Mind mapping is a powerful tool to better organize your thoughts and generate new ideas.
There are many different mind mapping tools on the market, yet some of them have limited functionality that results in costly overpayments for features most people don’t need.
The best mind mapping software can help you work smarter, not harder.
One of the best mind mapping software tools right now is MindMup. MindMup is an online tool developed by Sauf Pompiers Ltd. and is used by businesses, educators and students. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Well… MindMup is not the only mind mapping software on the market. There are many other options for users who want to create mind maps.
You might have used MindMup before (or, at least, heard about it), and—maybe—you’re looking for a mind mapping tool just like it.
You have come to the right place!
In this article, I have compiled a list of the best MindMup alternatives, one of which is likely going to become your go-to mind mapping solution.
Let’s get started!
What is MindMup?
MindMup is an online mind mapping software that allows users to create and edit maps. It has a drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy for users to create and customize their maps.
This application has been used by various companies and organizations who are looking for a tool that can help them with brainstorming.
It’s not just limited to business, though. It can be used by students, educators, and anyone else who needs an application that can help them organize their thoughts to create something new.
One of the benefits of building a mind map is helping people think about how the different pieces relate to one another so that they can generate new ideas or solve problems.
In this regard, a mind mapping software program has to be easy to use with a clean interface.
Those two are not the only MindMup Pros. MindMup provides a drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy for users to create and customize their maps. Users can also upload files from Dropbox or Google Drive and add them as attachments.
The Best MindMup Alternatives
1. MindMeister
If you feel like your usual brainstorming and idea mapping software is a bit too old-fashioned for you, MindMeister is just the tool you’re looking for.
Compared to most apps on this list, MindMeister offers a smoother and more intuitive mind mapping experience, and since they rebuilt and redesigned MindMeister, it has donned a sleek, minimalist User Interface (UI).
Besides a variety of tree diagram options, it features keyboard shortcuts that enable you to quickly record your ideas and speed up the process of drawing a mind map. In addition, Mindmeister offers a few great options that you can use to keep track of your progress, such as a timer and sound effects.
Supported Systems
Web and Mobile (Android and iOS).
Plans and Pricing
MindMeister offers 4 plans: Basic, Personal, Pro, and Business. The Basic package is free, the Personal plan (for individuals only) costs $2.49 per month, the Pro plan (for individuals and teams) costs $4.19 per month, and the Business package (for enterprises) costs $6.29 per month.
Pros
- Supports web and mobile.
- Simple but effective UI.
- Easy to use.
- Affordable
Cons
- Expensive compared to other mind mapping tools.
- The offline mode is not good enough.
- Ungenerous free version.
2. MindManager
MindManager looks and feels professional, meaning the finished map would be suitable for all purposes, from notes for a book to a presentation at a board meeting.
MindManager, a visual thinking and knowledge management tool, was first released in 1987 and has been improving ever since.
This mind mapping software and visualization tool can be used to map out thoughts, ideas, and concepts.
With MindManager, your office programs such as Word, PowerPoint, and Office users have a rich new capability.
Not only are you able to capture and organize information, but MindManager also adds a whole new level of visualization capabilities for your Microsoft Office tools.
Supported Systems
Windows, macOS, and Web.
Plans and Pricing
There are 3 plans offered; the ‘Essentials’ plan (for individual projects), which costs $99.00/year; the ‘Professional’ plan (for individuals and teams), which costs $169.00/year; and the ‘Enterprise’ plan, which is based on special pricing.
Pros
- Editing and adding information is flexible.
- Easy to use.
- Exporting the maps is easy.
Cons
- Icons customization needs improving.
- Needs more template options.
3. XMind
XMind is an award-winning mind mapping software that helps you brainstorm, organize, and visualize your thoughts.
Its feature list includes tools for organizing your ideas in a tree structure, creating and editing text notes, adding images to mind maps, and collaborative features, among others.
XMind helps you to find connections between concepts by exploring related links and grouping similar ideas together. You can use a variety of colors, icons, and a hand-drawn style that makes it look like a perfect pen-and-paper mind map.
XMind also comes with various templates available for you to choose from, including mind maps, flow charts, Gantt charts, spider diagrams, fishbone diagrams, decision trees, and more.
This sleek and clean tool for brainstorming is available in four languages: English, French, German, and Chinese.
Supported Systems
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPadOS, and iOS.
Plans and Pricing
XMind is priced at $59 for all platforms.
Pros
- Clean, easy-on-the-eyes User Interface.
- A perfect tool for developers.
- Offers an Evernote integration.
Cons
- No free trial.
- Branch customization and movement of main topics need improving.
4. Scapple
Scapple Mind mapping software is advanced and easy to use with all the tools you need for effective brainstorming, including concept bank and semantic size.
Actually, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
With Scapple, you can manipulate words, equations, and images all into one pixel-clear mind map.
Ideas can be sorted by main thoughts or groups. Independence clusters in a web hierarchy, goals are linked according to content or direction.
Drag, drop, stacking, and link commands make Scapple more intuitive than most mind mapping products in the market today.
Plus, Scapple’s simple interface allows you to focus on your ideas-not software technicalities. A menubar mode also helps older users obtain a complete user experience at a time when speed and ease of use are paramount for developing legibility.
Supported Systems
Windows, macOS.
Plans and Pricing
Literature & Latte offers the following one-time payment packages:
- Scapple Standard License for macOS, which costs $18.
- Scapple Educational License for macOS, which costs $14.40.
- Scapple Standard License for Windows, which costs $18.
- And Scapple Educational License for Windows, costing $14.40.
Pros
- Produces beautiful color-coded mind maps.
- Customizable styles, font, colors, etc.
- Links to Scrivener.
Cons
- No support for mobile devices or Linux.
- Pricey compared to free alternatives.
5. Coggle
Coggle is an elegant, easy-to-use application for creating beautiful diagrams that capture your ideas.
Coggle’s user interface is clean, modern, and straightforward.
This mind mapping software is a brilliant tool for creating all types of diagrams: mind maps, flowcharts, sitemaps, databases, organizational charts, hierarchical trees, electrical schematics, and much more.
One prevalent mind mapping software feature is the intuitive drag-and-drop capability and Coggle didn’t disappoint on that front.
Coggle comes with a lot of icons, tools, and design templates to help create impressive results without any effort.
Supporting Systems
Web.
Plans and Pricing
There is a free plan and two paid plans. The cheapest is ‘Awesome,’ priced at $5 per month and the other is “Organization,’ which costs $8 per member per month.
Pros
- Work is automatically backed up to the cloud.
- Easy to learn
- Perfect for real-time updates during collaborative work.
Cons
- Doesn’t work well when the map becomes complex.
6. Gliffy
Gliffy is a mind mapping software that helps users and teams to brainstorm and capture collaborative design ideas.
Gliffy has one of the clearest interfaces.
Using Gliffy, you can effortlessly draft illustrations; shapes and connectors to organize your notes; drag and drop images, ideas, and tasks into a simple flowchart; branch them out as deeper details emerge as you brainstorm with colleagues or friends.
You can also add attachments, such as images and files right inside your Mind map.
And… These are all of Gliffy’s tool package; it also enables its users to assign colors to objects and change their shapes to add flavor to your brainstorming sessions.
Supported Systems
Web.
Plans and Pricing
Gliffy’s Professional package starts at $8 per user/month but can go as low as $6 per month if you have 10-50 users. The Enterprise package depends on the size of your company.
Pros
- Clean UI.
- Good-looking flowcharts.
- Easy to update and maintain maps.
- Integrates with Confluence and Jira.
Cons
- Short trial period (only two weeks)
- Focuses on the Atlassian Ecosystem
7. Visio
Visio helps you create visually rich descriptions of project work, websites, software, business processes, and more.
Using Visio, you can bring your best ideas to life by visualizing and using data. With ready-to-use templates and thousands of customizable shapes.
Sketch out what you need with the templates, which help you include everything from floor plans to database schemas.
Customize the look of your Visio diagrams to your unique needs with a huge range of styles, shapes, and visual indicators.
Use the new dynamic building blocks to combine multiple shapes and layers to quickly create mind maps that communicate your thoughts, ideas, and concepts.
Supported Systems
Windows.
Plans and Pricing
Microsoft offers two Visio plans. Visio Plan 1 costs $5 user/month and Visio Plan 2 costs $15 user/month.
Pros
- Comes with a good variety of symbols.
- Perfect tool for MS Office users
- Effective for modeling an organizational structure.
Cons
- Rigid user interface
- The process of editing/cropping pictures needs improvement.
8. Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a mind mapping software that enables its users to create unlimited mind maps where users can relate and combine knowledge within many colorful charts such as concept, flow, and other floating boxes.
This online mind mapping software enables creative brainstorming and develops visual teamwork. Within minutes, anyone can learn how to visually organize ideas, webinars, and other information into an intuitive mind map.
Lucidchart’s Mind Mapping Software includes a variety of team capabilities for collaboration, usability for mobile devices for on-the-go data capturing, feedback forum, and private document sharing.
Supported Systems
PC, Mac, and Linux.
Plans and Pricing
In addition to the free plan, Lucidchart has three paid plans. The ‘Individual Bundle’ starts as low as $7.95, the ‘Team Bundle’ starts as low as $9/user, and the ‘Enterprise Bundle’ bundle is based on a quotation. They also offer ‘Lucidchart plus Lucidspark’ bundles with the same names.
Pros
- Comes with a variety of shapes and icons
- Good features for collaborative diagramming.
- Can import from Visio and Gliffy.
Cons
- Navigation can be a bit clunky
9. Mindomo
Mindomo is an app for generating ideas on-the-fly and planning your work.
With Mindomo, you can organize your thoughts, present ideas, take or record notes, study and memorize, plan your work, and keep track of your goals and important dates on all of your apps (including smartphones).
With Mindomo, you will stay on top of all your work, whether at home or in the office.
Supported Systems
Windows, OS X, Android, iOS, and Linux.
Plans and Pricing
Mindomo offers a free version and three other paid plans: Premium, Professional, and Team. The Premium package costs €5.5, the Professional plan costs €13.5, and the Team package costs €16.5
Pros
- A versatile tool for brainstorming.
- Easy to use.
- Can copy and paste whole branches to other mind maps.
- Supports all major operating systems.
Cons
- Mobile apps are limited compared to Desktop apps.
Final Words
MindMup is a mind mapping software that makes brainstorming and organizing ideas easy, a productivity tool that is used to visually map out information, connect thoughts and have conversations.
It is packed with features that allow you to specify who, where and when items on your mind map can be changed and seen by different people, locations, or devices.
Whether you’re writing down ideas, tasks, or reminders on a personal map—just like sticky notes on a wall, but with less effort and a better-looking wall.
It is an effective mind mapping tool; however, there are other MindMup alternatives, MindMeister, for example, which are just as good.
Or better.
Having all these alternatives makes it easier for us to choose a mind mapping software tool that caters to our exact needs.
This variety makes it possible for us not to struggle when creating mind maps.
Another good thing about the mind mapping software competition is that they are constantly being updated so you don’t need to waste your time on an old-fashioned mind mapping tool.
And you don’t need to pay a fortune for a mind mapping tool either.
