Top 10 Mind Mapping software

Last updated: May 22, 2023

Mind mapping tools allow to brainstorm, make a plan, or turn ideas into the steps needed to make it real.
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The Most Popular Mind Mapping Tool. Millions of people use XMind to clarify thinking, manage complex information, run brainstorming and get work organized. Unlike most alternatives XMind is an open source project, which means it's free to download and free to use forever. XMind Plus/Pro with more professional features are also available.
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With MindManager, brainstorming is just the beginning. It's powerful, productivity-boosting, project-building mind mapping software. Capture ideas. Manage meetings. Create strategic plans. Organize anything. MindManager has the robust features you need to get everything you do done better.
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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.
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FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java. The recent development has hopefully turned it into high productivity tool. We are proud that the operation and navigation of FreeMind is faster than that of MindManager because of one-click "fold / unfold" and "follow link" operations.
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MindNode makes mind mapping easy. Mind maps are a visual representation of your ideas, starting with a central thought and growing from there. This allows you to brainstorm & organize your thoughts in an intuitive way, so you can focus on the idea behind it.
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SimpleMind is the world leader in cross platform Mind Mapping tools. Analyze your thoughts and structure them with SimpleMind. The unique free lay-out allows you to organize your ideas exactly how you want it.
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Experience the only real, organic Mind Mapping tool from the inventor of Mind Maps, Tony Buzan. Using an intuitive workspace and lots of visual stimulation, iMindMap is the perfect tool for all thinking tasks. Become more productive, creative and organised and join the millions already Mind Mapping.
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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.
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Backed by 14 years of Mind Mapping software development, NovaMind is built from the ground up to help you brainstorm, collect and organize ideas, develop and implement plans, and communicate them to others.
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From all the mind mapping software apps out there, Mindomo is the most focused on providing the best solution for teachers and students. Collaborative mind mapping, concept mapping, outlining - the best way to understand and learn anything.
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Freeplane is a free and open source software application that supports thinking, sharing information and getting things done at work, in school and at home. The software can be used for mind mapping and analyzing the information contained in mind maps. Freeplane runs on any operating system that has a current version of Java installed. It can be run locally or portably from removable storage like a USB drive.
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Coggle is a completely free, simple to use mind mapping tool that's easy to get started with. Produce beautiful notes, quickly and easily. Share them with friends and colleagues to enhance your ideas collaboratively. All for free!
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Mind map in the cloud. Zero-friction, free online mind mapping. Opensource mindmapping software. The most productive online mind map canvas on the Web.
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MindView is a professional Mind Mapping software that allows you to optimize brainstorming sessions and present ideas visually. MindView's Mind Mapping capabilities are an effective way to organize and develop ideas, outline reports and streamline decision-making.
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Ever scribbled ideas on a piece of paper and drawn lines between related thoughts? Then you already know what Scapple does. It's a virtual sheet of paper that lets you make notes anywhere and connect them using lines or arrows.
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Mindly helps organize your inner universe. Like planets that circle around sun, moons around planets, each concept gets its place in a natural, hierarchical structure. Like an expanding universe, our thoughts evolve fast. One concept leads to another and soon we have a universe of thoughts in our minds.
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VYM (View Your Mind) is a tool to generate and manipulate maps which show your thoughts. Such maps can help you to improve your creativity and effectivity. You can use them for time management, to organize tasks, to get an overview over complex contexts
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TheBrain lets you digitize your mind so you can literally see your thinking and refine your ideas. Each of your Thoughts comes to life on-screen with connections to other related Thoughts, creating a context for thinking and action.
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MindGenius lets you manage your project from inception to delivery with features to help you understand the Project Scope, prepare your WBS, schedule tasks and manage your project to completion. A structured methodology to collectively discuss and view a challenge from different perspectives to find the best solution possible.
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Professional and easy to use tool for creating mind maps. Provides an extensive set of capabilities for organizing ideas and data. Compatible with MS Office: Word, PowerPoint, Project, and OneNote. Supports all common mind mapping formats.
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Curio is an intuitive, freeform notebook environment with all the integrated tools you need to take notes, brainstorm ideas, collect research, and organize your tasks and documents. A single, incredibly powerful application where you can be more productive and focus on getting things done.
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iBlueSky is a mindmapping application for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Good ideas can arrive at the strangest of times and iBlueSky's attractive, uncluttered and intuitive user interface makes it quick, easy and fun to capture, organise and develop your great ideas, before they are forgotten.
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Mind Vector, the free mind mapping software grants you the power to represent your ideas and concepts in a unique way. Utilize this potent tool to capture key information and unique ideas visually. Mind Vector is the most advanced tool for learning, planning, problem-solving and decision-making, trusted by 500,000+ users worldwide.
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Visualize and navigate your Evernote, Google Drive, and Dropbox content. Mohiomap allows you to explore relationships in a dynamic Mind Map, get valuable insights, and visually organize your Cloud data! Turn lists of files into interactive pictures to visually map your data. Remember facts, see unexpected connections, get that creative spark, monitor the big picture.
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Outlining software tool that helps anyone with writing deadlines quickly and easily produce text documents using mind maps.

Latest news about Mind Mapping software


2019. MindManager 12 for Mac: See, Manage and Share Critical Information in Transformative New Ways



The latest version of MindManager for Mac delivers powerful new ways to take control of information, build out and share strategies and plans, and work more seamlessly than ever before. MindManager’s latest release sets a new standard in mind mapping and information visualisation on the Mac, now offering SmartRules that automate processes and workflows; Objects and Smart Shapes that enable the creation of new diagram types; and support for macOS Dark Mode and Touch Bar to enable users to work the way they want in their preferred environment.


2019. XMind adds audio-notes



Taking notes in meeting or lecture can be a bit of challenge, not mention making mind maps. XMind's new Audio Note for sure is an effective way to solve this task. Different from images, context, Audio Note consists of Recordings. It can be any topic to sync with text on mind maps, elaborating further on correspondent topics. The input efficiency is the key for making mind maps, especially on mobile devices. Inspiration is always fleeting, and an instant capture is a cure. XMind developers added Audio Note on XMind for iOS, and improved input efficiency greatly. Later on, Apple also implements similar interaction on iOS 12.




2019. WriteMapper 2 adds file import, custom shortcuts and preview mode



The new version of the outlining mind-mapping software WriteMapper 2 is focused on unlocking the potential of WriteMapper as a writing tool even further, making it an even more powerful tool in your writing productivity arsenal. Besides exporting, you can now import other filetypes into the WriteMapper app, and work on them as a mind map. For starters, WriteMapper supports import of most of the filetypes it currently exports to, namely Markdown (.md), HTML (.html) and DOCX (.docx) files. WriteMapper 2 also allows you to set custom keyboard shortcuts and adds preview mode that allows to toggle various modes of exploring your preview, helping you digest your writing quicker and easier than ever before.


2018. Mindomo gets new search functionality



Mindomo's search tool is getting some major improvements. The search now goes through all mind maps, both private and public, and their content. For example, you want to access a map where you put down this week’s to-do list but you can’t remember the title. However, you know that ‘grocery shopping’ was in the mind map. All you have to do is type in ‘grocery’ in the Search bar. First, we will display all your private mind maps that match the keyword in terms of map title, content in topics, notes, comments, and even in the Task Info section. Once you find your mind map and access it, it will always open in a new tab. To make your search results more obvious, we will highlight the keyword everywhere it appears. If the keyword is in the notes, comments, Task Info, and multimedia panels, we will automatically expand the panel.


2018. MindManager 2019 adds Tag View and Icon View



The new version of MindManager 2019 has arrived. It extends SmartRules and goes beyond conditional formatting, empowering you to automatically trigger changes not only in topics look and feel, but actual topic data — reducing repetitive tasks and transforming maps from simply representing your processes and workflows, to driving and accelerating them. The new Tag view gives you a clear picture of a project’s overall progress towards completion, and where each individual task is in the process, so you can make the right changes to keep things on track and on time. The developers also evolved Priority View to include all 500+ icons, and enhanced all views with more flexible sorting and organizing options, so you can more easily see and show the exact information you need, the moment you need it.


2018. Mindomo for desktop gets theme editor



The possibility to create your own personalized map themes comes to Mindomo Desktop. So you can now enjoy the comfort of creating your own themes where you can set the default font size, color, shape, background color, relationships on all topics from a certain level so that when a new topic is added on that level, it will be created with that formatting automatically. To do this, you need to go to Themes, then select Theme editor. You are also able to set your theme as default so every new mind map will be created with this theme.


2018. New Funnel Diagrams Solution for ConceptDraw PRO



The newest addition to ConceptDraw is the Funnel Diagrams solution. It supports the funnel management activity by offering numerous Funnel samples, templates, and comprehensive libraries of vector shapes and pictograms. They can dramatically reduce the time it takes to track the progress of advertising and marketing campaigns to monitor key performance indicators and identify the bottlenecks in the marketing processes. The Funnel Diagrams solution found in the Marketing section of Solutions includes 5 stencil libraries containing 145 vector objects and pictograms. The Funnel Diagrams libraries, samples and templates are available at for US$25 to users of ConceptDraw PRO v11 and Office v4, in ConceptDraw STORE.


2018. Curio 12 adds on-the-fly rich text syntax rendering



The new version of the mind mapping software Curio 12 gets extensive support for markdown including on-the-fly rich text syntax rendering, plus sophisticated importing and exporting capabilities. Other new features include vastly improved PDF exporting; OmniOutliner Pro, TaskPaper, and OneNote support; searching with boolean and regular expressions; major new import/export features; enhancements to lists, mind maps, stacks, and tables; and much, much more.  This is truly a massive release with amazing new features, fantastic enhancements, and a major internal code overhaul to make Curio more robust and optimized.


2018. MindManager 11 for Mac offers new powerful ways to visualize data



MindManager 11 for Mac brings new elegance and efficiency to the way individuals and teams organize ideas, tackle tasks, and achieve their goals. The new release offers advanced mapping capabilities, new diagram types and templates, and easy ways to share and publish your work – all delivered within a redesigned interface optimized to enhance productivity. MindManager 11 for Mac is packed with more power and possibility with updates including expanded template library, Digital Architect (existing templates can be customized with shapes, images, text boxes...), advanced mapping capabilities. Now users can publish and share maps easily with anyone, anywhere. MindManager 11 for Mac is available as an individual license for $179.00.


2018. TheBrain 9 gets new interface, attachment previews, timeline and mind mapping view



TheBrain Technologies released the newest release of its dynamic visualization and knowledge management software TheBrain 9. New features include brand-new native user interface, scaling to millions of objects. Featuring a powerful and more robust backend, TheBrain 9 starts faster, is more responsive and scales better. TheBrain was rewritten as a native application and optimized for the OS-specific features on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. The all-new timeline features a zooming interface that smoothly scales from one day to multiple years. Events can be synced with Google Calendar and associated directly with thoughts and links. Advanced content display provides built-In viewing of attachments. The new Notes editor separates content and presentation, allowing flexible idea capture that can be styled easily. The new mind map view which dynamically creates a traditional mind map display from any starting point within a Brain, enabling one-click access to hundreds of topic-specific notes, files, web pages and other attached content.


2018. XMind ZEN features new engine and new designed themes



The new version XMind ZEN is built on a new engine which possesses powerful extending functions and graphics performance that truly stand out. By the rendering from SVG, all the elements in a mind map go to perfects, including lines, themes, diagrams. XMind ZEN has 30 all new designed themes, fully satisfied various kinds of scenarios no matter you are a student or a businessman. With these artful themes, you can create beautiful and professional mind maps with ease. Also, 89 original stickers will bring more elements and vivid expression for your map. The new ZEN Mode helps you stay focused on what matters most, your thoughts. In this mode, the only thing you can do is focusing on what is on your mind and draw it. The interface is clear and simple, without any distractions and interference. We believe, focusing is about saying no, when you really need concentration, less is more.


2017. Scapple 1.3 for macOS



The new version Scapple 1.3 introduced refreshed and a couple of very nifty new features. Now you can add labels to the connecting lines between notes. To do so, simply select two notes and then choose "Connection Label..." from the "Notes" menu or the contextual menu. To edit a label, double-click on it. Scapple's Inspector is now incorporated into the side of the window, rather than being a floating panel. This change has allowed us to add something pretty cool—you can now create and assign note styles directly from the Inspector. The Inspector has a new "Note Styles" pane that can be expanded to reveal the note styles for your current Scapple document.


2017. SimpleMind adds contact links and PDF bookmarks import


Mind mapping service SimpleMind announced some new improvements in its Pro version. First is Adding links to contacts that's available on iPad/ iPhone, Android and Mac. It allows to link mind map item to contact in you prone, email or other contact lists. Besides SimpleMind Pro can now import the table of contents of a .pdf on Dropbox on Google Drive. SimpleMind creates a new topic for each bookmark with a link back to that page in the .pdf. This requires an official Table of Contents in the .pdf.


2017. MindGenius 6 - complete mind-mapping solution for project management



Windows mind-mapping software with project management features - MindGenius was updated to v.6. MindGenius 6 ticks all of the basic features boxes including mind map formatting options, filters, exporting, addition of pictures/icons/files, node comments and so on. With a push of a button it is possible to convert your mind map into a Gantt chart, replete with the usual accoutrements – start/due dates, task durations and resources. Mindgenius has the price of premium Mind mapping software ($235) with the associated premium features bolted on to it’s mind mapping foundation. Those features are primarily project management functions and a wealth of import/export options. Those functions need to be working well to both justify a price that would make your wallet wince and to compete with the big dogs of the industry such as Mindjet’s Mindmanager.


2017. Mind-mapping software MindNode 5 gets new layouts



IdeasOnCanvas presented the new version of its mind-mapping software MindNode 5 is coming soon this year for iOS and macOS. MindNode 5 is an update packed with new features, enhancements and many small refinements to make working with MindNode even more productive. Top-Down-Layout and orthogonal branches will enable you to use MindNode for new use cases, like organization charts. Other new features include a brand new brainstorming mode and the adoption of many significant iOS 11 features. The free version doubles as a viewer for MindNode documents. If you only want to edit your documents on your Mac, but want to view them on you iPhone you can now do this without paying for the iOS version.


2017. MindManager 2018 adds project management and publishing tools



The new version of mind-mapping software for Windows MindManager 2018 launched today and the developers call it the best release in the history of MindManager. At the core of MindManager is the ability to see the big picture and all the relevant details. It provides some powerful new tools for customization visual structures, intelligent filtering, displaying real-time changes, priority view. The new Schedule View allows to plan out your tasks using a calendar view and Gantt Pro - to modify task information, resources and dependencies from within the Gantt Chart itself. Publisher tool adds the ability to embed it into your blog, intranet or website. MindManager also expanded file management options so you can store and access your maps with Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox in addition to our Box and SharePoint integrations.


2017. iThoughts adds import to Mindmeister and SimpleMind



The new version of mind-mapping app iThoughts is now live. It features Siri integration, Drag/Drop and a new way of marking tasks as complete. There is also a feature called focus lock. With focus lock, you can now keep a bunch of topics in focus regardless of which one is selected. There is a new button in the top corner. If you drag/drop a topic onto it then the topic will be marked as 100% complete - great for check lists. Mindmeister (.mind) and SimpleMind (.smmx) mindmaps can now be imported. The Doodle feature now supports a resize option to resize selected parts of your doodle (see the +/- button in the toolbar.) Doodle also has better support for Apple Pencil.


2017. MindMeister allows to mindmap in Microsoft Teams



Mind mapping service MindMeister added integration with group chat Microsoft Teams. All you have to do is add a MindMeister tab to your channel, and capture all of your thoughts and plans in a mind map. Your conversation can continue uninterrupted, but now everybody in your team can add their input to the map at the same time, to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. The mind map format is great for visualizing project plans, outlining strategies, brainstorming ideas and taking efficient meeting minutes. With MindMeister for Microsoft Teams, you’ll be able to collaboratively create mind maps without having to switch back and forth between the two tools, ensuring that everybody in your team is always on the same page.


2017. MindMup now allows to create concept maps



MindMup is becaming quite a powerful tool for creating concept maps.  It now supports several ways of visualising relationships attributes, such as depicting the strength of connections with line styles (dashed or solid), directions with arrows, explaining relationships through captions on lines, showing similarity of concepts and relationships by using colours and visualising relative importance of concepts with different letter sizes. Of course, in line with our original idea of making it easy and productive for people to visualise ideas, MindMup comes with powerful keyboard shortcuts, and several other tricks that will speed up your work.


2017. MindMeister introduced all-new public map library



MindMeister public mind map library holds close to 400.000 maps, with dozens of new creations added daily. The all-new public map library boosts a fresh and clean UI that’s easier to navigate and uses a YouTube-similar layout that promotes commenting, liking and sharing. While these features already existed in the old library, they are now much more prominent, transforming the formerly passive viewing of maps into an interactive community experience. The featured maps are now divided by categories, so you can now see the top maps for each category at a glance. Clicking on a map thumbnail now opens the map in a separate map view that offers space for lively comment discussions. The mind map itself can of course be viewed right there on the page, and as always, you can zoom in and out, open and close branches, drag the map into a new position, view attached notes, links, videos and more.


2017. SimpleMind adds progress checkboxes



The new version of mind-mapping app SimpleMind for all our supported platforms is out. In this release the developers primarily focused on enhancing checkboxes and how they can be used in topics. It now supports progress checkboxes (0-100%) and Roll-up progress checkboxes that automatically calculate the progress by averaging progress of the child topics. Additionally a date can now be set on a topic and there is an additional way to insert a sibling topic where the sibling is inserted before the current topic in the parent.


2017. Coggle allows to adjust the thickness and style of branches



All our paid plans of mind-mapping app Coggle now include the ability to adjust the thickness and style of branches. To do it just right click on an item to open the context menu, choose the colour wheel branch-style icon from the menu, select the branch thickness, or dashed/continuous style. The "auto" thickness switched back to the default behaviour of branches narrowing slightly with each level. When you click, the branch style, and that of all the branches children will immediately be updated. To adjust only the current branch, and not its children, hold the [shift] key as you click the style.


2017. SimpleMind adds tree-view for tasks



A new version of mind-mapping app SimpleMind is available for all our supported platforms. In this release the developers have primarily focused on the outline view, report generation and printing enhancements. Checkboxes are now shown in the outline, thereby turning it into a hierarchical checklist. You can also apply a filter that shows only topics that are checked and/or unchecked.


2017. MindView 7 features Office 2016 interface



MatchWare announced the new version 7 of its mind mapping solution MindView. It features more than 25 improvements, enhancements and upgrades that vividly illuminate ideas like never before Key added features in MindView 7 include: a new high-resolution Office 2016 interface, integrated support for OneDrive and Google Drive, enhanced Office integration for Excel, Word and PowerPoint, new map design styles, images and icons, a suite of assistive features, such as Office 2016 “Tell Me” functionality, the option to make maps private or public, a new calculation module that is more aligned with Excel, several high-end new project management features, including baselining, agile project tracking, filters, reports, an improved spell-checker with updated dictionary.


2017. MindNode for iOS now supports all cloud storages



Users of mind-mapping app MindNode for iOS know that you have the option to import documents from Dropbox or iCloud directly through our app’s Document Picker. This has always been limited to just MindNode documents. Dropbox has decided to deprecate their old API and MindMode developers took the chance to revamp Import for MindNode and it now lets you easily import all formats from any cloud storage you have on your iOS device, right there in the Document Picker. A pre-requisite for importing on iOS is that you install the iOS app of your preferred cloud service.


2017. iThoughts gets compressed layout and costs



Mind-mapping app iThoughts got an update for iOS, macOS and Windows. Maps now have a new Style option called Compressed. This will trim back the margins at the edge of topics and also the inter topic spacing in order to present more information on the screen. There is a new task attribute called Cost. This is a simple floating point number that can be attached to a topic. The Cost field also supports rollup which means that the sum cost for immediate child topics is calculated automatically (similar to effort.) In addition to the headline features above, there is a spell check and new keyboard shortcuts (in Windows version).


2017. XMind Cloud gets a new look and feel



XMind Cloud, the online mind mapping tool, which allows you to access, view, and edit your mind maps wherever you go, gets a major update with great new features and huge improvements.  With a simple click you can add markers, notes and hyperlinks. With a new simple and intuitive UI, you should find it simple and efficient to do what you want. With greatly improved performance this new release speeds up the file loading time, thus increases your work efficiency and improves your mind mapping experience enormously. The new Trash folder allows to recover deleted files easily.


2017. MindMeister unifiers apps for iOS and Android



New MindMeister apps for iOS and Android allow to create, edit and collaborate on mind maps, on the move, and with ease. Both new apps feature our fresh new map selection layout, displaying all mind maps in a grid formation. Clicking between the tabs will provide you with a list of thumbnail previews for each of the enclosed mind maps, making searching for and selecting the right mind map a whole lot faster and simpler. With both apps, users can create and edit mind maps and map folders, collaborate in real-time across the mobile and web versions of MindMeister, share mind maps directly from the device, add icons, colors, styles and map themes, create, view and edit notes, links, tasks and attachments within mind maps, draw connections between nodes, play presentations, export maps in RTF, PDF and PNG format, seamlessly sync maps and folders with your web-based account, use the app as a stand-alone app, without a web-based account.


2017. Freemind - free MindNode alternative



FreeMind is an open source mind-mapping software that competes with MindNode and other similar solutions. FreeMind uses the familiar system of points (or nodes, as they're known in FreeMind) branching out from a central topic, with further nodes splitting off each of these. However, FreeMind really comes into its own with its click-and-drag interface for quick editing, plus HTML support that makes sharing and navigating your maps a piece of cake. It's easy to use, with quick keyboard shortcuts for common tasks like creating new nodes and applying formatting to keep everything organized.  It looks a little dated, and its system of menus is cumbersome, but take a little time to master its shortcuts and you'll find that it's an extremely useful little tool for planning projects, revising for exams, or sparking new ideas.


2017. MindMup integrates with Google Team Drive

In March, Google Drive got a major update making it easier to collaborate with Team Drives. And now the free mind-mapping app MindMup adds support of Team Drives, so you’ll be able to use all the benefits from the new Google Drive features with your mind maps. The Team Drive support is available both to free accounts and MindMup Gold users. Most functionality works out of the box. You can create, move and manage MindMup files on Team Drives as you would with any other document types. Sharing/Controlling access privileges for a map stored on Team Drive currently only work from the Google Drive web interface, and are not available directly from the MindMup pages.