Markmap vs MindMap AI (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Markmap grades higher than MindMap AI: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Markmap grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, 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
MindMap AI
AI mind map generator from text, PDFs, audio and video
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 MindMap AI if
- Fits if you build maps by hand and want AI help now and then
- Works for students turning reading material into an outline
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you lean on the AI: 50 credits a month on Free, and top-ups cost $5 per 1,000
- Skip it if you need watermark-free downloads, SVG or CSV export on a free account
- Watch out: audio, video and bigger file summaries are on Basic and Pro only
- Watch out: lifetime plans are credit packs with updates, not unlimited AI use
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMarkmapVery good | 2.8GPAMindMap AIGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AManual mapping is free and unlimited, and paid starts at $4.99 a month on yearly billing, under the category's $5 cheaper-quarter start. AI credits are what you pay for. |
| 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. | BUnlimited manual maps and storage with all layouts, plus 50 AI credits a month. Extra credits cost $5 per 1,000. |
| 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. | CMaps from files and prompts, chat, import and export. But downloads carry a watermark on Free, and SVG and CSV export, audio, video and larger file summaries are paid. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You need to write Markdown, and some uses involve scripts or the command line. | CNo store rating on record. You still build and refine each map, by hand or by chat. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb editor, VS Code extension, command-line tool and an embeddable script. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus Claude and ChatGPT. No desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | turning Markdown notes into mind maps | turning documents and recordings into mind 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: Markmap and MindMap AI. 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. MindMap AI starts at $4.99 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Markmap starts $4.99 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Markmap for less, and 8 score higher than MindMap AI 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 diagrams.
- MindMap AI also covers chat assistant.
At a glance
| Markmap | MindMap AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 per month, billed annually at $59.88 ($9.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Unlimited manual mind maps and storage, all layouts and themes, plus 50 AI credits a month. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | gera2ld | 3axislabs, Inc. |
| Price read from | markmap.js.org | mindmapai.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
MindMap AI
- AI work is metered in credits: the free plan has 50 a month and extra credits cost $5 per 1,000.
- Watermark-free downloads, SVG and CSV export and file summaries need a paid plan.
- A cheaper Go plan appears in the page for launch countries only and is not listed here.
- Lifetime plans (Lite, Plus, Ultimate) are credit packs with updates, not unlimited AI use.
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.
MindMap AI
- Maps from files and prompts
- Start from a typed idea, a PDF, an image, audio, video or a web page and get a map back, with every node editable afterward.
- Chat with the map
- Ask the AI to expand a branch, summarize a section or reorganize nodes; the map updates in place. 29+ languages are supported.
- Works inside other assistants
- The AI toolkit runs inside Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants that support MCP, with no API key needed.
- Import and export
- Import maps from other tools. Free exports are PDF, PNG, Markdown and a project file; SVG and CSV need a paid plan.
- Sharing
- Publish a map by public link or iframe embed, or share by email for real-time viewing. Team plans add shared workspaces and roles.
- Apps and extensions
- Available on the web, iOS and Android, with browser extensions for capturing pages and summarizing videos.
Plans
Markmap
Free$0
Open-source project with no paid plans; the editor, libraries and command-line tool are free to use.
MindMap AI
Free$0
Unlimited projects and manual edits, export to PDF, PNG and Markdown, and 50 AI credits a month.
Basic$4.99
per month, billed annually at $59.88 ($9.99 billed monthly)
2,000 AI credits a month, summaries of PDFs, images, audio and video, no watermark, SVG and CSV export.
Pro$7.99
per month, billed annually at $95.88 ($14.99 billed monthly)
5,000 AI credits a month, larger file limits for PDFs, audio and video, and priority support.
Team Basic$4.99
per seat / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly)
2,000 credits per seat, shared workspace, roles and central billing, up to 100 seats; Team Pro is $14.99 per seat monthly.
Lite$157
one-time, credits never expire
Pay once for 100,000 AI credits and lifetime updates; shown against a crossed-out $297. Plus and Ultimate sell more.
Ways to pay less
Markmap
No public discounts listed.
MindMap AI
- Annual discount
Save 50% with yearly billing
The yearly toggle on the pricing page shows Basic at $59.88 and Pro at $95.88 a year, against $9.99 and $14.99 billed monthly.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime credit packs
Lite $157, Plus $237 and Ultimate $397 are one-time payments for 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 AI credits that never expire.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Markmap or MindMap AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Markmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.99 a month for MindMap AI. Markmap is free, and MindMap AI starts at $4.99 per month, billed annually at $59.88 ($9.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Markmap or MindMap AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Markmap and MindMap AI have a free plan.
Which platforms do Markmap and MindMap AI run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MindMap AI lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app. 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.