Mind maps are ane of the all-time-known logical organization tools. Information technology'south a graphic representation of connections betwixt concepts and ideas. The idea starts from a primal topic, and we gradually connect them with different branches and label it with notes, symbols, pictures, links, and more.

When you create a map, yous elaborate on existing knowledge structure and their relationship to new concepts. Gradually, you'll showtime learning new things and recollect data quickly. Let's look at some free or inexpensive mind map tools that give you bully value.

Choosing a listen map software depends a lot on your needs. With so many apps available in the market, information technology'due south not an easy task. These factors shown on a mind map volition help you decide.

how to pick a mind map tool

1. Coggle

Coggle is an online tool for creating heed maps. The app lets you and your team interact on notes, begin ideas, and create projection plans. Every listen map starts with a single central topic. Click the Plus (+) button to add a branch and enter your text in the box.

You can format text, insert links, add images, and icons to elaborate the fundamental points. From hither onwards, go on calculation branches as per your needs. You tin fifty-fifty create a cross-link to other items in a mindmap. Open up the context card, press the Shift primal to bring the cross-link icon. So, elevate the cross-link line.

You lot can create iii private diagrams with a free account, interact in real-time, and upload unlimited images. The export options include .MM, TXT, Microsoft Visio, PDF, and JPEG. Bank check out the pricing page to explore premium features.

Unique Features

  • Add multiple key nodes in a unmarried workspace. Then, create loops and branches to connect other mind maps and meet relationships.
  • It supports keyboard shortcuts and has a vast collection of templates in Coggle Gallery to quickly start your projects.
  • View the version history of the mind map. Check who final edited the map along with the appointment and make a copy of it at a detail time.
  • Message team members, get out notes, and even chat in existent-fourth dimension to begin ideas. You can auto-suit branches to associate the content of each branch with the things effectually it.

2. GitMind

gitmind mind map tool

GitMind is an easy-to-use online heed map tool. With it, y'all can visualize complicated concepts, generate new ideas, make lists with task priorities, and fix for the presentation. Type in the topic name, and click Insert Node.

Choose Insert subnode to create sub-branches. And click the Relation line to show any relationship betwixt ideas. You can assign a task priority, progress meter, flag, and more with the built-in symbols. To add together a symbol, select the target node and click Icon from the toolbar.

At each node, click the Attachment push to insert links, images, and comments. There are many export options available, including TXT, PNG, PDF, DOCX, and SVG.

Unique Features

  • Diversity of themes, including classic, colorful, and business templates. Click the Mode push button to customize node spacing, background color, line, border shape, and more.
  • Adjust the mind map in seven dissimilar layouts and reset them at any time. Click the Layout button and change it to listen map, logic nautical chart, tree chart, and fishbone.
  • View, edit, and export the listen map in outline fashion. And share the heed map y'all created with a link or interact in real-time.

3. Canva

editing mind map with canva

Canva is a web-based graphic pattern app that makes information technology easy to create mind maps. Equipped with gear up-to-utilise templates and toolset, yous tin utilize this app for educational presentations, concern pitches, corporate proposals, and project planning.

Enter the term 'listen map' in the search field, and inside a few seconds, you'll see a diverseness of templates. The congenital-in tools permit you insert elements like shapes, frames, arrows, gradients, and more. You tin even modify the text, photos, and background. The export options include PNG, JPEG, GIF, and PDF.

The free account gives y'all 5GB of free storage space, admission to ii,50,000 templates, image uploads, and collaboration with team members in real-time. Check out the pricing page for more details.

Unique Features

  • Embed the mind map in any file. Then, share information technology on social media or email correct from the app.
  • Insert pictures, embed videos, links from the web or Twitter, and GIF to make the mind map informative and catchy. Utilize symbols, color codes, speech bubbles, and icons for informative presentations.
  • Manage your design pages from inside the editor. You tin add pages, rearrange them, and add together notes for the presentation.
  • Nowadays your reports, discuss brainstorm sessions, pitch decks, and more. Click the Present button to become started.

Download: Android, iOS (Gratis, Pro Plan: $12.99/user/month)

four. InfoRapid KnowledgeBase Builder

Traditional mind mapping tools are hierarchical. When you first creating complex linkages, they quickly get disruptive and unusable. Just with this app, y'all can bring together multiple ideas, and still information technology adjusts your map dynamically to an elegant layout. You click a topic, and everything rearranges around it automatically.

You lot tin can build a mind map from scratch, import notes, links, images, and attach them to any particular or a relation. There is likewise an selection to integrate information technology with a data source to create a mind map from text files, Wikipedia articles, and tweets.

To become started, blazon in the topic name and click New Item. For each topic, type a name and add a clarification. You can add descriptive linking phrases on relationship lines and select colors, dotted or solid lines. Or even customize the manner of the ends, with or without arrows.

Unique Features

  • Insert multiple items, edit or delete them, and use drag-and-drib for moving relations.
  • Toggle between a 2D and 3D displaying mode and show or hide cross-connections. You lot tin export 3D mind maps with hyperlinks and embed them on your website.
  • Build a map from MediaWiki, including all the sister Wikipedia sites. And import outlines from CSV, RDF, XSD, and more than.
  • Generate flashcards to memorize items and practice the quiz sessions.

Download: Windows 10 ($x), Mac ($ix) | iOS ($ix), Android ($11)

v. Scapple

When you lot draft an outline, you can piece of work out if the ideas connect, what order works best, place gaps in your thinking, and confirm your thoughts with proven facts. Scapple is an intuitive app for jotting your ideas down by developing connections between them. It's the software equivalent of pen and paper.

Unlike typical mind-mapping software, Scapple doesn't force you to make connections, nor do you accept to begin with a central idea. Information technology'south a freeform writing app with an expandable sail to fit all your notes. You can motion notes around to brand room for new connections, edit and resize them, and consign them to PDF.

Unique Features

  • Stack notes on summit of one another to create lists or columns of text. They're useful for maintaining a listing of related ideas that don't vest in a unmarried note.
  • Add links to the text inside notes or even files on your computer. Yous can fifty-fifty depict a background shape around a group of links and concepts.
  • Incrementally search through the document and even supervene upon text. Information technology is useful for quickly jumping from one cluster to the adjacent on a large sail.
  • If you use Scrivener to write essays or novels, you tin can freely interchange notes between Scapple and Scrivener.

Download: Scapple (30-twenty-four hour period trial; $18)

6. EdrawMind

EdrawMind is a cross-platform mind mapping software. The user interface matches the familiar Office UI. The app lets you lot insert various mind map objects similar relationship lines, callout, clipart, picture, link, attachment, note, tags, and more.

The left panel is your canvas. You'll discover options to arrange the content in the correct sidebar, alter the appearance of your diagrams, add a groundwork, view, and export outlines. There's a handy color strip below the canvas to set the line and fill color.

Unique Features

  • Twelve different heed map layouts along with dozens of ready-fabricated templates to infuse creativity.
  • Automatically create slides by disassembling your mind map into dissever branches. Add notes, background, design to the slides, and export them as PPT or PDF.
  • Store files in Edraw cloud storage for access and collaboration in existent-fourth dimension. You can run grouping brainstorming sessions and collect ideas.
  • Handy Gantt Nautical chart manner to visualize and track progress on whatsoever project.

Download: EdrawMind (Costless, Pro: $59/yr, Perpetual: $145)

Make a Heed Map in Microsoft Discussion

Picking the right heed map tool for your workflow is not easy. The apps discussed in a higher place cover a wide range of features, needs, and budgets. If you're merely getting started with a mind map, try out this free or inexpensive tool and see if it fits your needs.

Do y'all know that you can use Microsoft Discussion to draw quick mind maps? There are some simple rules to follow, merely y'all don't need a complicated app for making a basic mind map. And then instead, read this piece on how to brand a listen map with Microsoft Word.

Image credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

How to Build a Mind Map in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Discussion may not be the first tool you choice for listen maps. Merely with these tips, Give-and-take can be constructive for mind mapping.

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Rahul Saigal (176 Articles Published)

With his Yard.Optom Caste in Eye Intendance Speciality, Rahul worked as a lecturer for many years in the college. Writing and education others is always his passion. He now writes about technology and make information technology digestible for readers who don't sympathise it well.

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