Markmap vs MindMup (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Markmap grades higher than MindMup: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Markmap grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on 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
MindMup
Web mind mapping with a free tier and simple paid plans
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 MindMup if
- Fits if you want a plain mind map on the web and a free start
- Works for a class that opens a map by Guest Pass without logins
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with 3 maps and view-only sharing
- Watch out: real-time collaboration is marked coming soon on the pricing page
- Watch out: the AI credits are marked coming soon too
- Watch out: only annual prices were readable, and Team and Organization seat rules are not stated
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, as the desktop app is marked coming soon
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMarkmapVery good | 2.2GPAMindMupFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPersonal is $6 a month billed annually, a little above the category's cheaper quarter of $5. Team is $9 and Organization $15, and the page does not say if they are per seat. |
| 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. | CThe Starter plan is free but capped at 3 mind maps with view-only sharing and a watermarked presentation mode. |
| 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. | CMap layouts, notes, presentation mode, version history and sharing. Gaps the listing shows: real-time collaboration, comment threads and the AI credits are marked coming soon. |
| 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 build maps from scratch in the editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb editor, VS Code extension, command-line tool and an embeddable script. | BWeb only, with Google Drive, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 sign-in listed. |
| Best for | turning Markdown notes into mind maps | a simple web mind map with Google Drive storage |
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 MindMup. 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. MindMup starts at $6 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Markmap starts $6 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Markmap for less, and 9 score higher than MindMup 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.
- MindMup also covers notes and presentations.
At a glance
| Markmap | MindMup | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $6 per month, billed annually (Personal) |
| Free plan | None | Starter plan: up to 3 mind maps, view-only sharing, 10 AI credits, and presentation mode with a watermark. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | gera2ld | Mindmup, Inc. |
| Price read from | markmap.js.org | mindmup.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
MindMup
- The free Starter plan stops at 3 mind maps and view-only sharing.
- Real-time collaboration, comment threads, the desktop app and AI credits are marked as coming soon on the pricing page.
- The page shows only the annual-billed prices; it says yearly saves up to 40% but its monthly-billed prices could not be read.
- The page does not say whether the Team and Organization prices are per seat.
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.
MindMup
- Mind map layouts
- Standard mind maps, org charts, fishbone diagrams and argument visualization, with styling controls for maps and nodes.
- Notes and sticky notes
- Notes attach to nodes for outlines and drafts, and the text can be exported to another editor.
- Sharing and publishing
- Maps can be shared with members or teams, published as interactive maps, or opened to a class with a Guest Pass that needs no login.
- Presentation mode
- A map turns into a presentation in one click. The free plan adds a watermark.
- Version history and restore
- The comparison lists version history, restoring deleted maps for 30 days and manual backup and restore.
- Google Drive and SSO
- Maps can be stored in Google Drive, and organizations can use Google or Microsoft sign-on.
Plans
Markmap
Free$0
Open-source project with no paid plans; the editor, libraries and command-line tool are free to use.
MindMup
StarterFree
Up to 3 mind maps, notes, view-only sharing and publishing, 10 AI credits (AI marked as coming soon).
Personal$6
per month, billed annually
Unlimited mind maps, image and file attachments, advanced sharing, high-resolution exports and 100 AI credits.
Team$9
per month, billed annually (seat basis not stated)
Unlimited teamspaces, Guest Pass access and 200 AI credits per seat. Real-time collaboration is marked as coming soon.
Organization (SSO)$15
per month, billed annually (seat basis not stated)
Required Google or Microsoft SSO, advanced security settings, priority support and 300 AI credits per seat.
Ways to pay less
Markmap
No public discounts listed.
MindMup
- Annual discount
Yearly billing saves up to 40%
The pricing page offers a pay-yearly option that it says saves up to 40% against paying monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Markmap or MindMup?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Markmap is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $6 a month for MindMup. Markmap is free, and MindMup starts at $6 per month, billed annually (Personal).
Which has a free plan, Markmap or MindMup?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Markmap and MindMup 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.