MindNode vs SimpleMind

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

SimpleMind

• People who want to buy a mind mapping app once, not subscribe
• Keeping mind maps as private files on a device or personal cloud
• Families or small teams sharing a 4-user or 10-user license
• Brainstorming with a free-form layout on a phone or tablet

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.

SimpleMind

• Each platform is a separate purchase: a Mac or Windows license does not include the iPhone, iPad or Android app.
• The free edition leaves out cloud sync, images, notes, sharing, printing and search, and it is not listed for Windows, which gets the 30-day trial.
• There is no browser version, and the feature list has no co-editing: maps are files synced through a cloud service the user picks.
• SimpleMind has no built-in AI, which the vendor presents as a privacy decision.

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.

SimpleMind

Free-form and auto layouts

Place topics anywhere on the page or use the horizontal auto layout. Pro adds six more: vertical, top-down, linear, radial, matrix and list.

Maps stored as your own files

Mind maps are files that are never stored on the vendor's servers. Pro syncs them across platforms through a cloud service such as Dropbox.

Notes, images and checkboxes

Pro topics can hold notes, images, photos, icons, labels, call-outs, checkboxes and progress bars, and any two topics can be joined with a crosslink.

Sharing and slideshows

Pro shares a map as a PDF, an image, or an HTML or text outline, prints it, and builds a slideshow to present it on tablets and desktops.

Style sheets

More than 15 style sheets, including dark ones, change the look of a map. Pro lets you create your own and style borders, lines and colors in detail.

Tools for large maps

Collapse branches, focus on one part with autofocus and switch to an outline. Pro adds hiding topics, group borders, folders and search.

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.

SimpleMind

• SimpleMind Free$0

  For Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android: basic mind mapping with free-form and horizontal auto layout, style sheets and outline. No sync, sharing or printing.

• Pro for iPhone & iPad$10.99

  one-time purchase

  Full feature set on iPhone and iPad, bought on the App Store. The vendor's page lists it as from US$10.99.

• Pro for Android$11.99

  one-time purchase

  Full feature set on Android, bought on Google Play at the US price. The vendor's page lists it as from €10.99.

• Pro Single User (Mac or Windows)$29.99

  one-time purchase per platform, excluding VAT

  One user on Mac or on Windows. A license covering both platforms costs $54.99.

• Pro Family/Team (4 users)$49.99

  one-time purchase per platform, excluding VAT

  Four users on Mac or on Windows, shown on the page as "Now 49.99 USD". Both platforms together cost $99.98.

• Pro 10-user License$114.99

  one-time purchase per platform, excluding VAT

  Ten users on Mac or on Windows, or $229.98 for both platforms. Site licenses are handled separately.

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.

SimpleMind

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase with no subscription

  SimpleMind Pro is bought once per platform with no monthly or annual fees: $29.99 for Mac or Windows and $10.99 for iPhone and iPad.

• Other savings

  Two-platform and multi-user licenses

  A single-user license for both Mac and Windows is $54.99 against $59.98 bought separately. A four-user Family/Team license is $49.99 and a ten-user license $114.99 per platform.