A mind map is a visual brainstorming technique that helps individuals and groups to organize complex information and ideas. As the name suggests, it is a graphical representation of different concepts and ideas that allows the reader to easily brainstorm, take notes, and analyze different thoughts.
Some of the benefits of creating mind maps are:
- Mind maps provide a detailed visual representation of complex information.
- Mind maps help the project managers to break down the entire project into digestible parts.
- With mind maps, students can easily revise their subjects before taking the exams.
- Mind maps can also help generate new ideas for both personal and professional fronts.
- A well-structured mind map can help you find new connections between higher-level associations.
Mind maps are an invaluable tool if you are looking for a way to visualize complex ideas, generate new insights, and plan complex projects. With the rise of mind map software in the market, users can easily create, share, and collaborate on mind maps more easily than before. In this detailed mind map Mac guide, we will explore the top 10 mind map software for Apple users and discuss their pros and cons that would help you decide on choosing the right mind map tool for Mac.
In this article
What is Mind Map Software?
A mind map software is a digital tool that lets you easily create a central topic, its first-level associations, followed by second or higher-level associations, and helps you make desired connections between them. Since mind maps are well-suited for all domains, like logistics, product development, education, finance, project management, and more, different mind map software comes in handy as it accelerates the entire process of creating mind maps.
Benefits of Mind Map Software
A mind map Mac application will help Apple users create mind maps to their comfort. Additionally, it serves the following benefits:
- Better Organization: Mind map macapps help the users to organize their thoughts and ideas. This way, they can create a clear structure that can easily be followed by everyone involved in the brainstorming process.
- Increase Productivity: Mind map Macapps help the user break down complex information, concepts, and ideas into manageable steps, which makes it easier for everyone to stay focused and motivated. This increases overall productivity, helping everyone to track and achieve the goals.
- Boost Communication: Mac mind map software is a great tool for improving internal and external communication. It further allows the readers or team members to present the complex information clearly and concisely.
10 Best Mind Mapping Software for Mac
There are hundreds of mind-mapping software for Windows users. However, when it comes to macOS users, you will find fewer apps in the market. Moreover, these software are either costly or require some additional tech knowledge.
Keeping this problem in mind, we have assembled a list of the 10 best mind-mapping software for Mac users that are user-friendly and pocket-friendly.
EdrawMind
EdrawMind is one of the most notable mind map Mac apps in 2024. One of the most powerful features of EdrawMind is its Artificial Intelligence -- the latest AI chatbot instantly lets you create any complex mind maps. At the same time, this free mind-mind mapping tool offers 1,500+ mind map templates that help beginners and students get inspired.
EdrawMind also offers 22 layouts like classic, reverse, right treemap, sunburst chart, bubble map, fishbone diagram, and more. With one click, you can easily change the layout of your mind map, making it unique and creative from all aspects. Another notable feature of EdrawMind is its cross-compatibility, which lets the users use any operating system they want to create their mind maps.
Pros:
- EdrawMind's brainstorming feature helps you generate new ideas quickly.
- This mind map Macapp has a wide range of pre-designed templates that make it easier to create mind maps.
- This mind map software for Apple devices has an intuitive user interface.
- This free mind map software has a drag-and-drop feature that allows you to quickly modify any element.
- The online version or Web version of EdrawMind offers real-time remote collaboration.
Cons:
- It has limited integration options.
- The tool has limited image editing features.
Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Web
Price:
Free Plan: Yes
Annual Plan: $59
Perpetual Plan: $118
MindNode
MindNode is a brainstorming and mind-mapping tool that allows you to transform your mind-map nodes into respective tasks. MindNode lets users easily add text, images, and other important media files to their mind maps. This way, users can easily customize their mind maps' layouts, color schemes, and even designs.
Another notable feature of MindNode is its ability to offer real-time collaboration, which allows multiple users to work on the same mind map from remote locations. With MindNode, one can easily sync projects and tasks with Apple Reminder apps.
Pros:
- The tool adds Quick Entry to your macOS, letting you add notes for your mind maps whenever you get inspiration.
- This mind map Mactool comes with 250+ stickers that help you color any branch of your mind map.
Cons:
- The free version does not allow linear brainstorming.
- You cannot add images and stickers using the free version.
- There is no online application.
Available on macOS and iOS
Price:
Free: Yes
MindNode Plus: $2.99/month or $24.99/year
iThoughtsX
iThoughtsX is a mind-mapping application currently available in the Apple and iOS stores. This mind-mapping app allows several functionalities, like topic sorting, rich text formatting, stock images, stock icons, callout options, topic notes, and more.
In this mind map Mac app, users can easily transform their mind maps using different layouts and styles. At the same time, it comes with six link style options, which also help customize the mind maps.
Pros:
- The macOS version of iThoughtsX offers a built-in presentation mode.
- It comes with cloud sync to OneDrive, Dropbox, and iCloud.
Cons:
- There are no premium templates available.
- The business (toketaWare) that hosts iThoughtsX has expired.
Available on macOS, iOS, and Windows
Price: NA
MindManager
When it comes to mind mapping, MindManager is one such tool that has received rave reviews online. One of the most prominent features of MindManager is its project management capabilities that allow the users to create project plans, assign tasks and deadlines, track progress, and collaborate with different team members in real-time. This mind map Mac app further integrates with Microsoft Project, Trello, and Jira, making it very popular among the project management community.
This mind map application also offers several collaboration features; for instance, users can share mind maps and project plans with team members, and individuals can edit and leave comments in real time.
Pros:
- MindManager has all the premium features that are required in project management software.
- It can easily integrate with Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Cons:
- This mind map Mac application has a limited symbol and clipart library.
- The tool has limited customization options.
Available on Windows and macOS
Price:
Essential: $99.00/year
Professional: $179/year
Scapple
Scapple is a note-taking application that works like a virtual sheet of paper where users can make notes and use arrows and lines to make significant connections between them.
Pros:
- You can take notes anywhere on the drawing board.
- The mind map functionality is completely freeform.
- You can customize the appearance of your mind map notes.
Cons:
- Limited customization options.
- No free templates, cliparts, or design items.
- No real-time remote collaboration is available.
Available on macOS and Windows
Price:
Standard License: $22.87
ConceptDraw MINDMAP
ConceptDraw MINDMAP is a popular mind-mapping application, most commonly used for idea management. However, most users use this application because of its resemblance to Microsoft Office Word. With the built-in insert and presentation options, creating detailed mind maps with this tool is easy.
Pros:
- Available to export mind maps in Excel, Visio, Word, PDF, and Outline formats.
- One can even create infographics, org charts, flowcharts, and even dashboards.
Cons:
- It requires technical knowledge to create simple mind maps.
- The user interface is outdated and lacks modern customization features.
- The tool is not available for M1 and M2 chips.
Available on macOS (only Intel) and Windows.
Price:
ConceptDraw OFFICE9 (complete package): $299
ConceptDraw MINDMAP 14: $199
SimpleMind
SimpleMind is a cross-platform mind mapping that lets you organize your thoughts and even generate new ideas. The user-friendly, intuitive application comes with various layouts and even lets you block unnecessary distractions.
With SimpleMind, you can easily customize the topics, add notes and links, and even share your mind maps in PDF format.
Pros:
- Cross-platform compatibility is available.
- With SimpleMind Viewer, you can open mind maps on your macOS devices.
Cons:
- The free version is not available for macOS and Windows.
- The free version does not let you share your mind maps with others.
- You cannot add links to your documents using the free version.
Available On macOS, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Coggle
Coggle is a web-based mind-mapping application that helps create hierarchically structured mind maps. It is a great mind-mapping tool for teams and organizations looking for linear ways to streamline their project management.
Furthermore, Coggle also offers templates and formatting tools that help create visually appealing mind maps.
Pros:
- Coggle provides a variety of shortcuts that help you quickly create mind maps
- It comes with a real-time collaboration.
Cons:
- There is no specific section to add comments or notes in Coggle's mind map.
- It has limited line style options.
- It has limited shapes, like circles and rectangles.
Available as a web-based tool.
Price:
Free: Yes
Awesome: $5 per month or $50 per year
Organization: $8 per member per month
FreeMind
FreeMind is an open-source mind mapping application, and the recent update claims that the navigation and process to create mind maps is faster than that of MindManager. This mind-mapping software offers a smart drag-and-drop functionality that includes the possibility of copying the styles of nodes and adding texts at different places.
Pros:
- FreeMind allows you to save your mind maps in XML, HTML, SVG, and other notable formats.
- Adding icons to nodes is fairly straightforward.
Cons:
- Since it's an open-source tool, it requires a learning curve.
- There is very limited premium support and features available for the users.
Available on macOS, Windows, and Linux
Price: Free
MindoMo
MindMo is yet another notable mind-mapping software widely used by academicians. Most teachers use this application to create interactive lesson plans. At the same time, students use MindoMo for note-taking, brainstorming, and project collaboration.
Like most online mind map applications, MindoMo is committed to user privacy and data security. The platform offers two-factor authentication and password protection to ensure the security of the shared information.
Pros:
- MindoMo supports importing from other mind-mapping tools.
- It provides multiple export options, like SVG, PowerPoint, PDF, and more.
Cons:
- Some users have reported that the exported files had missing and distorted images.
- MindoMo requires a bit of technical knowledge of mind mapping.
- The free version only allows three diagrams per account.
- The free version does not support offline tools.
Available On Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Price:
Free Plan: Yes
Premium (single user): $5.92 per month
Professional (single user + guests): $14.45 per month
Team: $17.77 per month ($5.92 per month, per user)
Find the Most Suitable Mind Mapping Software for Your Team
As you saw in this article, several mind map Mac applications can be used to create mind maps for personal or professional usage. However, every tool has some limitations and disadvantages over the others. If you are looking for the most suitable mind-mapping software for your team that is compatible with macOS devices, we strongly recommend checking out EdrawMind.
You can download EdrawMind for your macOS devices, and the exported files can easily be imported to cross-compatible devices. Furthermore, the EdrawMind Online version lets you access all the mind map files remotely via the web.
FAQs
What makes a good mind mapping software for Mac?
A good mind mapping software for Mac offers all the latest features, including AI support, free templates, and customization options. Furthermore, the mind map for macOS should export cross-compatible files.
How to make a mind map on Mac?
You can download EdrawMind and get help from the AI or free templates to easily create free mind maps on the MacBook.
What is the best free mind map software for Mac?
EdrawMind is one of the best free mind map software for Mac devices. The tool offers hundreds of templates and customization options that help beginners create the diagram per their requirements.
EdrawMind
AppsEdrawMind Online
