Freemind vs XMind

2023. Xmind now allows to track tasks



The latest update of mind-mapping application Xmind has introduced a new Task Tracking feature. This feature allows users to seamlessly incorporate tasks into their mind maps and easily monitor their progress. By doing so, you can effectively break down your objectives into smaller, more manageable steps, reducing their overall complexity and making them more attainable. This innovative addition caters to a wide range of needs, including planning, time management, and project management. Within this feature, you have the ability to create tasks and mark them as completed, enhancing your task management capabilities. Furthermore, you can monitor the ongoing status of task completion, gaining a clear understanding of your current position and what lies ahead. What adds a practical dimension to this is the ability to filter out less crucial information, allowing you to focus solely on the tasks that matter most to you. One of the primary benefits of task tracking is its role in task prioritization. By identifying and labeling your tasks, you gain a comprehensive view of what must be accomplished and can discern which tasks take precedence in terms of urgency and importance. This serves as a motivating factor, ensuring that you allocate your time and energy wisely and that critical tasks are not neglected.


2019. XMind adds audio-notes



Taking notes during meetings or lectures, as well as creating mind maps, can often be challenging tasks. However, XMind has introduced an effective solution with its new feature called Audio Note. Unlike traditional note-taking methods that rely on images and context, Audio Note focuses on recordings. Users can record audio related to specific topics and sync them with text on mind maps, providing further elaboration on corresponding subjects. This feature significantly enhances input efficiency, which is especially crucial when creating mind maps on mobile devices. With fleeting moments of inspiration, the ability to capture ideas instantly becomes invaluable. XMind has incorporated Audio Note into its iOS version, greatly improving the input efficiency for users. Additionally, Apple has also implemented a similar interaction feature in iOS 12.


2018. XMind ZEN features new engine and new designed themes



The latest release of XMind, known as XMind ZEN, utilizes a new engine that boasts impressive capabilities in terms of extending functions and graphics performance. With the implementation of SVG rendering, all elements within a mind map, including lines, themes, and diagrams, are flawlessly displayed. XMind ZEN offers 30 meticulously crafted themes, catering to diverse scenarios, whether you're a student or a business professional. These visually appealing themes enable effortless creation of stunning and polished mind maps. Additionally, there are 89 original stickers available, adding more elements and vibrant expressions to your maps. The newly introduced ZEN Mode allows you to maintain utmost focus on your thoughts. In this mode, your sole focus is on expressing and visualizing your ideas. The interface is intentionally designed to be clear, simple, and free from distractions or interruptions. We firmly believe that concentration is achieved by prioritizing and eliminating unnecessary elements. When it comes to focus, less is indeed more.


2017. XMind Cloud gets a new look and feel



The online mind mapping tool XMind Cloud has received a significant update, introducing exciting new features and substantial improvements. With XMind Cloud, you gain the convenience of accessing, viewing, and editing your mind maps from anywhere you go. The update brings a host of enhancements, including the ability to add markers, notes, and hyperlinks with a simple click. The user interface has been redesigned to provide a simpler and more intuitive experience, making it effortless to accomplish your tasks. Notably, the performance has been greatly improved, resulting in faster file loading times, which significantly enhances work efficiency and improves the overall mind mapping experience. Additionally, the introduction of the Trash folder allows for easy recovery of deleted files, ensuring that you can retrieve important content with ease.


2017. Freemind - free MindNode alternative



FreeMind is a mind-mapping software that operates on an open-source framework, providing competition to solutions such as MindNode and other similar tools. The software employs a familiar structure of points (referred to as nodes in FreeMind) branching out from a central topic, with additional nodes stemming from each branch. However, FreeMind truly distinguishes itself with its user-friendly click-and-drag interface, facilitating quick editing. Additionally, it offers HTML support, simplifying the sharing and navigation of your mind maps. Despite its somewhat outdated appearance and cumbersome menu system, FreeMind shines with its ease of use, offering convenient keyboard shortcuts for common tasks such as creating new nodes and applying formatting to ensure organizational efficiency. With a bit of time spent mastering its shortcuts, you'll discover that FreeMind is an incredibly valuable tool for project planning, exam preparation, and brainstorming new ideas.


2016. XMind 8 adds a slide-based presentation



The latest release of the mind-mapping software, XMind, introduces XMind 8 with a fresh new look and enhanced functionality. This version offers a streamlined editing experience, allowing you to effortlessly open, close, and switch between views with a single click. This feature significantly boosts your work efficiency and greatly enhances your mind-mapping experience. XMind 8 also introduces a slide-based presentation feature, making the creation, delivery, and sharing of presentations easier than ever. By simply selecting the target topic and clicking the plus button, a new slide is automatically generated, simplifying the process. Moreover, the inclusion of new clip arts enables you to create more visually engaging mind maps. The developers have thoughtfully included a variety of pre-designed templates, making it effortless for anyone to create beautiful and intuitive mind maps using XMind.


2016. XMind launches mind-mapping Cloud



The latest release of the popular mind-mapping software, XMind 7.5, introduces XMind Cloud, a new feature that facilitates automatic file synchronization across multiple Mac/PCs. The developers claim that XMind Cloud is not only fast and secure but also user-friendly. Additionally, the software provides the convenience of online viewing and editing through a web browser. Users are granted 1 GB of cloud storage space. To streamline the sharing process, XMind 7.5 offers an enhanced sharing feature, allowing users to directly share their mind maps on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.


2015. XMind 7 gets a brand new UI and new features



Mind mapping software, XMind 7, presents an array of powerful new features and significant improvements. The latest version introduces a Home Panel and a toolbar with updated large icons, providing a clearer visual style for windows. The Properties view has been refreshed, and tab bars have undergone a redesign. The markers and clip art library have also been refined, enhancing the overall functionality of XMind. One notable feature of XMind is its intuitive and distinctive approach to displaying detailed information. Each topic includes an Information Card that allows users to show or hide labels, notes, hyperlinks, and tasks as needed. Additionally, XMind 7 introduces a new structure called Timeline, which presents a chronological list of events and various trends related to a subject. In the Gantt Chart view, users can now directly add or modify task information, such as start/end dates, assignees, priority, and progress. Furthermore, XMind enables users to share their inspirations with colleagues or friends by sending an XMind file and requesting their feedback. XMind 7 encompasses a comprehensive set of features that make it a powerful tool for mind mapping and collaborative work.


2014. XMind adds Brainstorming Mode



XMind has launched the latest version of its mind mapping software, XMind 6. The standout feature is the Brainstorming Mode, which emphasizes quantity over quality, allowing users to focus on generating a large number of ideas. The tool, known as Idea Factory, facilitates the recording and collection of inspirations in a more efficient and rapid manner. A timer feature helps users keep track of session duration. In addition, the new version introduces a night mode that reduces screen brightness, protecting the eyes when working in a dark room. The full-screen mode provides a distraction-free environment, enabling users to concentrate fully on capturing their inspiration and thoughts. Furthermore, the update includes the ability to save XMind files to Evernote, export tasks to Microsoft Project and ODF formats, organize topics using markers and labels, and edit themes using the advanced Theme Editor.


2013. XMind allows local network sharing of mind-maps



The official release of XMind 2013 is now available, bringing a host of exciting updates. Among the additions are 10 new templates, including options such as Six Thinking Hats, Travel Plan, and Negotiation of Sales, providing users with more diverse options for their mind maps. An important new feature is the local network sharing capability, allowing for seamless sharing of mind maps with just one click. Users can conveniently review their teammates' mind maps in a centralized location and download selected XMind files for further editing. Additionally, the brand new Export feature enables the export of XMind files to SVG (in vector) format and spreadsheets, enhancing file organization and management. Moreover, the inclusion of the "reduce file size" feature enables quick deletion of revisions and preview images, facilitating efficient file handling.