10 Best Free Mind Mapping Tools

Mind mapping is one of the best brainstorming methods to come up with ideas or solutions, especially when working in a team. However, when working with a remote team, using a reliable mind-mapping app for discussions and idea creation is the best option.

Here is a list of some of the best mind-mapping apps for individual or collaborating brainstorming. Most of these tools are available cross-platform and offer different features and functionalities. So take a look at the list and see which would suit your needs the best.

1. Coggle

An intuitive online tool for gathering thoughts through creative mind maps. It enables you to give a picture of your random ideas in planning or brainstorming. Moreover, you can invite your team or collaborators to work on the mind maps online.

Cogule offers many features, including floating text and images, adding multiple starting points, unlimited image uploads, and saving your private diagrams even when you unsubscribe from their service.

However, not being available for mobile or desktop takes some of the luster away from the app. But if you’re looking for an entirely online ming mapping solution, then this may be the best tool for you.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser
• Mobile Compatibility: No
• Coggle Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

2. Milanote

One of the easy-to-use mind-mapping apps you’ll find, Milanote helps you give a face to your thought process through text, images, graphics, and even videos. There are many pre-made templates to get you started with, and the simple drag-and-drop interface makes it simple enough for anyone to use.

On the aspect of collaboration, you can work with any number of team members on a single board, and it’s totally up to you to let your team edit, comment, or only view the mind maps. Also, Milanote is a multi-platform app, you can sync it between different devices.

There is, however, no option for having a free trial.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser, Windows, macOS
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• Milanote Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

3. Miro

Miro is an online whiteboard that brings different team members together to share ideas from anywhere. You can brainstorm ideas, do visual mapping, plan and discuss, collaborate in real time, and even arrange webinars and remote workshops.

Ease-of-use is perhaps one of Miro’s most prominent features. You don’t need to learn too much to get started and even the collaboration takes only a few minutes. There are a few minor hiccups in the functioning of the app but the developers are working on its improvement so we can look forward to a more perfect tool with time.

• Desktop Compatibility: Windows, macOS
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• Miro Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

4. SketchBoard

An intuitive virtual whiteboard, Sketchboard gives you the ability to develop and share your ideas and discussions through visual and textual mind mapping. It’s a great tool for working individually or with a team online. You can choose from over 400 freehand drawings with connections appearing automatically and add text where necessary.

Sketchboard gives you an infinite drawing board so you can drag the canvas and add as many ideas as you want. Though you can do all kinds of mind mapping through this tool but is based on coding and modeling themes, I think it would be ideal for technical projects like mobile app development.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser
• Mobile Compatibility: No
• SketchBoard Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

5. StormBoard

Stromboard allows you to discuss and streamline your ideas in real time. It’s more like an online shared workspace on which you can assign tasks and monitor your team’s progress on the project at hand.

The app offers professional templates, live sessions and webinars, and many dynamic reporting options. As an online whiteboard, it does miss out on a few features like diagramming and screen recording, etc. but it is an ideal tool for collaborative online mind mapping.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser, Windows, macOS
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• StormBoard Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

6. Ayoa

Ayoa combines robust task management with an efficient mind-mapping solution. It features an easy-to-use interface with many collaborative features, customizable templates, agile project management, and time tracking.

One drawback of Ayoa is that it’s not available offline which makes it difficult to access your data on the go. Apart from that, the app is available cross-platform and gives you a lot of fluidity to capture and grow your great ideas with your team.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser, Windows, macOS
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• Ayoa Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

7. Diagrams.net

Diagrams.net is basically a professional diagramming tool that you can use to visualize your ideas and create mind maps out of your thought process.

You can use it offline through the desktop app and the tool works perfectly with some of your most-used tools like Google Drive, Share Point, OneDrive, and many other cloud storage services.

The tool allows you to export your diagrams in a number of formats; however, exporting files from other tools needs some improvement. Other than that, it’s a simple and efficient tool for online collaborative brainstorming.

• Desktop Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Mobile Compatibility: No
• Diagrams.net Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: No

8. Lucidchart

An intuitive and easy-to-use app, Lucidchart brings you and your team on the same page of collective thought process. You can avail of the pre-made professional templates, keyboard shortcuts, and multi-edit a document with other collaborators in real time – all this with amazing and customizable graphics.

As Lucidchart features a whole gamut of features, for some users, they may seem a bit overwhelming at first. However, with helpful guides and a smooth learning curve, you get a hold of things soon and start an efficient collaboration on your ideas on the tool.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• Lucidchart Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

9. Mind Meister

An ideal mind-mapping tool for those who want a more visually vivid picture fo their ideas, MindMeister offers a seamless workflow and an array of collaborative features. You can use it for note-taking, collaborative brainstorming, and project management.

MindMeister has many features to help you create a comprehensive mind map. It also offers integration with Google Drive and other tools that you use most frequently.

Though the free version has a limited set of features, you still get enough tools to create amazing mind maps.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• Mind Meister Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

10. Mindup

MindMup is a mind mapping tool focused more on students and educationists in organizing their teams or students and managing academic projects. You can create and publish mind maps, workflows, storyboards, and project discussions online and on social media.

With MindMup, you can import or export files (though limited formats) and also use them as a note-taking app. Some of its features can use a bit of polishing, but all in all, it is a great tool for collaborative brainstorming among small and medium-sized teams.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser
• Mobile Compatibility: No
• Mindup Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)

Bonus: IOctopus

IOctopus is an online service for mind-mapping; it follows the basic principles from Tony Busen, which helps you get into a state of flow and get an effective brainstorm.

Great for solo and team use. Users note the pleasant and intuitive interface without the clutter of buttons. It is characterized by organic, flexible branches with adjustable thickness. The functionality includes: drawing your own icon, checklists, relationships, real-time collaboration, sharing, and the ability to add any functionality you need through plugins. And all sorts of other things that should be in a mind map service.

So the IOctopus helps you to visualize your thoughts and allows you to see and understand both details and the whole picture at a glance. And makes you more productive.

• Desktop Compatibility: Browser, Windows, macOS
• Mobile Compatibility: iOS, Android
• IOctopus Price: Free
• Premium app/subscriptions?: Yes (Check pricing)