Inspiration Maps vs SimpleMind (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Inspiration Maps if

• Fits if you map ideas for a class or an essay on a Mac or iPad
• Works for students who want a one-time price, not a subscription

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it is Apple only
• Tight if you stay free: five documents on iPad
• Not for you if you work with others live, as there is no real-time editing
• Watch out: the iPad in-app purchase price was not shown on the pages we read

Pick SimpleMind if

• Fits if you'd rather pay once than pick up another subscription
• Works for keeping maps as your own files, not on a vendor's servers

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to edit a map with someone live, as there's no co-editing
• Not for you if you work in a browser, because there's no web version
• Tight if you're staying free, since sync, images, notes, printing and search are all Pro
• Pricey if you use several devices, as each platform is bought separately and Mac plus Windows alone is $54.99
• Watch out: Windows has no free edition, only a 30-day Pro trial, and there's no built-in AI

Inspiration Maps

• It runs only on Apple devices; there is no web, Windows or Android version.
• Custom templates, file sharing with other apps and unlimited documents on iPad need the paid upgrade.
• It has no real-time team collaboration or whiteboard canvas.
• The iPad and iPhone in-app purchase amount was not shown on the listing text read here.

SimpleMind

• Each platform is a separate purchase: a Mac or Windows license does not include the iPhone, iPad or Android app.
• The free edition leaves out cloud sync, images, notes, sharing, printing and search, and it is not listed for Windows, which gets the 30-day trial.
• There is no browser version, and the feature list has no co-editing: maps are files synced through a cloud service the user picks.
• SimpleMind has no built-in AI, which the vendor presents as a privacy decision.

Inspiration Maps

Diagram and outline views

Diagrams turn into outlines and back again, so the same ideas can be mapped first and written up afterward.

RapidFire brainstorming

A quick-capture brainstorming tool records ideas as they come, then you drag, drop and link them into structure.

Templates for school subjects

Built-in templates cover language arts, history, science and thinking and planning, with extra templates in French, Spanish and UK English.

Graphic library and media

A library of over 1,500 searchable graphics, images from the web or camera, attached notes, hyperlinks and recorded audio.

Windows file exchange

Documents can be imported from and exported to Inspiration 11 for Windows once the app is fully unlocked.

SimpleMind

Free-form and auto layouts

Place topics anywhere on the page or use the horizontal auto layout. Pro adds six more: vertical, top-down, linear, radial, matrix and list.

Maps stored as your own files

Mind maps are files that are never stored on the vendor's servers. Pro syncs them across platforms through a cloud service such as Dropbox.

Notes, images and checkboxes

Pro topics can hold notes, images, photos, icons, labels, call-outs, checkboxes and progress bars, and any two topics can be joined with a crosslink.

Sharing and slideshows

Pro shares a map as a PDF, an image, or an HTML or text outline, prints it, and builds a slideshow to present it on tablets and desktops.

Style sheets

More than 15 style sheets, including dark ones, change the look of a map. Pro lets you create your own and style borders, lines and colors in detail.

Tools for large maps

Collapse branches, focus on one part with autofocus and switch to an outline. Pro adds hiding topics, group borders, folders and search.

Inspiration Maps

• iPad and iPhone (free to start)$0

  Create up to five documents free; an in-app purchase, with no amount shown on the listing, unlocks everything.

• Mac app$9.99

  one-time purchase on the Mac App Store

  Separate Mac app that requires macOS 11.0 or later.

SimpleMind

• SimpleMind Free$0

  For Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android: basic mind mapping with free-form and horizontal auto layout, style sheets and outline. No sync, sharing or printing.

• Pro for iPhone & iPad$10.99

  one-time purchase

  Full feature set on iPhone and iPad, bought on the App Store. The vendor's page lists it as from US$10.99.

• Pro for Android$11.99

  one-time purchase

  Full feature set on Android, bought on Google Play at the US price. The vendor's page lists it as from €10.99.

• Pro Single User (Mac or Windows)$29.99

  one-time purchase per platform, excluding VAT

  One user on Mac or on Windows. A license covering both platforms costs $54.99.

• Pro Family/Team (4 users)$49.99

  one-time purchase per platform, excluding VAT

  Four users on Mac or on Windows, shown on the page as "Now 49.99 USD". Both platforms together cost $99.98.

• Pro 10-user License$114.99

  one-time purchase per platform, excluding VAT

  Ten users on Mac or on Windows, or $229.98 for both platforms. Site licenses are handled separately.

Inspiration Maps

• Education

  50% off in Apple's Volume Purchase Program

  Inspiration Maps VPP is discounted 50% in Apple's Volume Purchase Program for Education when 20 or more copies are bought.

SimpleMind

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase with no subscription

  SimpleMind Pro is bought once per platform with no monthly or annual fees: $29.99 for Mac or Windows and $10.99 for iPhone and iPad.

• Other savings

  Two-platform and multi-user licenses

  A single-user license for both Mac and Windows is $54.99 against $59.98 bought separately. A four-user Family/Team license is $49.99 and a ten-user license $114.99 per platform.