Exploring Mind Map Apps for Family-Friendly Flexibility: A Review

As a long-time user of Freeplane, I’ve enjoyed the simplicity and power of mind mapping for various tasks, from organizing complex ideas to planning projects. However, as much as I appreciate the tool, its reliance on a desktop or laptop setup presents a challenge, especially when I want my children to engage in their studies—reviewing or updating mind maps right before bedtime or whenever they are on the go.

My minimum expectation is for them to have a straightforward way to export and access their mind maps in PDF format. This versatile format is universally accessible, easily shareable, and serves as a reliable backup. Additionally, the ability to embed images within the map is important for enhancing visual content. With this in mind, I set out to explore alternative mind mapping applications, also prioritizing ease of use, multi-device compatibility, pricing, and, of course, the ability to export to PDF.

Key Criteria:

• Cross-platform support: The software should work on multiple devices and operating systems (smartphones, tablets, laptops).
• Ease of sharing: Export to PDF is essential to ensure the children can access the material in a familiar format.
• User experience: The app should be intuitive enough for young users, making learning both engaging and straightforward.
• Price: The software should be reasonably priced or offer a free version with essential features, making it accessible for regular use.

Here are my findings from this exploration:

1. SimpleMind
2. Xmind
3. Nice Mind
4. Ayoa
5. MindMeister
6. Coggle
7. GitMind
8. Mindomo

For more visually rich and creative mind maps, we ultimately selected SimpleMind Pro, which supports flexible image embedding and follows Tony Buzan’s mind mapping principles. Additionally, its one-time purchase can be shared with family members through Google’s Family Library, making it a cost-effective choice for multiple users. We also chose Xmind for its free, unlimited mind map creation and cross-platform compatibility, which meet our basic needs without requiring advanced features.

1. SimpleMind

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   Paid: Lifetime	Paid: PDF Paid: Cross-platform Paid: Embeds Cloud storage

   1. Embed images

2. Xmind

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   Cross-platform Embeds Unlimited maps	Paid: $4.92/mth, $8.25/mth

   1. Cloud storage

3. Nice Mind

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   Cross-platform Embeds Unlimited maps	Paid: Monthly, Yearly, Lifetime

4. Ayoa

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   	Device only Free: 10 maps Paid: $13/month annually

5. MindMeister

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   Embeds	Free: 3 maps Paid: $6/mth, $10/mth, $15/mth

6. Coggle

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   	Free: 3 private maps Free: Unlimited public maps Paid: Unlimited private maps Paid: $5/mth, $8/mth

7. GitMind

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   	Free: 10 maps Paid: Unlimited maps Paid: $5.75/mth

8. Mindomo

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   	Free: 3 maps Paid: Unlimited maps Paid: Cross-platform Paid: €5.5/mth, €13.5/mth, €16.5