Scapple vs SimpleMind

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

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.