Free mind mapping (and related types) software

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I see regular inquiries on Twitter and in forums from people looking for free software to support visual thinking. To provide answers, InformationTamers have put together 14 pages to help you find the one for your needs. These show the platform, a screen thumbnail and a link for more information in each case. We built this article using the most complete source for details of information mapping software on the Web: Mind-mapping.org. Hat tip to Vic Gee who put Mind-mapping.org together and kept it up to date for years. [I took over that site in August 2013 – Roy Grubb]

Mind-mapping.org has a good capability for selecting software by map type and operating system (click on the ‘Refine software list’ tab at the top right of its web page). Although it shows the price, it doesn’t let you filter on price or choose to see only the free ones. The articles here, categorized by map type, are a quick source to find current software that is free or has a free option. It excludes free-trial tools.

“Free” here is as in beer, not in freedom, though some of the software listed is open source, so is free in both senses.

Of course a pencil and paper is always almost free.

This used to be one long page, but as I updated and added to it, it became unmanageable, so now it’s broken down by category. Some tools are flexible enough to appear in more than one section.

Free tools …[edit]

Click through for more details:

3D concept and mind maps
3DTopicscape Conspicio Morcego
60pxTopicscape SE2.0.jpg 60pxConspicio.jpg 60pxMorcego.jpg
Concept maps
3DTopicscape Bubbl.us Cayra CmapTools CoFFEE Compendium Conzilla
60pxTopicscape SE2.0.jpg 60pxBubbl.us.jpg 60pxCayra.jpg 60pxCmap.jpg 60pxCoFFEE.jpg 60pxCompendium.jpg 60pxConzilla.jpg
InfoRapidKB Labyrinth LifeMap VUE Hypergraph
60pxIRKBB.jpg 60pxLabyrinth.jpg 60pxLifeMap.jpg 60pxVUE.jpg 60pxHypergraph.jpg
Development platforms for map forms
JGraph JSViz Prefuse GeNIe&SMILE transLucid yEd
60pxJGraph.jpg 60pxJSViz.jpg 60pxPrefuse.jpg 60pxSMILE.jpg 60pxTransLucid.jpg 60pxYEd.jpg
Diagrams, flowcharts
Creately Dia DrawAnywhere Gliffy GraphViz My.Origramy yEd
60pxCreatelyScreenShotMindMap.jpg 60pxDia.jpg 60pxDrawAnywhere.jpg 60pxGliffy.jpg 60pxGraphViz.jpg 60pxMy.Origramy.jpg 60pxYEdDG.jpg
Hyperbolic trees
GraphViz Hypergraph Treeviz yEd
60pxGraphViz.jpg 60pxHypergraph.jpg 60pxTreeviz.jpg 60pxYEdHT.jpg
Information & knowledge management
3DTopicscape eyePlorer InfoRapidKB JSViz MohioMap ProtégéFrames ProtégéOWL Xebece
60pxTopicscape SE2.0.jpg 60pxEyePlorer.jpg 60pxIRKBB.jpg 60pxJSViz.jpg 60pxMohioMap-2.jpg 60pxProtege-frames.jpg 60pxProtege-OWL.jpg 60pxXebece.jpg
Maps of arguments, decisions, influence, etc.
Argunet Cohere Debategraph Prefuse
60pxArgunet.jpg 60pxCohere.jpg 60pxDebategraph.jpg 60pxPrefuse.jpg
Mind maps
3DTopicscape Cayra CharTr Coggle ConnectedMind Creately DRichardMm
60pxTopicscape SE2.0.jpg 60pxCayra.jpg 60pxCharTr.jpg 60pxCoggle.jpg 60pxConnectedMind.jpg 60pxCreatelyScreenShotMindMap.jpg 60pxDRichardScreenShotMindMap.jpg
FreeMind Freeplane Gliffy GraphMind Hypergraph InfoRapidKBB Mind42
60pxFreeMind.jpg 60pxFreeplane2.jpg 60pxGliffy.jpg 60pxGraphmind.jpg 60pxHypergraph.jpg 60pxIRKBB.jpg 60pxMind42.jpg
MindApp MindMapViewer MindMaple MindMup MindRaider Semantik SpicyNodes
60pxMindapp.jpg 60pxMindMapViewer.jpg 60pxMindMaple.jpg 60pxMindMup.jpg 60pxMindRaider.jpg 60pxSemantik.jpg 60pxSpicyNodes.jpg
Spiderscribe Text2Mindmap Tomboy ViewYourMind WiseMapping Xebece Xmind XWiki
60pxSpiderscribe.jpg 60pxText2Mindmap.jpg 60pxTomboy-mindmap.jpg 60pxVYM.jpg 60pxWiseMapping.jpg 60pxXebece.jpg 60pxXMind.jpg 60pxXWiki.jpg
Ontologies and taxonomies
Jambalaya ProtégéOWL Dendroscope
60pxJambalaya.jpg 60pxProtege-OWL.jpg 60pxDendroscope.jpg
Presentations
Prezi VUE
60pxPrezi.jpg 60pxVUE.jpg
Read-only content maps
GraphWords InfoRapidKP InstaGrok MohioMap Visuwords WikiMindMap
60pxGraph-words.jpg 60pxIRKP.jpg 60pxInstaGrok.jpg 60pxMohioMap-2.jpg 60pxVisuwords.jpg 60pxWikiMindMap.jpg
Treemaps
SpaceSniffer TreeSheets Treeviz
60pxSpaceSniffer.jpg 60pxTreesheets.jpg 60pxTreeviz.jpg
Wiki-related
MindRaider QwikiWiki XWikiMindMap
60pxMindRaider.jpg 60pxQuery.jpg 60pxXWiki.jpg
With significant limitations in free account
InfoRapidKP LovelyCharts MindMeister Mindomo Wisdomap
60pxInfoRapidKnowledgeMap.jpg 60pxLovelyCharts.jpg 60pxMindMeister.jpg 60pxMindomo.jpg 60pxWisdomap.jpg
For free information about the hundreds of
visual thinking tools available, visit the

Visual Thinking Center