Another more interesting one is the rewind and playback feature which shows how mind map grew or changed over time.

MindMeister has a few unique features like the ability to conveniently create slideshows.

paid version has additional features like tasks, Gantt chart etc.

This is very helpful in working with larger maps.

drill down feature where any node can be viewed as main starting node, hiding away the rest of the map.

ability to represent Mind Maps in various different forms like Fish Bone diagram, Spread Sheet, Organogram etc.Some of the interesting features of XMind are: XMind has a more polished interface and better support for images than FreeMind. On using keyboard, the map auto-scrolls as we navigate through the nodes. Scrolling is very seamless as the canvas is drag-able using mouse. Folding and unfolding with space bar is particularly handy. It has an excellent keyboard support where all the functionality is available with convenient shortcuts. Also has advanced features like attributes, map filtering, task, reminders, scripting etc. Interaction with clipboard works as opposed to other HTML based products Has unique features like ‘History View’, ‘Create Slide Show’ĭoesn’t auto-format node’s position and link Good (map doesn’t scroll while navigating through keyboard) Supports in Notes window but not inside maps. Key features of these tools are summarized in the table below. If you want something web-based which is accessible from tablets, there are sites offering that too.

On the other hand, XMind has a more modern UI and has a better support for working with images.īoth FreeMind and XMind are desktop-based. The support for images is a bit primitive in FreeMind. FreeMind is the best in performance and usability, with less focus on making the software look pretty.

My personal favorites are FreeMind and XMind. In terms of functionality, some free ones come very close to what is being offered by commercial vendors. There are a lot of free and open source mind mapping tools available on the internet.

Best free mind mapping software 2017