Open Source Mind Mapping Software
A mind map is only as useful as what you can get back out of it, because the connections you spotted in an afternoon are worthless if they stay trapped in one app's canvas. That makes the file format the quiet deciding factor: an editor that exports only a pretty image has captured the picture but lost the structure, while one that writes OPML, Markdown, or a documented native file lets the map keep working as an outline elsewhere. The open source tools here treat the map as structured data rather than a drawing, and most keep it in local files you own. Interchange with the tools you actually planned to feed matters more than how the canvas looks.
AFFiNE
Local-first open-source workspace that merges docs, whiteboards, tables, and AI as a Notion and Miro alternative
Trilium Notes
Hierarchical note-taking app for large personal knowledge bases, with local use and self-hosted sync
SimpleMindMap
Web mind map library and software with self-hosting, local file support, and many import-export formats
DesktopNaotu
Offline desktop mind map tool based on Baidu Mind Mapping, with cross-platform support for Windows, Linux, and macOS
Freeplane
Open source mind mapping software for organizing ideas, notes, and project work
Heimer
Cross-platform mind map and diagram app with auto layout, XML save files, and export to PNG or SVG
WiseMapping
Free open-source mind mapping tool for creating and collaborating on visual maps online
Mindolph
Open source personal knowledge management software with AI support for mind maps, markdown, PlantUML, and text
VYM
Mind mapping software for visualizing ideas, tasks, and complex contexts
Our picks
Pick by whether you map alone on the desktop or share maps with a team.
Best desktop mind mapper: Freeplane Freeplane is a mature, feature-deep desktop app for mapping, knowledge management, and project work. It offers rich text formatting, custom node styling, node formulas for calculated content, scripting-driven slide presentations, and add-ons. Written in Java, it runs on any OS with Java installed and can even launch from a USB drive.
Best for team collaboration: WiseMapping WiseMapping is the web-based pick when several people share maps. It supports real-time collaboration, role-based access control, embedding maps in web pages, and a REST API, and it self-hosts with Docker over PostgreSQL or MySQL. Imports from Freeplane, XMind, and Mind Manager ease a move in.
Best for format interchange: SimpleMindMap SimpleMindMap stands out for how much it can read and write. It imports XMind, FreeMind, Markdown, Txt, and Xlsx, and exports to PNG, XMind, SVG, PDF, Markdown, Mermaid, and more, while handling extra diagram types like timelines and fishbone charts. The client works with local files and runs offline.
Best for planning-oriented maps: VYM VYM suits maps that turn into plans. It includes a personal task manager with priorities and timed reminders, scripting to drive presentations from a map, and integrations that pull data from Jira and talk to Confluence. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Choosing a mind mapper that outlives its canvas
Two questions decide most of this, and neither is about looks. The first is editing model: a keyboard-first outliner rewards fast sibling creation and reorganizing whole subtrees, while a visual canvas lets placement, color, connectors, and icons carry meaning. Freeplane and VYM sit toward the powerful desktop end, adding node formulas, scripting-driven presentations, and, in VYM's case, task priorities and links out to Jira and Confluence. SimpleMindMap goes broad on diagram types, covering timelines, org charts, and fishbone charts as well as maps. Try creating and moving real branches before you commit, because a tool that fights your thinking style becomes a chore.
The second question is what leaves the app. Because a mind map is usually an intermediate step between notes, documents, and slides, exports matter more than screenshots. Heimer saves XML-based files and exports to PNG or SVG; WiseMapping imports from Freeplane, XMind, and Mind Manager and exports to PDF, SVG, and Freeplane; SimpleMindMap reads and writes an unusually long list including XMind, FreeMind, Markdown, and Mermaid. Run a real map through a round trip and check that notes, links, and collapsed branches survive, not just the outline.
Finally, decide whether maps are private thinking spaces or shared workspaces. Desktop-first tools like Freeplane, Mindolph, and DesktopNaotu keep local files that back up through ordinary folders and work offline. Browser-based options like WiseMapping add real-time collaboration and role-based access but bring hosting, accounts, and sync to manage. For sensitive planning, confirm where attachments live and that backups capture both structure and linked assets.
Related categories
Frequently asked questions
How is mind mapping software different from a diagramming tool?+
Mind mapping software assumes a central topic, a branching structure, fast node creation, and quick reorganization of subtrees. Diagramming tools are better when you need arbitrary shapes, precise alignment, and many relationship types. If your work starts as loose ideas that need grouping and refining, a mind mapper fits. If it starts as a fixed process, architecture, or flowchart, reach for a diagram tool instead. Some apps here, like SimpleMindMap, blur the line by adding org charts and fishbone diagrams.
Which export formats keep a map portable?+
Look for exports that preserve structure, not just appearance. OPML and Markdown carry an outline into writing tools, a documented native file keeps the full map, and SVG or PDF is fine for sharing a finished view. SimpleMindMap exports to XMind, FreeMind, Markdown, Mermaid, and more, while Heimer writes XML-based files plus PNG and SVG. Before you build a library, export a real map with notes, links, and collapsed branches and confirm those details survive, since that is where exports usually lose information.
Can I import existing maps from XMind, FreeMind, or MindManager?+
Often yes, depending on the tool. WiseMapping imports from Freeplane, XMind, and Mind Manager; Mindolph reads Freemind, Mindmup, XMind, Coggle, and Novamind; and SimpleMindMap imports XMind, FreeMind, Markdown, Txt, and Xlsx. Simple hierarchical maps usually transfer well, but floating topics, relationship arrows, icons, rich notes, and task metadata may need cleanup. Export a few real maps and import them into the candidate before switching everything.
Do open source mind mapping tools work well offline?+
The desktop-first ones do, because maps are ordinary local files. Freeplane runs anywhere Java does and can even launch from a USB drive, DesktopNaotu edits local km files with no connection, and Heimer, VYM, and Mindolph all store maps on disk. Web-based tools vary: some need a server for every session, while a client like SimpleMindMap can open local files and run without a network. If offline use matters, test it with an existing map first.
Which of these support real-time team collaboration?+
Collaboration is the exception rather than the rule here. WiseMapping is the clearest fit: it is web-based, supports real-time editing, role-based access control for shared maps, and a REST API. AFFiNE also offers real-time sync and collaboration across its docs, whiteboards, and mind maps. Most of the desktop apps are single-user by design, so if several people need to edit one map at once, favor the web-based tools and check their permission model.
Are these dedicated mind mappers or broader knowledge tools?+
Both kinds are on this list. Heimer, VYM, Freeplane, WiseMapping, and DesktopNaotu are focused mind mappers. AFFiNE and Trilium Notes are wider workspaces where mind mapping is one feature among documents, tables, or a deep note tree; AFFiNE can even generate a mind map from an article summary, and Trilium includes relation and mind maps inside a hierarchical knowledge base. Pick a dedicated mapper for pure mapping, or a workspace if maps are part of a larger notes system.
Can a mind map double as a task or project planner?+
Some tools are built for that crossover. VYM includes a personal task manager that adjusts priorities and sends timed reminders, and can pull data from Jira and talk to Confluence. Freeplane adds node formulas for calculated content and scripting for presentations. If your map is really a project plan, test task states, dates, and filtering before you rely on it, and check that the task fields export rather than staying trapped in the map.