Free Brainstorming Apps For Mac
- Jan 02, 2020 With it, you can create to-do lists, give yourself reminders, and outline concepts for future brainstorming sessions. It comes with many different inline styles so you can customize your notes to your personal preferences, and remember the context in which you wrote them. The core version is free, with a $14.99 per year version available as well.
- Mind Vector is the most popular choice for collaborative mind mapping. Use this tool to create, share and edit your mind maps using iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch! All your maps and nodes from built-in app will appear on Apple Watch instantly. “Brainstorming sessions are all about creating great vis.
If you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial period you won’t be charged for using Curio. You can manage and cancel your subscription by going to your account settings on the Mac App Store any time after purchase. See our Frequently Asked Questions for more details on Curio Mac. Mac’s Rants & Raves Episode #386. Last week I told you I’ve become enthralled with a brainstorming and notetaking technology known as mind-mapping and that I’ve been playing around with.
Mind mapping is the process of using visual diagrams to show the relationships between ideas or information. Its popular uses include project planning, collecting and organizing thoughts, brainstorming and presentations — all in order to help solve problems, map out resources and uncover new ideas.
It can be more useful than trying to keep track of our ideas by scribbling them on paper, and can aid in manipulating and generating concepts.
We've compiled a list of 24 mind mapping tools to help you organize, summarize and visualize information, with both free and paid versions available to suit any budget or requirement. The tools mentioned are either browser- or desktop-based, with a selection of mind mapping mobile apps at the end of the article for use on iOS and Android devices.
Is there a particular mind mapping tool you would recommend? If so, please share a link with our readers in the comments below.
1. Mindmeister
MindMeister was built to facilitate collaboration for mind mapping and brainstorming, with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. You can collaborate in real time, discuss changes over live chat, exchange ideas and even view the change history of a mind map.
You can access projects via mobile devices as well as online and offline, safe in the knowledge that your data is stored securely with data encryption and daily monitoring. Since MindMeister is cloud-based, there is no need to install any software or worry about upgrades.
Price: Personal accounts start at $4.99 per month, going up to $14.99 for a business account.
2. iMindMap
iMindMap was developed by Tony Buzan, who popularized the term 'mind maps,' and refined and formalized its diagramming process and guidelines.
iMindMap is designed to be visually stimulating, with curved branches, bright colors and sharp images to help unleash your creativity. You can take full control over your map with a customizable drawing experience, or let iMindMap create the whole map for you. There are freehand, styling and text options so you can create a unique project. It's simple to brainstorm, refine, plan and craft an animated presentation.
Price: Home and student edition is £49 (~$79); the Ultimate package is £149 (~$240).
3. SpiderScribe
SpiderScribe is an online mind mapping and brainstorming tool that lets you organize your ideas by connecting notes, files, and calendar events in freeform maps. You can create private or public maps and collaborate with others, as your maps are stored in the cloud and can be accessed anywhere.
You can combine a variety of media to create a stencil, and each stencil can be customized by changing colors, fonts, size and formats. Another particularly interesting feature of SpiderScribe is the ability to embed your mind maps on your website.
Price: Personal accounts are free, with Pro accounts at $5 per month and business accounts at $25 per month.
4. XMind
XMind is a useful open source mind mapping tool for clarifying thinking, managing complex information, organizing and brainstorming. You can gather ideas and craft them in a logical structure to help identify critical information, uncover patterns, relationships, priorities and trends.
For seamless collaboration, your mind map can be exported into a variety of formats, including PDF, TXT, HTML, PNG, JPEG and more. Along with a mind map structure, XMind also offers tree, logic and fishbone charts, with a built-in spell checker, search, encryption and even audio notes.
Price: Accounts range from free up to $79 per year.
5. Coggle
With Coggle you can brainstorm and produce beautiful notes or mind maps to share and collaborate with others. You can drag and drop images onto your diagrams, view the change history to keep track of edits and customize the colors within each project.
You can export your projects in PDF or PNG format, create private links, or share publicly on social media and add clickable links. Coggle supports Markdown and also works seamlessly on mobile devices.
Price: Free
6. Freemind
Freemind is an open source mind mapping tool built in Java, and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. It has a wide variety of features, including location-based mind mapping, collaboration tools, restore session support and more.
It can be used to keep track of projects as a knowledge base, and as a powerful mind mapping tool for complex diagrams with numerous branches, including embedded links and multimedia. You can export your map as HTML, PDF, OpenDocument, SVG or PNG.
Price: Free
7. Text2MindMap
Text2MindMaps is a useful way of organizing your thoughts using a simple, online tool. It's easy to use — just type some text into the text area, use the tab key to indent text lines and click the Draw Mind Map button to see it evolve.
Each line of text is a separate node in the mind map, and there are options to style the map to suit your requirements. It features a number of keyboard shortcuts, and each map can be downloaded as a PDF or image, or even emailed to share with collaborators.
Price: Free
8. Popplet
Popplet is a mind mapping tool that is perfect for visually curating your ideas and brainstorms. You can visually record your ideas, inspirations and thoughts, as well as upload text, videos, images and draw on your canvas.
For those working in teams, Popplet allows multiple devices to connect to the same project. You can create Popplet presentations, use high-resolution images, create embeds for websites and blogs, and include tags, keywords and categories on all your Popplet projects to make searching easier. There is an accompanying iOS app which gives you mobile access to your projects; however, there is currently no Android version available.
Price: Free
9. Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us makes online brainstorming and mind mapping simple. To start, just type your central topic to start a tree, and then create another idea at the same level or as a sub-level. The Bubbl.us tree will automatically reposition itself to fit any new ideas you have, or you can move the bubbles around manually.
You can customize a tree to suit your style by changing the color and size. The auto-save feature is especially useful, and you can share your project as a read-only file or allow others to edit it. To collaborate on the same tree, other team members must have their own Bubbl.us accounts.
Price: Free
10. Mind42
Browser-based Mind42 allows you to manage all of your ideas on one platform for a fast and simple mind mapping experience. You can quickly create, manage and edit any kind of data structure required for mind maps to explore ideas in a visually meaningful way.
All you need to do is create an account and click New MInd Map. Once you start a project, you can invite collaborators and create helpful groups such as Business or Private. You can even import existing mind maps from other applications, such as Mindmanager and Freemind.
Price: Free
11. GroupMap
GroupMap is specifically built to make team activities easy, providing a unique platform for anyone to respond on a map, with any parameters you set. You can select a map or create your own, and then invite your team to collaborate, comment, converse and vote to help decide the best ideas from a session.
Each individual can add their ideas to the brainstorm, and the results aggregate into a group view for comments and voting, making for a more open, efficient process.
Price: Accounts range from free up to $49 per month for a professional account.
12. Mindomo
Mindomo provides mind mapping and project collaboration tools for both businesses and education providers. It can be used to brainstorm mind maps, create tasks and share resources within a secure environment. It's fully collaborative with the conversations, discussions and topics enabled within each workspace.
Best Free Brainstorming Software
You can style individual mind maps using themes to better illustrate concepts and projects. You can choose to keep you map private or public, and also provide a direct link to your map to share with team members or clients.
Price: Accounts range from free up to $29 per month for a team account.
13. Stormboard
Stormboard focuses on real-time brainstorming and collaboration, allowing you to add ideas, photos and videos to a shared online whiteboard. You can quickly generate and capture ideas, and prioritize and vote on them. All ideas have a unique comment thread to clarify, refine and debate.
Stormboard features a library of templates that you can customize to suit your specifications. Since Stormboard is compatible with mobile, you can access, capture and review ideas anytime and anywhere.
Price: Accounts range from free up to $10 per month for at team account.
14. MindMap
MindMap is a Google Chrome extension that has Cloud, Google Drive, Dropbox and Box support built in. You can save your work into local storage, in the cloud, and print or export finished mind maps as an image.
You can even manipulate the fonts and positions within each node, add images and text, and share your maps through your social media connections. MindMap allows real-time collaboration and embedding within websites or blogs. Also of interest are three similar mind mapping Google Chrome extensions: MindMapr, MindMup and Connected Mind.
Price: Free
15. Wisemapping
Wisemapping is an online, open source mind mapping editor for both individuals and businesses to share with collaborators, embed in blogs, and easily import and export. If security is important and you don't want to use the browser-based app, you can download, install and configure WiseMapping on your own server.
The tool allows you to invite team members to view and collaborate on your mind maps and export maps to Freemind, PDF, SVG and other image file formats. Wisemapping also features an embeddable mind map viewer for use on other websites or blogs.
Price: Free
16. MindManager
MindManager from Mindjet is a powerful mind mapping tool that lets you organize your ideas in a single view, where you can easily drag and drop to gather and prioritize your ideas. Adding images, video, hyperlinks and attachments is simple, and the project planning tools make it straightforward to turn ideas into action.
It works with Microsoft Office and Apple productivity tools, including Outlook and Entourage. MindManager also features automated calculations to help evaluate and analyze data.
Price: A license is $129, or $349 for MindManager Plus.
17. Freeplane
Freeplane is an open source application that runs on any operating system with Java installed. It can also run locally or portably from a removable storage, such as a USB drive.
You can freely position, order, classify, group or connect any node and style the map using shapes, colors and edge type — or even according to hierarchical level. You can structure nodes in terms of content, such as text, formula, icon, image or hyperlink. Mind maps are password protectable, and you can make full use of the drag and drop functionality, search, publishing and sharing options available.
Price: Free
18. The Brain
The Brain aims to be the ultimate in digital memory, and is available for Windows, OS X and Linux. It's more than a mind mapping application in that it allows you to visualize all of your tasks, ideas, projects, documents and notes in one convenient place.
You can store an unlimited amount of information, which is available on both the desktop and mobile devices, using a simple drag and drop interface. The Brain focuses on helping you build meaningful and dynamic connections that give you a greater insight into whatever idea or project you're working on.
Price: The Service Only package is $15; License Only is $219; Complete Package is $299.
19. LucidChart
LucidChart is a powerful diagramming application that helps you quickly capture and organize ideas during a brainstorming session into a single useful mind map. It features a suite of tools including real-time collaboration, built-in Google image search, custom themes and social sharing.
The auto-spacing of mind mapping nodes, hotkeys for quick mind map creation, collapsible branches, auto theming and chat feature all give you the flexibility to create and customize your mind map.
Price: Accounts range from free up to $21 per month for team accounts.
20. Scapple
Scapple is a mind map app for OS X from the developer of the popular longform writers tool Scrivener, and it's specifically directed at writers. It provides a space for mapping out your thoughts in a free way, without conforming to a single idea or goal. You can start typing anywhere, link ideas, build relationships, and adjust or expand everything.
Mac os x default apps preference pane. Feb 05, 2020 Mail is likely the default email app on your Mac, but just in case you have others downloaded, you can set the default reader. Here's how: Launch Mail from your dock or the Finder. Click Mail in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Preferences. Click the dropdown next to Default Mail Reader. Click the app you'd like to set as the default. Each preference pane contains options you can set. Most panes include a Help button to click for more information about the options. Some panes are locked to protect your Mac, indicated by a closed lock icon at the bottom of the pane, and the options are dimmed. To unlock a pane so you can set options, click the lock icon, then enter the administrator password for your Mac. Sep 20, 2009 RCDefaultApp is a Mac OS X 10.2 or later preference pane that allows a user to set the default application used for various URL schemes, file extensions, file types, MIME types, and Uniform Type Identifiers (or UTIs; MacOS 10.4 only). MacOS X uses the extension and file type settings to choose the application when opening a file in Finder, while Safari and other applications use the URL.
Your notes can take the form of text, pictures, a PDF or any other type of file you choose. You can stack related ideas into columns for better organization, while the appearance of notes can be easily changed through the font choice, colors or border style.
Price: The software download is $14.99.
21. Mapul
Mapul is a web-based tool powered by Microsoft Silverlight, which allows you to generate mind maps without leaving your browser. It's an evolution of MapMyself and provides a free or subscription-based account.
It features a quirky, hand-drawn interface and has the option to save or export mind maps. You can import images and style your text with various sizing and color options.
Price: Accounts can hold up to 10 users; a single user account for six months is $30, and a 10-user account is $360 per year.
22. MindApp
MindApp is a mind mapping tool available in-browser or as a Windows desktop app. It features a drag and drop interface, keyboard shortcuts, children's options, and map and text formatting.
You can save mind maps online in your free personal account or as images on your desktop, which can be used in other applications. The map can be styled to suit your tastes and includes shapes, lines, alignment, size, color, borders and background options.
Price: Free
23. CoMapping
CoMapping is an online mind mapping application to take notes, plan, organize and share information, with multiple people able to work collaboratively on the same map. The visual interface allows for the drag and drop of topics for quick reorganization, while the app also enables you to work offline and provides a place for private, non-shareable data.
CoMapping has a built-in chat feature to support instant discussion, and also includes task management, presentations and email status updates.
Price: Accounts range from free up to $612 per year (for classrooms/departments with 100 users).
24. MyThoughts
MyThoughts for OS X offers freedom and flexibility to build meaningful, unique mind maps boasting powerful features, including drag and drop, branch styles, relationships, a media browser, print manager and outline notes. You can import OPML and Freemind files and export to RTDF, Word, PDF, Image and OPML formats.
Brainstorming Apps For Writers
The uncluttered, user-friendly interface make it easy to get started and brainstorm freely, with the ability to add links to files and URLs, and even share files between the popular iThoughtsHD OS X and iPad app.
Price: A single license is £31.60 (~$51), and the Family Pack costs £44.49 (~$72).
Mobile Apps
The tools above are among the the best to create mind maps online or on your desktop. Mac os x antivirus software review. However, there are many iOS and Android mind mapping apps that may interest you:
Image: Flickr, Marco Arment
During a business meeting or a brainstorming session, there will be lots of ideas that are floated around. At this time quality is not important as much as quantity; hence more ideas are collected the better it is. A mind mapping software or a creative brainstorming software can be used to record all such data and later analyze it to get the key points. These brainstorming software online are available for free and these brainstorming techniques software use different techniques and creative aspects.
Related:
The Brain
This software will serve like a digital brain to capture all the thoughts that are running through your head and play it back. All the information that are stored in the software like web pages, documents, notes, images, projects, etc; can be found easily and can be visualized in a creative way from any system like a PC or mobile.
bubbl.us
This software will render a graphical representation of the ideas and concepts that are running through your head. It will help the users visualize better and generate new ideas as it can be accessed from any platform and is cloud-based. The mid-map that is saved as an image can be shared and put into a presentation that can be made colorful and engaging.
XMind
This cloud-based software will provide the complete business solution with the capability to perform tasks like Mind Mapping, Business Charts, Brainstorming, Presentation, Gantt View generation, etc. The files can be exported to Microsoft office and it can also be shared. The ideas that are generated during a brainstorming session can be recorded and presentations can be done directly by using the different themes and fonts.
Simple Mind Free for Android
This Android app is very intuitive and can be accessed anywhere. It will help in creating mind maps that are very creative and helps you in organizing your thoughts and remember things in a better way. New ideas can be generated easily as it will help in creating pictures that are neat and organized.
Best Apps For Brainstorming
Mind Node for Mac
This Mac software will be useful to generate a visual representation of the ideas that start out from a central thought. Everything can be jolt down by connecting with nodes and later it can be highlighted. This iCloud based drive can be accessed anywhere and it helps students, project managers and other such people create ideas easily.
Mind Maple for Windows
This Windows software can be used for project planning by mapping all the activities and people that are involved in the project on the map so that it can be traced later. These maps can be used for presentations and discussions to brainstorm from there and record the entire progress of the project.
Most Popular Software – iMind Map
This popular and unique software can be used as a digital thinking space and it can be integrated with tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. It can be used to capture ideas, sort through them to develop it and then collect it in a single place to analyze it. Tasks can be managed later and presented. You can also see Diagramming Software
What is Brainstorming Software?
Companies rely on the strategies and project ideas that are generated by the employees. So they are always looking to bring in new ideas as it could be a million-dollar idea that would be profit to the company. So brainstorming sessions are a common occurrence in the offices where everyone floats about all the ideas that they might have. You can also see Flow Chart Maker Software
It is best to capture all these ideas and sieve through them later as you might find something that is very valuable. Instead of putting it all down on a white board, a creative brainstorming software can be used to visualize it in a better way.
These mind mapping software will form the basis of any idea. Brainstorming techniques software can be used to jolt down all the ideas and later connect it to form a larger picture. Brainstorming software online are generally cloud-based so it could be accessed from anywhere.