share your collaboration while adding images, photos, voice recordings, and videos associated with the particular map members.

Pricing Plans

• SimpleMind Free: Limited functionality, just to get started with mind mapping
• SimpleMind Trial: 30-day license with full functionality for Mac and Windows
• SimpleMind Pro Single user: €24.99 for Mac & €39.99 for Mac and Windows
• SimpleMind Pro Family/Team pack: €39.99 for Mac & €75 for Mac and Windows
• SimpleMind Pro 10-user pack: €79.95 for Mac & €159.90 for Mac and Windows

MindNode

Supported Platforms: Mac, iOS

MindNode is a premium mind mapping tool exclusively available through macOS and iOS. With this tool, you can create mind maps and structure them through easy layouts and organizational procedure flow.

MindNode’s free editor allows you to organize, outline, and collect your ideas. It also imports information from other files and mind-mapping tools and permits the export of ideas to various file types.

The premium version (MindNode Plus) offers additional enhancement features, including visual tags, themes, stickers, focus mode, dark mode, task sharing to Apple Reminders, and even supporter casting to a second screen.

Pricing Plans

• iOS: $2.49 per month & $19.99 per year
• macOS: $2.49 per month & $19.99 per year
• Trial: 2 weeks free trial with limited functionality

Scapple

Supported Platforms: MacOS, Windows

Scapple is available in macOS and Windows. If you are looking for flexibility and unlimited mind-mapping possibilities, you may find your ideal tool in Scapple.

Scapple, known for its flexibility and vast customization, allows you to combine ideas and connect the dots without complex rules.

The interface is simple and straightforward, so there are no distractions when using the tool for mind mapping.

You can think-dump a slew of ideas into a rough draft, then draw the necessary connections between the elements.

Elements can be placed anywhere, dragged to anywhere else, stacked, or layered on top of area-specific backgrounds.

Pricing

• Standard License: $18
• Educational License: $14
• Trial: 30-day free trial with full functionality

Canva

Supported Platforms: Web

If you have ever looked into free design mediums online, chances are Canva is one of the top choices you have come across. There is a good reason for its fame, as its amazing final results for designs speak for themselves.

Mind mapping through Canva is no different. Canva is intuitive and can be mastered quickly.

This short learning curve makes it more popular than other complex mind-mapping tools, making it a perfect choice for those who are just getting started.

The map can be structured through a wide variety of prebuilt templates or a blank canvas. The elements can be color-coded, connected, and enhanced with images, icons, and illustrations.

When completed, the mind maps can be downloaded, embedded in other projects, or shared with a team of collaborators.

Pricing Plans

• Free Forever: 1GB storage, 8,000+ free templates
• Canva Pro: $9.95/user/month, billed yearly
• Canva Enterprise: $30/user/month, billed yearly
• Canva for Education: Free Forever
• Canva for Non-Profit: Free (Must meet the requirements)

Padlet

Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Kindle, Web

Padlet is a mind-mapping tool that uses a bulletin board format, which is unique compared to other tools.

The bulletin board can be used to share information in real time with your collaborating parties or teams.

There are even several pre-built templates that you can choose so that you won’t need to make a mindmap from scratch.

The collaborative features include custom permissions, user management, branding, and many others. You can attach files from multiple platforms, and most existing file types are supported.

Pricing Plans

• Backpack for Schools: $2000 per school per year (includes 500 teacher and student accounts); custom plans are available
• Briefcase for Businesses: $12 per user per month or $99 per user per year
• Pro for Individuals: $8 a month, unlimited padlets, domain mapping, and more

GoConqr

Supported Platforms: Web, Android, iOS

The GoConqr app is available for Android, iOS, and your favorite browsers. Its interface is easy to navigate and allows you to brainstorm ideas while collaborating with fellow users.

This is an especially useful tool for students and teachers. GoConqr allows users to create mind maps, quizzes, flashcards, notes, and calendars.

The content can be organized and curated into bundles and shared with others. This makes it conducive to testing knowledge and enhancing learning potential for anyone who engages with it.

Pricing

Another free mind mapping software; enjoy!

TheBrain

Supported Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

TheBrain uses visual aids to map out the relationships between ideas. The brain attempts to map the mind in the same way our brain does.

It creates complex maps of connections, but ones that are intuitive to the mind of the organizer and creator.

Unlike one’s brain, however, TheBrain allows any element to be quickly found and can be appended with supplemental additives. It is available on the web and on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

Pricing Plans

• TheBrain Pro License: $219 one-time fee (Perpetual License)
• TheBrain Pro Combo: $299 the first year, then renew at $159 / year (License + Service)
• TheBrain Pro Service: $16 / month or $15 / month, billed at $180 / year