GroupMap vs Ideaflip (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ideaflip grades higher than GroupMap: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Ideaflip grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GroupMap
Facilitated online brainstorming and group decision-making
Ideaflip
Online sticky-note boards for brainstorming and retrospectives
Which one is for you
Pick GroupMap if
- Fits if you facilitate workshops and want anonymous voting
- Works for teams that need a written record of how a decision was reached
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need the AI grouping or custom templates: Professional is $60 a month
- Tight if you're on Basic: 1 map creator and 10 participants
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there isn't one
- Watch out: there's no pause option, and data goes 12 months after an unconverted trial
Pick Ideaflip if
- Fits if you run the occasional retro or short brainstorm with outside guests
- Works for facilitators who want guests to join without a full account
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 3 boards of your own and 2 guests
- Skip it if you want freeform drawing or diagrams, as it's built around sticky notes
- Skip it if you need apps or integrations, because none are listed
- Pricey if you're a single user, at $9 a month for Basic and $16 for Professional
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAGroupMapWeak | 2.0GPAIdeaflipFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DBasic is $20 monthly ($16.67 yearly) but has no AI grouping, guest facilitators or custom templates; those start on Professional at $60 monthly, against a category middle of $8. | C$6 per user a month on monthly billing ($66 a year), $9 for a single user. That's between the category's cheapest quarter at $5 and middle at $8. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day trial with all features and no card, then nothing free. Data is deleted 12 months after a trial that isn't followed by a subscription. | CThe Personal plan is free for good but limited to 3 boards of your own and 2 guests. A 14-day trial covers the paid plans. |
| Features | CGuided steps, anonymity, templates, an AI facilitator and reports. Basic lacks several of those, so the full set costs more. | CNotes, voting, annotation, templates, guests and export. It does the sticky-note job, which is a narrower one than a full whiteboard. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A facilitator builds each map and its steps before the session. | CNo store rating on record. Boards start from a template you set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CBrowser only, with no integrations listed. | CBrowser only, with no desktop or mobile apps and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | facilitated group brainstorming with anonymous voting | sticky-note brainstorms and retrospectives |
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: GroupMap and Ideaflip. How we grade
Price against what you get
GroupMap starts at $20 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ideaflip starts at $6 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Ideaflip starts $14 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 59 score higher than GroupMap for less, and 26 score higher than Ideaflip 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
- GroupMap also covers surveys and reports.
- Ideaflip also covers whiteboard.
At a glance
| GroupMap | Ideaflip | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed monthly ($16.67 per month billed annually) | $6 per user / month, billed monthly ($66 per user billed yearly) |
| Free plan | None | Personal plan: up to 3 boards of your own, with sharing to up to 2 guests. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with all features, no credit card required | 14-day free trial on Basic and Professional |
| Web | ||
| Made by | GroupMap | Biggerflip Ltd |
| Price read from | groupmap.com | ideaflip.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GroupMap
- Only map creators and facilitators need a license; participants join free, within each plan's cap.
- Basic has 1 map creator, 10 participants and no AI grouping, guest facilitators or custom templates.
- There is no free plan and no pause option; a subscription can be cancelled and restarted later.
- Data is deleted 12 months after a trial ends if you do not subscribe.
Ideaflip
- The free Personal plan allows only 3 boards of your own.
- Basic limits sharing to your team plus 2 outside guests per board.
- Single-user subscriptions are priced differently from team ones: $9 a month for Basic and $16 for Professional.
- Runs in the browser only; no desktop or mobile apps are listed.
Key features
GroupMap
- Guided activity design
- Build a session from step-by-step activities (brainstorm, group, vote, position, rate, action) with instructions and timers.
- Anonymity controls
- Set a map to off, partial or full anonymity so participants can add and rate ideas without their names attached.
- Templates
- Over 130 brainstorming templates in four styles, including retrospectives, SWOT-style matrices and canvases.
- Atlas AI facilitator
- AI-suggested idea grouping and summaries of results. Both are included on Professional and Enterprise, not on Basic.
- Facilitator controls
- Lock stages, move participants to a stage and sync screens. These controls are limited on the Basic plan.
- Reports and exports
- Generate PDF reports, save the map as an image, and export map data to Excel or CSV on every plan.
Ideaflip
- Sticky-note boards
- Virtual sticky notes can be written, moved and grouped freely on an unlimited board, with real-time editing by everyone present.
- Voting and annotation
- Notes can be voted on, annotated and connected, which suits retrospectives and prioritization sessions.
- Templates
- Ready-made boards include a Sailboat Retrospective, Business Model Canvas and Breakout Groups; paid plans add custom templates.
- Guests and drop-in sessions
- Professional allows unlimited outside guests and drop-in sessions that need no account, which can be anonymous or embedded in a web page.
- Facilitator tools
- Paid plans include facilitator tools, including a countdown timer that all board members can see.
- Export
- Boards can be exported; the home page lists export beside brainstorm, organise, vote, annotate and connect.
Plans
GroupMap
Basic$20
per month, billed monthly ($16.67 billed annually)
1 map creator, 10 free participants per map, unlimited maps; basic process design, facilitator controls and reporting.
Professional$60
per month, billed monthly ($50 billed annually)
50 free participants per map, 100 and 200 participant plans available; workspaces, AI grouping and advanced reporting.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom participant limits and several map creators, plus white-labeling, SSO, custom domain and shared templates.
Ideaflip
Personal$0
Up to 3 boards of your own and sharing with up to 2 guests; you can still join any board as a guest.
Basic$6
per user / month, billed monthly ($66 per user billed yearly)
Unlimited boards, facilitator tools and custom team templates; share with your team and up to 2 outside guests.
Professional$12
per user / month, billed monthly ($125 per user billed yearly)
Unlimited boards and unlimited outside guests, plus drop-in sessions that need no account.
EnterpriseCustom
Professional features plus single sign-on, single tenancy, white-labelling and custom templates.
Ways to pay less
GroupMap
- Annual discount
Save about 17% with annual billing
The pricing page offers annual billing at $200 a year for Basic and $600 a year for Professional, against $20 and $60 billed monthly.
Ideaflip
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs less than monthly
Team prices are $66 a year for Basic and $125 a year for Professional per user, against $6 and $12 a month.
- Nonprofit
Non-profit and educational discount
The pricing FAQ says a non-profit or educational discount exists; details are given on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GroupMap or Ideaflip?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GroupMap starts at $20 per month, billed monthly ($16.67 per month billed annually), and Ideaflip starts at $6 per user / month, billed monthly ($66 per user billed yearly). 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, GroupMap or Ideaflip?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Ideaflip has a free plan. GroupMap does not, though it has a free trial.
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.