MindMup vs Ponder (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MindMup and Ponder share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and MindMup starts cheaper, at $6 a month against $14 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Ponder
AI research workspace built around a mind-map canvas
Which one is for you
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
Pick Ponder if
- Fits if you review papers and want citations kept with your notes
- Works for people who already keep sources in Zotero or Obsidian
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want freehand drawing or sticky notes
- Tight if you stay free: 40 credits a day and 0 monthly credits
- Pricey if you read a lot, since credits are metered and Casual gives 1,100 a month
- Not for you if you want an app: only a browser version is listed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMindMupFair | 2.2GPAPonderFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CCasual is $14 a month billed yearly, $16 monthly, just above the $13 where the dearer quarter starts. Plus is $24 and Pro $42. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Starter plan is free but capped at 3 mind maps with view-only sharing and a watermarked presentation mode. | CFree gives 40 credits a day, limited advanced models and limited uploads, which you will run through on real research. No trial is listed. |
| Features | 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. | CLiterature search, citations, source import and export on a canvas. The listing says there is no freehand drawing or sticky-note board. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build maps from scratch in the editor. | CNo store rating on record. You need to learn how credits and the canvas work. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Google Drive, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 sign-in listed. | BWeb only, with Zotero and Obsidian. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | a simple web mind map with Google Drive storage | AI research on a visual canvas |
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: MindMup and Ponder. How we grade
Price against what you get
MindMup starts at $6 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ponder starts at $14 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and MindMup starts $8 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 9 score higher than MindMup for less, and 26 score higher than Ponder 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.
- Ponder also covers research and citations.
At a glance
| MindMup | Ponder | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6 per month, billed annually (Personal) | $14 per month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Starter plan: up to 3 mind maps, view-only sharing, 10 AI credits, and presentation mode with a watermark. | 40 credits refreshed daily, limited access to advanced models and limited file uploads. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mindmup, Inc. | Ponder AI Limited |
| Price read from | mindmup.com | ponder.ing |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Ponder
- It is a research tool, not a general whiteboard: there is no freehand drawing or sticky-note workshop board.
- Use is metered in credits; the Free plan gives 0 monthly credits and relies on a daily refill of 40.
- It runs in a browser; the pricing and homepage list no desktop or mobile apps.
Key features
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.
Ponder
- Visual research canvas
- Questions, search results, saved papers and notes are laid out as a map you can branch, rather than a linear chat.
- Literature search and review
- Search returns papers with key takeaways, year and citation counts, and the workspace supports systematic reviews, paper summaries and research-gap finding.
- Citations and styles
- References can be switched between APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18, IEEE, NLM, GB/T 7714 and Harvard, and a final check looks for retracted sources.
- Source import
- Bring in PDFs, Word and PowerPoint files, audio, video, web links and a whole Zotero library.
- Export
- Create and export mind maps, documents and slides from a session.
Plans
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.
Ponder
Free$0
40 credits refreshed daily, limited advanced models and limited file uploads.
Casual$14
per month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly)
1,100 credits a month, 50 refreshed daily, all advanced models and unlimited file uploads.
Plus$24
per month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)
2,500 credits a month, 25% off credit top-ups and priority AI access at peak times.
Pro$42
per month, billed yearly ($60 billed monthly)
6,000 credits a month, 40% off top-ups, top-priority AI access and early access to features.
Ways to pay less
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.
Ponder
- Annual discount
Save up to 30% with yearly billing
The pricing page shows yearly totals below the monthly price, saving 13% on Casual, 20% on Plus and 30% on Pro.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MindMup or Ponder?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MindMup is cheaper to start with: $6 a month, against $14 a month for Ponder. MindMup starts at $6 per month, billed annually (Personal), and Ponder starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, MindMup or Ponder?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MindMup and Ponder 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.