MindNode vs Scapple

MindNode

• People who work across a Mac, an iPhone and an iPad
• Switching between a mind map and an outline of the same ideas
• Users who want documents encrypted in their own iCloud
• Students and writers planning essays, study guides or novels

Scapple

• Writers working out plots, arguments or research before drafting
• People who find a mind map with one central topic too rigid
• Scrivener users who want to carry rough notes into a project
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

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.

Scapple

• Scapple is offered for macOS and Windows only; the vendor lists no web, iOS or Android version.
• Each license covers a single platform, so running Scapple on both a Mac and a Windows PC means buying two.
• Minor updates are free, but the vendor says a future major version such as Scapple 2 would be a paid upgrade.
• The Windows version (1.4.2, December 2022) is behind the macOS version (1.5.4, November 2025).

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.

Scapple

Notes anywhere on the page

Double-clicking any spot on the page creates a note there. Notes can be moved and rearranged at any time, and the page keeps growing so there is always more room.

Connections without a hierarchy

Dragging one note onto another joins them with a line or an arrow. No note is the center of the map, notes can stay unconnected, and connections can carry labels.

Stacks and background shapes

Related notes can be stacked into columns, and background shapes group a set of notes visually. The appearance of individual notes can be customized.

Export and printing

Boards can be printed or exported. The release notes refer to PDF and PNG output on the Mac and to plain text, rich text and OPML export.

Hand-off to Scrivener

Notes can be dragged from a Scapple board into Scrivener, the vendor's long-form writing app, to be developed into a draft.

Household license

A license bought from the vendor covers every computer the buyer owns and mainly uses, plus the computers of family members living in the same house.

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.

Scapple

• Standard Licence$20.99

  one-time, per platform (macOS or Windows)

  The full version for one platform, under a household license that covers the buyer's own computers and those of family in the same home.

• Educational Licence$16.79

  one-time, per platform (macOS or Windows)

  The same full version at 20% off for students and academics, who need an institutional affiliation to qualify.

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.

Scapple

• Education

  20% off for students and academics

  The vendor's store sells an Educational Licence to students and academics with an institutional affiliation: $16.79 instead of $20.99 in US pricing, on macOS or Windows.