MindManager vs SmartDraw

MindManager

• Project managers who plan with mind maps and Gantt charts in one file
• Organizations that work in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Outlook
• Buyers who prefer a one-time desktop license to a subscription
• Students and educators, who have a discounted plan

SmartDraw

• Floor plans, site plans and other scaled layouts without CAD software
• Police and fire departments documenting scenes and pre-incident plans
• Organizations replacing Visio or Lucidchart across many users
• Teams that keep files in OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive

MindManager

• There is no free plan; the 30-day trial is the only way to use MindManager without paying.
• Essentials is web only and has no co-editing, while the one-time purchase is desktop only and excludes co-editing, publishing, web access and version upgrades.
• Content control and SharePoint Linker are available on Windows only, and the Jira integration is a paid add-on.
• On mobile the pricing page lists only a viewing app, MindManager Go, which comes with Professional and Enterprise.

SmartDraw

• There is no free plan; the free trial lasts 7 days.
• SmartDraw is sold only as an annual license, and the vendor says it does not offer a monthly payment plan.
• The $7.95 and $6.95 prices on the buy page are introductory prices for new customers; the regular price shown is $10.95.
• The Team plan has a 3-user minimum, and SSO and multiple shared folders need the Enterprise license.

MindManager

Mind maps and many diagram types

Templates cover mind maps, org charts, timelines, flowcharts, concept maps, Venn and onion diagrams, kanban boards, fishbone diagrams, funnel charts and matrix diagrams.

Gantt charts and project tracking

Topics become tasks with resources, costs, start dates and due dates, and the same map can be shown in Gantt, schedule, outline, icon or tag view.

Co-editing and published maps

Subscribers can co-edit a map in real time across platforms and publish it as a web link with view, comment or edit access. Co-editing is not part of Essentials.

Microsoft integrations

MindManager connects with Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Project, Planner, To Do and Lists, and stores files in SharePoint or OneDrive.

MindManager Snap

Snap captures ideas and content from a desktop, browser or mobile device into a personal queue, and team queues on Professional and Enterprise, for adding to maps later.

SmartRules and formulas

Conditional formatting rules and formulas built on topic properties automate updates in a map, and power filtering shows only the topics that match chosen markers or tags.

SmartDraw

Floor plans and scaled drawings

Draw a plan to scale from scratch, or import a PDF or a Google Map and add a scaled layout on top, using libraries of industry-standard symbols.

General diagramming

Templates cover flowcharts, org charts, mind maps, project charts, and engineering and IT diagrams, and they adjust connections and layout automatically as items are added.

Diagrams generated from data

Built-in data visualizers produce AWS and Azure architecture diagrams, org charts, ERDs, class diagrams, timelines and Jira reports from imported data.

Collaboration and whiteboarding

People invited by link edit the same document with labeled cursors, and whiteboarding tools add sticky notes, emojis, a pen and highlighter, and a session timer.

Storage in your own systems

Files can be saved directly to OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox or Box, using the folders and permissions an organization already has.

SmartDraw AI and MCP server

SmartDraw AI generates diagrams from natural-language prompts, and an MCP server lets Claude or ChatGPT create floor plans and diagrams that stay editable in SmartDraw.

MindManager

• Essentials$99

  per user / year

  Web version only, for individuals: diagram types, templates, basic task management, and publishing and sharing of maps. No co-editing or desktop app.

• Professional$179

  per user / year

  Windows and Mac desktop apps plus web, Chromebook and Microsoft Teams, with co-editing, team content capture, the mobile viewing app and version upgrades.

• One-time purchase$369

  one-time payment per license

  Desktop license for Windows or Mac at the current version, single user. Excludes co-editing, publishing, web access, the mobile app and upgrades.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Per-user annual licensing for teams of five or more, with volume discounts, an IT admin portal, SSO activation, read-only licenses and dedicated support.

SmartDraw

• Individual$10.95

  per month, billed annually

  A single-user license. New customers are shown an introductory price of $7.95 a month in place of the regular $10.95.

• Team$10.95

  per user / month, billed annually

  3-user minimum, with team admin controls, 1 shared team folder, document retention and premium support. Introductory price of $6.95 for new customers.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Everything in Team plus SSO, multiple shared folders, a custom company theme and a dedicated success manager. Advertised from $99 per user per year.

MindManager

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase instead of a subscription

  A desktop license for Windows or Mac costs $369 once. It covers the current version for a single user and does not include co-editing, web access or upgrades.

• Education

  Students and educators: $59 a year

  The US price list sets the Students and Educators subscription at $59 a year against a $179 regular price, after eligibility is verified through Proxi.id. Schools can ask for site-license quotes.

• Nonprofit

  Special pricing for nonprofits

  MindManager's license programs page offers special pricing on request to nonprofit organizations such as charities, churches, clinics, hospitals and museums.

• Other savings

  Government and public service pricing

  Special pricing and licensing options are available on request for governmental agencies and public service offices.

SmartDraw

• Other savings

  Introductory price for new customers

  The buy page offers new customers $7.95 a month for Individual and $6.95 per user a month for Team, billed annually, against a crossed-out $10.95. No end date is given.