10 Best Mind Mapping Software (Pros, Cons, Pricing)
Udn Webber
Content Manager
A brilliant idea pops into your mind, but you’re unsure how to bring it to life. After all, there’s only so much you can remember or scribble on a piece of paper!
Have you tried to use mind mapping software? You can implement the mind mapping technique and brainstorm, gain insights, and visualize your idea with unlimited mind maps.
In this article, we’ll cover what makes a great mind mapping tool and highlight the top 10 mind mapping software to help you choose the right one.
Let’s jump right in!
What Is Mind Mapping Software?
Mind map software lets you create a diagram or flowchart of your ideas. This helps you easily illustrate the relationships and hierarchy between concepts.
Most mind mapping tools come in different sizes to suit various needs, offering other functionality.
Generally, your average mind map maker falls under one (or more) of these categories:
Our curated list of the best mind mapping software includes a mix of these tools to help you determine the best fit for your needs.
If you’re interested in mind mapping, check out our articles:
Why use mind mapping software?
Useful for any brainstorming session , mind mapping apps helps you plan and organize ideas for better clarity and understanding. It can also help you easily identify the best idea or solution from all the potentials you have.
So why not use a pen and paper instead? That would be like making a sandcastle on the shoreline, waiting for the waves to wash it away.
Unless you want to lose your mind map to the ocean of other things you have to remember, using a piece of paper for mapping may not be the optimal way. If your idea has many moving parts, mapping it on a piece of paper can make it seem scattered and disconnected.
Also, using tons of paper to draw concept maps isn’t the best way to fight #climatechange . 🙅♀
Not only will a mind mapping app help you map out complex ideas quickly, but you also won’t have to worry about misplacing them.
What makes a great mind mapping software?
When choosing an excellent mind mapping tool, here are three key features to look out for:
What is the best mind mapping software?
UDN Task Manager , XMind, ConceptDraw MINDMAP, and all the other software covered in this article are the best mind mapping software available today.
They’re user-friendly, offer sufficient canvas for mapping your ideas, and also support team collaboration functionalities.
10 Excellent Mind Mapping Software
Here’s a closer look at the best mind mapping tools available today:
1. UDN Task Manager
UDN Task Manager is one of the highest-rated productivity tools and mind mapping tools used by productive teams in small and large companies.
From helping you overcome virtual team challenges to tracking in-house or remote team performance, UDN Task Manager is the ultimate tool for remote project management .
But wait… how will a project management software help me draw a mind map?
Its unmatched versatility lets you bring ideas to life with the Mind Maps feature.
UDN Task Manager ’s Mind Maps is a free mind mapping software that helps you create beautifully professional mind maps out of your brain dumps and share them effortlessly with your team.
Whether creating a team plan, organizing ideas, or visualizing task structures, use UDN Task Manager to structure thoughts on a massive scale!
What’s a diagram without pretty colors, right? UDN Task Manager lets you denote different ideas with different colors. 🌈
Adding colors to your Mind Maps in UDN Task Manager helps important tasks stand out on your project timeline
To create a mind map in UDN Task Manager , you can choose the Task mode or the Blank mode .
The Task mode lets you visualize your existing UDN Task Manager task structure, helping you map out a project’s workflow. Then, you can create, edit, and delete tasks and subtasks directly from your view for easy use.
Want to design a mind map from scratch? 🖍️
Try the Blank mode ! Create as many nodes as you want and convert them to tasks in your Workspace instantly.
Designing a Mind Map from scratch in Blank mode and converting nodes into tasks in UDN Task Manager
Don’t worry! At UDN Task Manager , we’re constantly brainstorming ideas to update our platform.
Check out our roadmap to see what’s brewing. 🧙
UDN Task Manager offers a Free Forever Plan. Its paid plan starts as low as $5/user per month.
2. XMind
XMind is a simple mind mapping software that helps generate ideas, goals, and tasks.
While this mind map software sounds like a psychic mutant from the X-Men series, XMind isn’t that extraordinary.
The pricing plan for this mapping software starts at $39.99 for six months.
3. ConceptDraw MINDMAP
ConceptDraw MINDMAP is an idea management and diagramming tool that can help organize your free-running ideas.
But at its core, this basic mind mapping tool is just Microsoft Office Word with extra functionality.
You don’t need X-ray vision to see that!
The pricing plan for this mapping software starts at $199 for a single-user license.
4. MindManager
MindManager is a mind mapping app best suited for extensive brainstorming sessions. Its drag-and-drop functionality lets you create a central idea and draw related new ideas easily.
However, it’s challenging to demonstrate hierarchies with this mapping software.
The pricing plan for this mapping tool starts at $99/year.
5. Edraw Mind Map
Edraw Mind Map (formerly known as MindMaster) is a collaborative mind mapping tool that helps give your ideas a much-needed structure.
But will this free mind mapping software help you become a mind master, like Jean Grey from X-Men ?
Let’s take a look…
This mind mapping software offers a free version with limited features. The paid plan starts at $4.92/user month.
6. Miro
Miro is an intuitive free mind map software with collaboration features. It allows distributed teams to brainstorm, map ideas, co-create organizational charts, and more.
Is Miro a mind-mapping superhero? Probably not.
Performing simple tasks like deleting unused boards is difficult in this mapping software.
Miro offers a free plan. Its paid plans start at $10/user per month.
7. MindMeister
MindMeister is a popular web-based mind mapping software that lets you collaborate in real-time to brainstorm on ideas, plan projects, take notes, and more.
But it can be inconvenient to connect different ideas using this tool.
Guess MindMeister can’t create great mental links like Professor X.
This mind mapping app offers a free basic plan. The paid plans start at $2.49/user per month.
8. Coggle
Coggle is an online tool with powerful mind mapping and flowchart features. You can use this mapping app to create processes, systems, and algorithms.
But can it work at lightning speed like X-Men’s Storm?
Unfortunately, Coggle can feel clunky or slow when your mind maps get too big.
Coggle also has a free plan. The paid plans start at $5/user per month.
9. Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a diagramming tool for visualizing complex processes, systems, and organizational structures.
However, this mapping tool can be confusing for new users.
This mind mapping software has a free plan. The paid ones start at $7.95/user per month.
10. Mindly
Mindly lets you create beautiful online mind maps for brainstorming, idea collection, project planning, meeting preparation, etc.
However, Windows users would absolutely mind Mindly.
Why? There’s no dedicated app or web version for Windows systems!
Mindly has a free version. The full version costs $6.99 on iOS, $29.99 on the Mac app store, and $5.49 on Android.
Which App Is Truly a Mind Mapping Superhero?
While you can always draw a mind map on paper, it doesn’t give you the flexibility or right canvas for your ideas to run wild.
However, with the right mind mapping tools, that isn’t an issue.
With features ranging from real-time collaboration to concept mapping, mind mapping software helps break down even the most complex ideas.
And while tools like XMind and MindManager are decent mind mapping software solutions, UDN Task Manager is indeed the best mind map software of the list.
With powerful features for mind mapping, project planning , and even remote team management , UDN Task Manager is the only tool any project manager needs.
Get UDN Task Manager for free and give life to your new ideas! 🧠 🌈 ✨
