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The 11 Best Mind Mapping Software of 2019

Geplaatst op Geplaatst in Uncategorized

11 of the best mind mapping software and mind map tools reviewed door.Frank Miller

Best mind mapping software, Best mind map software, Best free mind mapping apps, best free mind mapping software, best mind map tools, mind mapping software 2019, Productivity Land, ProductivityLand

Sacrificing time to write down ideas is a good way to remember them but sometimes just remembering them is not enough. You need to share and visualize ideas at times, and present them to others.

Writing out the entire thought process can be an overwhelming task. This is where digital mind mapping apps can offer you the flexibility that a piece of paper can’t. They can organize, structure and visualize your thought process.

So, I decided to write about the best mind mapping software you can find out there on the internet today.

Let’s get started.

The Best Free Mind Mapping Software – 2019

1. Lucidchart – Best Mind Mapping Software of 2019

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

From simple flowcharts to complex diagrams, Lucidchart has something for all kinds of mind mapping needs. It has numerous templates to get started quickly, making easier to create professional diagrams and collaborate with your team.

There are great features, like real-time collaboration, change and history management, team and access management, native apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, hundreds of available integrations and much more that make teamwork a breeze in Lucidchart.

Another powerful feature that Lucidchart has its data linking capabilities. With data linking, users can connect their shapes and diagrams to live data stored in spreadsheets. Any changes made to the live data present in the spreadsheets are automatically reflected in your charts and diagrams, saving you lots of time and unwanted manual work.

With over 15 million users, Lucidchart ranks #1 on my list of the best free mind mapping software.

Features and Functionality

  1. Custom text/shape styling and editing
  2. Keyboard shortcuts to make work easier
  3. Swimlanes to organize complex diagrams
  4. Presentation mode to present your diagrams as slides
  5. Group chat to communicate as you work
  6. Enterprise-level security and admin controls including data deletion policies, maximum uptime, SAML/SSO, priority support and more
  7. AWS Import (PCI Compliance Documentation)

Pricing

Lucidchart is available with the following pricing plans:

  1. Basic – $4.95 per month, single user plan, unlimited shapes and documents, 100 MB of storage
  2. Pro – $9.95 per month, single user plan, professional shapes and features, Visio import and export, Chart AI
  3. Team – starting $20 per month, 3 users minimum, team management, third-party integrations
  4. Enterprise – contact sales for a quote, license management, enterprise-wide control

2. MindMeister

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

Second on our list of the best mind mapping software is MindMeister, a great tool to visualize and present thoughts and manage ideas. It has over 9 million users taking notes, planning projects and brainstorming tasks.

With MindMeister, you can create and share mind maps, customize them with different styles, icons and images, add notes, links and tasks to your tasks and more.

There is also a presentation mode to visually present your mind map using engaging animations. You also get other team collaboration features, such as team chat, usage statistics and reports.

Overall, MindMeister is a great mind mapping tool and its simple, easy-to-use interface places it at the top of our list of the best mind map software.

Features and Functionality

  1. Create and share mind maps with your team
  2. Create tasks, add notes to give them context
  3. Export your mind maps in over 10 different formats
  4. Import mind maps from other free mind mapping apps

Pricing

MindMeister offers you the following pricing plans:

  1. Basic – Free, 3 mind maps, 1 user, 0 GB storage space, import and basic export features, no customization options, no customer support available
  2. Personal – $4.99 per month, unlimited mind maps, 1 user, 0.5 GB storage space, standard email support, chat, print and other customization options
  3. Pro – $8.25 per user/month, unlimited mind maps, 1+ users, 1 GB storage space, priority email support, team signup page, custom branding and styling, team reports
  4. Business – $12.49 per user/month, unlimited mind maps, 1+ users, 10 GB storage space, priority email support, customization, backups, multiple administrators and more

3. XMind

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

Next up – XMind. I heard about this tool and its mind mapping capabilities from a few friends, so decided to check it out. It doesn’t disappoint one bit – the interface is intuitive, the design is very user-friendly, and the platform is powered by useful tools for mind mapping, brainstorming and collaboration.

There are two variations for XMind, and you can choose the mind mapping software that best fits your needs.

XMind: ZEN is available with all the necessary features needed to organize thoughts and ideas. For advanced collaboration, you can opt in for the full-fledged product, the XMind 8 Pro.

XMind: ZEN requires a subscription plan whereas the XMind 8 Pro is available as a perpetual license. On the Free trial, you get limited access to features.

Features and Functionality

  1. ZEN Mode to focus on one chart
  2. Snowbrush 2.0 Engine
  3. Gantt view for project management
  4. Templates and new clip art library
  5. Brainstorming
  6. Slide-based presentation mode
  7. Dark UI
  8. Themes for personalization

Pricing

Free trial

  1. XMind: ZEN Desktop – starting at $4.58 per month
  2. Xmind: ZEN Mobile – starting at $1.24 per month
  3. XMind: ZEN Desktop + Mobile – starting at $4.99 per month
  4. XMind 8 Pro – buy now for $129, access to all future updates of the 8.x family

Special discounts available for students, non-profits, early-age startups and educators.

4. Mindomo

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

#4 on this list of the best mind mapping software is Mindomo. A mind mapping tool that can be used to create concept maps, manage tasks and projects, collaborate, create outlines and more – Mindomo has everything you will expect from a mind map software.

One thing that I like about Mindomo is its ability to integrate with tons of other apps. Be it cloud storage services, education apps, learning management systems; Mindomo is one of the best free mind map software to offer native integrations for a range of different platforms.

Features and Functionality

  1. Collaborative mind map assignments
  2. Google Apps + Office 365 integration
  3. Google Drive + Dropbox integration
  4. Real-time collaboration
  5. 10+ export formats to choose from
  6. Video/audio upload + sound recording
  7. Custom themes

Pricing

Mindomo is available with the following pricing plans:

  1. Free – 40 topics in a map, task management and mapping, export options, limited syncing
  2. Premium – €69.00, unlimited everything, search images and videos on the internet for 1 year

5. Cacoo

Supported Platforms: Web, Google Chrome Extension

Cacoo is an online drawing software trusted by over 2 million users that can help users create diagrams. It is a product of Nulab, a software company from Japan. Cacoo lets you and your team create organization charts, wireframes, sitemaps, mind maps, and more.

Cacoo offers integrations with other apps like Confluence, Google Drive and Dropbox, among others.

This free mind map software gives you several pre-designed templates for various diagrams, including:

  1. wireframes,
  2. mind maps,
  3. floor plans,
  4. flowcharts,
  5. infographics,
  6. organizational charts, and
  7. network maps

Features and Functionality

  1. Brainstorm, explore and manage all ideas
  2. Create beautiful shareable mind maps
  3. Multi-user editing so you can collaborate together
  4. Revision history management
  5. In-app comments to keep track of conversations
  6. Activity notifications so you can stay posted
  7. Various templates to choose from and get started with

Pricing

Cacoo is offered in user packages. The pricing starts with a minimum of 3 users at $5 per user/month. Individual users can sign up for Cacoo at $4.95 per month.

There is no Free plan for teams, however, single users can sign up for a Free plan that offers 6 diagrams, up to 3 collaborators, basic PNG export and 500 KB upload limit.

6. MindManager by MindJet

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

Next on my list of the best mind mapping software is MindManager, a product of MindJet. You can use MindManager for brainstorming, organizing thoughts, presenting business plans, managing tasks and projects, and more.

You can create timelines, organize tasks to do and projects to deliver, schedule follow-ups, and lots more. Because of the extensive feature set, MindManager is best suited for seasoned professionals and project teams who would like to collaborate to meet set goals.

Features and Functionality

  1. Create interactive mind maps, flowcharts, concept maps, timelines, schedules, Gantt charts, Venn diagrams and more
  2. 60+ built-in diagram templates
  3. Visual framework and information management
  4. Compatible with Microsoft Office and Apple productivity apps
  5. Budgeting and forecasting
  6. Project planning and task management

Pricing

MindManager is available with the following pricing plans:

  1. MindManager for Windows: $349 perpetual license, upgrade to MindManager 12 from older version for $179
  2. MindManager for Mac: $179 perpetual license, upgrade to MindManager 12 from an older version for $89

7. Coggle

Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, Android

Coggle is a mind mapping software that makes it easy to visualizes complex information, processes, systems and flowcharts. There are text boxes, unlimited image uploads, real-time collaboration for mind maps, loops/branches, flowcharting and multiple starting points, along with various other useful features.

Coggle works online on your browser – no setup required, simply log in and start using it. It has an iOS and an Android app so you can take your mind maps with you on the go. One thing, however, is that Coggle only allows you to keep 3 private diagrams on the Free plan – rest are all public.

Features and Functionality

  1. Multiple starting points
  2. Private and public mind maps
  3. History of changes
  4. Real-time collaboration
  5. Change and chat history to restore at an earlier point
  6. Embeddable diagrams

Pricing

  1. Basic – Free, 3 private diagrams, unlimited public diagrams, over 1,600 icons
  2. Awesome – $5.00 per month, unlimited private diagrams, high-res image uploads and more styling options
  3. Organization – $8.00 per user/month, bulk export, user & data management, custom branding

8. MindMup

Supported Platforms: iOS, Web, Android

On #8 for this roundup of the best mind mapping software, it is MindMup. With this tool, you can add notes and attachments to your mind maps, create storyboards, add measurements to nodes and use it as a project management tool, and more.

A great add-on with MindMup is its social sharing feature. Simply publish your online mind map, and then use the social sharing within MindMup and it will automatically add contextual information to your mind maps.

Features and Functionality

  1. Create beautiful mind maps online and on the go
  2. Add notes and attachments to your maps
  3. Add estimates to nodes to use MindMup for project management
  4. Add images and icons to your maps
  5. Integrate MindMup with Google Drive to easily access all of your data on the cloud

Pricing

MindMup is available with the following pricing plans:

  1. Free – public maps, 100 KB maximum map size, 6-month retention period, save maps to Google Drive
  2. Personal Gold – $2.99 per month, share and collaborate on maps, view map history, 100 MB map size, lifetime retention, Google Analytics tracking, priority support
  3. Team Gold – $50 per year, 10 users minimum, private and team maps, organization management, access and rights management
  4. Organizational Gold – $100 per year for all users, all of MindMup’s features and advanced integrations

9. Mind Genius

Supported Platforms: Windows, iOS

MindGenius lets you create work breakdowns of your project structure from your plan with ease. You can breakdown ideas and understand the goal of the project. It comes with a collection of mind mapping templates to implement your ideas faster.

What is special about MindGenius is that it does not only offer strong features for mind mapping and idea management, but also as a project management software. MindGenius claims it has 6 tools built inside one platform so you won’t have to juggle between tools to get things done as a project team.

You can arrange your plans using appealing photos from MindGenius image library.

Features and Functionality

  1. 6 tools in one platform:
    1. Mind Maps
    2. Gantt charts
    3. Resource Management
    4. Categories View
    5. Priority View
    6. Status View
  2. Create mind maps and assign work to your team

Pricing

MindGenius comes with the following pricing plans:

  1. Perpetual – $256, one-time cost
  2. Subscription – first year $160, then $56/year onwards
  3. MindGenius for Education – $91, perpetual license

10. SmartDraw

Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, Windows

Whether you are a beginner or a professional designer, SmartDraw is just the right tool for you. It’s a diagram software that gives you hundreds of templates and ability to share diagrams.

This mind mapping software also makes it easy to quickly create quality diagrams, thanks to its vast library of templates and useful integration options.

Because it is a diagram software, you can do much more with SmartDraw than just create mind maps and structure your thoughts. You can create flowcharts, floor plans and tons of other diagrams.

This diversity is really needed when you’re a creative or design team. SmartDraw ranks #11 on this roundup of the best mind map software for 2019.

Features and Functionality

  1. Choose from over 4,500 templates to get started with a diagram (70+ different diagram types available)
  2. Over 34,000 symbols and icons for different professions
  3. Easy import and export options to and from Visio
  4. Open API for custom extensions and integrations
  5. Intelligent formatting – your diagram will automatically adjust and maintain its arrangement as you make changes
  6. Integrate SmartDraw with Microsoft Suite, GSuite, Atlassian’s apps, WordPress, Dropbox and more

Pricing

  1. Single User – $297, one-time purchase – no monthly or annual fees
  2. Business – $595/year (billed annually)

11. SimpleMind

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

The last tool on my list of the best free online mind mapping software is SimpleMind, an online diagram and mapping software that provides a limitless canvas to put all your thoughts and maps on a single page.

Create as many maps as you want, use as many shapes and icons, and SimpleMind will allow you to put everything on a single canvas if you’d like. From daily itineraries to business tasks, SimpleMind can be used as a productivity app to manage tasks at hand.

Features and Functionality

  1. Add notes, links and attachments to your maps
  2. Create storyboards and mind maps on the go
  3. Real-Time collaboration
  4. Organization administration

Pricing

SimpleMind has various pricing plans based on the platform of your choice and your team size. Further information can be found on their pricing page.

So, this brings us to the end of our roundup. Which is the best mind mapping software for you? Which one did you like the most, which one least met your requirements? Let me know in the comments below.