Graph Commons vs Plectica (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Graph Commons grades higher than Plectica: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Graph Commons grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Graph Commons
AI-assisted network maps of people, groups and ideas
Plectica
Card-based visual mapping for diagrams and concept maps
Which one is for you
Pick Graph Commons if
- Fits if you map who is connected to whom, such as partners or funders
- Works for a researcher who starts from a spreadsheet of links
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need private graphs: those start on Professional
- Tight if you stay free: 100 nodes a graph and 100 AI credits that never refill
- Watch out: no paid plan price could be read, so you cannot judge the cost before signing up
- Not for you if you want sticky notes or freehand sketching
Pick Plectica if
- Fits if you want maps where one card sits inside another
- Works for students and small groups who share maps by link
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, because Basic stops at 250 cards and 25 MB attachments
- Skip it if you want an app, since it only runs in the browser
- Watch out: the Student plan at $3 a month has no stated rule for who counts as a student
- Watch out: the site footer is dated 2017 to 2022, so it may be updated less often than others
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAGraph CommonsFair | 2.0GPAPlecticaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo paid price could be read on the page, so it sits where unpublished prices sit. | CPro is $8 a month on yearly billing, which is the middle of what whiteboards charge. Student is $3 but the page doesn't say who qualifies. |
| Free plan and trial | CStarter has unlimited public graphs of up to 100 nodes and a one-time 100 AI credits. Most AI actions cost 10 credits. | CA free Basic plan with 250 cards and 25 MB attachments. A busy map will pass 250 cards. |
| Features | CGraph from a prompt or file, editable nodes and edges, network insights, sharing and embeds. The listing says it maps relationships and is not a general whiteboard. | CNested cards, relationship lines, shared editing and embedding. It is browser only, and there are no integrations on record. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Building the graph is the work, which means a learning curve. | CNo store rating on record, and you build your own map from cards, so there's a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Google Sheets and Excel import. No desktop or phone app. | CWeb only. No desktop or phone app is listed and no integrations. |
| Best for | mapping relationships as a network | nested, linked card maps |
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: Graph Commons and Plectica. How we grade
Where they differ
- Plectica also covers mind mapping.
At a glance
| Graph Commons | Plectica | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $3 per month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Starter: unlimited public graphs, up to 100 nodes per graph and a one-time 100 AI credits. | Basic plan: free forever, up to 250 cards, map building, storing and sharing, and file attachments up to 25 MB. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Graph Commons | Frameable Inc |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | plectica.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Graph Commons
- Paid plan prices could not be read; the pricing page did not load, so the site lists none.
- Starter graphs are public to anyone with the link; private graphs start on Professional.
- Most AI actions use 10 credits, and Starter's 100 credits are a one-time grant.
- It maps relationships and is not a general whiteboard for sketching or sticky notes.
Plectica
- The Basic plan stops at 250 cards, and attachments are capped at 25 MB there.
- Plectica runs in the browser only; no desktop or mobile app is listed.
- The site's footer is dated 2017 to 2022, so the pages may be updated less often than other vendors'.
- The pricing page does not say what qualifies for the Student plan.
Key features
Graph Commons
- Graph from a prompt or file
- Describe a topic, paste notes or a list, or import Excel, Google Sheets, CSV or JSON and the AI structures it into a network.
- Editable nodes and edges
- Add, merge or rewrite nodes, edges and attributes by hand, or ask the AI to expand a region of the graph.
- Network insights
- The AI points out bridges, clusters and leverage points and answers questions about the network.
- Sharing and co-editing
- Invite people by email to view or edit a graph on any plan; the Organization plan adds a team workspace with roles and permissions.
- Export and embed
- Export to image, CSV, JSON, GraphML, Cypher or Excel, or embed an interactive graph in a website.
Plectica
- Cards and parts
- A card is the basic unit and can stand for a person, task, object or idea. Cards can be nested inside other cards as parts.
- Relationship lines
- Any card can be linked to any other, and a relationship can itself be defined through a relationship card. Lines can be arcs or elbows.
- Shared editing
- Maps can be edited by several people, with collaborator cursors visible. Sharing is by email invitation, view-only or edit links, or a presentation link.
- Embedding
- A map can be embedded on a website from the Share menu.
- Templates and examples
- The maps page offers templates and example maps, such as a database schema, customer journey map and traffic flow.
Plans
Graph Commons
Pricing could not be confirmed. See graphcommons.com.
Plectica
Basic$0
Up to 250 cards, map building, storing and sharing, file attachments up to 25 MB.
Student$3
per month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
Unlimited cards, attachments up to 250 MB and long-term backups.
Pro$8
per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly)
Unlimited cards, attachments up to 250 MB, long-term backups and priority customer support.
Team$7
per seat / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)
Pro features at a lower price per team member.
OrganizationCustom
Custom packages for team knowledge management, training and innovation; quoted on request.
Ways to pay less
Graph Commons
No public discounts listed.
Plectica
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves 11% to 25%
The pricing page shows annual billing as 25% off Student, 11% off Pro and 12% off Team, compared with monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Graph Commons or Plectica?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Graph Commons has no price we could confirm, and Plectica starts at $3 per month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Graph Commons or Plectica?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Graph Commons and Plectica have a free plan.
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.