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Are you ready to discover which tool provides the best mind mapping features for free? The StudyChicken will offer some excellent mind mapping solutions that you can use quickly.
As students, teachers, and occasional writers, we don’t always have the budget or appetite to purchase a full subscription to a mind-mapping tool.
How to find mind mapping software that has a useable free version? We will test different mind mapping solutions and share our verdict with you!
Our minimum hurdle is that you can make an unlimited item mind map in the free version. Services that limit item amounts are pretty much useless unless you are ready to pull out your wallet. This doesn’t make sense for occasional use, and you don’t want to get stuck halfway into your mindmap counting the items you have added.
So let’s get started! Let’s find some great free mindmap tools!
What are mindmaps?
Mind maps are a great tool to get your inspiration flowing and keep track of your ideas. They are also a perfect companion if you are studying and want to summarize knowledge efficiently.
Teachers also have an excellent use for mindmaps as they can present beautiful mind maps to their students and ensure that the main structure of the subject does not get lost on them!
In this review, we will test 5 different mind map makers, which you can try out and use for free! In our verdict, we’ll share with you which ones have the best free version overall, in our opinion!
Mindmap maker 1 – Coggle.it
Coggle.it makes our list as one of the better FREE mind mapping Solutions. The free version of their software allows you to create 3 private unlimited item mind maps; however, you can create UNLIMITED Public mind maps with Coggle.it. So, as long as you don’t mind having your Mind Maps public, you can use the free version intensely.
Ease-of-use
Coggle.it mind maps are incredibly intuitive to use, and you can quickly draw the different branches from your core topic. While some mind map software requires you to browse several options before you can easily add or tweak the branches and their child items, with Coggle.it this becomes super easy.
Several Core Topics within the same mind map are supported!
Unlike some free mind map software online, coggle.it makes it easy to add several core topics to your mind map canvas.
Color options and styling
Coggle has an elegant color wheel feature that allows you to change the colors of your mind map branches easily.
Simplicity is king
While other mind map Solutions might provide many more different styles which allow you to tweak the aspect of your mind map, Coggle.it keeps it simple yet very attractive.
Coggle.it presentation feature
We are also very impressed with the presentation feature. The presentation feature allows you to present your mind map with only the cord topics exposed. As a presenter, you can now easily build up your story and open up the relevant branches of your Mind map as you go through your presentation’s different parts.
This presentation feature is excellent for teachers and students to use in the classroom.
Links & Images
Add links and images to the Coggle.it mindmap with ease!
Download options:
PDF File, PNG (image file) , Visio Flowchart(.vsdx), .mm File, Plain-Text Outline
The free version includes three private diagrams, Unlimited public diagrams, Over 1600 icons for you to use, Unlimited image uploads, Auto-arrange branches, Full change history, PDF & Image download, Unconnected text boxes, Export as .mm and text, Export for Microsoft Visio, Import .mm and text, Multiple start points, Shared folders, Embed mindmaps anywhere.
How to get started with Coggle.it?
You can use Coggle.it Online. However, you do have to create an account. Luckily, they support different social login options like ‘Sign in with Google, Sign in with Microsoft and Sign in with Apple.
Goggle.it – Conclusion
If you like the Coggle.it design style, you will likely love how this mindmap maker works. The free version of Coggle.it has a lot to offer. While your free account limits you to only 3 mindmaps, Coggle.it is giving you the full experience of their product, and you can use unlimited public mindmaps!
Mindmap Maker 2 – GitMind
GitMind is also a very good Mind Map tool you should know about! Gitmind meets our minimum hurdle and allows you in the Free version to create up to 10 mind maps with all features included. After using GitMind for a while, we have to recognize that Gitmind has many useful advanced features in the Free version of its software. Gitmind is a bit less intuítive initially, but the level of customization options makes the learning curve worthwhile! Gitmind also does NOT use any watermarks on its mind maps when you download it, which is excellent for the Free version.
Ease-of-use
Gitmind is easy to use! However, it is not as intuítive as Coggle.it, for example. At the same time, the additional features that Gitmind offers are worth your extra trouble, in our opinion.
Color options and styling
You can customize every single element of your diagram, which is fantastic. We also like that you can switch between different text boxes individually.
Gitmind also allows you to switch the entire color scheme in one click of a button & and has a magic wand tool that enables you to test its ‘auto style’ feature. This feature randomly switches anything from style to type of template of your diagram.
Ideal for more advanced users
Gitmind, in our opinion, is ideal for users who need to express much more than a simple mind map diagram.
The top features that help you do that are:
- Relationship highlight feature
- Summarize highlight feature
- Floating additional nodes
- and more
GitMind Sharing and presentation features
GitMind makes it easy to share your mind map diagram with anyone. You can also close the branches quickly to use it as a presentation.
Gitmind diagrams are a solid option for teachers and students. The 10 Free editable mindmaps allow you to create and save your templates. At the same time, you can download as many finished mindmaps as images, PDF files, and so on.
Links & Images
Gitmind allows you to add images, links, as well as icons to your mindmap. We have a slight preference for Coggle.it when it comes to integrating those into the diagram, but it is still an excellent feature in Gitmind.
Download options:
PDF File, PNG (image file), JPEG (Image File) Outline in Word, or as TXT file and Gitmind file.
NOTE: Transparent Background download option! The transparent background feature lets you easily integrate diagrams into your documents or website.
The free version includes
All Features!!! Limited to 10 saved or editable mind maps
How to get started with GitMind?
To use GitMind, you are required to create an account. You can either register via email or use the social login feature. Google login supported.
Is the GitMind paid version worth it?
At only roughly 50 USD per year for the paid version, you might want to strongly consider switching to the paid version if you become a power user. In the meantime, GitMind is a good place to start creating your mind map diagrams!
Gitmind Conclusion:
We absolutely love GitMind. Once you get past the initial learning curve, you quickly realize that Gitmind is a great mind map tool for teachers and students to use daily.
How To Use And Install Workona for Chrome – Tutorial
Declutter your web browser and start using a TAB manager! To get the full benefit of Workona & the Google Tab Groups we recommend you follow our install guide!
–>Pro Tip – Use Workona together with Google Tab Groups and keep your Chrome Browser organized!
Mindmap Maker 3 – Mindmaps.app –
Mindmaps.App is a straightforward tool to use. Do note that as far as we can tell, there is no further support for it. Having said that, the tool works and is available online for free!
Ease-of-use
MindMaps.app is creating similarly styled mind maps like Coggle.it. These mind maps are very easy to create.
The tool is available online for free, and you don’t have to create an account to use it. Simply go to MindMaps.app, create your mind map, and you are done. You can now save it or download it as a PNG image file.
Color options and styling
The color and styling options that MindMaps.app offers are limited but good. You can easily change color and Font as you please.
Download options:
Save mindmap as a .json file or download it as a PNF file.
MindMaps.app Conclusion
MindMaps.app might not be the right tool for you if you want all the bells and whistles of what is possible today with other mind map tools.
However, if you are looking for a tool that will allow you to create mind maps quickly, easily, and for free, MindMaps.app is a great little tool that will help you do that on the go.
As the mindmaps.app is completely free to use in an unlimited fashion, this might be the perfect tool for you to help you with your studies. There is no need to worry about paying for a subscription or the number of editable mindmaps you can create.
If you need a mind map maker with presentation capabilities, online sharing options, and supporting multiple main topics in a single mind map, this tool is not for you. This mind map maker also doesn’t support images or links.
But for us, this mind map maker is perfect for creating custom mind maps on the go. It’s easy to use and allows you to focus on the task at hand without the distraction of having to manage multiple options or any limitations of the free version of the software.
Mindmap maker 4 – Bubbl.us
Bubble.us is another popular mind map maker, which is great to use if you want to brainstorm with your team and create a mind map to gather ideas around different topics.
Bubbl.us works as an online web application, so there is no requirement to download any software. You can create mind maps on the go and share them with your team members.
The Free version of Bubbl.us allows you to use all features of the online web application. However, you are limited to creating a maximum of 3 mindmaps at a time.
Bubbl.us has a particular style you’ll either be fond of or not.
Ease-of-use
The Bubbl-us mind map maker is easy to use. The user interface is straightforward. You can easily create subtopics or start entirely new topics (bubbles).
This web application makes it even easier as you don’t have to worry about downloading or installing any software.
Color options and styling
You can easily style the colors and fonts of your mind maps with Bubbl.us, and you can also change the size of the bubbles. However, you are limited in the different styles you can apply to your mind maps. So, you will either love it or not.
Download options:
You can download the mind map as a JPEG, PNG, TXT, or HTML file. Consider that the free version of Bubbl.us leaves a huge branded watermark on the mind map when you download it. We find this pretty annoying as it makes parts of the mind map illegible. While Coggle.it also leaves a bit of branding, it is better integrated. Gitmind is still best, as it doesn’t have any branding on the image downloads.
Bubbl.us Conclusion
If you like the style of Bubbl, it is a very productive tool for making mind maps. The collaboration features are helpful if you work with a team.
We like that Bubbl.us is available as an online web application. You can even create a mindmap without having to create an account on Bubbl.us.
However, the unattractive watermark on the mind map downloads makes it less appealing to use compared with other free mind map maker tools.
Mindmap maker 5 – Edraw Mind
Edraw Mind’s mind map maker was previously known as ‘MindMeister.’ It is a very powerful mindmap maker tool that allows you to create stunning mind maps and share them online. However, the free version is feature restricted. You have three mind maps for free, so you can try them out online and collaborate with others. Limited to three mind maps.
Ease-of-use
The Edraw Mind mind map maker is easy to use and comes with many features if you purchase a paid version. However, the free version could serve you with a quick, beautifully designed mind map if you don’t mind that you can not add images or attachments.
Color options and styling
The styling options stand out with EdrawMind. You can change the themes easily, and they all have a professional and clean look and feel.
Download options:
The Free version of Edraw Mind Map does currently not allow you to download your beautifully designed mind map as an image. If, however, you really want to use the Edraw Mind Map, you can always use a web browser screenshot tool like awesome screenshot and take a snapshot of the mind map. At least, if your mind map isn’t too large.
Edraw MindMap Conclusion
While Edraw Mind Map allows you to have 3 free mindmaps, do take into account that many features are NOT supported in this free version.
- No image download
- You can’t upload images or attach files in the free version of Edraw Mind.
The lack of these features in the Free version of Edraw Mind is a bit disappointing. However, it still makes our list, as we think the particular Edraw Mind visual style might be worth the trouble.
Overall Conclusion – Best Free Mind Map Maker Online
Choosing the Best free mind map maker is not an easy task, as everyone has their own preferences and needs. We’ve created a couple of categories that could help you choose which ones you’d like to try first.
- Best Free Mindmap Maker with unlimited ‘editable’ mind maps
- Best Free Mind Map Maker with a lot of additional functionality and style functions
- Best Free styled Mind Map makers
- Best Free Mind Map for A Quick Brainstorm session
- Best Free Mind Map maker overall
Free Mindmap Maker with unlimited ‘editable’ mind maps
The only mind map maker which is completely free and allows you to create simple, no-frills mindmaps online is MindMaps.app – While the online map maker is no longer updating its product as far as we know, we still think that it is a very good companion for students and teachers who need a simple mind map maker that doesn’t limit the amount of ‘EDITABLE’ mindmaps you can make.
- Unlimited Mind Maps
- Save as Image File or .json
- No account is required.
- Simple, easy-to-use
Best Free Mind Map Maker with a lot of additional functionality and style functions
- Gitmind
- Coggle.it
GitMind wins this category with Coggle.it is second best.
Gitmind’s free mind map maker allows you to create 10 ‘editable’ mind maps, and you can use all the features. So from designing to downloading options and sharing mindmaps, we are very impressed with GitMind.
Coggle.it, with its unlimited, feature-rich public mindmaps, is also a very good option.
Best Free ‘Stylish’ Mind Map makers
Style is a very subjective thing, and we are not claiming that we have the best taste 🙂
We like:
- EdrawMind
- Coggle.it
- GitMind
Best Free Mind Map for A Quick Brainstorm session online
- Bubbl.us
No account needed supports multiple main topics and is very easy to use and online!
Best Free Mind Map Maker Overall
- GitMind
It was a bit of a toss between Gitmind and Coggle.it, but GitMind takes the crown as the BEST FREE MIND MAP Maker:
- 10 Free Editable mind maps at any time
- All features available – no restrictions for Free version
- Download with or without background + NO watermark!
- Super handy summarize and highlight functions + floating topics
- You can customize at will and create stunning mind maps
- Share via a link & Presentation feature!
- Also: If you want to upgrade – Price is reasonable
Final conclusion about Best Free Mind Map Makers
Our selection of Mind Map makers should already get you pretty far. There are some very decent options on our list! Whether it is the ease of use, style, or collaboration features that you are after, at least one of the reviewed tools should suit your needs.
However, there are still a few mindmap maker options that we would like like to review in the future.
So, keep an eye out for our next article as we continue our search for the best free mind map makers online.
Online Mind Map Makers and flowcharts are an incredible tool for learning, memorizing, brainstorming, and collaboration
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