The 'Idea Factory' is a great place to start listing items and there's even a useful built-in countdown timer to help regulate your mind mapping sessions. XMind 8 Pro is the classic version of the.
- Annotate and highlight your mind map with your pen, then export it to PDF or PNG for easy sharing. Or, sync your work to OneDrive for access on all your devices. Mind Maps Pro is the most intuitive mind map app, made exclusively for the Microsoft Store. The Mind Maps Pro team can support your deployment.
- MindNode, my mind mapping app of choice, got a nice update for iOS 14. The new update adds widgets to give you quick access to your maps from your Home Screen. I primarily use MindNode on my iPad, and looking at this new widget, I really wish Apple would open the iPad Home Screen up for more widg.
- Fully integrated with your Mac Focusplan is a beautiful, powerful, and easy to use mind mapping and brainstorming app. Featuring an elegant and streamlined document-window interface, it puts all the focus on the mind map you create.
Top 10 Mind Map Software for Windows
CindyThe word 'mind map' might not be strange to you. However, can you explain what exactly it is at the second I mentioned it? Well, I guess some of you may hesitate for a while. To put simply, a mind map turns traditional complex texts into concise texts with visualized symbols. It is a diagram which organizes information hierarchically and shows relationships among pieces of the whole. Back to when digital mapping tools hadn't appeared, people would sketch a mind map on their paper with a pen by hand. Nowadays as information technology progresses, people create a mind map on the screen with a software with the help of their computer. Consequently, out of its multi-functional use, mind maps are now prevalent among people in various fields. This article recommends you Top 10 mind mapping software for Windows operating system.
FreeMind
Highlights:Fast one-click navigation; Tiny memory; Cross-platform; Java-based
Pricing: Free
FreeMind is a piece of free high-productivity mind mapping software. Due to its one-click, 'fold/unfold' and 'follow link' operations, the operation and navigation of FreeMind are faster than that of MindManager. Its 'Smart copying and pasting from' operation has attracted many users because the software can paste links from HTML and structure the pasted content based on the number of leading spaces in a line.FreeMind has always kept a low profile and focused on efficiency and quality, which makes a weak point – limited support for fancy graphics. For people who don't pursue decorative graphics, FreeMind could be a choice in mind mapping.
Edraw MindMaster
Highlights：Abundant Clip Arts; Gantt View; Advanced Presentation Modes
Pricing: USD$ 9, 39, 69 for monthly, half-year and annual subscription; USD$ 99, 179, 245 for the perpetual license with 1 year, 3-year and permanent upgrade.
Free Version is available
Mindmaster is made by the Edraw software company, a professional diagramming software producer. Two versions are available – Free version and Pro version. Actually, the free version is enough to satisfy common users' demand. However, for professional mind mappers, massive elements like themes and background images are needed. Edraw Mindmaster Pro provides users with abundant clip art resources, mind map examples, marks, and customization of themes, etc. Mindmaster makes a breakthrough in mind map presentation – create slides automatically in accordance with the logical distribution of the mind map. Besides, the Pro version offers 1G cloud storage so that users can not only save and their mind maps at any time but also collaborate with partners conveniently. With Edraw MindMaster, you can not only present project in hierarchical work breakdown structure, but also switch to Gantt view to track task start/end date and progress. As a loyal customer of Edraw products, among mind mapping software for Windows, I like MindMaster most.
iMindMap
Highlights: Mufti-functional views; Side panel
Pricing: USD$100.00 for Home & Student; USD$235.00 for Ultimate
The five views under the 'Home' tab of iMind Map 10 — fast capture view, brainstorm view, a mind map view, time map view, and presentation view become the hit of its late product. These views allow users to meet their customized demand respectively : showcase their ideas in the most primary state without formatting and distractions within several typing, pin their thoughts on the infinite canvas on sticky notes, boost their ideas through comprehensive offering of organic mind mapping techniques, integrate mind mapping with project planning to manage their projects from inspiration to completion in one efficient workspace, and transform their thoughts into concrete memorable content under slick 3D presentation slide. Besides, the newly updated side panel lets users format their creations quickly and works in sync between views for effortless customization. For further convenience, it is accessible on mobile devices such as iPad and iPhone.
Mindomo
Highlights: Web image search; Presentation mode
Pricing: USD$ 39 for lifetime license of Desktop Premium and USD$ 36 for the annual upgrade
Free for Desktop Free
'Educate tomorrow's thinkers today.' As its slogan suggests, Mindomo mainly focuses on school service, thus teachers and students become their major clients. Mindomo actually offers three functionality for users – personal & business, teacher, and student. When signing in on its website, users need to fill in a chart asking for detailed information on their functionality before a trial. Comparing with other mind mapping apps, the outstanding breakthrough of Mindomo is that users can search web images directly from the map and add them with just one click. Besides, the presentation mode allows students to show the audience their mapping process, thus revealing their mind flow. Last but not least, Mindomo is an integration of offline working with online editing and collaborating while mobile apps for iPad and Android are available.
Xmind
Highlights: Concise UI; Cost-efficient
Pricing: USD$79 for Xmind 8 Plus, USD$99 for Xmind 8 Pro
Comparing with other mind mapping software, Xmind is obviously cost-efficient for common users because the free Xmind 8 is versatile enough to meet their demand. Most commonly used functions are put on the right bar of the canvas, giving users more operating space as well as a more concise UI. In the brainstorming mode of Xmind 8 Pro, users can classify their inspirations in Idea Factory in groups. Getting different thoughts gathered from catalogs allow creative sparkles of users' mind flow out. To share their mind maps, users may save them as an Evernote note in the form of an image, outline text or the default Xmind file.
Edraw Max
Highlights: Multi-platforms; Cloud collaboration; Export and share
Pricing: USD $ 179 for the perpetual license with 3- year upgrade; USD $ 245 for lifetime license; USD $ 99 for annual subscription license with the 1-year upgrade.
More than 200 Diagram Types
The slogan of Edraw mind map software is 'Excellent Mind Map Visio Alternative For Mac, Windows, and Linux', declaring its ambition in mind mapping. Furthermore, the outstanding merit of Mind Master is that it offers abundant pre-made examples and built-in clip arts, and you can use them to decorate your mind maps for free. Through Edraw cloud, you can not only store your creations but also cooperate and share documents with your collaborators. In addition, MindMaster allows users to export mind maps into various forms like Word, PPT, Excel, Visio, PDF, EPS, Html, SVG, PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, etc. All the exported files are vector diagrams which allow edit.
MindManager
Highlights: Business style; Convenient sharing; Flexibility
Pricing: USD$376.92 for Perpetual license With 1 Year Upgrades
Also named 'Mindjet', MindManager is quite popular among business people. Comparing with the past version, MindManager 2017 has made great progress in sharing and flexibility. With the universal file export, users can share their creations with collaborators and edit them together even they don't have MindManager installed on their computers. Besides, via Zapier as the intermediary, MindManager has cooperation with hundreds of cloud applications such as Gmail, Slack, and Asana, etc. Users can send and receive content between these applications and MindManager. Mind Manager charges a volume-based price for Enterprise customers, offering a flexible for organizations and teams.
MindMeister
Highlights: Easy to get started and share
Pricing: USD$ 4.99 for Personal monthly; USD$ 8.33 for Pro monthly; USD$ 12.49 for Business monthly
As an online mind mapping tool, Mind Meister provides you with considerate instructions and five tutorials after you sign up on their web. You can create three mind maps with it for free. Its best advantage is that you can immediately share your creations with friends and colleagues. This function allows you to collaborate with them in real-time by inviting people via email or generating a shareable link in MindMeister through your social networks. It is upon you who can edit your mind map or only view it. What's more, it has released free applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Mind Meister transforms your ideas into actionable tasks directly into the editor. Your tasks could be assigned to collaborators by a task widget; besides, relevant properties such as priorities, due dates and progress are available in this operation.
Novamind
Highlights: Feature-rich software with ease-of-use
Pricing: USD$72 for a monthly subscription
As a newly-released mind mapping software, Novamind could take pride in its performance. When opening Novamind for the first time, don`t feel surprised at its UI which is extremely similar to that of PPT in Microsoft Office. After years of research and development, Novamind comes to the stage of mind mapping with the motto 'Everyone is a Pro'. Not as flamboyant as other mind map software, Novamind keeps a low profile in its field with relatively low charge. You are allowed to create mind maps with up to 25 topics under a free lite subscription of Novamind. So far, what makes Novamind not perfect is that it reacts a bit slow to show users all the examples and adapts them to create a new map.
Scapple
Highlights: Completely freeform notes; Small disk space; Low price; Easy to master
Pricing: USD$ 14.99
With double-clicking anywhere on the canvas, you can create a note. Sounds amazing, right? Scapple is a mind mapping tool which is more close to a freeform text editor where you can take notes anywhere on the canvas and connect them with lines and arrows using drag-and-drop however you like. As its slogan ' Rough it out' indicates, there are no predefined templates in Scapple, thus committing no limitations on your creation. In this case, users, even mind mapping beginners, will find it easy to get started and master it in no time. Having no complicated icons and templates, Scapple occupies very small disk space of only 80Mb. What`s more, the price is much cheaper than other mind mapping software. Typing whatever you want and connecting them however you like! That`s the beauty of Scapple. Creative ideas need complete freedom to sparkle.
Browsing brief introduction and pictures above, you may have had a primary impression on exactly what a mind map is as well as some popular mind mapping software for Windows. All the software mentioned offering a free one-month trial. Try them out and choose the one suits you best.
Mind mapping is a terrific visual method for capturing thoughts and ideas. For both business and personal use, a mind map is ideal for brainstorming sessions and helps you organize your concepts easily.
If want a stellar mind mapping app for Mac, the App Store has plenty. The problem is that most are paid—and expensive at that. But luckily, there are several free mind map apps for macOS that have great features and are a breeze to use.
1. SimpleMind
Getting started with SimpleMind Lite is just as the name implies: simple. This mind mapping software has an intuitive interface that lets you create a mind map in a snap.
First, pick your style. You can choose from a variety of options like bright colors, chart, grayscale, and colors on black. Then to add nodes, you can either click the plus (+) on your current node or the Add Child Topic button from the toolbar. To insert text into a node, click the T on the current node or double-click inside the shape.
Other features include:
- Undo and redo buttons
- Print and zoom options
- Freeform or horizontal layouts
- Color palettes and custom colors
- Easy deletion and clipboard options
You can use SimpleMind Lite for free and without ads. But if you would like additional features like Dropbox and Google Drive sync, media and document options, or app customizations, check out the paid version.
And remember, there are other types of Mac apps that support visual thinking.
Download:SimpleMind Lite (Free) | SimpleMind Pro ($29.99)
2. XMind 2020
If you want a free mind mapping tool that lets you begin with a template, check out XMind 2020. You can choose from over 25 templates that offer different colors, layouts, and diagram styles.
To add nodes, click either the Topic or Subtopic buttons from the toolbar. To insert text, just double-click inside the shape. You can freely move the nodes without losing their connections or turn subtopics into main topics.
Apple Mind Mapping Software
Other features include:
- Full set of icons such as priority, numbers, tasks, stars, and symbols
- Stickers for education, business, travel, sports, weather, and more
- Zen mode for full-screen mode with a night-view option
- Ability to add notes or summaries to nodes
- Sharing via local file save, social media, or URL
Xmind 2020 gives you awesome features for free. But if you would like to unlock full version or also use it on iOS, you can check out the in-app subscription plans. You might also take a peek at mind map apps specifically for iOS.
Download:XMind 2020 (Free, subscription available)
3. MindNode
MindNode is a terrific mind map app for Mac that lets you capture, organize, and share your thoughts easily. You'll love the intuitive interface and expandable outline view.
Start your map with a single node in the center and then click the plus (+) to add a child node. With each thought, idea, or item you add, you'll see a different colored connector. Then simply pop in the text you want to use and add another just as easily.
Other features include:
- Fold and unfold nodes from either the outline or map for a compact view.
- Search for titles in the outline view with a keyword.
- Share a mind map using your Mac's share menu.
- Right-click any node to open a shortcut menu for adding new nodes, copying and pasting, and other helpful shortcuts.
You get great features with the free version of MindNode. But to expand your map with visual tags, notes, tasks, themes, and additional features, check out the subscription option.
Download:MindNode (Free, subscription available)
4. Junkyard
Best Free Mind Mapping App For Mac
Junkyard is another slick and easy-to-use mind mapping app for Mac. What's nice about Junkyard is that you receive all features for free. There is a small ad at the bottom of the window that you can remove with an inexpensive in-app purchase. But if you don't mind the ad, this is a great freebie.
To create a node, click the Settings (gear icon) button on the sidebar. To add a child node, do the same and then drag the arrow from the parent to it to form the connection. And you can enable full-screen mode for more canvas space.
Other features include:
- Outline view of your mind map
- Many font options and five color palettes
- Shapes, colors, and borders for the appearance, lines, and groups
- Automatic alignment guides
- Connection line labels
Download:Junkyard (Free, premium version available)
5. Mydea
Mind Mapping App For Pc
Mydea's free mind mapping app is a good choice if you enjoy adding icons, symbols, and even links to your diagrams. You can choose from five layout options, like mind map or fish bone. Then select a style, which applies colors and shapes to your mind map.
The toolbar is intuitive and lets you create topics and subtopics with a click. Double-click inside a node to add the text. If you want a number or progress symbol, just hit the Assets button. The app lets you move all nodes freely and zoom in or out for different views.
The 'Idea Factory' is a great place to start listing items and there's even a useful built-in countdown timer to help regulate your mind mapping sessions. XMind 8 Pro is the classic version of the.
- Annotate and highlight your mind map with your pen, then export it to PDF or PNG for easy sharing. Or, sync your work to OneDrive for access on all your devices. Mind Maps Pro is the most intuitive mind map app, made exclusively for the Microsoft Store. The Mind Maps Pro team can support your deployment.
- MindNode, my mind mapping app of choice, got a nice update for iOS 14. The new update adds widgets to give you quick access to your maps from your Home Screen. I primarily use MindNode on my iPad, and looking at this new widget, I really wish Apple would open the iPad Home Screen up for more widg.
- Fully integrated with your Mac Focusplan is a beautiful, powerful, and easy to use mind mapping and brainstorming app. Featuring an elegant and streamlined document-window interface, it puts all the focus on the mind map you create.
Top 10 Mind Map Software for Windows
CindyThe word 'mind map' might not be strange to you. However, can you explain what exactly it is at the second I mentioned it? Well, I guess some of you may hesitate for a while. To put simply, a mind map turns traditional complex texts into concise texts with visualized symbols. It is a diagram which organizes information hierarchically and shows relationships among pieces of the whole. Back to when digital mapping tools hadn't appeared, people would sketch a mind map on their paper with a pen by hand. Nowadays as information technology progresses, people create a mind map on the screen with a software with the help of their computer. Consequently, out of its multi-functional use, mind maps are now prevalent among people in various fields. This article recommends you Top 10 mind mapping software for Windows operating system.
FreeMind
Highlights:Fast one-click navigation; Tiny memory; Cross-platform; Java-based
Pricing: Free
FreeMind is a piece of free high-productivity mind mapping software. Due to its one-click, 'fold/unfold' and 'follow link' operations, the operation and navigation of FreeMind are faster than that of MindManager. Its 'Smart copying and pasting from' operation has attracted many users because the software can paste links from HTML and structure the pasted content based on the number of leading spaces in a line.FreeMind has always kept a low profile and focused on efficiency and quality, which makes a weak point – limited support for fancy graphics. For people who don't pursue decorative graphics, FreeMind could be a choice in mind mapping.
Edraw MindMaster
Highlights：Abundant Clip Arts; Gantt View; Advanced Presentation Modes
Pricing: USD$ 9, 39, 69 for monthly, half-year and annual subscription; USD$ 99, 179, 245 for the perpetual license with 1 year, 3-year and permanent upgrade.
Free Version is available
Mindmaster is made by the Edraw software company, a professional diagramming software producer. Two versions are available – Free version and Pro version. Actually, the free version is enough to satisfy common users' demand. However, for professional mind mappers, massive elements like themes and background images are needed. Edraw Mindmaster Pro provides users with abundant clip art resources, mind map examples, marks, and customization of themes, etc. Mindmaster makes a breakthrough in mind map presentation – create slides automatically in accordance with the logical distribution of the mind map. Besides, the Pro version offers 1G cloud storage so that users can not only save and their mind maps at any time but also collaborate with partners conveniently. With Edraw MindMaster, you can not only present project in hierarchical work breakdown structure, but also switch to Gantt view to track task start/end date and progress. As a loyal customer of Edraw products, among mind mapping software for Windows, I like MindMaster most.
iMindMap
Highlights: Mufti-functional views; Side panel
Pricing: USD$100.00 for Home & Student; USD$235.00 for Ultimate
The five views under the 'Home' tab of iMind Map 10 — fast capture view, brainstorm view, a mind map view, time map view, and presentation view become the hit of its late product. These views allow users to meet their customized demand respectively : showcase their ideas in the most primary state without formatting and distractions within several typing, pin their thoughts on the infinite canvas on sticky notes, boost their ideas through comprehensive offering of organic mind mapping techniques, integrate mind mapping with project planning to manage their projects from inspiration to completion in one efficient workspace, and transform their thoughts into concrete memorable content under slick 3D presentation slide. Besides, the newly updated side panel lets users format their creations quickly and works in sync between views for effortless customization. For further convenience, it is accessible on mobile devices such as iPad and iPhone.
Mindomo
Highlights: Web image search; Presentation mode
Pricing: USD$ 39 for lifetime license of Desktop Premium and USD$ 36 for the annual upgrade
Free for Desktop Free
'Educate tomorrow's thinkers today.' As its slogan suggests, Mindomo mainly focuses on school service, thus teachers and students become their major clients. Mindomo actually offers three functionality for users – personal & business, teacher, and student. When signing in on its website, users need to fill in a chart asking for detailed information on their functionality before a trial. Comparing with other mind mapping apps, the outstanding breakthrough of Mindomo is that users can search web images directly from the map and add them with just one click. Besides, the presentation mode allows students to show the audience their mapping process, thus revealing their mind flow. Last but not least, Mindomo is an integration of offline working with online editing and collaborating while mobile apps for iPad and Android are available.
Xmind
Highlights: Concise UI; Cost-efficient
Pricing: USD$79 for Xmind 8 Plus, USD$99 for Xmind 8 Pro
Comparing with other mind mapping software, Xmind is obviously cost-efficient for common users because the free Xmind 8 is versatile enough to meet their demand. Most commonly used functions are put on the right bar of the canvas, giving users more operating space as well as a more concise UI. In the brainstorming mode of Xmind 8 Pro, users can classify their inspirations in Idea Factory in groups. Getting different thoughts gathered from catalogs allow creative sparkles of users' mind flow out. To share their mind maps, users may save them as an Evernote note in the form of an image, outline text or the default Xmind file.
Edraw Max
Highlights: Multi-platforms; Cloud collaboration; Export and share
Pricing: USD $ 179 for the perpetual license with 3- year upgrade; USD $ 245 for lifetime license; USD $ 99 for annual subscription license with the 1-year upgrade.
More than 200 Diagram Types
The slogan of Edraw mind map software is 'Excellent Mind Map Visio Alternative For Mac, Windows, and Linux', declaring its ambition in mind mapping. Furthermore, the outstanding merit of Mind Master is that it offers abundant pre-made examples and built-in clip arts, and you can use them to decorate your mind maps for free. Through Edraw cloud, you can not only store your creations but also cooperate and share documents with your collaborators. In addition, MindMaster allows users to export mind maps into various forms like Word, PPT, Excel, Visio, PDF, EPS, Html, SVG, PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, etc. All the exported files are vector diagrams which allow edit.
MindManager
Highlights: Business style; Convenient sharing; Flexibility
Pricing: USD$376.92 for Perpetual license With 1 Year Upgrades
Also named 'Mindjet', MindManager is quite popular among business people. Comparing with the past version, MindManager 2017 has made great progress in sharing and flexibility. With the universal file export, users can share their creations with collaborators and edit them together even they don't have MindManager installed on their computers. Besides, via Zapier as the intermediary, MindManager has cooperation with hundreds of cloud applications such as Gmail, Slack, and Asana, etc. Users can send and receive content between these applications and MindManager. Mind Manager charges a volume-based price for Enterprise customers, offering a flexible for organizations and teams.
MindMeister
Highlights: Easy to get started and share
Pricing: USD$ 4.99 for Personal monthly; USD$ 8.33 for Pro monthly; USD$ 12.49 for Business monthly
As an online mind mapping tool, Mind Meister provides you with considerate instructions and five tutorials after you sign up on their web. You can create three mind maps with it for free. Its best advantage is that you can immediately share your creations with friends and colleagues. This function allows you to collaborate with them in real-time by inviting people via email or generating a shareable link in MindMeister through your social networks. It is upon you who can edit your mind map or only view it. What's more, it has released free applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Mind Meister transforms your ideas into actionable tasks directly into the editor. Your tasks could be assigned to collaborators by a task widget; besides, relevant properties such as priorities, due dates and progress are available in this operation.
Novamind
Highlights: Feature-rich software with ease-of-use
Pricing: USD$72 for a monthly subscription
As a newly-released mind mapping software, Novamind could take pride in its performance. When opening Novamind for the first time, don`t feel surprised at its UI which is extremely similar to that of PPT in Microsoft Office. After years of research and development, Novamind comes to the stage of mind mapping with the motto 'Everyone is a Pro'. Not as flamboyant as other mind map software, Novamind keeps a low profile in its field with relatively low charge. You are allowed to create mind maps with up to 25 topics under a free lite subscription of Novamind. So far, what makes Novamind not perfect is that it reacts a bit slow to show users all the examples and adapts them to create a new map.
Scapple
Highlights: Completely freeform notes; Small disk space; Low price; Easy to master
Pricing: USD$ 14.99
With double-clicking anywhere on the canvas, you can create a note. Sounds amazing, right? Scapple is a mind mapping tool which is more close to a freeform text editor where you can take notes anywhere on the canvas and connect them with lines and arrows using drag-and-drop however you like. As its slogan ' Rough it out' indicates, there are no predefined templates in Scapple, thus committing no limitations on your creation. In this case, users, even mind mapping beginners, will find it easy to get started and master it in no time. Having no complicated icons and templates, Scapple occupies very small disk space of only 80Mb. What`s more, the price is much cheaper than other mind mapping software. Typing whatever you want and connecting them however you like! That`s the beauty of Scapple. Creative ideas need complete freedom to sparkle.
Browsing brief introduction and pictures above, you may have had a primary impression on exactly what a mind map is as well as some popular mind mapping software for Windows. All the software mentioned offering a free one-month trial. Try them out and choose the one suits you best.
Mind mapping is a terrific visual method for capturing thoughts and ideas. For both business and personal use, a mind map is ideal for brainstorming sessions and helps you organize your concepts easily.
If want a stellar mind mapping app for Mac, the App Store has plenty. The problem is that most are paid—and expensive at that. But luckily, there are several free mind map apps for macOS that have great features and are a breeze to use.
1. SimpleMind
Getting started with SimpleMind Lite is just as the name implies: simple. This mind mapping software has an intuitive interface that lets you create a mind map in a snap.
First, pick your style. You can choose from a variety of options like bright colors, chart, grayscale, and colors on black. Then to add nodes, you can either click the plus (+) on your current node or the Add Child Topic button from the toolbar. To insert text into a node, click the T on the current node or double-click inside the shape.
Other features include:
- Undo and redo buttons
- Print and zoom options
- Freeform or horizontal layouts
- Color palettes and custom colors
- Easy deletion and clipboard options
You can use SimpleMind Lite for free and without ads. But if you would like additional features like Dropbox and Google Drive sync, media and document options, or app customizations, check out the paid version.
And remember, there are other types of Mac apps that support visual thinking.
Download:SimpleMind Lite (Free) | SimpleMind Pro ($29.99)
2. XMind 2020
If you want a free mind mapping tool that lets you begin with a template, check out XMind 2020. You can choose from over 25 templates that offer different colors, layouts, and diagram styles.
To add nodes, click either the Topic or Subtopic buttons from the toolbar. To insert text, just double-click inside the shape. You can freely move the nodes without losing their connections or turn subtopics into main topics.
Apple Mind Mapping Software
Other features include:
- Full set of icons such as priority, numbers, tasks, stars, and symbols
- Stickers for education, business, travel, sports, weather, and more
- Zen mode for full-screen mode with a night-view option
- Ability to add notes or summaries to nodes
- Sharing via local file save, social media, or URL
Xmind 2020 gives you awesome features for free. But if you would like to unlock full version or also use it on iOS, you can check out the in-app subscription plans. You might also take a peek at mind map apps specifically for iOS.
Download:XMind 2020 (Free, subscription available)
3. MindNode
MindNode is a terrific mind map app for Mac that lets you capture, organize, and share your thoughts easily. You'll love the intuitive interface and expandable outline view.
Start your map with a single node in the center and then click the plus (+) to add a child node. With each thought, idea, or item you add, you'll see a different colored connector. Then simply pop in the text you want to use and add another just as easily.
Other features include:
- Fold and unfold nodes from either the outline or map for a compact view.
- Search for titles in the outline view with a keyword.
- Share a mind map using your Mac's share menu.
- Right-click any node to open a shortcut menu for adding new nodes, copying and pasting, and other helpful shortcuts.
You get great features with the free version of MindNode. But to expand your map with visual tags, notes, tasks, themes, and additional features, check out the subscription option.
Download:MindNode (Free, subscription available)
4. Junkyard
Best Free Mind Mapping App For Mac
Junkyard is another slick and easy-to-use mind mapping app for Mac. What's nice about Junkyard is that you receive all features for free. There is a small ad at the bottom of the window that you can remove with an inexpensive in-app purchase. But if you don't mind the ad, this is a great freebie.
To create a node, click the Settings (gear icon) button on the sidebar. To add a child node, do the same and then drag the arrow from the parent to it to form the connection. And you can enable full-screen mode for more canvas space.
Other features include:
- Outline view of your mind map
- Many font options and five color palettes
- Shapes, colors, and borders for the appearance, lines, and groups
- Automatic alignment guides
- Connection line labels
Download:Junkyard (Free, premium version available)
5. Mydea
Mind Mapping App For Pc
Mydea's free mind mapping app is a good choice if you enjoy adding icons, symbols, and even links to your diagrams. You can choose from five layout options, like mind map or fish bone. Then select a style, which applies colors and shapes to your mind map.
The toolbar is intuitive and lets you create topics and subtopics with a click. Double-click inside a node to add the text. If you want a number or progress symbol, just hit the Assets button. The app lets you move all nodes freely and zoom in or out for different views.
Other features include:
- Ability to add notes to nodes
- Ability to include hyperlinks in nodes
- Hide and unhide nodes or groups of nodes
- Add tags that you can attach to nodes
Mind Mapping Software Pc Mac
Mydea Lite lets you add up to 20 nodes per mind map. If you would like to add more, consider the paid version, which also provides support for XMind documents and importing or exporting in Markdown format.
Download:Mydea Lite (Free) | Mydea ($7.99)
6. SimpleMindMap
A final app to check out is SimpleMindMap. This one offers a host of interesting and useful features.
For basic mind maps, click the plus (+) inside a node to add a child. Or use the blue and pink plus (+) buttons in the toolbar for brother and child nodes. You can then double-click a node to add text or use the text box in the toolbar. You can move and resize the nodes and diagram freely while keeping the connections.
Other features include:
- Click a node's minus sign to hide all child nodes
- Change the line and fill color of nodes
- Choose node and child node shapes
- Add objects like emojis and symbols
- Modify the canvas with grid and snap features
SimpleMindMap lets you create mind maps with a limit of 80 items for free. For simple maps, this is ideal. But if you need more, you can upgrade to the full version via in-app purchase for unlimited items.
Download:SimpleMindMap (Free, premium version available)
Let Your Thoughts Flow With a Mind Map for Mac
Free mind mapping software for macOS is great for basic diagrams and helps you get the job done. Whether you like modest mind maps with just a few nodes or those that go a bit further and contain many, there's sure to be an app here that you'll like.
If you want similar apps for other platforms, explore our roundup of the best free mind-mapping tools. Or if you would rather use Microsoft Office, check out these helpful mind map templates for Microsoft Word.
Read the full article: 6 Free Mind Map Apps for Mac to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
