Mind Mapping Tool Selection

Personal habit: for the same type of software, I like to compare and try multiple options, choose the most suitable one, then familiarize myself with it, polish it, and finally make it a unique productivity tool in this field. For example, Alfred as a Mac system search entry, Things as a Todo List, Apple Notes for daily note-taking, etc. This proves the saying “To do good work, one must first sharpen one’s tools.” Good software is worth finding and even more worth polishing.

Which mind mapping tool is best? I’ve always been torn, having used many over time. Recently, while organizing my personal skill map, I re-researched and compared them, finally settling on MindMaster. This choice won’t change in the short term at least. Here I’ll mark down why I chose it, perhaps it can help some friends.

Software Comparison

• XMind

  • Domestic
  • Expensive, 388CNY/year
  • Cross-platform

• MindMaster

  • Domestic
  • Available by subscription or permanent purchase, 680CNY/permanent, 11.1CNY/Month
  • Cross-platform, has web version
  • Generous free version with basic features guaranteed

• OmniGraffle

  • International
  • Expensive, 124.99USD/Year
  • Cross-platform

• MindNote

  • International
  • Reasonable price, 19.99USD/Year
  • Cross-platform

• Draw.io

  • International
  • Free
  • Cross-platform
  • Open source project

After weighing all factors, I ultimately chose Draw.io, mainly considering cross-platform compatibility, free cost, and sufficient functionality.

Draw.io’s Advantages and Disadvantages

Having used it for several years now, here are the pros and cons.

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Operation experience has unreasonable aspects, it would be more reasonable if spacebar was used for dragging and moving the entire diagram, but the current design requires moving the cursor to the center node
• Note writing doesn’t support markdown
• The overall software GUI is still somewhat rough, lacking OmniGraffle’s refinement

Usage Recommendations

For Mac users, I personally recommend storing documents directly in iCloud, so multiple devices can sync editing and browsing directly. If it’s just for multi-device sync, you don’t need to subscribe to membership.

Final Thoughts

• I admit I personally don’t like using domestic software, due to 1) security concerns and 2) stability issues, but I also acknowledge that some domestic software is indeed excellent, like MarginNote and TickTick, so you can’t dismiss them all with one swipe.
• In mind mapping tool selection research, I found that the relatively best ones are domestic - XMind, MindMaster. Of course, Draw.io is international, so domestic companies, keep up the good work, reduce malicious features, and focus on making good products.
• Based on my personal usage scenarios, I chose Draw.io here, but this doesn’t mean others are really bad. Ultimately, you should choose based on your needs, and of course, as usage time increases, choices may adjust.