Scapple vs Xmind

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

Xmind

• People who think in mind maps and want an app on every device
• Turning a map into slides or a Gantt chart without switching tools
• Linux users: packages are offered alongside Windows and macOS apps
• Students and teachers, who get reduced Pro and Premium prices

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).

Xmind

• Free and Pro cap manually created online maps at 10 and 50; unlimited collaborative maps need Premium or the Business team plan.
• Real-time collaboration, editable Gantt charts and a monthly AI credit allowance start at Premium; Free and Pro get a single grant of 50 AI credits.
• Free exports carry a watermark, and export to Word, Excel, SVG and Markdown starts at Pro.
• The free trial and the 7-day money-back guarantee cover yearly subscriptions only; monthly subscriptions and AI credit add-ons are not refunded.

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.

Xmind

Mind maps and other structures

Ideas can be laid out as mind maps, timelines or matrices, grouped into Zones, and edited as a linear list in the Outliner view.

Xmind AI

Generates a map from text, a document or a link, expands and reorganizes branches, and breaks a project into tasks. Free and Pro get 50 credits; Premium gets 500 a month.

Pitch mode

Turns a map into a slide presentation: up to 5 slides on the Free plan and unlimited from Pro, where a pitch can also be exported to PowerPoint.

Gantt charts and tasks

Premium turns topics into tasks with assignees, plots them on a Gantt chart and exports tasks to a calendar file or Excel. Free and Pro can only view Gantt charts.

Real-time collaboration

On Premium and the Business team plan, several people can edit a map at once and follow one another's view, backed by 30 days of version history.

Import and export

Imports Markdown, OPML and TextBundle files and maps from other mind mapping tools. From Pro, maps export to SVG, PDF, Markdown, Word and Excel as well as PNG.

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.

Xmind

• Free$0

  Up to 10 manually created online maps, basic themes and stickers, 3-day version history, 5 slides in Pitch mode and 50 AI credits.

• Pro$4.92

  per month, billed yearly ($59 a year)

  Up to 50 online maps with basic collaboration, custom themes, topic links and attachments, unlimited Pitch slides, and export without a watermark.

• Premium$8.25

  per month, billed yearly ($99 a year)

  Unlimited collaborative maps, real-time collaboration, 30-day version history, editable Gantt charts, tasks with assignees and 500 AI credits a month.

• Business$10

  per seat / month, billed yearly

  Team plan with unlimited collaborative maps, real-time collaboration, 30-day version history, Gantt charts and 800 AI credits per seat a month.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Adds SAML single sign-on, unlimited version history, custom AI credits, a dedicated success advisor and team onboarding sessions.

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.

Xmind

• Annual discount

  Up to 50% off with yearly billing

  The pricing page advertises up to 50% off individual plans on yearly billing. The US App Store lists Pro at $59 a year or $10 a month, and Premium at $99 a year or $15 a month.

• Education

  Reduced prices for students and educators

  The education pricing tab lists Pro at $3.42 a month and Premium at $5.75 a month for students and educators, plus a custom-priced Campus plan for institutions.

• Nonprofit

  Discounted plans for nonprofits and government

  Eligible non-profits, NGOs and government organizations can get discounted plans after verifying eligibility; the offers page shows a price of $79 a year.

• Lifetime license

  SME Lifetime License for organizations

  Organizations can buy a one-time, perpetual license with volume pricing. The price is not published and is quoted by Xmind's sales team.