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

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