Allume vs MindNode

Allume

• iPad and Mac users who mix handwriting, text and files on one canvas
• Reading and research: PDFs can be annotated and excerpted onto boards
• Solo thinkers who want their data stored locally and usable offline
• Projects that outgrow a single board and need boards inside boards

MindNode

• People who work across a Mac, an iPhone and an iPad
• Switching between a mind map and an outline of the same ideas
• Users who want documents encrypted in their own iCloud
• Students and writers planning essays, study guides or novels

Allume

• Allume is offered only for Mac, iPad and iPhone; the vendor lists no web, Windows or Android version.
• The Free plan has a small board size and allows 2 workspaces, 100 cards per workspace and 1 other collaborator per workspace.
• The vendor deliberately leaves out drawing brushes, complex text formatting, and endless canvas zooming or rotation.
• Through Setapp the app is limited to 5 collaborators and needs a Mac, against unlimited collaborators on the Unlimited plan.

MindNode

• MindNode runs only on Apple devices; there is no web, Windows or Android version.
• Outline editing, notes, connections, tasks, visual tags, Focus Mode, theming, starting a collaboration and AI all need MindNode Plus.
• Documents are managed inside the app and stored in iCloud; file-based documents in Finder remain only in the legacy MindNode Classic app.
• The vendor offers no volume purchase program for schools or companies.

Allume

Nested boards

Each board works like a whiteboard that can contain further whiteboards, so an idea or project can grow in place and be organized later rather than up front.

Ink, text and cards on one canvas

Handwriting, typed notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links and other files sit together on a board, and connections can be drawn between cards.

Linked cards and PDF excerpts

A linked card references the same board from several places. PDFs can be read and annotated, and excerpts pull part of a PDF or image onto a board while keeping its source.

Shared workspaces

Collaborators added to a workspace get live cursors, comments, following and templates. The Free plan allows 1 other collaborator per workspace.

Local-first sync

Data is kept locally and synced between Mac, iPad and iPhone. The vendor lists an always-online requirement among the things the app does not have.

Command line app and MCP

Version 4.0 adds a command line app to search, export and add content, plus an MCP connection for AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT. Both are switched off by default.

MindNode

Mind maps with flexible layout

Ideas branch and cluster on an infinite canvas. The layout keeps a map tidy automatically while still letting individual nodes be placed by hand.

Outline view

Any mind map can be shown as a hierarchical list. The free version can view the outline, and editing in it needs MindNode Plus.

Tasks, notes and connections

Nodes can carry notes and tasks, tasks sync to Apple Reminders, and connections link nodes outside the hierarchy. All three are MindNode Plus features.

Live collaboration

Several people can work on a map in real time, and the vendor describes the collaboration as end-to-end encrypted. Free users can join documents shared with them.

Apple Intelligence

AI can suggest a starting structure, expand a branch, summarize a map or turn it into a written draft. It runs on Apple Intelligence where that is available.

Native apps and iCloud sync

Separate native apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro sync through iCloud, and changes made offline are merged on reconnecting.

Allume

• Free$0

  Small board size, 2 workspaces, 100 cards per workspace, 1 other collaborator per workspace and community support.

• Unlimited$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  Huge board size, unlimited workspaces, cards and collaborators, and priority email support.

• Setapp$14.99

  per month, through a Setapp subscription

  Huge board size, unlimited workspaces and cards, and 5 collaborators. A Mac is required for Setapp; iPad and iPhone are optional.

MindNode

• MindNode$0

  Mind map creation and basic editing, a read-only outline view, sync across Apple devices, and import and export.

• MindNode Plus$2.99

  per month, or $24.99 per year

  Adds outline editing, notes, connections, tasks, visual tags, Focus Mode, theming, collaboration, Apple Intelligence and the Apple Watch app. Includes MindNode Classic.

Allume

• Annual discount

  About 17% less on the yearly plan

  Unlimited is $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $119.88, so paying yearly works out about 17% cheaper.

• Education

  Education discount on request

  The pricing section says students and teachers can email Allume for an education discount. The size of the discount is not published.

MindNode

• Annual discount

  About 30% less with the yearly subscription

  MindNode Plus costs $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $35.88, so paying yearly works out about 30% cheaper.

• Education

  Educational discount on request

  MindNode's support pages say educational discounts are available to people who contact the support team from an educational email address.

• Other savings

  Included in a Setapp subscription

  MindNode is also available through Setapp, a subscription service that bundles Mac and iOS applications.