Mind42 vs MindMup (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mind42 grades higher than MindMup: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mind42 grades higher on value for money and the free plan. MindMup grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MindMup
Web mind mapping with a free tier and simple paid plans
Which one is for you
Pick Mind42 if
- Fits if you want a free browser mind map and can live with ads
- Works for plain hierarchical outlines shared with a classmate or colleague
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want branches linked across the map, as none are supported
- Skip it if you want a phone app, since the FAQ says the editor is not built for touch screens
- Watch out: the blog says no new features are planned, only maintenance
- Watch out: ads are shown, and the ad-free account has no price on the pages read
- Watch out: images can only be added by web address, not uploaded
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
| 2.8GPAMind42Good | 2.2GPAMindMupFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to use with ads and no stated limit on the number of maps. An ad-free account exists, but no price is shown. | 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 no cap on the number of mind maps on the page. | CThe Starter plan is free but capped at 3 mind maps with view-only sharing and a watermarked presentation mode. |
| Features | CMind maps with shared editing and PDF export. The listing shows gaps: no free node placement, no links between branches and no second main topic. | 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 build each map by hand, and the editor is not made for touch screens. | CNo store rating on record. You build maps from scratch in the editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no apps and no integrations listed. | BWeb only, with Google Drive, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 sign-in listed. |
| Best for | free browser mind maps with a fixed layout | 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: Mind42 and MindMup. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mind42 has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MindMup starts at $6 a month and scores 2.3.
MindMup scores higher, and starts $6 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 Mind42 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
- MindMup also covers notes, diagrams and presentations.
At a glance
| Mind42 | MindMup | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $6 per month, billed annually (Personal) |
| Free plan | Free to use with advertising, with no stated limit on the number of mind maps. | 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 | Stefan Schuster | Mindmup, Inc. |
| Price read from | mind42.com | mindmup.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mind42
- No mobile apps, and the FAQ says the editor is not built for touch screens or small phone screens.
- The layout is strictly hierarchical: no free positioning of nodes, no connections between branches and no second main topic.
- The blog archive says no new features are planned for the current version, only maintenance.
- The site shows advertisements and offers a paid ad-free account, but no price for it appears on the pages we read.
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
Mind42
- Automatic hierarchical layout
- Maps use a strictly hierarchical layout, and the lines and positions are drawn automatically. Nodes cannot be placed freely.
- Joint editing and publishing
- Signed-in users can be invited to edit a map together, and a published map can be viewed by anyone with the link.
- Export and import
- Maps export to PDF for printing, and the Mind42 format can be exported and imported again, which is also the way to copy a map.
- Images by web address
- Images are added from a public web address. There is no upload from the computer.
- Emoji as symbols
- The FAQ points to emoji as the way to add symbols that the editor does not provide.
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
Mind42
Free$0
Full editor and sharing, supported by advertisements.
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
Mind42
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, Mind42 or MindMup?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mind42 is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $6 a month for MindMup. Mind42 is free, and MindMup starts at $6 per month, billed annually (Personal).
Which has a free plan, Mind42 or MindMup?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Mind42 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.