Alternatives to Freeplane

Mind mapping and knowledge management that goes far beyond drawing bubbles, with scripting, conditional styles and attributes. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Freeplane.

  • Xmind

    A mind mapping and brainstorming app for web, desktop and mobile with AI and Gantt planning.

    FreemiumProprietaryWeb

    Xmind is a freemium web mind mapping app with templates, AI and Gantt planning, but it is closed source and some features are in paid plans.

  • VYM

    Mind mapping application for arranging ideas as a tree.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    VYM is also free and open source under GPL-2.0 on Windows, macOS and Linux, and is scriptable, but has a more basic interface and occasional releases.

  • MindNode

    A mind mapping and outlining app for Apple devices that turns loose ideas into structured plans.

    FreemiumProprietarymacOSiOS

    MindNode offers native mind map and outline views with tasks, but it runs only on Apple platforms and is closed-source freemium.

  • Heimer

    Arrange ideas as connected nodes in a desktop mind map.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Heimer is a simpler open source mind map for Windows and Linux with automatic layouts and image exports, without Freeplane's attributes or Groovy scripting.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Freeplane as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • TreeSheets

    Organize ideas in a grid of nested cells.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Freeplane is a GPL-2.0 mind mapping tool with attributes, conditional styles and Groovy scripting, running on Java instead of using a nested grid.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.