Skip to content
ToolGPA

Cmap vs Kumu (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap grades higher than Kumu: 3.0 against 2.0 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA

Cmap grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Cmap

Free concept-mapping software from IHMC for school and research

Free
Full detailscmap.ihmc.us

Kumu

Relationship maps for systems, stakeholders and networks

Free plan · from $9/mo
Full detailskumu.io

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 Kumu if

  • Fits if you map stakeholders or systems and are happy to share the map publicly
  • Works for people who start from a spreadsheet of relationships

Look elsewhere if

  • Tight if your work is private, because each private project is its own monthly charge
  • Watch out: free public projects are visible to everyone and indexed by search engines
  • Watch out: all kumu.io customer data lives in one shared database, and sensitive work is pointed to Enterprise
  • Watch out: archived private projects cost $20 to unarchive on a Pro workspace
  • Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, as none is listed

How we grade them

3.0GPACmapVery good2.0GPAKumuFair
Value for money
AFree to download and run, for education, personal and commercial use, with donations requested.
CPrivate projects are $9 a month each on Basic, and Pro is $10 a workspace plus $20 a month per private project. That sits in the ordinary range for one project and climbs fast with more.
Free plan and trial
AFree outright, with no cap a normal person would reach, though the vendor describes commercial use as a beta test.
CRegistration and unlimited public projects are free, but public means anyone can see them. A two-week trial of private projects is offered.
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 does one job fully: network maps with filters, clustering and spreadsheet import. That is a narrower job than a whiteboard.
Ease of use
CNo store rating on record. A registration form comes before the installer, and shared editing means setting up a server.
CNo store rating on record. You import data and set up decorations before a map reads well.
Platforms and integrations
BWindows, Mac, Linux, an iPad app and a browser version. No Android app and no API or integrations list.
CWeb only, with no apps and no integrations listed.
Best forfree concept maps for classrooms and researchmapping stakeholder and systems networks

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 Kumu. 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. Kumu starts at $9 a month and scores 2.0.

Cmap scores higher and starts $9 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Cmap for less, and 28 score higher than Kumu for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessCmapKumu

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
The full chart of whiteboard and mind map tools, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWebMind mappingDiagrams

    At a glance

    CmapKumu
    PricingFreeFree plan
    Starts atFree$9 per month per private project
    Free planCmapTools is free for educational, personal and commercial use; the vendor asks for donations.Free registration and unlimited public projects, with unlimited collaborators, maps and views.
    Free trialNone listedTwo-week free trial of private projects
    Web
    macOS
    Windows
    Linux
    iOS
    Made byFlorida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC)Kumu
    Price read fromcmap.ihmc.uskumu.io
    CheckedNov 12, 2026Nov 12, 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.

    Kumu

    • Private projects are billed per project, so the monthly cost rises with each one: $9 on Basic, $20 on Pro.
    • All kumu.io customer data lives in one shared database; the vendor points sensitive work to Kumu Enterprise.
    • The Free workspace's public projects are visible to everyone and indexed by search engines.
    • Archived private projects cost $20 to unarchive on a Pro workspace.

    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.

    Kumu

    Relationship maps
    Data about people, organizations or concepts is drawn as a network, with decorations, filters and clustering applied on top.
    Spreadsheet import
    Maps can be built from imported spreadsheets rather than drawn by hand, which suits larger datasets.
    Public and private projects
    Projects can be public and visible to everyone, or private with access given to named people. Maps can be embedded on other sites.
    Workspaces
    Projects are grouped into workspaces, each with its own name and billing profile. Pro workspaces add view-only roles and branding.
    Use cases
    The vendor's examples include stakeholder maps, systems maps and causal loop diagrams, and social network maps.

    Plans

    Cmap

    • Free$0

      CmapTools for desktop, CmapTools in the Cloud and a free Cmap Cloud account; donations are requested.

    Kumu

    • Basic workspace$0

      Unlimited public projects; private projects cost $9 per month each; daily backups.

    • Pro workspace$10

      per workspace / month, plus $20 per month per private project

      View-only access control, custom branding, activity feeds, real-time comments, hourly backups, private project archiving.

    • EnterpriseCustom

      Self-hosted or cloud-hosted private instance with SAML single sign-on and a 99.95% uptime SLA. Sold through sales.

    Ways to pay less

    Cmap

    No public discounts listed.

    Kumu

    • Education

      Private projects for students

      Students doing classroom work or doctoral research can email from a .edu address to get 3 private projects at no charge.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Cmap or Kumu?

    As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for Kumu. Cmap is free, and Kumu starts at $9 per month per private project.

    Which has a free plan, Cmap or Kumu?

    As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cmap and Kumu have a free plan.

    Which platforms do Cmap and Kumu 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.
    How we review and grade