Cmap vs Coggle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap grades higher than Coggle: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cmap grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Coggle
Collaborative mind maps and flowcharts in the browser
Which one is for you
Pick Cmap if
- Fits if you teach or study with concept maps and want a free program
- Works for researchers who link maps to images, videos and other maps
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want live shared editing without a server, since that needs a CmapServer
- Skip it if you want a polished phone app: the iPad app lists iOS 7 or later and charges for sync and export
- Not for you if you need the browser version on a tablet or phone, as it is meant for desktops and laptops
- Watch out: the installer asks for your name, organization type and country first
- Watch out: the vendor describes commercial use as a free beta test
Pick Coggle if
- Fits if a group wants to build one mind map together, each in their own browser
- Works for the odd map on the free plan, if your diagrams can be public
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free and want things private, with only 3 private diagrams
- Skip it if you want an app on your phone or desktop, as none is listed; phones get a home-screen web app
- Too light for detailed flowcharts, where the extra shapes and line controls cost $5 a month
- Watch out: the homepage lists monthly prices only, and SAML sign-on is on Organisation at $8 a member
- Not for you if you want to start from templates, as none are on offer
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACmapVery good | 2.4GPACoggleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and run, for education, personal and commercial use, with donations requested. | BAwesome is $5 a month, in the lower part of this category, where the middle is nearer $8.33. It lifts the cap on private diagrams and adds more shapes, line controls and attachments. Organisation is $8 a member a month, and the homepage lists monthly prices only. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no cap a normal person would reach, though the vendor describes commercial use as a beta test. | CFree Forever has real-time collaboration, the full change history, unlimited image uploads and PDF, image and Visio export. But only 3 diagrams can be private, so everything after that is public. That's a wall most people meet. |
| Features | CConcept maps linked to other maps and resources, a cloud account and a viewer. Gaps the listing shows: simultaneous editing needs a CmapServer, and on iPad syncing and export are in-app purchases. | CIt covers mind maps, which is a smaller job than this category's: branching from several centers, loops, auto-arrange, 1,600 icons, Markdown in the text and a full history to copy from. Simple flowcharts too, though more shapes, line styles and attachments all need Awesome. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A registration form comes before the installer, and shared editing means setting up a server. | CNo rating on record. Nothing to install, which helps, but a blank browser canvas is still a thing you have to build: branch out from the middle, arrange it, invite people by email. There are no templates on offer to start you off. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, an iPad app and a browser version. No Android app and no API or integrations list. | BA web app, and only a web app: no desktop or mobile apps are listed, and on a phone you save the site to your home screen. It does have a public API, and Organisation adds SAML sign-on with Okta or OneLogin. |
| Best for | free concept maps for classrooms and research | quick mind maps a group can edit together |
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: Cmap and Coggle. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cmap has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Coggle starts at $5 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Cmap starts $5 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Cmap for less, and 8 score higher than Coggle for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Coggle is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Coggle also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| Cmap | Coggle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $5 per month |
| Free plan | CmapTools is free for educational, personal and commercial use; the vendor asks for donations. | Free Forever plan: 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams, with real-time collaboration, unlimited image uploads, full change history, and PDF, image and Visio export. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) | CoggleIt Limited |
| Price read from | cmap.ihmc.us | coggle.it |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cmap
- The desktop download asks for registration with name, organization type and country before the installer is released.
- The vendor says the basic software is free for education and US federal agencies, and is offered free as a beta test to other users, including commercial ones.
- On iPad, syncing with the Cmap Cloud and export are in-app purchases, and the listed requirement is iOS 7 or later.
- The browser version is meant for desktops and laptops, not for tapping on tablets and phones.
Coggle
- The free plan allows only 3 private diagrams; other diagrams made on it are public.
- More item shapes, line style and path controls, file attachments and high-res image uploads need the Awesome plan.
- No native desktop or mobile apps are listed; on a phone Coggle is saved to the home screen as a progressive web app.
- The homepage lists only monthly prices, and on-premise instances are arranged through Coggle for Enterprise without a public price.
Key features
Cmap
- Concept maps linked to resources
- Users link a concept map to other maps and to resources such as images and videos, and can publish the result on the web.
- Cmap Cloud
- A free cloud account stores maps and shares them among CmapTools, CmapTools in the Cloud and the iPad app. A viewer embeds a map in a web page.
- Browser version
- CmapTools in the Cloud runs in Chrome, Safari and Firefox on a desktop or laptop, and exports to CXL, JPG and SVG.
- Synchronous editing on a CmapServer
- Two or more people can edit the same map at once on a CmapServer, with folder-level permissions to view, annotate or edit.
- Many interface languages
- The single download includes 18 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese.
Coggle
- Branching mind maps
- Maps grow from one or several central items, branches can be joined into loops, and layout can be auto-arranged. Floating text and images annotate a map outside the tree.
- Real-time collaboration
- Invite people by email to edit a diagram at the same time, with changes appearing instantly. Awesome adds editing through a secret link with no login needed.
- Full change history
- Every change to a diagram is saved. You can look through the history and make a copy from any point to go back to an earlier version.
- Flowcharts
- Shapes and connected items for flowcharts and process maps are free. More shapes and control over connection paths and line styles need Awesome.
- Images, icons and Markdown
- Drag in images with no upload limit, pick from over 1,600 icons, and format item text with Markdown. Calculations can be added to diagrams.
- Import, export and embedding
- Download a diagram as a PDF or image, export it as .mm, text or a Microsoft Visio file, import .mm and text files, and embed a mind map in another page.
Plans
Cmap
Free$0
CmapTools for desktop, CmapTools in the Cloud and a free Cmap Cloud account; donations are requested.
Coggle
Free Forever$0
3 private diagrams, unlimited public diagrams, real-time collaboration, full change history, shared folders, and PDF and image download.
Awesome$5
per month
Unlimited private diagrams, more item shapes, line style and path controls, file attachments, high-res image uploads, and collaboration by link or QR code.
Organisation$8
per member / month
Everything in Awesome plus SAML single sign-on, consolidated billing, bulk export, user and data management, and branded diagrams.
Coggle for EnterpriseCustom
By arrangement: on-premise instances behind a firewall, Active Directory authentication, site licenses and enterprise support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cmap or Coggle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $5 a month for Coggle. Cmap is free, and Coggle starts at $5 per month.
Which has a free plan, Cmap or Coggle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cmap and Coggle have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cmap and Coggle run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Cmap lists macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS 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.