12 Best Mind Map Apps and AI Mind Map Makers in 2026 (Free Plans Checked)

A mind map app lets you put one idea in the center and grow branches around it, then move, merge and color those branches until the structure is clear. This guide compares the 12 best mind map apps and AI mind map makers of 2026 on the free plan, the free AI, the platforms and the price.

TL;DR: The best mind map app in 2026 depends on where your map goes next. Taskade turns a map into tasks and a plan, Xmind is the strongest cross-platform map editor, and Mapify turns PDFs and videos into maps with AI. We checked each free plan, AI limit and price on 2026-10-19. See Taskade plans

Quick answer: what is the best mind map app in 2026?

Taskade is the best mind map app for people who want the map to become a plan, because the same project opens as a mind map, a list or a board. Xmind is best for detailed maps on any device, MindMeister for live team mapping, and Mapify for AI maps from documents and videos. Coggle is the simplest free pick.

What is the best AI mind map maker?

The best AI mind map maker turns a prompt, a PDF or a video into a map you can edit. Taskade, Mapify, Xmind, Whimsical and MindMap AI all generate maps with AI. Their free plans cap AI use in different ways: a one-time credit grant, a monthly credit count, or no free AI at all.

The free AI is the line most lists skip, and it decides whether you can try AI maps before you pay. This table shows what each free plan gave on 2026-10-19, in the vendor's own terms.

To make a map with AI step by step, read how to make a mind map with AI. To turn a file into a map, the PDF to mind map guide compares the file-first tools.

How we picked these 12 apps

We kept apps that are real mind map editors first: fast branch creation, a large canvas, and export. AI generation was a plus, not a requirement. We read each vendor's pricing page on 2026-10-19, and we quote the free plan limits in the vendor's own words. We did not score the apps.

Each pick had to meet four checks:

1. A free plan or a free version, so you can try it before you pay (every pick passes)
2. Keyboard-first branch creation, so a map grows as fast as you think
3. Export or sharing that works outside the app
4. A current pricing page that states the free plan limits

The notes for each app answer the questions buyers ask most about a mind map maker: ease of use, collaborative editing for remote teams, integrations, customization and value for money.

Apps we left out, and why:

At a glance: 12 mind map apps compared

The 12 picks split into three groups: map editors (Xmind, MindNode, EdrawMind, Coggle), team canvases (MindMeister, Miro, Whimsical), and AI-first makers (Mapify, MindMap AI, GitMind). Taskade and Ayoa add tasks to the map. All prices below came from each vendor's pricing page on 2026-10-19.

Platforms matter as much as price, because a map you cannot open on your phone stops growing. This table shows where each app runs, from the vendor pages.

1. Taskade: Best for Turning a Mind Map Into a Plan

Taskade is an AI workspace where a mind map is one view of a project, so each branch can become a task with an owner and a date. AI builds the first map from one prompt. The Mind Map view is on every plan. Free covers 2 members and starts with no AI credits. Pro is $10 per month billed annually.

Best for: teams and solo planners who brainstorm on a map and then have to deliver the work.

Strengths:

• One project, several views. The same project opens as a mind map, a list or a board. A branch you add in the map shows up as a task in the list.
• AI that drafts and expands. Describe a topic in the AI mind map generator and Taskade AI drafts the branches. Select a branch and ask AI to expand it, or start from a mind map maker prompt.
• Work next to the map. Assign a branch, set a due date and chat in the project. An AI agent or an automation can take the next step.

Watch out for:

• Taskade has fewer map layouts and styling choices than Xmind or EdrawMind.
• AI generation uses AI credits. On Free, you earn free AI credits with referrals and invites, and you can upgrade any time.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free for 2 members, 3 Taskade Genesis apps and 1 agent. Pro is $10 a month billed annually ($20 monthly) for up to 10 people, with 50,000 AI credits a month. Gantt Chart and Org Chart views are on Pro and up. Source: Taskade pricing.

2. Xmind: Best Cross-Platform Mind Map Editor

Xmind is a mind map editor for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and the web, with many map structures and themes. The free plan allows 10 online maps and 50 Xmind AI credits. Pro starts at US $4.92 per month on the yearly plan, and a monthly option is also offered.

Best for: people who build large, detailed maps and want the same file on every device they own.

Strengths:

• Many map structures. Xmind offers mind maps, logic charts, tree charts, timelines, fishbone diagrams and more, so one tool covers most visual thinking jobs.
• Apps everywhere. Native desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux sit beside phone apps and a web app. Xmind is one of the few picks here with a Linux app.
• Present from the map. Pitch mode turns a map into slides, and the free plan includes 5 Pitch slides to try it.

Watch out for:

• The free plan caps you at 10 online maps and 3 sheets per map, so a heavy user reaches the limit fast.
• The pricing page marks text-to-map as unavailable on Free in one table, but its FAQ says Free users with credits can make AI maps. Expect limited AI on Free.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with 10 online maps and 50 Xmind AI credits. Pro is US $4.92 a month and Premium is US $8.25 a month on the yearly plan. Premium includes 500 AI credits a month. A free trial applies to yearly plans only. Source: xmind.com/pricing.

3. MindMeister: Best for Live Team Mind Mapping in the Browser

MindMeister is a browser mind map tool built for real-time team editing, with apps for iPhone and Android. The free plan allows 3 maps with unlimited collaborators and includes AI create and edit in beta. Personal costs EUR 6.50 per user per month on a 12-month plan, and there is no monthly billing.

Best for: teams that map together in a meeting and want everyone editing the same map at once.

Strengths:

• Collaboration on the free plan. Free allows unlimited collaborators, even people with no paid account, so a team can try live mapping before anyone pays.
• AI from text or files. AI create and edit (Beta) builds a map from a prompt or an uploaded file, then refines it.
• Outline and focus modes. Switch a map to an outline, or focus on one branch when you present.

Watch out for:

• Free stops at 3 maps and has no file export, attachments, printing or version history.
• Prices are in euros for most of Europe and depend on your region. Plans run on 6-month or 12-month billing only.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with 3 maps. Personal is EUR 6.50 per user per month on 12-month billing, or EUR 7.50 on 6-month billing. Pro is EUR 10.50 and Business EUR 15.50 per user per month on 12-month billing, before VAT. Source: mindmeister.com/pricing.

4. Miro: Best for Mind Maps Inside Team Workshops

Miro is a whiteboard for team workshops that includes a mind map tool next to sticky notes and diagrams. The free plan keeps unlimited boards, but only the 3 newest stay editable, with 10 AI credits a month. Starter is $8 per member per month billed yearly and includes 25 AI credits per member each month.

Best for: facilitators who run brainstorms, retros and planning sessions on one big shared canvas.

Strengths:

• A map in context. Put a mind map next to sticky notes, frames, flowcharts and a timer, so the whole workshop lives on one board.
• Built for groups. Voting, timers and cursors make Miro a strong pick for live sessions with many people.
• AI on the canvas. Miro AI can draft map branches and cluster sticky notes, and the free plan includes 10 AI credits a month.

Watch out for:

• The free plan keeps only the 3 most recent boards editable, so older maps turn read-only.
• Miro is a whiteboard first, so focused solo mapping has more steps than in a map-only editor.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with unlimited boards, 3 editable, and 10 AI credits a month. Starter is $8 per member per month billed yearly, with 25 AI credits per member a month. Business is $20 per member per month billed yearly. Annual billing saves 20% against monthly. Source: miro.com/pricing.

5. Whimsical: Best for Fast, Clean Maps and Diagrams

Whimsical draws clean mind maps, flowcharts and wireframes on one canvas, and Whimsical AI can generate a first map. The free plan allows unlimited boards with 50 board objects a month and 10 AI credits per member. Pro is $10 per editor per month billed yearly, or $12 monthly.

Best for: product and design teams that want a tidy map, a flowchart and a wireframe in the same place.

Strengths:

• Speed. Whimsical is known for keyboard shortcuts and auto-layout that keep a map tidy as it grows, with little manual alignment.
• Several visual formats. Mind maps, flowcharts, wireframes, sticky notes and docs share one workspace, so a map can sit next to the flow it leads to.
• AI first drafts. Whimsical AI generates a mind map or a flowchart from a short prompt, and you can buy extra credits on any plan.

Watch out for:

• The free plan allows 50 board objects a month, so a large map can use up the month in one session.
• Free exports carry a watermark, and version history stops at 7 days.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with unlimited boards, 50 board objects and 50 doc blocks a month, and 10 AI credits per member. Pro is $10 per editor per month billed yearly, or $12 monthly. Business is $20 billed yearly, or $24 monthly. Annual billing saves 17%. Source: whimsical.com/pricing.

If you move from Whimsical or Miro, Taskade imports both: see import from Whimsical and import from Miro.

6. Mapify: Best AI Mind Map Maker for PDFs and Videos

Mapify turns PDFs, web pages and YouTube videos into mind maps with AI. The free plan gives 30 AI credits one time, 5 PDF or document maps and 5 YouTube maps. Basic is $9.99 per month, or $5.99 per month billed yearly, with 1,000 AI credits a month.

Best for: students and researchers who read long documents and want the structure before the details.

Strengths:

• File and video input. Drop in a PDF, a document, a web page or a YouTube link, and Mapify returns a summary map with the key points as branches.
• Many places to use it. Mapify runs on the web, as a browser extension, and on iOS, Android, iPadOS and macOS, so you can map a page while you read it.
• Clear credit amounts. The pricing page states the credits on each plan, so you know what a month of AI maps costs.

Watch out for:

• The 30 free credits are one time, not monthly. Most people use them up in the first week.
• Mapify is an AI summarizer first. Manual editing and team features are lighter than in Xmind or MindMeister.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with 30 one-time AI credits, 5 PDF or document maps and 5 YouTube maps. Basic is $9.99 a month or $5.99 a month billed yearly, with 1,000 AI credits a month. Pro is $19.99 a month or $11.99 billed yearly. Source: mapify.so/pricing.

For the same job inside Taskade, the PDF to mind map converter and the YouTube to mind map converter turn a file or a video into a project you can edit.

7. MindNode: Best for Mac, iPhone and iPad

MindNode is a mind map and outline app made only for Apple devices, including Vision Pro and Apple Watch. The free version covers mind mapping, import and export. MindNode Plus is $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year and adds outlining, themes, collaboration and Apple Intelligence features.

Best for: Apple users who want a map app that looks and feels like it ships with macOS.

Strengths:

• Native on every Apple device. MindNode runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro and Apple Watch, with sync between them.
• Clean, calm design. Maps look polished with little effort, which makes MindNode a favorite for personal planning, writing and study notes.
• The lowest paid price here. MindNode Plus costs $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year, which works out to about $2.08 a month.

Watch out for:

• There is no Windows, Android or web app, so a mixed-device team cannot share one MindNode map.
• Outlining, themes, collaboration and Apple Intelligence all need Plus. The free version is for basic maps.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free version with mind mapping, import and export. MindNode Plus is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year. MindNode Plus also includes MindNode Classic, the older app. Source: mindnode.com/pricing.

8. EdrawMind: Best for Many Map Layouts and Export Formats

EdrawMind offers many map layouts, presentation mode and wide export options on desktop, phone and the web. The free plan allows 100 topics and gives 500 trial AI tokens. The online Individual plan is $7.90 monthly, or $4.90 per month billed annually at $58.80 a year.

Best for: people who make maps for documents, reports and slides and need the right export format.

Strengths:

• Layouts and themes. EdrawMind lists 22 layouts on its plan table, from radial maps to fishbone and timeline styles, plus preset themes.
• Export to most formats. Paid plans export to Word, HTML, PowerPoint, Excel, SVG and more, which helps when a map has to go into a report.
• Every platform. EdrawMind runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and the web.

Watch out for:

• The free plan stops at 100 topics, and paid plans are the ones that remove the export watermark.
• Desktop licenses are sold on a separate site, and the prices there differ from the online plans.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with 100 topics and 500 AI tokens for trial. Online Individual is US $7.90 billed monthly, or US $4.90 a month billed annually at US $58.80 a year, with 10,000 AI tokens a month (about 100 maps, by the vendor's estimate). A 7-day free trial is offered. Source: edrawmind.com/pricing.html.

9. GitMind: Best Low-Cost AI Mind Map App

GitMind is a mind map and whiteboard app with AI features on the web, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. The free plan allows 10 mind maps or whiteboards. The paid plan is $9 per month, or $4.08 per month billed annually, which makes it the cheapest yearly AI-first plan here.

Best for: students and solo users who want AI help on a map without a large monthly bill.

Strengths:

• A low yearly price. At $4.08 a month billed annually, GitMind costs less than most AI map tools while it keeps a full map editor.
• Maps and whiteboards together. One account holds both mind maps and freeform whiteboards, and a shared space (GitMind calls it a planet) holds up to 5 members on Free.
• Apps on most devices. GitMind runs on the web, Windows, Mac, iOS, iPadOS and Android, plus a Chrome extension.

Watch out for:

• The pricing page does not state how much AI the free plan includes. The home page says the free AI features come as limited trials.
• The free plan caps images at 30 per mind map and exports in the regular format only.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with up to 10 mind maps or whiteboards and 1 planet with up to 5 members. The paid plan is $9 billed monthly, or $4.08 a month billed annually, with unlimited maps and HD export. Source: gitmind.com/pricing.

10. MindMap AI: Best for Maps From Prompts, Files and Audio

MindMap AI generates maps from prompts, PDFs, videos, audio and web pages, and manual editing stays free. The free plan gives unlimited manual maps and 50 AI credits a month. Basic is $9.99 per month, or $4.99 per month billed annually at $59.88 a year.

Best for: people who want to try AI maps every month on a free plan and keep editing by hand.

Strengths:

• A monthly free AI grant. 50 AI credits reset each month, which the vendor estimates at about 3 to 4 maps from prompts.
• Many input types. Prompts, PDFs, videos, audio and web pages all turn into maps, which makes MindMap AI a flexible first-draft tool.
• Unlimited manual maps. Projects and manual edits are not capped on Free, so the AI limit is the only free limit to plan around.

Watch out for:

• Free users cannot buy add-on credits. To get more AI maps, you move to a paid plan.
• MindMap AI is newer than Xmind or MindMeister, with fewer layout and team features.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with unlimited manual maps and 50 AI credits a month. Basic is $9.99 billed monthly, or $4.99 a month billed annually at $59.88 a year. A lower-priced Go plan is offered in selected countries. Source: mindmapai.app/pricing.

11. Coggle: Best Simple Free Mind Map Maker

Coggle is a simple browser mind map tool with real-time sharing and full change history. The free plan allows 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams. The Awesome plan is $5 per month, and Organisation is $8 per member per month. Coggle shows no AI features on its plans page.

Best for: teachers, students and anyone who wants a free map in a browser tab with no setup.

Strengths:

• A generous free plan. Public diagrams have no listed cap, and image uploads are unlimited, so open notes and class maps cost nothing.
• Real-time collaboration. Several people can edit one diagram at once, and full change history lets you step back to any earlier version.
• Simple by design. Coggle has few menus, so a new user makes a first map in minutes.

Watch out for:

• Only 3 diagrams can be private on Free. Anything else you make is public.
• There are no AI features and no desktop or phone apps. Coggle runs in the browser.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free Forever with 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams. Awesome is $5 a month and removes the private diagram cap. Organisation is $8 per member a month and adds SAML single sign-on and bulk export. The page shows no annual price. Source: coggle.it/plans.

12. Ayoa: Best for Neurodiverse Thinkers

Ayoa is a mind map and task app created by Chris Griffiths, with design choices for people with dyslexia, ADHD and autism. The free plan allows 10 mind maps for personal use, and AI stops when the trial ends. Ultimate is $17 per month, or $13 per month on a 1-year plan.

Best for: visual thinkers who want organic, hand-drawn style branches and a task board in the same app.

Strengths:

• Organic maps. Curved, colorful branches look closer to a paper mind map than the boxes most apps draw.
• Neurodiversity features. Ayoa has design options for dyslexia, ADHD and autism, a focus no other app in this list states as plainly.
• Maps and tasks. Mind maps, whiteboards and task boards share one app, so an idea can move to a to-do list.

Watch out for:

• On Free, whiteboards and task boards become view-only, and AI ends with the 7-day trial.
• The monthly price is high at $17. The 2-year and 3-year plans cut it to $9.15 and $6.10 a month.

Price (checked 2026-10-19): Free with up to 10 mind maps for personal use. Ultimate is $17 billed monthly, $13 a month on a 1-year plan, $9.15 a month on a 2-year plan, or $6.10 a month on a 3-year plan. Source: ayoa.com/pricing.

Best free mind map app

Coggle and Xmind give the most for free: Coggle has unlimited public diagrams, and Xmind has 10 maps plus 50 AI credits. MindMap AI gives the most free AI each month. Taskade is free for up to 2 members, with the Mind Map, List and Board views on every plan.

Freeplane is the one fully free pick: its documentation calls it free and open source software that runs on any system with a current version of Java, from a local install or a USB drive. It has no cloud sync, no team editing and no AI, so it suits solo maps you keep on your own computer.

To start without a blank page, copy one of the 7 free mind map templates or a mind map template. For a group session, the brainstorming mind map generator drafts the first branches.

Free vs paid: when to upgrade a mind map app

Upgrade a mind map app when you hit one of three walls: the map count (Xmind 10, MindMeister 3, Coggle 3 private), the free AI amount, or export. Each wall sits at a different place in each app, so the right first paid plan depends on which wall you hit first.

Stay on a free plan if you map alone a few times a month and only need an image of the map. Pay when the map has to be edited by a team, exported as a file another app can open, or drafted by AI every week.

Export and portability: can you take your map with you?

A mind map is portable when it exports as a text format that keeps the tree, such as Markdown, OPML or a FreeMind .mm file. An image or a PDF keeps the look but drops the structure, so another app cannot edit it. On 2026-10-19 the vendor pages listed these export options.

 PORTABLE (keeps the tree)          LOOKS ONLY (flat copy)
 ─────────────────────────          ──────────────────────
 Markdown   .md    edit anywhere    PNG / image   share a picture
 OPML       .opml  outliners        PDF           print or attach
 FreeMind   .mm    map apps         SVG           scale a picture
 CSV        .csv   spreadsheets
 Test before you commit: build a 3-level map, export it,
import it into a second app, and note what is lost.

Taskade exports Markdown and CSV on every plan, Free included, so a map can move to another tool or come back later. The steps are in export and print projects.

Best mind map app by job

The best mind map app depends on the job the map does. Students need cheap AI summaries of long reading, meeting leads need live editing, writers need an outline view, and project leads need branches that turn into tasks. This table matches each job to a pick from the list above.

For a bigger list of idea tools beyond mind maps, see the best brainstorming apps.

Best mind map app for Mac and Windows

On Mac, MindNode is the most native choice and Xmind the most complete cross-platform one. On Windows, Xmind, EdrawMind and GitMind have desktop apps with free plans. Taskade has desktop apps for both, plus Linux. See the full Mac list for apps with a one-time price.

Mind map app vs AI mind map maker vs whiteboard

A mind map app is built for branches. An AI mind map maker writes the first draft of the branches for you. A whiteboard puts a map next to sticky notes and diagrams. Pick the one that matches what happens after the map.

                 MIND MAP APP          AI MIND MAP MAKER        WHITEBOARD
                 (Xmind, MindNode,     (Mapify, MindMap AI)     (Miro, Whimsical)
                  Coggle, EdrawMind)
 ─────────────── ───────────────────── ──────────────────────── ────────────────────
 starts from     a blank center topic  a prompt, PDF, video     a blank canvas
 best output     a detailed, styled    a fast summary map       a map next to notes,
                 map you edit by hand  of a long source         flows and frames
 after the map   export, print, pitch  edit, then export        vote, cluster, share
 Taskade sits across all three: AI drafts the map, you edit it by hand,
then the same project turns into a list or a board of assigned tasks.

If your map has to stay a map, choose a map editor. If you start from a long source, choose an AI maker. If the map is one part of a team session, choose a whiteboard. For notes that grow as a tree of headings instead, the best outliner apps cover the outline side, and an AI outline generator drafts one from a prompt.

How to choose a mind map app

Five questions pick the right app in under a minute: who edits the map, which devices you use, where the input comes from, how much AI you need, and what happens to the map next. The diagram below walks the same questions in order.

Then check the two numbers that bite later: the free plan limit (maps, topics or objects) and the free AI amount. Both tables are above. If you are new to the method itself, what is mind mapping explains why the format works, and the mind map guide shows how to build a good one by hand.

Limitations: when Taskade is not the right fit

Taskade is not the right pick if you want a print-ready map with many layout styles or a one-time license. Xmind, EdrawMind and MindNode do those jobs better. Taskade AI also needs AI credits, and Free starts with none.

Taskade fits best when the map is the start of the work. If the map itself is the final product, a dedicated map editor gives you more control over how it looks.

Why we built Taskade differently

Most mind map apps stop at the map. In Taskade the map is the plan: switch the same project to a list or a board, assign each branch, and let an AI agent work from it. Every view reads the same project, so nothing is copied between tools.

Org Chart is on paid plans. Mind Map, List and Board are on every plan.

Three parts make this work, and we call them Workspace DNA. Memory: the project keeps every branch, comment and file. Intelligence: AI agents read the project and draft the next step. Execution: automations move the work along, and AI project tools turn a plan into a working project.

When a map grows into a repeatable process, Taskade Genesis takes the next step:

Free covers 3 Taskade Genesis apps, 1 agent and 2 members, and it starts with no AI credits. Pro is $10 a month billed annually. Compare every plan on the pricing page.

You can also convert a spreadsheet to a mind map to start from data you already have. For the story of the format, read the history of mind mapping, and for more idea tools, the best brainstorming apps. The mind mapping wiki entry covers the terms.

▲ Memory ■ Intelligence ● Execution. Make your first AI mind map in Taskade

Related reading

• Free Xmind alternative
• Free Miro alternative
• Free Whimsical alternative

Frequently asked questions