Brainstorming and mind mapping can be a great way to come up with new ideas, but it can be hard to find the right tools. Here are some of the best websites and software for brainstorming and mind mapping. MindMeister is a popular website for brainstorming and mind mapping. It has a user-friendly interface and allows users to create diagrams, lists, and tables easily. MindMeister also has a built-in chat feature that allows users to communicate with each other easily. Google Docs is another popular website for brainstorming and mind mapping. It has an easy-to-use interface and allows users to create documents with multiple layers of content. Google Docs also has a built-in chat feature that allows users to communicate with each other easily. Evernote is another popular website for brainstorming and mind mapping. It has an easy-to-use interface and allows users to save documents in different formats (including PDF). Evernote also has a built-in chat feature that allows users to communicate with each other easily. ..
A mind map is a diagram that allows you to visually outline information, helping you organize, solve problems, and make decisions. Start with a single idea in the center of the diagram and add associated ideas, words, and concepts connected radially around the central idea.
We’ve collected links to websites and software that can help you create mind maps, and collaborate on and share your maps with others. The programs and websites listed here are all either free or have a free option.
FreeMind
FreeMind is a free mind-mapping program written in Java. It supports folding and unfolding with one click and the ability to follow HTML links stored in the nodes to websites or local files. You can drag and drop nodes to copy one or more nodes and to copy text or a list of files from outside the program.
FreeMind also provides a search function that shows the results one by one as you “find next,” unfolding only the nodes for the items found.
Mind maps created in FreeMind can also be exported to HTML with the folding capability converted to links.
XMind
XMind is a free, open source mind mapping program for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X that allows you to plan, capture, organize, and act on your ideas. XMind’s Mind Toolbox allows you to setup relationships between topics, boundaries around topics, summaries of selected topics, labels to categorize and annotate topics, and markers used to express specific meanings, such as priority or progress.
XMind can also be used to create organization charts, tree charts, logic charts, and more, even within one map. You can share your mind maps on the web.
XMind also has Plus ($79) and Pro ($99) versions that offer additional features. You can also sign up for a subscription to XMind for $79 per year.
For more information about XMind, see our article that describes using the Linux version of the program.
iMindMap
iMindMap Basic is a free mind mapping program for Windows and Mac OS X useful for brainstorming, taking notes, planning and organizing, and managing tasks. You can even use it to deliver 3D presentations.
Some of the useful features in iMindMap are the Icon Library, the notes feature that allows you to add a variety of content into your maps, and the ability to export your mind maps as .jpeg or .png images.
There is also a Home and Student version available for £49 and an Ultimate version for £149.
Blumind
Blumind is a simple, but powerful, free mind mapping program for Windows that supports multiple chart layouts, such as organization charts, tree diagrams, logic diagrams, and more. The program supports themes and contains a lot of built-in themes you can customize. You can also add notes, icons, progress bars and other widgets to your maps.
Mind maps created in Blumind can also be exported to multiple formats, including JPG, PNG, SVG, and TXT.
Blumind is also available in portable format.
NOTE: If you’re using Windows XP or earlier, you need to install the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later (4.0 standalone installer or 4.0 web installer).
TheBrain
TheBrain is a mind mapping program for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X that allows you to capture and organize all the ideas and thoughts in your head and digital information, such as webpages, documents, images, and notes, and more.
The free version of TheBrain allows you to create an unlimited number of Thoughts and links and add rich formatting to your notes and webpages to Thoughts. You can perform a full content search of your notes and generate basic reports.
When you download TheBrain, you can try all the features of the Pro version ($219) for 30 days. After that time, if you want to keep using the advanced features available in the Pro version, you need to pay for the upgrade. However, if you don’t upgrade, you can continue to use TheBrain Free Edition to add new Thoughts and notes, without losing any of your work.
Compendium
Compendium is a free software tool that allows you to manage your information and ideas and the connections among them.
Use Compendium to manage your personal digital information resources. You can drag and drop any document, website, email, image, etc. into the program and organize them visually and connect ideas, arguments, and decisions related to these items. Compendium can help you collect and make sense of disparate material normally stored in different software programs. You can also assign your own keywords, or “tags,” to the items and create your own icons that have special meaning to you.
WiseMapping
WiseMapping is a free, online mind mapping editor for both individuals and businesses that doesn’t require you to install anything on your computer. It allows you to easily share your maps with others by embedding it into any webpage without using plugins. You can also import maps from and export maps to FreeMind, mentioned earlier in this article.
Mind42
Mind42 is another free, simple, online mind map editor with easy navigation for large mind maps, using zoom and “birdview.” You can also attach notes and images to branches and link branches to websites and see a preview of a site when you rollover a link. They also provide an online user guide to help get you started.
Freeplane
Freeplane is a free, open source mind mapping program that allows you to organize and share your thoughts and information. You can use the program to take freestyle, unconnected notes (like post-its) or to order ideas into a hierarchy using lines. Nodes can be connected with links, connectors, and labels, grouped using visual containers, and classified with metadata, or attributes.
You can also create tasks from your maps with calendars and reminders. Your entire map or individual nodes in your map can be password protected with DES encryption.
Freeplane functionality can be extended with add-ons and custom scripts.
These programs and websites should give you a start on organizing your thoughts and ideas. If you’ve discovered other useful brainstorming or mind-mapping programs or websites, let us know.
