MindMup vs SpiderScribe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MindMup and SpiderScribe share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and SpiderScribe starts cheaper, at $5 a month against $6 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
MindMup grades higher on platforms. SpiderScribe grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
SpiderScribe
Free-form online mind maps that mix notes, files and places
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 SpiderScribe if
- Fits if you want free-form maps that mix notes, files and places
- Works for classes and small teams who share maps
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as the free plan is non-commercial with 3 private maps and 3 MB
- Watch out: the plans page says the web app needs a browser with the Flash plugin
- Watch out: the pages do not say how the monthly prices are billed
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as only an iPad one is named
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMindMupFair | 2.2GPASpiderScribeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BPro is $5 a month, at the edge of the category's cheapest quarter, though the page does not say how it is billed. |
| 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 Personal plan for non-commercial use with 3 private maps and 3 MB of files, plus a 30-day trial, card not stated. |
| 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. | CFree-form maps with mixed content, real-time sharing and drawing, but it is one kind of map tool and the listing mentions a Flash plugin requirement. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build maps from scratch in the editor. | CNo store rating on record, and you build every map by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Google Drive, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 sign-in listed. | CWeb plus an iPad app named SpiderScribe Jr., and one integration, 5pm. |
| Best for | a simple web mind map with Google Drive storage | free-form mind maps in the browser |
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 SpiderScribe. 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. SpiderScribe starts at $5 a month and scores 2.0.
MindMup scores higher, and starts $1 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, 9 score higher than MindMup for less, and 22 score higher than SpiderScribe 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 and presentations.
At a glance
| MindMup | SpiderScribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6 per month, billed annually (Personal) | $5 per month |
| Free plan | Starter plan: up to 3 mind maps, view-only sharing, 10 AI credits, and presentation mode with a watermark. | Personal plan for non-commercial use: unlimited public maps, 3 private maps and 3 MB of files and images. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial on all paid plans |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Mindmup, Inc. | SpiderScribe |
| Price read from | mindmup.com | spiderscribe.net |
| 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.
SpiderScribe
- The plans page says the web app needs a browser with the Flash plugin enabled.
- The free Personal plan is for non-commercial use and allows 3 private maps.
- The pages do not say whether the monthly prices are billed monthly or yearly.
- The only mobile app named on the site is SpiderScribe Jr. for iPad.
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.
SpiderScribe
- Free-form maps
- Stencils can be connected in any way rather than in a fixed tree, so a map can be a loose web of related items.
- Mixed content
- A map can hold text notes, images, files, calendar events and location maps side by side.
- Real-time collaboration
- Private maps can be shared and edited by several people at once; public maps can be viewed without signing in.
- Drawing mode
- Sketching a rough circle, rectangle or triangle adds a text, file or picture stencil, and drawn lines connect them.
- Export, print and embed
- Maps can be printed, exported to images and embedded in a website or blog with an embed wizard.
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.
SpiderScribe
Personal$0
Non-commercial use only: unlimited public maps, 3 private maps, 3 MB of files and images.
Pro$5
per month, billing basis not stated
One user with full sharing, unlimited public and private maps, 2 GB of files and images.
Education$19
per month, billing basis not stated
For academic institutions: unlimited users, 10 GB of storage, custom subdomain and central administration.
Business$25
per month for the whole team, billing basis not stated
Unlimited users, 10 GB of storage, custom subdomain and central team administration.
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.
SpiderScribe
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MindMup or SpiderScribe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SpiderScribe is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $6 a month for MindMup. MindMup starts at $6 per month, billed annually (Personal), and SpiderScribe starts at $5 per month.
Which has a free plan, MindMup or SpiderScribe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MindMup and SpiderScribe have a free plan.
Which platforms do MindMup and SpiderScribe run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SpiderScribe lists an iOS app. Both list a web 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.