Productivity tools / Mind mapping11 tools
Best mind mapping tools
Map ideas visually and link them together. Facts come from each tool's own pages, and every score says where it comes from. How we rank
- Tools
- 11
- Researched
- 8
- Free option
- 6
- Only listed
- 3
Ranked by signals we can measure or quote: website health, the facts each tool's own pages state, and community discussion. Nothing here has been hands-on tested yet, so this is not a quality test. How the signals rank works
Quick answer
- Files stay on your device: Freeplane
Based on what each tool's own pages say. A tool is left out when its pages say it varies or do not say. Details are listed under each tool.
Want two of these head to head? Compare tools side by side.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free plan: 3 diagrams, 1 trial AI credit, export in 3 formats (.mom, .pmom, .txt), no printing, mobile sync and templates limited to 3 diagrams, unlimited collaborators, sharing and publishing, iOS and Android apps.
- Paid plan
- Premium listed as 6 EUR / 7 USD and 7 EUR / 8.5 USD per month; Professional 13.5 EUR / 16 USD and 15 EUR / 17.5 USD per month (1 user + 5 guests). Page does not label which price is yearly vs monthly. Prices exclude local taxes; packages are prepaid and not auto-renewed.
- Signup
- Free plan is described as a free account with a Sign Up button.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Privacy page says data is held in two German data centers (Hetzner primary, Amazon Frankfurt for backups) and that Mindomo does not access mind maps unless users ask. It does not explicitly say maps are uploaded. No retention period for mind maps stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Pricing, Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free plan at $0: 3 live apps, 1 AI agent, 10 automation runs a month, 2 people, 1 workspace, 250 MB storage, 7 days of version history. No monthly AI credits; some can be earned. No credit card required.
- Paid plan
- Billed yearly, in USD: Starter $6, Pro $10, Business $25, Max $100 per month; Enterprise is custom. Starter's monthly-billing price is not shown. Annual billing is said to save 50% on Pro and above.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Published apps on the Free plan show a "Powered by Taskade" badge; paid plans remove it.
- Where files go
- Hosted on Amazon AWS in the US East region. AI requests go to the chosen AI provider, and some providers are outside the US, EU and UK. Account data is removed within about 30 days of deletion, AI processing logs are normally kept up to 30 days, and workspace content is kept until you delete it.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Pricing, Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free plan ($0 forever): up to 3 mind maps, 500 Meister AI credits, unlimited collaborators, templates, presentations, focus mode, iOS and Android apps.
- Paid plan
- Personal, Pro and Business per user. The page shows conflicting prices: plan cards show $350, $550, $850 per user/month while the comparison table shows $3.50, $5.50, $8.50. Billing toggles are Yearly and 6 months; pricing is based on region. Not confirmed which period applies.
- Signup
- Free plan's Get started button leads to sign-up; page does not explicitly say an account is required.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Privacy page says user-created content and uploaded files are collected and stored on secure servers; location not stated, and data may be processed outside the EEA. No retention period for content given; deleted after contract termination unless law requires longer.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Pricing, Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Not stated.
- Paid plan
- Not stated.
- Signup
- A Coggle account is required to use the service. The page says: “When you create a Coggle account we use your name, email address, avatar, declared gender (if any) and language settings.”
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Data is processed and stored on Coggle's servers. The page says: “Our lawful basis for processing your information is a legitimate interest to provide you with the services that you sign up for.”
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-08. Sources: Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Read automatically by a program, not by a person. Each fact quotes the sentence it came from, and a fact is shown only if that sentence is on the page. Where a page did not say, it reads “Not stated.”
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free Basic plan: up to 10 mind maps/whiteboards, 10 images per whiteboard and 30 per mind map, 1 planet with up to 5 members, regular format export, unlimited slide show use and sync.
- Paid plan
- Monthly $9/month; annual $4.08/month (both auto-renew, cancel anytime). A 3-year non-subscription Black Friday offer is shown, listed as "$79 per month" (wording unclear). Adds unlimited maps, HD export, priority support. Page does not mention country-based pricing.
- Signup
- Free plan has a Sign Up button; the page does not explicitly say an account is required.
- Watermark
- Page says watermark is not supported on the free plan; paid plans can add a watermark. Not otherwise stated for free exports.
- Where files go
- Privacy policy says GitMind stores and processes files you create or upload; some files are uploaded to the company's cloud server, and data may sit on leased third-party servers. Kept while the account exists; deletion starts immediately after account deletion, though backups may take time.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Pricing, Privacy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Ayoa Free is free with up to 10 mind maps. After the 7-day Ultimate trial, whiteboards and task boards become view-only and AI and other premium features are unavailable.
- Paid plan
- Ayoa Ultimate is priced per user with monthly, annual and three-year billing, but amounts are not shown. Annual plans cost up to 20% less than monthly. Payment by major credit cards and PayPal.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not applicable.
- Where files go
- Privacy policy does not name where content is stored; it mentions cloud hosting providers and some providers processing outside the UK. AI feature inputs may be processed by OpenAI or Deepgram. Content is kept while the account is active; no fixed period is given.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-01. Sources: Ayoa pricing, Ayoa privacy policy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- MindManager offers a 30-day fully functional free trial. The page says: “Try the full version of MindManager FREE for 30 days.”
- Paid plan
- Not stated.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Not stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-08. Sources: Pricing. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Read automatically by a program, not by a person. Each fact quotes the sentence it came from, and a fact is shown only if that sentence is on the page. Where a page did not say, it reads “Not stated.”
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Freeplane is a free and open source software application. The page says: “Freeplane is a free and open source software application that supports thinking, sharing information, getting things done at work, in school and at home.”
- Paid plan
- Not stated.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Not stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-11-08. Sources: Home. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Read automatically by a program, not by a person. Each fact quotes the sentence it came from, and a fact is shown only if that sentence is on the page. Where a page did not say, it reads “Not stated.”
Answers come from each tool's own pages (“Unclear” means they do not say). Tick “Compare” on two to four tools to read them side by side.
Also listed (3, not yet tested)
Each of these answered when we visited its site. We have not tested them or recorded facts, so they are in alphabetical order, not ranked.
- MiroOpen
Speed up product development from ideation to launch. Align teams, break tool silos, and ship what customers need in one AI-powered visual platform.
- SimpleMindOpen
SimpleMind is the world leader in cross-platform Mind Mapping tools. One-time payment per platform, no subscriptions. Try now!
- XMindOpen
Create mind maps online or on desktop with Xmind. Brainstorm ideas, organize thoughts, use AI, templates, and visual structures to plan projects clearly.
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