The Whiteboards & Mind Maps Insider’s Guide
Every one of the 31 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade in one document: the top three, what they cost, the grades and the full list. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Whiteboards & Mind Maps
The Insider’s Guide
Canvases for diagrams, brainstorming and mapping out ideas.
- Miro
- Xmind
- draw.io
- Microsoft Whiteboard
- tldraw
- FigJam
Every one we grade, what they cost, the best buy at each budget and the three to look at first.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat these tools do, how many we grade and what to know before choosing
- 02Our top threeThe three we'd look at first, and who each one suits
- 03What they costWhat paid plans start at, the best buy at each budget and the free plans
- 04The gradesThe highest graded, and how the whole category does on each subject
- 05Keep or make?Which are worth paying for, and which you could make yourself
- 06Every toolAll of them, best graded first, with what each costs
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask when choosing, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from each tool’s own pages, their app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on the Whiteboards & Mind Maps page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What these tools do, how many we grade and what to know before choosing
31
whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, from their own pages
Canvases for diagrams, brainstorming and mapping out ideas.
Before you choose, here are 7 things to know about whiteboard and mind map tools, worked out from every one we grade.
- 1
We grade 31 whiteboard and mind map tools
26 of them are free or have a free plan, and 5 more let you try before paying. Everything in this guide comes from their own pages and our grades.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.29 a month in the middle
From $2.08 (MindNode) to $15 (Eraser), going by what each one's paid plans start at.
- 3
Best value: Miro, Xmind and Microsoft Whiteboard
Nothing on our chart scores higher than these without costing more.
- 4
14 of 31 have iPhone and Android apps
25 run in a web browser and 18 have a Windows app. Check the one you need before you fall for anything.
- 5
The middle GPA is 2.6
6 score 3.0 or higher. The highest is Microsoft Whiteboard, at 3.4.
- 6
Best free option: Microsoft Whiteboard
Microsoft Whiteboard has the highest GPA of the free ones, 3.4. Free collaborative canvas built into Microsoft 365 and Teams.
- 7
30 worth keeping, 0 you could make
By our keep-or-make rules, 30 do something you couldn't reasonably build yourself, 0 are simple enough to make with an AI app builder, and 1 are a close call.
Part 02 · Top three
Our top three
The three we'd look at first, and who each one suits
The three whiteboard and mind map tools we'd look at first. First place suits the most people; second and third are the best picks for the people it leaves out. Each has an Insider's Guide of its own.
1st
3.0GPAMiro
Free plan · from $8/mo
For: Most people, and any team that plans on a shared board
Miro is a shared canvas for brainstorming, diagrams and planning: sticky notes and shapes sit beside docs, tables, timelines, kanban boards and slides on one board. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. The free plan allows unlimited team members and 3 editable boards, and paid plans start at $8 per member a month, billed yearly. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 5,800 ratings. Know the limits: on the free plan every board is open to the whole team and there are no guest or visitor roles, the timer and voting need Starter, the technical diagramming shapes need Business at $20 per member a month, billed yearly, and no Linux app is listed.
The Miro Insider’s Guide2nd
3.0GPAXmind
Free plan · from $4.92/mo
For: People who came for mind maps, on almost any device
Xmind is a mind mapping app: ideas are laid out as mind maps, timelines or matrices, edited as a list in the Outliner view and turned into slides in Pitch mode. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, and its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 from about 7,000 ratings. Pro is $59 a year. It is second because it does one kind of canvas where Miro does several, and its lower plans are capped: Free stops at 10 manually created online maps and Pro at 50, and real-time collaboration and unlimited maps need Premium at $99 a year. Free exports carry a watermark.
The Xmind Insider’s Guide3rd
3.2GPAdraw.io
Free
For: Anyone who wants free diagrams and files in their own storage
draw.io is a diagram editor for flowcharts, UML, network diagrams and org charts, and all of it is free: the online editor, the desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux and self-hosting, with no account and no paid tier. Diagrams are saved to storage you pick, such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub or your own device, and the editor's source code is published under the Apache 2.0 license. It is third because it leaves storage and sharing to you: there is no hosted workspace, and real-time co-editing needs the file to sit in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or in draw.io for Confluence. No native mobile apps are listed, where the two above run on iPhone and Android.
The draw.io Insider’s Guide
Part 03 · Pricing
What they cost
What paid plans start at, the best buy at each budget and the free plans
$8.29
A month to start, in the middle of those that charge
Going by our grades, Miro, Xmind and Microsoft Whiteboard give the most for the money among whiteboard and mind map tools: no tool on this chart scores higher without costing more.
Paid plans start at a middle price of $8.29 a month across the 24 that charge, from $2.08 (MindNode) to $15 (Eraser). 4 more cost nothing at all.
5 of the 28 score above the category's average while starting at or below its middle price. 6 cost more than the middle price and score below the average.
The best buy at each budget
Free
Microsoft Whiteboard
Costs nothing. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.
Up to $5 a month
Xmind
Starts at $4.92 a month. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.
Up to $10 a month
Miro
Starts at $8 a month for each person. Nothing at that price or less scores higher.
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 28 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. The green line is the best score at each price.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
The best free ones
- 3.4
Microsoft Whiteboard
Free
- 3.2
draw.io
Free
- 3.2
tldraw
Free
- 3.0
FigJam
Free plan · Free plan · from $3/mo
- 3.0
Miro
Free plan · Free plan · from $8/mo
- 3.0
Xmind
Free plan · Free plan · from $4.92/mo
Part 04 · Grades
The grades
The highest graded, and how the whole category does on each subject
3.4
The highest GPA, Microsoft Whiteboard's
Every tool gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. Here are the 12 highest graded whiteboard and mind map tools, then how the whole category does on each subject.
| Tool | Value | Free | Features | Ease | Platforms | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Whiteboard | A | A | C | B | A | 3.4 |
| draw.io | A | A | B | C | B | 3.2 |
| tldraw | A | A | C | B | B | 3.2 |
| FigJam | A | B | B | C | B | 3.0 |
| Miro | C | C | A | B | A | 3.0 |
| Xmind | B | C | C | A | A | 3.0 |
| Ayoa | D | C | A | B | A | 2.8 |
| Freeplane | A | A | C | C | C | 2.8 |
| Milanote | C | C | B | A | B | 2.8 |
| SimpleMind | A | C | C | B | B | 2.8 |
| Creately | B | C | B | C | B | 2.6 |
| Excalidraw | C | B | C | B | B | 2.6 |
How the whole category does
Each bar is every whiteboard and mind map tool we grade, cut by the letter it got on that subject.
- Value for moneyavg 2.5
- Free plan and trialavg 2.3
- Featuresavg 2.6
- Ease of useavg 2.5
- Platforms and integrationsavg 3.1
Part 05 · Keep or make
Keep or make?
Which are worth paying for, and which you could make yourself
0
Simple enough to make yourself, of 31
Some software does something you couldn’t reasonably build yourself. Some is simple enough that an AI app builder could make the core of it in an afternoon. Here’s where whiteboard and mind map tools land, by the same rules for every tool.
30
Keep it
It does something you could not reasonably make for yourself, or it costs nothing.
1
Your call
You could make the core of it, and you would give something up.
0
You could make this
What it does is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well, and it charges every month.
Worth keeping
Microsoft Whiteboard
Microsoft Whiteboard is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
draw.io
draw.io is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
tldraw
tldraw is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
FigJam
The plain part of FigJam you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 8 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Part 06 · Every tool
Every tool
All of them, best graded first, with what each costs
31
Tools, best graded first
Every whiteboard and mind map tool we grade, with its GPA and what it costs. Each one has a page of its own on toolgpa.com, with its Insider’s Guide.
- 1Microsoft WhiteboardFree3.4
- 2draw.ioFree3.2
- 3tldrawFree3.2
- 4FigJamFree plan · from $3/mo3.0
- 5MiroFree plan · from $8/mo3.0
- 6XmindFree plan · from $4.92/mo3.0
- 7AyoaFree plan · from $13/mo2.8
- 8FreeplaneFree2.8
- 9MilanoteFree plan · from $9.99/mo2.8
- 10SimpleMindFree plan · from $10.99 one-time2.8
- 11CreatelyFree plan · from $4/mo2.6
- 12ExcalidrawFree plan · from $6/mo2.6
- 13LucidchartFree plan · from $9/mo2.6
- 14MindNodeFree plan · from $2.99/mo2.6
- 15MindomoFree plan · from $7/mo2.6
- 16MuralFree plan · from $9.99/mo2.6
- 17ScappleFree trial · from $20.99 one-time2.6
- 18StormboardFree plan · from $8.33/mo2.6
- 19CoggleFree plan · from $5/mo2.4
- 20EraserFree plan · from $15/mo2.4
- 21KinopioFree plan · from $8/mo2.4
- 22LucidsparkFree plan · from $9/mo2.4
- 23MermaidFree plan · from $10/mo2.4
- 24Microsoft VisioFree trial · from $5.00/mo2.4
- 25WhimsicalFree plan · from $10/mo2.4
- 26AllumeFree plan · from $9.99/mo2.2
- 27MindManagerFree trial · from $99/yr2.2
- 28MindMeisterFree plan · from €6.50/mo2.2
- 29Napkin AIFree plan · from $9/mo2.2
- 30OmniGraffleFree trial · from $59.99 one-time2.2
- 31SmartDrawFree trial · from $10.95/mo2.2
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask when choosing, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
What are the best whiteboard and mind map tools?
Miro first, Xmind second, draw.io third. Miro is for most people, and any team that plans on a shared board.
Which whiteboard and mind map tools give the most for the money?
Miro, Xmind and Microsoft Whiteboard. Each is the highest-scoring tool at its price or below: Microsoft Whiteboard scores 3.0 out of 4 and is free; Xmind scores 3.3 out of 4 and starts at $4.92 a month; Miro scores 3.7 out of 4 and starts at $8 a month for each person.
Which are the best free whiteboard and mind map tools?
Of the 4 whiteboard and mind map tools here with no paid plan at all, Microsoft Whiteboard scores highest, at 3.0 out of 4.
Which whiteboard and mind map tools are best for under $5 a month?
Xmind, with a score of 3.3 out of 4: the highest among the 10 that start at $5 a month or less.
Which whiteboard and mind map tools are best for under $10 a month?
Miro, with a score of 3.7 out of 4: the highest among the 25 that start at $10 a month or less.
Which whiteboard and mind map tools are best for under $20 a month?
Miro and Ayoa, with a score of 3.7 out of 4: the highest among the 28 that start at $20 a month or less.
Which whiteboard and mind map tools cost the most for what they offer?
On this chart, Napkin AI (starts at $9 a month for each person, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 13 tools score higher for less), Allume (starts at $8.33 a month when paid by the year, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 12 tools score higher for less) and MindMeister (starts at about $7.28 a month for each person, scores 2.3 out of 4, and 10 tools score higher for less).
How much do whiteboard and mind map tools cost?
The middle starting price is $8.29 a month: half of the 24 whiteboard and mind map tools with a recurring price start below that and half above.
How is the score on this chart worked out?
It is the average of three of the five grades ToolGPA gives every tool: features, ease of use, and platforms and integrations, with an A worth 4 and an F worth 0.
How does ToolGPA grade whiteboard and mind map tools?
Five grades, A to F, for value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them.
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps, kept up to dateEvery tool in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/categories/whiteboards
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Whiteboards & Mind Maps: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/categories/whiteboards
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/categories/whiteboards/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The top three whiteboard and mind map tools have guides of their own, and so does every category near this one.
- Miro Insider's GuideOnline whiteboard for team brainstorming, diagrams and planning3.0 GPA
- Xmind Insider's GuideMind mapping app with AI, Gantt charts and a presentation mode3.0 GPA
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's Guide148 note-taking apps, graded and compared
- Writing Tools Insider's Guide70 writing tools, graded and compared
- Docs & Wikis Insider's Guide52 docs and wiki tools, graded and compared
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what each tool’s pages, app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Product names are trademarks of their owners, and no maker made, paid for or approved this guide. Prices and plans change: check each maker’s own site before you buy.