Best Free Mind Mapping Software 2026: 8 Options Compared
Best free Mind Mapping Software compared: Freeplane, FreeMind, Xmind, MindMeister and 4 more, with free-plan limits, platforms and prices from official pages checked October 23, 2026.
•3 min read•Graphic Design & Diagramming
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeplane | Free (Free and open source per its site; runs on any OS with a current Java runtime) | Windows, macOS, Linux (Java) | Heavy users who want local files | Docs only |
| FreeMind | Free (Free software and open source per its wiki) | Windows, macOS, Linux (Java) | Basic maps on an older machine | Docs only |
| Xmind | Free (Free: up to 10 manually created online maps, 5 Pitch slides, 3-day version history, 50 AI credits); paid from $4.92 per month (Pro) | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Polished maps and presentations | Docs only |
| MindMeister | Free (Free plan: up to 3 mind maps) | Web, iOS, Android | Light shared mapping | Docs only |
| Coggle | Free (Free: 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams, real-time collaboration, PDF and image export); paid from $5 per month (Awesome plan) | Web | Public or shared maps | Docs only |
| Markmap | Free (Turns Markdown into mind maps; web REPL and VS Code extension; the page shows no price) | Web, VS Code, JavaScript library | Notes written in Markdown | Docs only |
| draw.io (diagrams.net) | Free (Free with no sign-up; open files from local storage or your own cloud account) | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Mind maps alongside diagrams | Docs only |
| Miro | Free (Free plan: 3 editable boards with unlimited team members); paid from $8 per per member/month, billed yearly (Starter) | Web | Workshop whiteboards | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You want unlimited local maps (Freeplane is the pick)
- You write notes in Markdown (Markmap is the pick)
- You make a few polished maps (Xmind is the pick)
- You map together in the browser (Coggle is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You need paid-tier features, uptime guarantees or support that these free plans leave out
Free mind mapping software ranges from open-source desktop programs with no limits to polished web apps with strict caps on how many maps you can keep. Freeplane and FreeMind are Java desktop programs under the GPL: unlimited maps, local files, an older interface, and in FreeMind's case no release since 2016. Freeplane is the maintained one. Markmap turns a Markdown outline into a map, which suits people who already write notes in text. Web apps trade freedom for convenience: Xmind's free plan allows up to 10 online maps, MindMeister allows up to 3 maps, and Coggle allows 3 private diagrams with unlimited public ones. Miro and draw.io are whiteboards and diagram editors that also draw maps. Choose by how many maps you will keep and whether you collaborate. If you are a student building a few revision maps, a web free tier is enough. If you map every project and want your files forever, use a desktop program or a text-based tool, because a locked-out map on a free plan is annoying. Check export options before committing, since moving a map out of a web app is where free plans get strict. The trade-off is polish against permanence. Eight options follow, each with its map limit.
Freeplane
Free and open source (GPL-2.0, per the repository), runs anywhere Java is installed. Unlimited local maps with a dense, old-fashioned interface and deep features.
Price: Free (Free and open source per its site; runs on any OS with a current Java runtime) (Freeplane pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux (Java). GPL-2.0 (open source).
Project activity: 4.4k GitHub stars · latest release release-1.13.3 (Jul 14, 2026) · last commit Oct 24, 2026
Best for: Heavy users who want local files.
FreeMind
Free GPL Java mind mapper, simple and quick. Last releases listed are from 2016 and 2014, so it looks unmaintained; Freeplane is its active relative.
Price: Free (Free software and open source per its wiki) (FreeMind pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux (Java). GPL-2.0-or-later (open source).
Best for: Basic maps on an older machine.
Worth knowing: Wiki states GNU GPL V2+.
Xmind
Free plan allows up to 10 manually created online maps, 5 Pitch slides, 3-day history and 50 AI credits. Pro is listed at $4.92 a month.
Price: Free (Free: up to 10 manually created online maps, 5 Pitch slides, 3-day version history, 50 AI credits); paid from $4.92 per month (Pro) (Xmind pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Polished maps and presentations.
MindMeister
Free plan is limited to 3 mind maps. Easy collaborative editing in the browser; paid prices did not show on our fetch.
Price: Free (Free plan: up to 3 mind maps) (MindMeister pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Light shared mapping.
Coggle
Free plan gives 3 private diagrams and unlimited public ones with real-time collaboration. The Awesome plan is $5 a month.
Price: Free (Free: 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams, real-time collaboration, PDF and image export); paid from $5 per month (Awesome plan) (Coggle pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary.
Best for: Public or shared maps.
Worth knowing: Organisation plan is $8 per member per month.
Markmap
MIT-licensed tool that renders Markdown as an interactive mind map. Works from text notes; less suited to free-form drawing.
Price: Free (Turns Markdown into mind maps; web REPL and VS Code extension; the page shows no price) (Markmap pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, VS Code, JavaScript library. MIT (open source).
Project activity: 13.2k GitHub stars · latest release v0.18.0 (Dec 19, 2024) · last commit Sep 12, 2026
Best for: Notes written in Markdown.
draw.io (diagrams.net)
Free diagram editor under Apache 2.0, no sign-up, files saved locally or to your cloud. Mind maps are drawn by hand, not generated.
Price: Free (Free with no sign-up; open files from local storage or your own cloud account) (draw.io (diagrams.net) pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Apache-2.0 (open source).
Project activity: 9k GitHub stars · latest release v32.6.1 (Oct 23, 2026) · last commit Oct 23, 2026
Best for: Mind maps alongside diagrams.
Compare: draw.io (diagrams.net) alternatives
Miro
Free plan allows 3 editable boards with unlimited team members. A whiteboard first; mind mapping works but the board cap bites quickly.
Price: Free (Free plan: 3 editable boards with unlimited team members); paid from $8 per per member/month, billed yearly (Starter) (Miro pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary.
Best for: Workshop whiteboards.
Compare: Miro alternatives
Which one to pick
- You want unlimited local maps: Freeplane
- You write notes in Markdown: Markmap
- You make a few polished maps: Xmind
- You map together in the browser: Coggle
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Freeplane, FreeMind, Xmind, MindMeister, Coggle, Markmap, draw.io (diagrams.net), Miro: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you commit.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing, license and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: Freeplane, FreeMind, Xmind, MindMeister, Coggle, Markmap, draw.io (diagrams.net), Miro. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.