download mind mapper free Download mind mapper free. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. What can I do to prevent this in the future? If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Cloudflare Ray ID: 67dbd646ea731669 • Your IP : 188.246.226.140 • Performance & security by Cloudflare. 10 Best Mind Mapping Software Tools for Better Brainstorming. Mind Mapping is a great way to lay out your thoughts and brainstorm new ideas. Rather than just using simple lists, you’re able to link ideas in multiple different ways. You can think creatively rather than just linearly. Mind mapping starts with a big idea. From there you work your way down into smaller and smaller concepts. The big idea is like the trunk of a tree, each idea a branch, each sub-idea a smaller branch, and so on down until you get to the twigs and leaves. You can always follow any branch back to get to the main idea. We’ve got a full tutorial on mind mapping, Mind Mapping 101, so if you’re not over familiar with the concept, you should check it out before continuing. In today's article we’re going to look at some of the best mind mapping apps available for both individual users and small teams. Do you need to start using one of the best mind mapping software tools? What Makes a Great Mind Mapping Software Tool. Mind mapping is a pretty free flowing concept, this means that you need an app that can take whatever you throw at it. Your idea of a neat and tidy might be another persons’ idea of messy hell and vice versa. On the other hand, mind mapping is meant to help you structure chaotic ideas. It can’t be too free flowing, like say MS Paint; it just wouldn’t be of any use. Go From Brainstormed Ideas to Visual Order. So for good mind mapping software, we’re looking for something that can take whatever brainstorming ideas you throw at it and turn it into an ordered mind map. Other features, like collaboration, are nice but optional for some users. If you’re a solo writer you don’t need to be able to work with other people. If you’re part of a small start up, you definitely do. We’ll be covering the most popular mind mapping software that will work for either case. Finally, like all software decisions, what mind mapping app you use for brainstorming is intensely personal. My perfect app might drive you up the wall. That’s why we’re going to cover a broad selection. Test Drive the Best Apps Before Committing. Try a few apps that have the features and feel that might fit your workflow and go with the one that works best. Many of them are free, have free trials, or have a free tier so you can check them out before committing. 10 of the Best Mind Mapping (Software) Tools. There are a lot of good mind mapping apps available and since the creative process tends to be quite personal, it’s difficult to draw hard and fast “this is better” comparisons between them. All the mind mapping apps featured below are good; it’s just that some of them will be better for you than others. 1. Bubbl.us (Web) Bubbl.us is a web-based mind mapping software tool. Unlike some of the other solutions which often try to do a lot more, Bubbl.us is focussed on pure mind mapping. It’s one of the simplest cloud brainstorming apps available. Bubbl.us has two tiers: Free and Premium. Users on the Free plan are limited to 3 mind maps and only get basic features. The Premium plan starts at $6/month/user and enables features like realtime collaboration and revision history. If you want to keep things as simple as possible and know you don’t need more than a mind mapping app, Bubbl.us might be what you’re looking for. 2. XMind 8 (macOS, Windows, iOS) XMind is one of the more professional options available and may be the best mind map software for Mac. There are three different pricing options, XMind 8 (free), XMind 8 Plus ($79), and XMind Pro ($99) but to make the most of it, you’ll need to shell out for Plus at the very least, and realistically, for Pro. While you can create mind maps with the basic plan, you can’t export them to other formats. The Plus plan adds the ability to export them. Pro adds powerful features like Presentation Mode so you can present your mind maps to your colleagues, and Brainstorming Mode to make creation easier. With the XMind Cloud you can sync your mind maps between devices and with your colleagues. XMind is billed as “the most popular mind mapping tool on the planet” and it’s easy to see why that would be the case. 3. WiseMapping (Web) WiseMapping is a free online mind mapping software solution for individuals and businesses. Since it just runs with a browser, it doesn’t matter what device you use to access it. If you’re running your own business, you can even run a copy of WiseMapping on your own server. This should alleviate any security concerns about using a web app. 4. (macOS, Windows, Linux, iPad, Android) Mindomo is a freemium mind mapping app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. There are also iPad and Android sync apps so you can work on your mind maps on the go. Mindomo is free for up to 3 mind maps with limited features. If you want to do things like back your maps up to Dropbox, add video or audio, or export them to other formats, you need to upgrade to a paid plan. The Premium plan is $36/6 months and gets you 1 user account. The Professional plan is $90/6 months and gets you 1 user and 5 guest accounts as well as enables guest editing. The Team plan is $142/6 months and includes 5 user accounts. 5. FreeMind (macOS, Windows, Linux) FreeMind is a free and open source application for macOS, Windows, and Linux. While it’s a little less user friendly and intuitive than some of the other solutions, it’s pretty powerful and flexible. FreeMind doesn’t have much in the way of a collaboration features so it’s best for just one user. If you are only making mind maps for yourself and the other free options seem a little basic or limited because of the paid plans, FreeMind might be the solution for you. 6. IdeaFlip (Web) IdeaFlip is a web software designed for group brainstorming, although of course individuals can use it. As a web app, it can be used on any desktop or tablet device. Individual plans that would work for small teams start from $9 a month. Enterprise solutions start from $145 and come with team management features. 7. MindNode (macOS, iOS) MindNode is a beautiful macOS and iOS mind mapping solution. The Mac app is $29.99 and the iOS app is $9.99. While some mind mapping solutions include everything and the kitchen sink, MindNode is really focussed on brainstorming new ideas and then organising them into coherent mind maps. MindNode really embraces Apple’s design ideas and includes features like full VoiceOver support, iCloud Syncing, and an Apple Watch app that aren’t available on other platforms. If you’re fully invested in Apple’s ecosystem, it could be the best app for you. 8. Scapple (macOS, Windows) One of the classic examples of a use for a mind map is an author writing a book, and Scapple is designed to do just that. Literature and Latte, the developers of writing app Scrivener, also created Scapple as a tool to help writers outline their projects. It’s $14.99 with a free trial. Scapple integrates with Scrivener so you’ll need both apps to get the most out of it. 9. MindManager (macOS, Windows) MindManager is the most enterprise focussed mind mapping app on this list. It’s used by big companies like Proctor and Gamble and integrates with Microsoft’s Office suite. The Windows app is more fully featured, and thus more expensive, than the Mac app. The Windows app is $349 per licence while the Mac app is $179. There is a 30-day free trial. Obviously at that price point, and with it’s aim to be an enterprise solution, MindManager is one of the more powerful mind mapping software tools on this list. This isn’t just a visual brainstorming solution for a small team, it’s something the CFO of a Fortune 500 company can sign off on. Most teams won’t need something as enterprise focused as MindManager, however, if your team is looking to work with much larger companies, say as consultants, it might be worth a look, especially if that company is already using it. 10. (Web) Rather than being a strict mind mapping app, Lucidchart is a diagramming app. This makes it perfect for creating mind maps, but also gives it a huge amount more flexibility to diagram out other things like process flows. It’s used by the likes of Netflix, Spotify, and Ford. If you want mind maps for brainstorming, but also want a tool that can be used for other things as well, Lucidchart is a good bet. A single user Basic license starts at $4.95/month while licenses for Teams start at $20/month for three users. There’s also a limit free tier if you only want basic features. Wrapping Up. Mind mapping is a powerful tool for fine tuning and creating new ideas. You can do it with a piece of paper and a pen, but any of the apps in this article will help you keep everything safe and secure. A sheet of letter paper is a lot easier to lose than a properly backed up digital file. This is far from a complete list of mind mapping apps. Almost any app, from Word to Photoshop, can be repurposed to do it. Though you may need a dedicate mind mapping app, especially if you visually brainstorm your ideas out often. If so, try one of these apps out. Learn more about brainstorming techniques in our ultimate guide, or dive deeper into one of these topics: MindMapper. Get your ideas down and give them shape without limiting yourself. Latest version. MindMapper is without doubt one the best applications you will ever find to record your ideas, shape them, structure them and get something positive out of them. While it could be said that MindMapper is no more than a program for creating diagrams, this would be selling the program short, because MindMapper is so much more than that. To start with, the flexibility it offers to note down your ideas in its interface is very impressive. You have at your disposal all kinds of visual options to organise them into the correct order, also anything you add can be easily adjusted later. The ways in which you can join up your thoughts are endless, and you can also link to others in independent documents. Some extra features you can include in your diagrams are scheduling and tasks, meaning you can also use MindMapper to better manage your time. Finally, MindMapper is fully compatible with all Office documents (Word, PowertPoint, Project and Outlook), it includes search and map filtering tools; it also allows you to extract 'clips' to create new mental maps based on a specific point in an existing one. 11 Best Free Mind Mapping Software Tools. In our search for the best free mind mapping software tools, we looked for easy to use programs with a plenty of good options. The software to create mind maps can be also called brain, concept, idea management or even brainstorming software. Available for Windows, Mac, Linux or online, they are great solutions to visually represent, analyze, and recall your ideas. On this page, we collected 11 of the top free mind mapping makers that are: Freeware: on-premise solutions for free download Portable and online tools and apps. All of them can help you organize your personal or business concepts and ideas at no price. In addition, they can be great tools in the hands of the students. 1. . This is one of the most popular idea management software tools out there. Actually, this is an online tool for exploring and sharing thoughts, brainstorming, making plans, visualizing ideas and doing it with others collaboratively. This program allows you to create and share mind maps in an easy and fun way. Coggle is not just a mind map maker. It is also a way of documenting with many applications in educational and business organizations, project teams, and many others. Coggle comes with free and premium plans. The free plan features include : 3 private diagrams Unlimited public diagram creation Full change history PDF & Image download Unconnected text boxes Over 1600 beautiful icons Unlimited image uploads Auto-arrange branches Shared folders and others. 2. MindMaster. MindMaster is a full-featured collaborative mind mapping and brainstorming tool. Whether you need to work online or offline, any time and from anywhere with any device, MindMaster offers complete flexibility with a selection of apps available to download and to use directly. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Web. MindMaster provides both free and premium plans. Key features and benefits: Stunning presentation Group & online real-time collaboration Project management & Gantt chart Knowledge Management Various Stickers & Cliparts Smart Layout Brainstorming mode Hyperlinks & Attachments&Notes Timeline & bubble & & fishbone & sector map Export to PDF, image, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MindManager and Evernote. Start your free mind map trip at https://www.mindmaster.io/ 3. . This is absolutely free online mind mapping software that allows you to create mind maps and structured diagram to visually organize information. Actually, Mind42 is not the most visually appealing, but it can be a very useful tool. It is a free, fast and simple solution. And the best part is that it allows you to collaborate and share your mind maps with others. Key benefits: Simple and fast You can easily create to-do lists, organize events, and brainstorm ideas. Completely free mind mapping software tool. You can share your mind maps with others. 4. FreeMind. This premier open source and free mind mapping software written in , can run on a broad range of platforms – Windows, Mac, Linux . FreeMind is a surprisingly powerful mind-mapping program that will allow you to plan projects, revising for student exams, organize personal and business concepts. You might think FreeMind has some kind of outdated interface. But don’t let the appearance fool you. This tool is very easy-to-use and incredibly functional. Key benefits and features: Fully functional following of HTML links stored in the nodes. Fast one-click navigation, including folding. Smart Drag and Drop. Export of map to HTML, with folding. Possibility to use and edit long multiline nodes and to decorate nodes with built-in icons, colors and different fonts. Low costs of risk of switching away. You can link to files elsewhere on your PC. A portable mind mapping version. 5. XMind. We can not talk about best free mind map makers without mentioning XMind. Millions of people work XMind because of its usability, friendly interface, and great features. Actually, this is the most popular professional mind and idea management tool. XMind 8 is an integrated open-source platform that comes with freeware and paid extensions for the leading operating systems – Windows, Apple OS X, and Linux and also has a portable version. Besides the basic Mind Map structure, XMind also offers Org-chart, Tree-chart, Logic-chart, etc. and all of these charts can be used within one map! XMind Free plan includes: All kinds of diagrams Sync to XMind Cloud. 6. WiseMapping. WiseMapping is for those who need simple online mind mapping apps for personal, business or education needs. This open source tool helps you to quickly create a map of your ideas, to add additional content and share your maps with others. Currently, WiseMapping is only available as an online solution. Despite that, WiseMapping is planning on releasing integrated iOS and Android support. It is absolutely free software without any restrictions! Key benefits and features: Web-based tool – you don’t have to install it on your computer. For personal, business and student needs – you can use it internally in your company or school. Collaborative – share your maps with your friends or team members. You can embed your mind maps in any webpage. No plugins needed. Import/Export from/to FreeMind. 7. MindMup. This is a remarkable online free mind mapping software program. Setup is very simple and the cloud storage features are effortless to use. This tool allows you to create, share and publish mind maps, hassle-free in no time. You are able to create unlimited mind maps at no price, and store them in the cloud. In addition, you can create presentations, brainstorm, and document outlines with mind maps. Finally, you can publish your ideas online and to social networks. MindMup comes with free and premium but affordable plans. The free plan includes: Unlimited number of maps. Save maps up to 100 KB to MindMup storage, for up to six months. No account/login required. Save larger maps to Google Drive. Export maps up to 100 KB. Publish maps for up to six months. Community chat help and support. 8. ThinkComposer. If you are a professional, student or just a creative person, who is searching for best free mind mapping software for Windows , this tool can be your solution. Thinkcomposer is a comprehensive visual tool that allows you to create concept maps, flowcharts, models and other kinds of diagrams immediately after installation. It is an open source solution, so you can also share, modify or extend ThinkComposer as needed! Key features and benefits: Help your mind to organize and visualize complex thoughts. Presentation tool that helps you to clearly present your ideas. Semantic Mapping Define graphic and semantic elements for your specialized domain. Open source and free download for Windows. Generate complete Reports from your Compositions. Predefined templates, custom file/code generation, and version updates. 9. Docear. Docear is a good solution to academic literature management. This tool is for creating, organizing, and discovering academic literature. What makes Docear unique is its integration of mind maps. With Docear you can create new mind maps at any time to draft your own academic literature. You have all the features you can expect from a mind mapping software and that comes in handy when drafting documents. You may insert pictures, add formulas (LaTeX), format nodes (with HTML if you like), create additional notes, and so on…. Docear is entirely freeware, instantly to download for Windows, MacOS or Linux. Key features and benefits: Unique concept for organizing literature. Multi-Language. Open Source (GPL). Powerful mind mapping. Open data formats such as PDF, XML, and BibTeX Mobile version Real-time Collaboration Synchronization between different devices. 10. Lucidchart Version for Students and Educators. I am sure you have heard of Lucidchart before. No doubt, it is one of the best paid and free mind mapping software tools out there. And the good news for the students and teachers are that Lucidchart is absolutely free for them. For the others – it is a paid solution. Lucidchart combines ease of use with robust functionality. It is a great solution for all students: from those in elementary school to those in advanced engineering courses. You can simply start from scratch to create your mind maps, or you can pick from their range of templates. Key features and benefits: Compatible OS: PC, Mac, Linux, Chromebook. Shape libraries: Advanced (iOS, Android, wireframes, timelines, mind maps). Lucidchart runs in the cloud. Collaborative – teachers can teach their students with the power of teamwork. Fully integrated. Clean, straightforward editor that is intuitive for students of all ages. Easy to share. 11. . And last but not least on our list of the best free mind mapping software tools is Freeplane. It is not only idea and mind mapping but also a whole knowledge management software. Freeplane is a freeware and an open source software app that supports thinking, concept creation, sharing information and getting things done at the office, in school, and at home. Freeplane runs on any operating system ( Windows, Linux, Mac ) that has a current version of Java installed. It is also a portable mind mapping tool that can be run from removable storage like a USB drive. Key features and benefits: Easy and speedy tool with a simple interface. Freeplane is intended for non-programmers. However, the project offers potential programmers a versatile scripting language. Supports add-ons A lot of features to make almost any type of map you want. Password protection. Searchable node lists. Want more free mind mapping software tools? Here is a list of some other good programs: TheBrain – impressive freeware mind mapping program. They have a Free Edition (free download for Windows) and Pro Versions. Also available for iOS and Android. Diagram Editor – an open source program to draw structured diagrams. View Your Mind – is licensed under GNU GPL tool to create and edit maps which show your thoughts. Manage My Ideas – a simple web application for keeping track of your ideas. Innovation Cloud Startup – free, easy to use idea management software for business startups or small teams. Visual Understanding Environment (VUE) – an Open Source project based at Tufts University. If you are a fan of free solutions, then our posts: best freeware document management software and freeware database software, can be of use for you. What are your thoughts and suggestions? Which software to create mind maps do you recommend? About The Author. Silvia Valcheva. Silvia Valcheva is a digital marketer with over a decade of experience creating content for the tech industry. She has a strong passion for writing about emerging software and technologies such as big data, AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), process automation, etc. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. What is a Mind Map? In a nutshell, a mind map is a visual tool that helps us understand any concept in a more straightforward manner by breaking it down into dedicated parts. It takes various graphic elements to analyze, explain, and elucidate existing concepts or brainstorm on new ideas. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you want to lay a detailed layout of a plan or represent a hierarchical concept; you can do it all with a mind map. Since mind maps are non-linear and don’t follow strict rules, you can use them the way you like. When it comes to using mind maps to visually represent any concept, the sky is the limit. Many people even use different shapes, icons, colors, and vectors to make their mind maps look interesting. To further understand what a mind map is, let’s quickly go through a simple example. Here, you can see the representation of different clinic/lab center units via a bubble mind map. The connection between different areas like the reception, waiting room, exam room, conference room, etc., has been depicted in a non-linear way that can easily be understood by anyone. A Quick History of Mind Maps. Now when you know what a mind map is, let’s quickly consider the history and origin of the concept. It might sound surprising, but the concept of mind maps and brainstorming diagrams has been originated in the early 3rd century. It was first found in the teachings of Aristotle and was even developed by Porphyry of Tyros. Though, when we talk about the modern implementation of mind maps, the first semantic networks were introduced by Alan M Collins in the 1960s. They were often termed as “concept maps” or “brainstorming maps” back then and were later made popular by Tony Buzan (a British author). Buzan made the term “mind map” extremely popular when he talked about the concept on BBC in 1974 and even released an entire book to explain it. Why Consider Using Mind Maps: Advantages and Disadvantages. Advantages of Using Mind Maps. One of the most important things about mind maps is that they are extremely easy to create and review. Since there are no strict rules for the use of symbols or connectors, you can create a mind map however you like without prior designing or technical experience. While mind maps might not follow strict rules, it doesn’t mean that they are not visually appealing. That’s why a lot of people include mind maps in their presentations and lectures to instantly get the attention of their audience and elevate the visual appeal of their documents. Another good thing about mind maps is that they can help us seamlessly break even the most complex topics into smaller chunks. Most mind maps follow a divide-and-conquer approach in which we break a complex topic into smaller segments and further link them to explain the concept. Are you stuck at something and would like to work together with your team? Then why not work on a mind map together that can help you solve the problem. Not just that, by creating a mind map for any issue, you can also improve your overall productivity. It has been observed several times that visual aids help in retaining the shared information. For instance, if you are a teacher, then you must consider using mind maps as your students can easily retain the provided details in the long run. Limitations of Using Mind Maps. Most importantly, mind maps don’t have a specific set of rules or universally followed standards. Too often, this leads to confusion as mind maps created by an individual might not be understood by others so easily. It has also been observed that mind maps can only depict basic concepts and ideas. When it comes to the explanation of highly complex topics, a mind map might not be too helpful and can even lead to confusion. Lastly, if you have just started working on mind maps, then it can take a lot of time to understand them or depict anything. Diverse Application and Use Cases of Mind Maps. As you can see what a mind map and its advantages are, let’s have a look at the diverse application of the concept in different fields. This is one of the most popular applications of mind maps as they are extremely diverse and can cover any topic. If you want to teach a new concept to your audience or make the entire process of learning interesting, then you should consider using mind maps. Mind maps are often used to elaborate complex situations that can help you understand all the vital factors to consider for solving any problem. If you are a project manager or a team lead, then you can also take the assistance of mind maps to distribute tasks, explain a workflow, and do so much more. These days, mind maps are also extensively used by trainers to educate dedicated topics to their audience. Ideally, you can create a mind map for any process and explain to your audience how to undertake it. It doesn’t matter if you want to brainstorm ideas on your own or with a group; you can easily do it with mind maps to achieve your goals. If you are planning an event or any process, then mind maps would be extremely helpful. You can focus on different aspects of a plan with mind maps and even use color codes to make things more interesting. Different Types of Mind Maps. Since mind maps don’t follow strict rules, you can draw them in different ways. Though, it has been observed that most mind maps fall under these five categories. As the name suggests, these mind maps follow a certain flow (from one point to another) in a restricted direction. These diagrams are mostly used to depict a process by covering its different aspects. These are more advanced than single flow mind maps as they can be distributed into different aspects. You can use these diagrams to explain how a process can have different distributions and triggers. Most of the mind maps are ideally concept maps in which we explore a central idea by considering different parameters related to it. These are simpler mind maps that are mostly used to explain the division of a concept, the hierarchy of an organization, and other related topics (represented via branches). These are non-linear visual maps that are based on dedicated bubbles with all kinds of connections. They are used to show dependencies or even an undistributed flow of work. How to Create a Mind Map. Create a Hand-Drawn Mind Map. If you choose to make a hand-drawn mind map, a piece of horizontally placed A4 paper would be the best choice. Pick a piece of paper or launch the mind map software, center your central topic on the canvas. Drawing a mind map can be as simple with the following steps. Start by writing or drawing a center concept in the middle of a blank page. Develop the related main ideas around this central concept, connect each of main ideas to the center with a line. Generate sub-branches that stem from the main branches to further expand on ideas and concepts. Use different colors, symbols and images to differentiate the branches and sub-topics. Software for Mind Mapping. Using mind map software helps to improve mind mapping efficiency. All you need to do is to type in the content, insert images and attachments by drag-and-drop operation. EdrawMind , as a professional mind map maker, is getting more and more popular for its following features.