Mindly vs MindNode (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MindNode grades higher than Mindly: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
MindNode grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mindly
Mind mapping app for phones and tablets, one idea at a time
MindNode
Mind mapping and outlining app for Apple devices
Which one is for you
Pick Mindly if
- Fits if you map ideas mostly on a phone or tablet
- Works for people who find a full-screen map too cluttered
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a computer app, as no desktop version is named
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since only a trial of unstated length exists
- Watch out: the App Store rating is 2.0, from 7 ratings only
- Watch out: the subscription is bought through the app stores, and no one-time purchase is described
- Watch out: the vendor's site cites 4.6 for the older Mindly app, not this one
Pick MindNode if
- Fits if you move between a Mac, an iPhone and an iPad all day
- Works for flipping the same ideas between a map and an outline
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you or your teammates use Windows, Android or the web, as it's Apple only
- Tight if you never pay, since notes, tasks, connections, themes and outline editing are all Plus
- Not for you if you want map files in Finder, which only the legacy Classic app does
- Too light for sticky-note boards or diagrams, as it only does branching maps
- Watch out: there's no volume purchase program for schools or companies
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMindlyFair | 2.6GPAMindNodeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$34.99 a year is about $2.92 a month, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter ($5). | APlus is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year, which works out at $2.08 a month. The middle of this category is $8.33 a month and 60% of the cheaper quarter is $3.00, so the yearly price lands under even that. The old MindNode Classic app is thrown in. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan: the app downloads free but the subscription starts a trial of unstated length, bought through the app store. | CThe free version makes and edits maps, folds branches, syncs through iCloud and imports and exports files, with no cap on how many maps. But notes, tasks, connections, visual tags, themes, editing the outline and starting a shared map are all Plus, so that's a wall you'll hit on your first real map. |
| Features | COne-idea-at-a-time maps, live shared editing, online sharing and a visual clipboard. A narrow tool for mind maps only, with no gap named. | CMaps that tidy themselves as they grow, the same ideas as an outline, notes and tasks on nodes that sync to Apple Reminders, live editing and Apple Intelligence. Mind mapping done fully, but that's the smaller job in this category: no open board with sticky notes and no diagramming. |
| Ease of use | CThe App Store shows 2.0 from 7 ratings, too few to count, so there is no usable rating. The one-idea view is a different way of working that takes some getting used to. | B4.6 on the App Store from 314 ratings, which is a B and not an A because an A wants 4.7 from at least 1,000. The layout tidies a map for you, so you just type and branch, and sync runs through your own iCloud rather than an account you have to make. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad and Android only. No desktop app is named. | COne family of devices: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, with no web, Windows or Android version. Apple Reminders, Shortcuts and iCloud are the only things listed to connect to, and there's no API. |
| Best for | one-idea-at-a-time mind maps on a phone | mind maps and outlines on Apple devices |
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: Mindly and MindNode. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mindly starts at $2.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MindNode starts at $2.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
MindNode scores higher and starts $0.84 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 7 score higher than Mindly for less, and 3 score higher than MindNode 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
- MindNode is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Mindly also covers notes.
- MindNode also covers tasks.
At a glance
| Mindly | MindNode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.99 per month (App Store in-app purchase), $34.99 per year | $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year |
| Free plan | None | Create and edit mind maps with the basic editing tools, fold branches, view them as an outline, sync across Apple devices, join shared documents, and import or export files. |
| Free trial | Free trial on the subscription; length not stated on the listing | 1-week free trial of MindNode Plus on the monthly or yearly subscription |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | dripgrind Oy | IdeasOnCanvas GmbH |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | mindnode.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mindly
- The App Store lists iPhone and iPad only, and the site links Google Play; no desktop app is named.
- There is no free plan; the app is free to download and the subscription starts with a trial of unstated length.
- The subscription is bought through the app stores; the pages read do not describe a one-time purchase.
- The Mindly 2 App Store listing shows a 2.0 average from 7 ratings, while the vendor's site cites 4.6 for the earlier app.
MindNode
- MindNode runs only on Apple devices; there is no web, Windows or Android version.
- Outline editing, notes, connections, tasks, visual tags, Focus Mode, theming, starting a collaboration and AI all need MindNode Plus.
- Documents are managed inside the app and stored in iCloud; file-based documents in Finder remain only in the legacy MindNode Classic app.
- The vendor offers no volume purchase program for schools or companies.
Key features
Mindly
- Progressive focus
- Maps open one idea at a time, so a branch can be explored step by step without the whole map on screen.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mindly 2 lets teammates, classmates or clients work on the same map together.
- Online sharing
- Interactive maps can be published and opened by anyone in a browser.
- Images, emojis and files
- Nodes can carry images, emojis and supporting files.
- Visual clipboard
- A clipboard for quickly reorganizing and restructuring parts of a map.
MindNode
- Mind maps with flexible layout
- Ideas branch and cluster on an infinite canvas. The layout keeps a map tidy automatically while still letting individual nodes be placed by hand.
- Outline view
- Any mind map can be shown as a hierarchical list. The free version can view the outline, and editing in it needs MindNode Plus.
- Tasks, notes and connections
- Nodes can carry notes and tasks, tasks sync to Apple Reminders, and connections link nodes outside the hierarchy. All three are MindNode Plus features.
- Live collaboration
- Several people can work on a map in real time, and the vendor describes the collaboration as end-to-end encrypted. Free users can join documents shared with them.
- Apple Intelligence
- AI can suggest a starting structure, expand a branch, summarize a map or turn it into a written draft. It runs on Apple Intelligence where that is available.
- Native apps and iCloud sync
- Separate native apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro sync through iCloud, and changes made offline are merged on reconnecting.
Plans
Mindly
Monthly Subscription$3.99
per month, in-app purchase
Access to all Mindly features on all platforms, as the App Store listing describes it.
Yearly Subscription$34.99
per year, in-app purchase
Same access as monthly. Works out to about $2.92 a month.
MindNode
MindNode$0
Mind map creation and basic editing, a read-only outline view, sync across Apple devices, and import and export.
MindNode Plus$2.99
per month, or $24.99 per year
Adds outline editing, notes, connections, tasks, visual tags, Focus Mode, theming, collaboration, Apple Intelligence and the Apple Watch app. Includes MindNode Classic.
Ways to pay less
Mindly
No public discounts listed.
MindNode
- Annual discount
About 30% less with the yearly subscription
MindNode Plus costs $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $35.88, so paying yearly works out about 30% cheaper.
- Education
Educational discount on request
MindNode's support pages say educational discounts are available to people who contact the support team from an educational email address.
- Other savings
Included in a Setapp subscription
MindNode is also available through Setapp, a subscription service that bundles Mac and iOS applications.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mindly or MindNode?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MindNode is cheaper to start with: $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against $2.92 a month when paid by the year for Mindly. Mindly starts at $3.99 per month (App Store in-app purchase), $34.99 per year, and MindNode starts at $2.99 per month, or $24.99 per year.
Which has a free plan, Mindly or MindNode?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only MindNode has a free plan. Mindly does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Mindly and MindNode run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Mindly lists an Android app and only MindNode lists a macOS app. Both list an iOS 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.