10 Best Mind Mapping Software to Plan Projects in 2023

The Best Mind Mapping Software

Scroll to see which tools made it to this top 10, or head straight to the overviews.

1. 1.

   Lucidspark

   — Best virtual whiteboard for mind mapping and collaboration

   

2. 2.

   Miro

   — Best mind mapping with built-in communication tools

3. 3.

   Invision

   — Best design template library

4. 4.

   Creately

   — Best free mind mapping software with ULM diagram templates and real-time collaboration features

5. 5.

   MindGenius

   — Best simple mind mapping software

6. 6.

   Whimsical

   — Best for real-time mind map collaboration

7. 7.

   Mindomo

   — Best mind mapping software for its user-friendly, omni-platform experience across cloud, desktop, and mobile

8. 8.

   Ayoa

   — Best all-in-one mind mapping software

9. 9.

   MindView

   — Best for its unlimited document attachment space and exporting features

10. 10.

    Visio

    — Best mind mapping software for Microsoft users

If you had to place mind mapping in any phase of the project management lifecycle, it would be in the planning phase. Creating a mindmap can help you categorize the parts of a project and break down complex projects in a visually intuitive way.

Because of this intuitiveness, mind mapping is probably one of the most fun work dynamics we have in the workplace. We buy a bunch of supplies, gather the team in a room, and dedicate a few hours to building it. However, we depend on a lot of fortuitous coincidences happening at the same time.

First, the supplies (including the coffee) are enough to complete the task. Second, there will be no unexpected emergencies, and everyone on the team will be available on the day. Finally, all attendees will bring their A-game and be at their most creative during the session.

Since the odds of all those happening at the same time are pretty slim, mind mapping software increases your chances of having better results thanks to its collaboration features. People can contribute with their best ideas and at the time most convenient for them, regardless of their location. You can leave that Statement of Work writing for later 😉

How I Picked The Best Mind Mapping Software

The most important thing that a mind mapping app does is help you represent ideas visually. Therefore, I searched for the most popular software for mind mapping. After creating a list, I narrowed it down based on factors that make software a good option for mind mapping in project management, like the ones below.

Real-time collaborative drawing

A great collaboration tool lets multiple users work on new ideas in real time on the same mind map. The tools on this list mostly have tags or markers that let you know who is doing what.

Easy file attachments

Can users easily attach external files? The best mind mapping apps allow users to attach audio files, videos, images, and links to mind maps. These attachments help the team have loads of information in one view, without visually cluttering the board.

Presentation & sharing tools

Is it easy to present and share your diagrams? Mind maps are often used as visual communication or presentation tools. Therefore, mind mapping software should make it easy to share mind maps, convert them into presentations, toggle between views, and enable others to easily access and view your mind maps.

Integrations

Is it a stand-alone tool, or does it sync with your business applications (such as data management, documents, diagramming, development, and presentation tools)? Your need for integrations depends on how you plan to use the mind mapping software, but tools with pre-built integrations with common tools like Microsoft Office and Google Drive make it easier to get more insight, more quickly, from your mind mapping app.

The Best Mind Mapping Software

1

Lucidspark

Best virtual whiteboard for mind mapping and collaboration

Lucidspark provides real-time collaboration and facilitation features including sticky notes, freeform drawing, comments, tasks, automatic sorting, Breakout Boards, a laser pointer, a timer, and voting. Users can start with a blank canvas and easily add sticky notes and other shapes, or they can start with templates for brainstorming, mind maps, meetings and workshops, strategic analysis, project planning, and Agile development.

Users can quickly embed PDFs, PNGs, and other files onto the canvas, as well as create presentations and frame-by-frame paths to guide collaborators through content. Lucidspark has a simple and customizable UI that can be mastered in a few minutes. Users can access all features from the toolbars, as well as take an onboarding tutorial and view all keyboard shortcuts.

Lucidspark is ideal for individuals and teams looking to collaborate in ways that lead to decision-making and action. It’s a flexible application that allows you to brainstorm, plan, and make decisions in a way that’s best for your team.

Lucidspark offers integrations for leading apps like Zoom, Slack, Azure DevOps, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Smartsheet, Confluence, and others.

Lucidspark has a free version available for individual users. Paid plans start at $7.95/month with a 7-day free trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.5

2065

7-day free trial available

From 7.95/user/month

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2

Miro

Best mind mapping with built-in communication tools

Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard with over 1,000 templates including mind maps, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, product wireframes, research boards, and flowcharts. It’s trusted by 99% of the Fortune 100, and used by teams at TransUnion, HP, Upwork, Cisco, Qlik, and Atkins. Miro’s visual platform is built for hybrid work, and has robust resources for continuous learning like Miro Academy, online events, and a community forum.

Try one of Miro’s top templates — Mind Map. It’s a fast, intuitive way for teams to capture, organize, and structure ideas. Mind mapping empowers in-person, remote, and hybrid teams to brainstorm, plan projects, map out information architecture, create org charts, and develop sales strategies. Plus, on Miro, communication is seamless with chat, comments, and the ability to auto-organize and add content to your map.

At The Digital Project Manager, we use Miro to map out content clusters and to visualize content workflows from start (brainstorming ideas) to finish (publishing the content on our site).

Miro has integrations with a whole suite of tools, including Zoom, Figma, Asana, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Slack, Google Drive, Box, Airtable, Notion, Azure, and Webex. Some integrations are limited to paid plans only.

Miro is free to use for unlimited members with up to 3 editable boards. Paid plans start at $8/user/month (billed annually).

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.8

3414

Freemium plan available

Plans start at $10/member/month

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Pros

• Built-in communication features for streamlined collaboration
• Intuitive and easy setup
• Free forever plan available

Cons

• Free version does not allow high-quality export to pdf
• Zooming can be jumpy on larger projects
• Visitor/guest accounts locked to paid plans only

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3

Invision

Best design template library

InVision Freehand is a free online whiteboard that can be used for collaborative mind mapping, note taking, and wireframing. It’s used by teams from Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, American Express, and KPMG.

From product managers and marketers to recruiters and engineers—Freehand’s simplicity makes everyone feel at home from the first time they try it. Whether you’re brainstorming, planning, or facilitating a meeting, Freehand allows you to spend more time contributing than figuring out how to contribute.

You can draw a variety of shapes quickly and easily with intuitive tooling and connect shapes with snapping line connectors. Then, add sticky notes and collaborate with others in real-time on a shared canvas. Integration with Microsoft Teams allows you to co-create during a live meeting or asynchronously through chat.

Some noteworthy features included: pre-made templates from leading companies; facilitation features like voting, present mode, and sticky notes; Advanced controls like locking and version history. Enterprises plans can access custom templates, SSO, SCIM integrations, audit logging, and a dedicated customer success team

InVision Freehand is free to use for up to 10 users and 3 projects. Paid plans cost from $4.95/user/month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.4

744

Free plan available

From $7.95/user/month

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Pros

• Excellent Microsoft Teams integration
• Free-forever plan available
• Simple and intuitive

Cons

• Their pro plan is free now, but only temporarily
• Custom templates locked to enterprise plan

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4

Creately

Best free mind mapping software with ULM diagram templates and real-time collaboration features

Creately is an online visual workspace with advanced capabilities to make drawing mind maps online quick and easy. It’s suitable for both individual and team use, and can be used in any industry, from marketing to education.

It has an infinite canvas, simple drag-and-drop functionality, and the ability to create shortcuts to visualize and organize information and ideas. With its context toolbar, you can also easily color code and format mind maps. The tool has an extensive library of mind map templates apt for all kinds of scenarios including brainstorming, design thinking, problem-solving, documenting research, and more.

Creately allows you to copy and paste or drag and drop images and graphics from your device, or browse and add more elements with its built-in Google image search option. You can also add hyperlinks which can be displayed right within the app with an iFrame, to make your mind maps more resourceful.

You can also collaborate with others on your team, or with your clients in real-time using in-app video conferencing or in-line comments which also serve as an in-app chat function.

You can track changes other teammates make on the canvas with real-time change previews and live mouse tracking. Additionally, you can export your mind map in SVGs, PNGs, JPEGs, or PDFs for printing or publishing, or you can embed them as images in a web page or document with a secure link.

Creately also has plugins for Slack, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Confluence, and a desktop version. However, Creately’s free version only allows 3 collaborators; if you have a larger team, you will have to consider switching to a paid version.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.4

229

Free plan with limited features

From $4/user/month

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Pros

• Standard shape libraries for 70+ diagram types
• Easy-to-create mind map shortcuts
• Multiple scenario-based templates

Cons

• Free plan limits shape libraries and document sizes
• Free version only allows 3 collaborators

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5

MindGenius

Best simple mind mapping software

MindGenius is a combination of a concept map creator and a project planning tool. It’s designed for use in educational settings as well as for freelancers, small businesses, and agencies.

MindGenius’ suite includes drag-and-drop mind map creation, along with project planning features like Gantt charts, kanban task views, and some basic project reporting tools. They include several features for making mind maps more useful, with filtering, highlighting, and labelling tools to help you organize and present your mind maps effectively. MindGenius also integrates with Microsoft Office, so you can easily export project data and mind maps to Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint and Microsoft Project.

Overall, MindGenius is a useful brainstorming tool that helps you convert your mind maps from simple brainstorming documents into tools for managing your projects and business. They consistently roll out cool new features; most recently, their MindGenius 2019 version offers ways to share information with others with integration to MindGenius Online, Twitter, Facebook and Dropbox, One Drive and Google.

MindGenius offers two pricing models – Perpetual and Subscription. Perpetual is $256, Subscription is $160 in year one followed by $56 annually from year 2 onwards. A subscription includes upgrades to all future revisions of MindGenius.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.7

20

14 day free trial

First year $160, year two onwards $56

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Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Easily switch from MindMap to Gantt chart or timeline
• Easily move MindView maps into MS Project

Cons

• Slight learning curve compared to other apps
• Templates with embedded graphics can be finicky
• RTF editor for notes can be awkward to manage

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6

Whimsical

Best for real-time mind map collaboration

Whimsical is a mind mapping software that’s built for real-time (or asynchronous) team ideation. Users can comment on individual connections and follow another teammate’s cursor around the map. Your mind maps can be integrated with other Whimsical files so you can switch between mind maps, wireframes, projects, and docs.

Whimsical also gives you the ability to create mind maps without over-complicated styling options. Keyboard shortcuts help with organizing your ideas, which you can add in the form of text, images, links, and even icons from Whimsical’s library.

You don’t have to download any additional apps or browser extensions to use Whimsical mind maps as all functionality is available within your browser.

Whimsical has a direct integration with Github and can be embedded in Notion docs. It also supports two-factor authentication with any authenticator app.

Whimsical costs from $10/user/month. You can create up to 1,000 items in Whimsical for free

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.5

36

Free trial available

From $10/user/month

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Pros

• Modern, intuitive user interface
• Great for beginners
• Viewers and guests are free
• Free plan available

Cons

• Can’t delete mind maps
• Sometimes struggles to import large images

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7

Mindomo

Best mind mapping software for its user-friendly, omni-platform experience across cloud, desktop, and mobile

Mindomo is an easy-to-learn concept map generator geared towards teachers and students, but it’s useful for small businesses and corporate agencies. It offers a suite of mindmapper tools with an emphasis on collaboration, providing users with the ability to easily co-create, share, and present their mind maps.

Some of Mindomo’s most useful mind mapping tools include real-time collaboration, a template library, the ability to add links, video, and audio to mind maps, and the ability to easily search for web images directly within the app. You can quickly turn mind maps into presentations with their Presentation Mode feature, or you can export in various formats (pdf, .docx, .pptx, .txt, .opml, .mpx, .html, .zip, .png.)

Overall, Mindomo is a practical, user-friendly mind mapping software that focuses on doing one thing and doing well. Their native mobile apps make it all the more convenient to use this tool, enabling users to create and edit mind maps while offline from any mobile device (Android, iPad, iPhone, etc). Additionally, Mindomo integrations are more numerous than most other mind mapping software, including Google Apps, Office365, and LTI integrations with education apps like Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, itslearning, Schoology, and others.

Mindomo pricing works out to $6/user/month, and they also offer a free mind map software supporting up to 3 mind maps.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.7

6

Free version available

From $6/user/month

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Pros

• Great shortcut keys for map design inputs
• Simple, good quality PDF exports
• Plenty of styling options for color coding and branding

Cons

• Does not integrate with project management platforms
• No code formatting and image integration in notes
• No filtering across multiple maps (what tasks are due across all, etc.)

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8

Ayoa

Best all-in-one mind mapping software

Ayoa was developed by Chris Griffiths, the world’s leading mind mapping expert, who worked with Tony Buzan for over 20 years, the inventor of the Mind Map. 

Ayoa mimics the natural thinking process through organic mind mapping, and it’s the only mind-mapping software with artificial intelligence built in, as well as freehand mind mapping capabilities. Ayoa is the perfect blend of whiteboard, task management, and mind mapping tools. 

Ayoa has powerful whiteboard features like adding free-form text, documents, notes, images, and lists. You can also draw diagrams, flowcharts, and even embed other boards. Despite all of these features, it remains easy to use, making it perfect for brainstorming ideas, taking notes during meetings, teaching lessons, and making plans for various projects.

Ayoa is perfect for creating fun and stunning organic mind maps that improve creativity whilst helping you solve complex problems or learn complex topics. Ayoa is also ideal for delivering memorable presentations.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.

4.4

55

7-day free trial

From $10/user/month, billed annually

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Pros

• Great for individuals or small teams
• Highly organic mind mapping experience
• Uses AI to stimulate ideas
• All-in-one mind mapping, collaboration and task management solution

Cons

• Ayoa, as a new entrant, has few integrations
• User management for large teams needs improving

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9

MindView

Best for its unlimited document attachment space and exporting features

MindView is a powerful mind mapping tool for capturing, developing and presenting ideas and information. MindView is one of the leading mind mapping software for project management and has several layouts including timeline and Gantt chart. MindView’s MS Office integration has been awarded multiple times as the industry leader.

MindView allows you to brainstorm sessions and present ideas visually. Users have the ability to customize mind maps, collaborate in real-time, attach files and utilize presentation mode. Project Managers can also create baselines and effort driven tasks. You can brainstorm your project plan in a mind map, apply task information and resources, then transfer the plan to the built-in Gantt chart and project timeline or export to Microsoft Project.

MindView adopts the latest Microsoft Office interface and has built-in tutorial videos to guide you. The use of the ribbon system makes the software familiar and intuitive to use and learn. You can also use the latest MS Office keyboard shortcuts.

MindView imports and exports to the entire MS Office suite (Excel, PP, Word, Outlook) including MS Project. MindView also exports to .pdf, HTML, project reports, XML, rtf and picture.

MindView starts at $379 for a single user license. They also offer a free trial and free webinars to get you set up.

Free trial

From $379

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Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Easily switch from MindMap to Gantt chart or timeline
• Easily move MindView maps into MS Project

Cons

• Slight learning curve compared to other apps
• Templates with embedded graphics can be finicky
• RTF editor for notes can be awkward to manage

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10

Visio

Best mind mapping software for Microsoft users

From Microsoft Visio is visual diagramming tool that works well for mind mapping as well as creating many other graphical representations. If you’re already using Office 365, Visio is a top choice because it can pull data from Office 365 and let you visualize it in real-time with the charts you’ve set up in Visio. This functionality sets it apart from other tools, as Visio enables you to bring you data to life in dashboards that display data-linked diagrams. It does more than simply help you illustrate your ideas on a screen.

Much more than a simple brainstorming app, Visio provides ready-made templates to create block diagrams, flowcharts, timelines, flowcharts, floorplans, engineering designs, and Specification and Description Language (SDL) diagrams (and it also supports AutoCAD drawings). Users can share their diagrams as a link, attachment, image, or PDF and can collaborate through the comments and annotations features. Additionally, unlike a lot of the other mindmap software, Visio allows multiple users to collaborate simultaneously on the same mindmap.

Overall, this is one of the more robust mind mapping tools out there. Keep in mind, it does have a steeper learning curve than many other tools, and it definitely offers more than you need if you’re just looking for a simple interface to make an idea map. However, for technical teams, engineers, architects, and business intelligence use cases, Visio is a top choice—as long as you’re willing to stay within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft offers Visio through a one-time purchase (Visio Standard and Visio Profession) or as a SaaS (Visio Online).

Visio costs from $6.40/user/month. A one-time license costs from $459.

30-day free trial

From $5/user/month

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Pros

• Ready-made blocks and flow diagrams
• Over 250,000 shapes to choose from
• Best for writing UML diagrams
• Robust library of templates

Cons

• No customization of predefined shapes
• Complicated UX and features list
• Lags on older PCs

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Need expert help selecting the right Mindmapping Software?

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Other Mind Mapping Software

The options below did not make it to the top 10, but are worth checking out if you are looking for more tools.

1. Slickplan

   Best diagram designer for web planning teams

2. XMind

   Best mobile mind mapping app

3. Coggle

   Best for embeddable mind maps

4. SmartDraw

   Best for mind mapping templates

5. MindManager

   Mind mapping tool that works with Microsoft Teams and supports both Windows/MacOS.

6. ConceptDraw MINDMAP

   Best professional-grade mind mapping software for its timer-based brainstorm mode

7. Edraw Wondershare

   Best mind mapping software for business and education

8. Milanote

   Best multimedia mind mapping software

9. ClickUp

   Best free plan for mind mapping software

10. MindMeister

    Best mind mapping tool for business and education

Mind Mapping Software FAQs

Find answers to common questions people ask about this topic.

What is a mindmap? What is mind mapping?

A mind map is a conceptual web showing the relationship between ideas. Here’s a simple example of a mind map:

Therefore, mind mapping is a brainstorming process and creative exercise that results in a mind map.

Related read: What Is Mind Mapping? (+ How To Do It)

How do I make a mind map?

Because mind mapping is a creative exercise, your process for making a mind map will differ depending on your personal preferences, tools, and project at hand. There is no “single way” to do mind mapping, but if you’re using mind mapping software, you’ll follow a process like this.

1. Begin with a blank canvas.
2. Add a central node—your central idea or theme.
3. Brainstorm sub-ideas or related ideas, adding them to the canvas.
4. Draw lines to connect ideas and represent the relationship between ideas. Drag and drop the elements to re-organize your ideas as you add to the map.
5. Use formatting tools to visually organize and display your information—change colors and size, add icons and images, etc.

Related Read: A Complete Guide To Workflow Diagrams For Project Managers

What is mind mapping software?

Also called concept mapping software, it is a brainstorming tool that enables you to create visual diagrams of your ideas.

Mind mapping software ranges from simple brainstorming apps to complex data visualization and diagramming tools. Mind mapping tools can be useful in any of the following use cases:

• Brainstorming: Create mind maps—visually organize and present ideas.
• Diagramming: Create engineering diagrams, project timelines, architectural plans, org charts, network diagrams, and other business or technical diagrams.
• Software development and web design: Create wireframes and site map diagrams.
• Business Intelligence: Import and visualize live data from business applications in charts, diagrams, etc.

Which are the mind mapping software key features?

These are a few must-haves when it comes to the features in a mind mapping solution.

• Organic mind maps: The flexibility to draw anywhere and sketch anything (like on a whiteboard) is key to making sure a brainstorming session maintains a creative and adaptable approach to project planning.
• Collaboration feature set: Collaboration should be as easy as commenting, @-tagging, sharing, and uploading. Bonus points for tools that go above and beyond here, with features like collaborative note-taking.
• Mind map template library: An easy way to get up and moving quickly when you don’t have time to start from scratch. Templates should cover different types of maps, like concept maps, org charts, flowcharts, UML diagrams, etc.
• Keyboard shortcuts: Built-in quality of life tools should be available for users to quickly perform basic actions like adding comments, shapes, notes, and attachments. The less time menuing, the better.

Why should I use mind mapping software?

You should use mind mapping software because it’s a great tool for understanding and communicating ideas.

Of course, you can create a mind map on a piece of paper, but using mindmap software has several advantages, such as:

• No size limitation: you’re not limited to the size of your paper.
• Flexibility: you can easily re-organize ideas by clicking and dragging.
• Co-creation: in software that allows you to create a mind map online, you can often have multiple users collaborating on the same mind map.
• Visual presentation: you can use the formatting tools to create professional diagrams that you can quickly share and present.

Still not convinced of the benefits of brainstorming tools? A survey from the Mind Map Software Blog found that online mind map software can increase creativity and productivity by up to 30% and save an average of 7 hours per week. 86% of respondents indicated that using a mind mapping tool helped them tackle a complex project they might have otherwise put off.

Read more about the benefits of mind mapping for project management here.

How do I make a mind map for free?

To make a mind map for free, you need to look first at the tools that you use within the company.

If you use Google as an email client, you will have access to Google docs. Therefore, you can make a mind map using Google Slides and share it with your team for collaboration. Although it won’t have the live cursors, it will be able to tell you who is viewing the document at the same time and offer an in-doc chat.

However, if you want to use free mind mapping software, be careful with the information you share on those boards. Usually there is not much security around free solutions. I recommend going instead for the free version of a paid tool, even if it has its limitations, like Lucidchart.

Is there mind mapping for mobile phones?

Besides the tools on this list that have a mobile app, I thought I’d share a few additional ones. These are for anyone constantly on the go and in need of brainstorming while being mobile.

• Simplemind. Simple, reliable mind mapping software for Android, iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Windows.
• MindNode. Highly-rated mind mapping app for Mac and iOS.
• Mindo. Basic mind mapping app for iPad.
• Maptini. Collaborative mind mapping app for iPad, iPhone, or web browser.
• Popplet. User-friendly mind mapping app for school and work, available on iOS or web browser.
• iBlueSky. Uncluttered, intuitive mind mapping app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Best Mind Mapping Software Buyer’s Guide

How do you choose the best mind mapping software?

The best mind mapping software for you depends on what mind mapping technique you want to use. In general, there are two big questions to ask yourself when narrowing down the options:

Do we need live collaboration (co-creating with other users)?

Mind mapping can be an individual creative exercise, and it can also be a group planning or presentation activity. Not all mind mapping software offers a live, real-time collaboration that enables multiple users to co-create the same diagram.

Do we want diagramming beyond mind maps?

While some people use mind mapping software to simply brainstorm ideas in a visual way, others use it to make more complicated visuals. For example, engineering diagrams, architectural plans, and network diagrams.

In some cases, teams use mind mapping software as a diagramming tool for laying out wireframes or websites or even as a data visualization tool to import and display complex data from their business in charts and diagrams.

What’s Next?

If you’re still unsure about getting mind mapping software for your team, read about how this practice supercharges project management and helps you with your project planning.

Related read: What Is The Purpose Of Mind Mapping?

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