MindMeister vs iThoughts

June 18, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
19
MindMeister
We've built MindMeister from the ground up to facilitate collaboration. Because of its sleek design and simple to use interface, MindMeister has been positioned as the number one mind mapping and online collaboration tool available today. Behind the product is a very strong team of developers following the company's philosophy of bringing the very latest advancements in web 2.0 technology to you.
5
iThoughts
iThoughts is a mind mapping app for iOS (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.). iThoughts for iOS and Mac are not just about making beautiful context maps. They are utilities for getting your ideas down and then out to somewhere else. If you've never explored the file import and export options in iThoughts, then you are in for a treat.
MindMeister and iThoughts are both popular mind mapping tools that offer distinct features and functionalities. MindMeister is a collaborative mind mapping software that emphasizes real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work together on the same mind map. It offers features like team collaboration, commenting, and task management, making it suitable for teams or individuals who prioritize collaborative work. MindMeister also provides cross-platform accessibility, enabling users to access and work on their mind maps from various devices. On the other hand, iThoughts is a comprehensive and versatile mind mapping app that offers a wide range of features including advanced formatting options, task management, integration with cloud services, and support for various diagram types. iThoughts is favored by users who require extensive customization options and advanced functionalities in their mind mapping tool.

See also: Top 10 Mind Mapping software
MindMeister vs iThoughts in our news:

2017. iThoughts adds import to Mindmeister and SimpleMind



The latest release of the mind-mapping application, iThoughts, is now available. This update brings several exciting features, including Siri integration, Drag/Drop functionality, and a new method for marking tasks as complete. Additionally, a new feature called focus lock has been introduced, allowing users to keep a set of topics in focus regardless of the selected topic. To enhance task management, a new button has been added in the top corner, enabling users to mark a topic as 100% complete by dragging and dropping it onto the button, making it ideal for checklists. Furthermore, iThoughts now supports the import of Mindmeister (.mind) and SimpleMind (.smmx) mindmaps. The Doodle feature has also been enhanced with a resize option, allowing users to resize specific parts of their doodles using the +/- button in the toolbar. Additionally, there is improved support for Apple Pencil in the Doodle feature.


2017. MindMeister allows to mindmap in Microsoft Teams



Mind mapping service MindMeister has introduced integration with Microsoft Teams' group chat feature. To utilize this integration, simply add a MindMeister tab to your Teams channel, enabling you to capture all your thoughts and plans within a mind map. This integration allows your team's conversation to continue seamlessly, while simultaneously allowing everyone to contribute to the map, ensuring that no important details are overlooked. The mind map format is highly effective for visualizing project plans, outlining strategies, brainstorming ideas, and taking concise meeting minutes. By using MindMeister within Microsoft Teams, you can collaboratively create mind maps without the need to switch between multiple tools, ensuring that everyone in your team remains on the same page throughout the collaborative process.


2017. MindMeister introduced all-new public map library



The public mind map library of MindMeister currently houses an extensive collection of nearly 400,000 maps, with numerous new creations being added on a daily basis. The newly revamped public map library features a fresh and user-friendly interface, making navigation easier. It adopts a layout similar to YouTube, encouraging commenting, liking, and sharing of maps. While these interactive features were already available in the previous library version, they now occupy a more prominent position, transforming the passive viewing of maps into an engaging community experience. The showcased maps are now categorized, allowing users to quickly browse through the top maps in each category. Clicking on a map thumbnail opens the map in a separate view that provides ample space for vibrant comment discussions. Users can directly view the mind map itself on the page, and as always, they have the ability to zoom in and out, expand and collapse branches, reposition the map, and access attached notes, links, videos, and more.


2017. iThoughts gets compressed layout and costs



The iOS, macOS, and Windows versions of the mind-mapping app iThoughts have received an update. One of the notable enhancements is the introduction of a new Style option called Compressed for maps. This feature reduces the margins around topics and minimizes the spacing between them, allowing for more information to be displayed on the screen. Another addition is the inclusion of a new task attribute called Cost. This attribute enables users to attach a simple floating point number to a topic, representing its associated cost. Furthermore, the Cost field supports rollup functionality, automatically calculating the cumulative cost of immediate child topics (similar to effort). Alongside these prominent updates, iThoughts now offers a spell check feature and introduces new keyboard shortcuts specifically in the Windows version.


2017. MindMeister unifiers apps for iOS and Android



The latest versions of the MindMeister apps for iOS and Android offer a convenient and efficient way to create, edit, and collaborate on mind maps while on the go. These new apps showcase a refreshed map selection layout, presenting all mind maps in a grid format. By switching between tabs, users can quickly browse through thumbnail previews of each mind map, simplifying the process of finding and selecting the desired one. Both the iOS and Android apps enable users to create and edit mind maps and map folders. Real-time collaboration is supported across the mobile and web versions of MindMeister, allowing for seamless teamwork. Users can easily share mind maps directly from their devices and customize them with icons, colors, styles, and map themes. Additionally, the apps provide features such as creating, viewing, and editing notes, links, tasks, and attachments within mind maps. Drawing connections between nodes, delivering presentations, and exporting maps in RTF, PDF, and PNG formats are also supported. Furthermore, the apps ensure smooth synchronization of maps and folders with users' web-based accounts. However, it's worth noting that the app can be used as a stand-alone tool, even without a web-based account. These updated MindMeister apps for iOS and Android empower users with enhanced flexibility and convenience for mind mapping, making it easier to capture, organize, and collaborate on ideas anytime and anywhere.


2017. iThoughts comes to Windows



The Windows version of the mind-mapping software iThoughts is now available, catering to users who predominantly work on desktop or laptop devices with keyboard and mouse input, while also supporting touch functionality. The primary objective during the development process has been to facilitate seamless work transitions between iOS, macOS, and Windows platforms. For this purpose, users have the flexibility to utilize either iCloud or Dropbox for keeping their maps synchronized across devices. Regardless of the device used, the maps will appear highly similar, although the appearance may be influenced by factors such as the availability of installed fonts. Similar to the iOS and macOS versions, the Windows version requires a separate purchase.


2016. MindMeister gets new look and feel



The mind map editor MindMeister has undergone a subtle redesign, featuring updated button styles and repositioning of elements on the top, bottom, and sides of the interface. Notably, the old popover display for the icon library has been replaced, and users can now simply click on the small gray arrow next to the last visible icon in the sidebar to effortlessly switch between the standard sidebar view and the new, visually appealing icon library. Map settings, which can be accessed by clicking the (i) button in the top bar, now include map themes, map alignment options, and map properties. Additionally, the alignment options have been replaced with a recenter button located below the zoom function.


2016. MindMeister integrated with Confluence



The popular mind-mapping tool, MindMeister, has expanded its integration capabilities by introducing integration with the Confluence wiki collaboration tool developed by Atlassian. Confluence offers a range of practical features that enable teams to collaborate, share, and discuss their work effectively. With this update, MindMeister is now available as an add-on in the Atlassian Marketplace. Users can create mind maps using MindMeister's award-winning map editor directly within Confluence, eliminating the need to switch between platforms. Furthermore, the integration allows for seamless embedding of mind maps within Confluence pages, facilitating easy access and reference for team members.


2015. iThoughts launched free app for iOS



The iThoughts app for iOS is available at a price of $10. However, for those who prefer to try it before purchasing, a new free app called iThoughts2go has been introduced. iThoughts2go serves as a free version of iThoughts, with one minor limitation. While maps of any size can be viewed, only maps containing fewer than 20 topics can be edited. Users can load maps into iThoughts2go through email, browser, or app sharing. Additionally, maps can be automatically synced through iCloud, Dropbox, or WebDAV cloud services. Furthermore, users have the option to import and export maps to and from various popular desktop application formats, including MindManager, iMindmap, Freemind/Freeplane, Novamind, XMind, Mindview, Mindmeister, Mindnode, Mindmapper, SimpleMind, and MyThoughts.


2007. MindMeister - the new tool for mind-mapping



Today marks the launch of the new mind-mapping service, MindMeister. This platform is specifically designed to facilitate collaboration, boasting a sleek design and user-friendly interface. Among its array of features, MindMeister offers the capability to export mind maps to MindManager and Freemind, auto-layout for imported maps, zoom in/out functionality, an overview navigator, an expanded collection of icons and colors, support for adding notes to ideas, and notifications via email and text message (including text alerts through Twitter) for map changes. The development of this product is backed by a highly skilled team of developers who adhere to the company's philosophy of delivering the latest advancements in web 2.0 technology to users like yourself.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com