Bubbl.us vs Xmind (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Xmind: it is second in our ranking of whiteboard and mind map tools, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Xmind grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Xmind
Mind mapping app with AI, Gantt charts and a presentation mode
Which one is for you
Pick Bubbl.us if
- Fits if you want a throwaway mind map without making an account
- Works for a team that wants one licence payment point and manager roles
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need prices up front: none could be read from its page
- Tight if you rely on an unsigned map, because it lives only in your browser and clearing browser data can lose it
- Skip it if you want a phone or desktop app, as none is listed
- Watch out: the trial length is not stated in the help centre
- Watch out: refunds are decided case by case by email
Pick Xmind if
- Fits if you think in branches and want the same kind of map on your laptop, your phone and Linux
- Works for plans that have to become a presentation, since Pitch mode turns a map into slides
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an open whiteboard with sticky notes, as Xmind sticks to structured maps
- Pricey if your team wants to edit together, since live collaboration starts at Premium, $99 a year
- Tight if you never pay: 10 online maps, watermarked exports, 3 days of version history and 50 AI credits that never refill
- Not for you if you'd rather pay by the month: Pro is $10 a month against $59 a year, and monthly plans get no trial or refund
- Watch out: desktop maps save as local files by default, so picking up an iPad map at your desk can mean going through Dropbox
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABubbl.usFair | 3.0GPAXmindVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price could be read, which the ladder puts in the middle. Team pricing is by licence count and quoted on a separate page. | BPro is $59 a year, $4.92 a month, which puts it inside the lowest-priced quarter of this category, where the line is $5.00. Premium is $99. Pay by the month and the App Store lists Pro at $10, about double. The free trial and the refund only cover yearly plans. |
| Free plan and trial | CA map can be started with no account, but the listing says it is kept only in the browser unless you register. Paid plans have a trial of unstated length. | CFree gives you up to 10 manually created online maps, basic themes and 5 Pitch slides. Those are caps you'll hit on a real project, exports carry a watermark, version history is 3 days, and the 50 AI credits are a single grant that never refills. |
| Features | CBubbles, layouts, attachments, live shared editing, export to image or PDF and revision history on premium. The listing records no plan limits at all. | CMaps, timelines and matrices, Zones, an Outliner view, Pitch mode slides, imports from other mappers and AI that drafts from text, a file or a link. That's the narrower job here: no open board with sticky notes, and live editing and editable Gantt charts start at Premium. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build each map by hand. | A4.8 on the App Store from 6,973 ratings, nine in ten of them five stars. Reviewers say it's quick to pick up. A few got stuck on details, like slotting a new topic in above old ones, and desktop maps save as local files by default. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no apps and no integrations listed. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android, and one subscription covers 5 computers and 5 mobile devices. It ties into Slack, Zoom, Notion and ChatGPT, though not a lot else. |
| Best for | a quick mind map with no sign-up | mind maps on almost any device |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bubbl.us and Xmind. How we grade
Where they differ
- Xmind also covers Gantt & timelines and presentations.
At a glance
| Bubbl.us | Xmind | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $4.92 per month, billed yearly ($59 a year) |
| Free plan | A mind map can be started without an account, but the work is saved only in the browser unless you register. | Up to 10 manually created online maps, basic themes and stickers, 3-day version history, 5 Pitch slides and 50 Xmind AI credits. Exports carry a watermark. |
| Free trial | Free trial on paid plans; the end date is shown on the payment page and its length is not stated in the help center | 7-day free trial, offered on yearly subscriptions only |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | LKCOLLAB LLC | Xmind Ltd. / Supermind Pte. Limited |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | xmind.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bubbl.us
- Plan names, limits and prices could not be read: the pricing page loads its figures with JavaScript and nothing printed from it, so none are listed.
- A map made without signing in is saved only in your browser and can be lost if the browser data is cleared.
- Team pricing is by number of licenses, with volume discounts, and is quoted on a team pricing page.
- The help center describes refunds only as a case-by-case request by email, with a reminder email three days before each charge.
Xmind
- Free and Pro cap manually created online maps at 10 and 50; unlimited collaborative maps need Premium or the Business team plan.
- Real-time collaboration, editable Gantt charts and a monthly AI credit allowance start at Premium; Free and Pro get a single grant of 50 AI credits.
- Free exports carry a watermark, and export to Word, Excel, SVG and Markdown starts at Pro.
- The free trial and the 7-day money-back guarantee cover yearly subscriptions only; monthly subscriptions and AI credit add-ons are not refunded.
Key features
Bubbl.us
- Bubble-based editing
- Maps are built from bubbles and connections, with text formatting, colors and file attachments.
- Layouts
- Bubbles can be arranged in different layouts, with an option to reset the layout and connect bubbles.
- Real-time sharing
- Several people can edit a map at the same time, and a map can be embedded in a blog.
- Export and print
- Maps can be saved as images or PDFs, or printed.
- Team accounts
- Team subscriptions give each member premium features, one payment point, transferable licenses, custom sign-in domains and manager roles.
- Revision history
- Premium access includes revision history and the ability to copy a map or turn it into a template.
Xmind
- Mind maps and other structures
- Ideas can be laid out as mind maps, timelines or matrices, grouped into Zones, and edited as a linear list in the Outliner view.
- Xmind AI
- Generates a map from text, a document or a link, expands and reorganizes branches, and breaks a project into tasks. Free and Pro get 50 credits; Premium gets 500 a month.
- Pitch mode
- Turns a map into a slide presentation: up to 5 slides on the Free plan and unlimited from Pro, where a pitch can also be exported to PowerPoint.
- Gantt charts and tasks
- Premium turns topics into tasks with assignees, plots them on a Gantt chart and exports tasks to a calendar file or Excel. Free and Pro can only view Gantt charts.
- Real-time collaboration
- On Premium and the Business team plan, several people can edit a map at once and follow one another's view, backed by 30 days of version history.
- Import and export
- Imports Markdown, OPML and TextBundle files and maps from other mind mapping tools. From Pro, maps export to SVG, PDF, Markdown, Word and Excel as well as PNG.
Plans
Bubbl.us
Pricing could not be confirmed. See bubbl.us.
Xmind
Free$0
Up to 10 manually created online maps, basic themes and stickers, 3-day version history, 5 slides in Pitch mode and 50 AI credits.
Pro$4.92
per month, billed yearly ($59 a year)
Up to 50 online maps with basic collaboration, custom themes, topic links and attachments, unlimited Pitch slides, and export without a watermark.
Premium$8.25
per month, billed yearly ($99 a year)
Unlimited collaborative maps, real-time collaboration, 30-day version history, editable Gantt charts, tasks with assignees and 500 AI credits a month.
Business$10
per seat / month, billed yearly
Team plan with unlimited collaborative maps, real-time collaboration, 30-day version history, Gantt charts and 800 AI credits per seat a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds SAML single sign-on, unlimited version history, custom AI credits, a dedicated success advisor and team onboarding sessions.
Ways to pay less
Bubbl.us
- Education
50% off for students, faculty and nonprofits
Bubbl.us says students, faculty and nonprofit organizations get 50% off, requested through a form linked from the Plans page.
Xmind
- Annual discount
Up to 50% off with yearly billing
The pricing page advertises up to 50% off individual plans on yearly billing. The US App Store lists Pro at $59 a year or $10 a month, and Premium at $99 a year or $15 a month.
- Education
Reduced prices for students and educators
The education pricing tab lists Pro at $3.42 a month and Premium at $5.75 a month for students and educators, plus a custom-priced Campus plan for institutions.
- Nonprofit
Discounted plans for nonprofits and government
Eligible non-profits, NGOs and government organizations can get discounted plans after verifying eligibility; the offers page shows a price of $79 a year.
- Lifetime license
SME Lifetime License for organizations
Organizations can buy a one-time, perpetual license with volume pricing. The price is not published and is quoted by Xmind's sales team.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bubbl.us or Xmind?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bubbl.us has no price we could confirm, and Xmind starts at $4.92 per month, billed yearly ($59 a year).
Which has a free plan, Bubbl.us or Xmind?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bubbl.us and Xmind have a free plan.
Which platforms do Bubbl.us and Xmind run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Xmind lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.