Cmap vs MindMup (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap grades higher than MindMup: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded 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.
MindMup
Web mind mapping with a free tier and simple paid plans
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 MindMup if
- Fits if you want a plain mind map on the web and a free start
- Works for a class that opens a map by Guest Pass without logins
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with 3 maps and view-only sharing
- Watch out: real-time collaboration is marked coming soon on the pricing page
- Watch out: the AI credits are marked coming soon too
- Watch out: only annual prices were readable, and Team and Organization seat rules are not stated
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, as the desktop app is marked coming soon
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACmapVery good | 2.2GPAMindMupFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and run, for education, personal and commercial use, with donations requested. | CPersonal is $6 a month billed annually, a little above the category's cheaper quarter of $5. Team is $9 and Organization $15, and the page does not say if they are per seat. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no cap a normal person would reach, though the vendor describes commercial use as a beta test. | CThe Starter plan is free but capped at 3 mind maps with view-only sharing and a watermarked presentation mode. |
| 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. | CMap layouts, notes, presentation mode, version history and sharing. Gaps the listing shows: real-time collaboration, comment threads and the AI credits are marked coming soon. |
| 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 build maps from scratch in the editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, an iPad app and a browser version. No Android app and no API or integrations list. | BWeb only, with Google Drive, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 sign-in listed. |
| Best for | free concept maps for classrooms and research | a simple web mind map with Google Drive storage |
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 MindMup. 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. MindMup starts at $6 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Cmap starts $6 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Cmap for less, and 9 score higher than MindMup 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
- MindMup also covers notes and presentations.
At a glance
| Cmap | MindMup | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $6 per month, billed annually (Personal) |
| Free plan | CmapTools is free for educational, personal and commercial use; the vendor asks for donations. | Starter plan: up to 3 mind maps, view-only sharing, 10 AI credits, and presentation mode with a watermark. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) | Mindmup, Inc. |
| Price read from | cmap.ihmc.us | mindmup.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 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.
MindMup
- The free Starter plan stops at 3 mind maps and view-only sharing.
- Real-time collaboration, comment threads, the desktop app and AI credits are marked as coming soon on the pricing page.
- The page shows only the annual-billed prices; it says yearly saves up to 40% but its monthly-billed prices could not be read.
- The page does not say whether the Team and Organization prices are per seat.
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.
MindMup
- Mind map layouts
- Standard mind maps, org charts, fishbone diagrams and argument visualization, with styling controls for maps and nodes.
- Notes and sticky notes
- Notes attach to nodes for outlines and drafts, and the text can be exported to another editor.
- Sharing and publishing
- Maps can be shared with members or teams, published as interactive maps, or opened to a class with a Guest Pass that needs no login.
- Presentation mode
- A map turns into a presentation in one click. The free plan adds a watermark.
- Version history and restore
- The comparison lists version history, restoring deleted maps for 30 days and manual backup and restore.
- Google Drive and SSO
- Maps can be stored in Google Drive, and organizations can use Google or Microsoft sign-on.
Plans
Cmap
Free$0
CmapTools for desktop, CmapTools in the Cloud and a free Cmap Cloud account; donations are requested.
MindMup
StarterFree
Up to 3 mind maps, notes, view-only sharing and publishing, 10 AI credits (AI marked as coming soon).
Personal$6
per month, billed annually
Unlimited mind maps, image and file attachments, advanced sharing, high-resolution exports and 100 AI credits.
Team$9
per month, billed annually (seat basis not stated)
Unlimited teamspaces, Guest Pass access and 200 AI credits per seat. Real-time collaboration is marked as coming soon.
Organization (SSO)$15
per month, billed annually (seat basis not stated)
Required Google or Microsoft SSO, advanced security settings, priority support and 300 AI credits per seat.
Ways to pay less
Cmap
No public discounts listed.
MindMup
- Annual discount
Yearly billing saves up to 40%
The pricing page offers a pay-yearly option that it says saves up to 40% against paying monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cmap or MindMup?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $6 a month for MindMup. Cmap is free, and MindMup starts at $6 per month, billed annually (Personal).
Which has a free plan, Cmap or MindMup?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cmap and MindMup have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cmap and MindMup 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.