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Freeplane vs TheBrain: catalog facts
Freeplane	TheBrain
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free The desktop app is free according to the developer's site.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Attributes, conditional styles, filtering and scripting go well beyond drawing a diagram Groovy scripting can generate or transform entire maps	Ideas can link to many contexts without duplication Long-developed product with a large user base
A dense interface with a real learning curve Java Swing looks and feels out of place on every platform	Network-style interface takes time to learn Not open source
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.