Cmap vs Mindomo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap grades higher than Mindomo: 3.0 against 2.6 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. Mindomo grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mindomo
Mind maps, outlines and Gantt charts with real-time editing
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 Mindomo if
- Fits if you teach or study and want mind maps inside Moodle, Canvas or Google Classroom
- Works for offline use on Windows, macOS or Linux with a sync later
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, because 3 diagrams and 1 AI credit is the limit and you can't print
- Skip it if you want to pay month by month, as plans are prepaid for six months or a year
- Pricey if you're on your own and need Gantt charts, since that means Professional at $16 a month
- Watch out: Team and Business need at least 3 users, and SAML SSO and audit logs are Business only
- Watch out: free exports only come out in Mindomo and text formats
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACmapVery good | 2.6GPAMindomoGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and run, for education, personal and commercial use, with donations requested. | CPremium is $7 a month prepaid yearly, $8.5 on a 6-month term. That sits between the cheaper quarter of this category, $5.00, and the dearer quarter, $9.99, which is where most of these tools sit. Gantt charts aren't even in it: those start at Professional, $16 a month. |
| 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 gives you unlimited collaborators, sharing, publishing and the mobile apps. But 3 diagrams and 1 AI credit is a cap you'll walk into in a week, you can't print, and exports only come out in Mindomo and text formats. |
| 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. | CMind maps, concept maps, fishbones, timelines, org charts and outlines, with topics that become tasks with dates and assignees, AI that drafts a map from a prompt, and version history that replays changes. The gaps the listing itself names: no open board with sticky notes, and Gantt charts held back for Professional. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A registration form comes before the installer, and shared editing means setting up a server. | B4.68 on the App Store from 473 ratings, which is a B rather than an A because an A wants 4.7 from at least 1,000. Free templates get you going, and a finished diagram presents as a slideshow with no slides to build. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, an iPad app and a browser version. No Android app and no API or integrations list. | AWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android, with desktop apps that keep working offline, so it spans the lot. It also ties into Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Classroom, Moodle, Canvas and Blackboard, and paid plans get API access. |
| Best for | free concept maps for classrooms and research | mind maps that turn into outlines and plans |
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 Mindomo. 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. Mindomo starts at $7 a month and scores 3.0.
Mindomo scores higher, and starts $7 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Cmap for less, and 1 scores higher than Mindomo 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
- Cmap also covers diagrams.
- Mindomo also covers tasks and Gantt & timelines.
At a glance
| Cmap | Mindomo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7 per month, prepaid yearly |
| Free plan | CmapTools is free for educational, personal and commercial use; the vendor asks for donations. | 3 diagrams with unlimited collaborators, sharing and publishing, free templates, 1 AI credit and the mobile apps. Export is limited to Mindomo and text formats, with no printing. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) | Expert Software Applications SRL |
| Price read from | cmap.ihmc.us | mindomo.com |
| 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.
Mindomo
- The Free plan stops at 3 diagrams and 1 AI credit, cannot print, and exports only to Mindomo and text formats.
- Gantt charts are not in Premium; they need the Professional, Team or Business plan.
- Plans are prepaid for six months or a year and do not renew automatically; there is no month-to-month billing.
- Team and Business require at least 3 users, and SAML SSO and audit logs are limited to Business.
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.
Mindomo
- Several diagram types
- Mind maps, concept maps, org charts, timelines, fishbone diagrams, outlines and Gantt charts, with a switch that turns a mind map into an outline or back.
- Mindomo AI
- AI generates a map from a prompt, expands topics, adds notes, builds pros-and-cons or SWOT analyses and translates diagrams. Each action uses credits from a monthly allowance.
- Real-time collaboration
- Multiple users co-edit a diagram, chat and comment, with view-only, edit or copy permissions. Version history replays changes and restores earlier versions.
- Tasks and Gantt charts
- Topics become tasks with assignees, start and due dates, priorities and progress, and tasks sync to calendars through iCal. Gantt view needs Professional, Team or Business.
- Offline desktop apps
- Mindomo Desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux edits diagrams without a connection and saves them locally, with optional sync to the cloud.
- Presenter mode and exports
- A diagram can be presented as a slideshow, and paid plans export to PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Microsoft Project, Markdown and other formats.
Plans
Cmap
Free$0
CmapTools for desktop, CmapTools in the Cloud and a free Cmap Cloud account; donations are requested.
Mindomo
Free$0
3 diagrams, unlimited collaborators, sharing and publishing, free templates, 1 trial AI credit and 3 export formats.
Premium$7
per month, prepaid yearly ($8.5 on a 6-month term)
One user: unlimited diagrams, 50 AI credits a month, attachments, printing, 10 export formats, 1GB of storage, desktop app, Teams integration and API access.
Professional$16
per month, prepaid yearly ($17.5 on a 6-month term)
One user plus 5 guests who edit with premium features. Adds Gantt charts, 60 AI credits a month, 20 export formats, 5GB of storage and business templates.
Team$7
per user / month, prepaid yearly ($8 on a 6-month term)
Minimum 3 users. Premium features plus user management, team task management, calendar sync, Gantt charts and shared folders.
Business$12
per user / month, prepaid yearly ($14 on a 6-month term)
Minimum 3 users. Team features plus guest editing for up to 5 guests, SAML SSO, audit logs and advanced security controls.
Ways to pay less
Cmap
No public discounts listed.
Mindomo
- Annual discount
Up to 20% off on the yearly term
Mindomo's pricing page labels the yearly term as up to 20% off the 6-month one. Premium is $7 a month prepaid yearly against $8.5 on a 6-month term.
- Education
Student and Teacher plans
Education plans are $5 per user a month for students and $6 for teachers when prepaid yearly. They are limited to students, teachers and schools, and proof of eligibility may be requested.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cmap or Mindomo?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7 a month for Mindomo. Cmap is free, and Mindomo starts at $7 per month, prepaid yearly.
Which has a free plan, Cmap or Mindomo?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cmap and Mindomo have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cmap and Mindomo run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Mindomo lists an Android app and a browser extension. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS apps. 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.