Markmap vs Mermaid (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Markmap grades higher than Mermaid: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Markmap grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Mermaid grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Markmap
Free open-source tool that turns Markdown outlines into mind maps
Mermaid
Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor
Which one is for you
Pick Markmap if
- Fits if you already keep notes in Markdown
- Works for putting mind maps into documentation or blog posts
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to drag nodes around, as maps come from text
- Not for you if you need real-time collaboration, which the page doesn't describe
- Too light for a whiteboard: there's no freeform canvas
- Watch out: very large maps need the canvas renderer to stay smooth
Pick Mermaid if
- Fits if you already write Mermaid syntax in your docs or Markdown
- Works for diagrams you want versioned and reviewed as text, like code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to pay by the month, since paid plans are billed annually only
- Tight if you're staying free, with 3 diagrams on the plan card, a size limit and 15 AI credits
- Pricey if you lean on the AI, with 300 credits a year on Plus and 2,000 on Premium at $20
- Watch out: one page gives the free plan 3 diagrams on the card and 6 in the table, and the trial length isn't stated
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, or free viewer seats below Premium
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMarkmapVery good | 2.4GPAMermaidFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT license, and anyone can run it. Nothing to set against the category's $8 middle. | CPlus is $10 a user a month against a category middle of $8.33, and it's billed annually only, so you hand over $120 up front with no monthly option. That buys 300 AI credits for the whole year, and free viewer seats wait for Premium at $20. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with an online editor, a script, a command-line tool and a VS Code extension. No account or cap. | CBasic is free and includes co-editing and external sharing, but the caps arrive fast: 3 diagrams on the plan card, up to 6 in the comparison table on the same page, a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits. The trial of the paid plans has no stated length. |
| Features | CLayouts, themes, notes on branches, export, share links and embedding. It does the Markdown-to-map job fully, but it's a smaller job and has no freeform canvas or collaboration. | BThe diagramming job, covered: flowcharts, sequence and ER diagrams, Gantt charts and mind maps written in Mermaid syntax and laid out for you, AI drafts from a document or transcript, a visual editor that rewrites the code as you drag, plus slides and live co-editing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You need to write Markdown, and some uses involve scripts or the command line. | CNo rating on record. This is a tool you learn: Mermaid syntax has its own grammar per diagram type, and the AI drafts and click-and-drag editor soften that rather than remove it. Easier if you already write Mermaid in your docs, a curve if you don't. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb editor, VS Code extension, command-line tool and an embeddable script. | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It has plugins for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint, plus an MCP server so Claude or Cursor can generate diagrams. |
| Best for | turning Markdown notes into mind maps | diagrams you write as text, then tidy by hand |
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: Markmap and Mermaid. How we grade
Price against what you get
Markmap has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mermaid starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Mermaid scores higher, and starts $10 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 Markmap for less, and 11 score higher than Mermaid 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
- Markmap is open source, according to its own site.
- Markmap also covers Markdown and mind mapping.
- Mermaid also covers presentations.
At a glance
| Markmap | Mermaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year) |
| Free plan | None | Basic plan: 3 diagrams (the comparison table on the same page says up to 6) with a limited diagram size, 15 AI credits, one team and project, and co-editing and external sharing. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of Plus or Premium; the vendor does not state how long it lasts |
| Web | ||
| Made by | gera2ld | Mermaid Chart |
| Price read from | markmap.js.org | mermaid.ai |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Markmap
- Maps are generated from text; the page does not describe drag-and-drop editing or real-time collaboration.
- It is a viewer and renderer, not a whiteboard: there is no freeform canvas.
- Large maps need the canvas renderer to stay smooth with thousands of nodes.
Mermaid
- The free Basic plan is listed as 3 diagrams on its plan card and up to 6 in the comparison table, with a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits.
- Paid plans are billed annually only; the vendor's FAQ says monthly plans are not available.
- AI credits are capped at 300 a year on Plus and 2,000 a year on Premium; only Enterprise is listed as unlimited.
- Free viewer seats start at Premium, and SSO, invoicing and a customer success manager are limited to Enterprise.
Key features
Markmap
- Markdown in, map out
- Write an outline the way you already do and the editor draws it as a mind map, with bold text, links, code, task lists, images and math on the nodes.
- Layouts and themes
- Choose a tree, two-sided or org-chart layout and a classic, cards or minimal theme, in light and dark.
- Notes on branches
- Paragraphs, tables and code stay attached to their branch and open in a popover.
- Export
- Export SVG and PNG images, or one offline HTML file that opens in any browser.
- Share links without a server
- A share link carries the document and the view inside the address, so nothing is stored on a server.
- Embed and script
- Add maps to a web page with an autoloader script, a web component for any framework, or a command-line tool for scripts and CI.
Mermaid
- Diagrams from Mermaid code
- Diagrams are written in Mermaid syntax and laid out automatically. Clicking a node jumps to its code and clicking the code finds its shape, so the two stay in step.
- Mermaid AI
- A description, an uploaded document or a pasted transcript becomes a first-draft diagram, and the AI suggests a fitting diagram type. Use is metered in credits below Enterprise.
- Visual Editor
- Nodes, edges, labels, colors and shapes can be changed by clicking and dragging while the code rewrites itself, with node alignment and movable edges for tidying a layout.
- Live co-editing and share links
- Teammates can co-edit a diagram at the same time, and a share link lets other people view it without logging in. Free viewer seats are part of Premium and Enterprise.
- Plugins and MCP server
- Plugins cover VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Windsurf, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint. An MCP server lets Claude, VS Code and Cursor generate diagrams.
- Presentations
- Existing diagrams become slides written in Markdown. A deck updates when its diagrams change and can be shared through a public link for viewing and comments.
Plans
Markmap
Free$0
Open-source project with no paid plans; the editor, libraries and command-line tool are free to use.
Mermaid
Basic$0
3 diagrams with a limited diagram size, 15 AI credits, and one team and project. Co-editing and external sharing are included.
Plus$10
per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year)
Unlimited diagrams with no size limit and 300 AI credits per year, for individuals who diagram often.
Premium$20
per user / month, billed annually ($240 a year)
Everything in Plus, plus 2,000 AI credits per year, unlimited free viewer seats, and unlimited teams and projects.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Premium, plus SSO, custom contracts and invoicing, IP management, user consolidation and a dedicated customer success manager.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Markmap or Mermaid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Markmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10 a month for each person for Mermaid. Markmap is free, and Mermaid starts at $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year).
Which has a free plan, Markmap or Mermaid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Markmap and Mermaid 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.