EdrawMind vs MindManager (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EdrawMind grades higher than MindManager: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
EdrawMind grades higher on value for money and ease of use. MindManager grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
EdrawMind
Mind mapping and diagram software with AI tools
MindManager
Mind mapping and diagramming software with Gantt charts
Which one is for you
Pick EdrawMind if
- Fits if you want mind maps on your computer and phone with an option to pay once
- Works for people who want AI to draft a map from text or a PDF
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as none is shown
- Watch out: subscriptions auto-renew and the page shows a crossed-out higher price with no end date
- Watch out: the perpetual licence covers desktop V14 only, and mobile and online access runs for 3 years
- Watch out: an optional Edraw Creative Assets trial renews at $15.90 a month
- Tight if you want cloud storage: subscriptions include 1 GB
Pick MindManager if
- Fits if you plan projects and want the mind map and the Gantt chart in one file
- Works for companies that run on Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Outlook
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want the desktop apps and co-editing, at $179 a user a year
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as the 30-day trial is all there is
- Skip it if you edit maps on your phone, since MindManager Go only views them
- Watch out: the $369 one-time license has no co-editing, web access, publishing or upgrades, and Essentials is web only
- Watch out: Jira is a paid add-on, and content control and SharePoint Linker are Windows only
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAEdrawMindGood | 2.2GPAMindManagerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$53.10 a year is about $4.43 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of $5. A perpetual licence at $100.30 is under two years of the category's middle price. | DEssentials is $99 a user a year, but it's web only with no co-editing. Most of what people buy it for is in Professional at $179, about $15 a month against this category's $8.33 middle, and buying once costs $369 and still leaves out co-editing, web access and upgrades. Jira is a paid add-on on top. |
| Free plan and trial | DThe desktop app is a free download, but the pricing page lists no free plan or trial terms, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. | CThere's no free plan at all. The 30-day trial is fully functional and asks for no credit card, and the Enterprise program stretches it to 60 days. When it ends, you pay or you stop. |
| Features | BMind, concept and bubble maps, Gantt and Kanban views, AI generation and slide export, with no gap named in the listing. | BIt covers the whole job: mind maps, flowcharts, org charts, timelines, fishbone and funnel diagrams, kanban boards, and topics that become tasks with resources, costs and dates in a Gantt view. XMind, Mindomo and Ayoa do maps with Gantt charts too, so it isn't alone. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it installs and opens with nothing to set up. | CNo rating on record, and there is a lot to get your head round: one map in five views, SmartRules, formulas, power filtering, and a plan structure to choose before you start. There are templates, from fishbone diagrams to funnel charts. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and web. No API or integrations are listed. | BWeb, Windows, Mac and Chromebook, with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Google Drive and Dropbox hooked in. Phones are the weak spot: MindManager Go only views maps, and it comes with Professional and Enterprise. |
| Best for | mind maps with AI on every device, bought yearly or once | turning mind maps into project plans with Gantt charts |
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: EdrawMind and MindManager. How we grade
Price against what you get
EdrawMind starts at $4.43 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MindManager starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 2.7.
EdrawMind scores higher and starts $3.82 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than EdrawMind for less, and 7 score higher than MindManager 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
- EdrawMind also covers presentations.
- MindManager also covers kanban boards and Gantt & timelines.
At a glance
| EdrawMind | MindManager | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $35.10 per 6 months (semi-annual), $53.10 per year | $99 per user / year (Essentials, web only) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free download of the desktop app; the store page also advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee | 30-day fully functional free trial, no credit card required; the Enterprise program offers a 60-day trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Wondershare | Corel Corporation |
| Price read from | edrawmind.wondershare.com | mindmanager.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EdrawMind
- Subscriptions auto-renew, and the store page shows a crossed-out higher price that the page gives no end date for.
- A perpetual license covers the desktop V14 only; mobile and online access on those plans runs for 3 years.
- The listing mentions an optional trial of Edraw Creative Assets that renews at $15.90 a month.
- No free plan is shown on the pricing page; the desktop app is a free download.
MindManager
- There is no free plan; the 30-day trial is the only way to use MindManager without paying.
- Essentials is web only and has no co-editing, while the one-time purchase is desktop only and excludes co-editing, publishing, web access and version upgrades.
- Content control and SharePoint Linker are available on Windows only, and the Jira integration is a paid add-on.
- On mobile the pricing page lists only a viewing app, MindManager Go, which comes with Professional and Enterprise.
Key features
EdrawMind
- Mind and concept maps
- Mind map, concept map, bubble map, brace map and spider diagram makers, plus a Gantt chart, timeline and Kanban tool.
- AI generation
- AI features listed include AI mind maps, org charts and timelines, a text-to-mind-map and PDF-to-mind-map option, and slide generation from a mind map.
- Templates
- Business, personal and study template categories, with unlimited access to community templates on paid plans.
- Every platform
- The store page lists Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and web availability.
- Slides and export
- A mind map can be turned into slides, and the AI page also lists Word, PDF and image conversion into slides.
- Cloud storage
- Subscriptions include 1 GB of cloud storage; the perpetual plans include 10 GB or 20 GB for three years.
MindManager
- Mind maps and many diagram types
- Templates cover mind maps, org charts, timelines, flowcharts, concept maps, Venn and onion diagrams, kanban boards, fishbone diagrams, funnel charts and matrix diagrams.
- Gantt charts and project tracking
- Topics become tasks with resources, costs, start dates and due dates, and the same map can be shown in Gantt, schedule, outline, icon or tag view.
- Co-editing and published maps
- Subscribers can co-edit a map in real time across platforms and publish it as a web link with view, comment or edit access. Co-editing is not part of Essentials.
- Microsoft integrations
- MindManager connects with Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Project, Planner, To Do and Lists, and stores files in SharePoint or OneDrive.
- MindManager Snap
- Snap captures ideas and content from a desktop, browser or mobile device into a personal queue, and team queues on Professional and Enterprise, for adding to maps later.
- SmartRules and formulas
- Conditional formatting rules and formulas built on topic properties automate updates in a map, and power filtering shows only the topics that match chosen markers or tags.
Plans
EdrawMind
Semi-Annual$35.10
per 6 months, auto-renews
Shown at 10% off a crossed-out $45. Access on 3 PCs, 3 mobiles and online, 1 GB cloud storage, AI features and community templates.
Annual$53.10
per year, auto-renews
Shown at 10% off a crossed-out $69. Same access and features as Semi-Annual, with 1 year of free upgrades and priority support.
Perpetual$100.30
one-time, perpetual desktop license
Shown against a crossed-out $145. Perpetual access to EdrawMind V14 on desktop, plus 3 years of mobile and online access and 3 years of 10 GB cloud storage.
Perpetual Bundle$182.75
one-time, perpetual desktop license
Shown against a crossed-out $390. Perpetual EdrawMind V14 and EdrawMax V16 on desktop, with 3 years of mobile and online access and 20 GB cloud storage.
MindManager
Essentials$99
per user / year
Web version only, for individuals: diagram types, templates, basic task management, and publishing and sharing of maps. No co-editing or desktop app.
Professional$179
per user / year
Windows and Mac desktop apps plus web, Chromebook and Microsoft Teams, with co-editing, team content capture, the mobile viewing app and version upgrades.
One-time purchase$369
one-time payment per license
Desktop license for Windows or Mac at the current version, single user. Excludes co-editing, publishing, web access, the mobile app and upgrades.
EnterpriseCustom
Per-user annual licensing for teams of five or more, with volume discounts, an IT admin portal, SSO activation, read-only licenses and dedicated support.
Ways to pay less
EdrawMind
- Lifetime license
Perpetual plans
One-time purchases of EdrawMind V14 at $100.30, or $182.75 with EdrawMax in a bundle.
MindManager
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase instead of a subscription
A desktop license for Windows or Mac costs $369 once. It covers the current version for a single user and does not include co-editing, web access or upgrades.
- Education
Students and educators: $59 a year
The US price list sets the Students and Educators subscription at $59 a year against a $179 regular price, after eligibility is verified through Proxi.id. Schools can ask for site-license quotes.
- Nonprofit
Special pricing for nonprofits
MindManager's license programs page offers special pricing on request to nonprofit organizations such as charities, churches, clinics, hospitals and museums.
- Other savings
Government and public service pricing
Special pricing and licensing options are available on request for governmental agencies and public service offices.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EdrawMind or MindManager?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EdrawMind starts at $35.10 per 6 months (semi-annual), $53.10 per year, and MindManager starts at $99 per user / year (Essentials, web only). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, EdrawMind or MindManager?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither EdrawMind nor MindManager has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do EdrawMind and MindManager run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only EdrawMind lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android 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.