Mind42 review (2026): is it any good?
Free browser-based mind mapping with shared editing
Mind42 report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for free browser mind maps with a fixed layout
Mind42 is a free browser mind mapper, paid for by ads, with shared editing. Its layout is strictly hierarchical with no links between branches, the blog says only maintenance is planned for this version, and there are no mobile apps.
Who Mind42 is for
- Fits if you want a free browser mind map and can live with ads
- Works for plain hierarchical outlines shared with a classmate or colleague
Who Mind42 is not for
- Skip it if you want branches linked across the map, as none are supported
- Skip it if you want a phone app, since the FAQ says the editor is not built for touch screens
- Watch out: the blog says no new features are planned, only maintenance
- Watch out: ads are shown, and the ad-free account has no price on the pages read
- Watch out: images can only be added by web address, not uploaded
Why Mind42 gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree to use with ads and no stated limit on the number of maps. An ad-free account exists, but no price is shown.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with no cap on the number of mind maps on the page.
- CFeaturesMind maps with shared editing and PDF export. The listing shows gaps: no free node placement, no links between branches and no second main topic.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You build each map by hand, and the editor is not made for touch screens.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with no apps and no integrations listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Mind42's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Mind42? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/mind42#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/mind42.svg" alt="Mind42: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Mind42 stands among whiteboard and mind map tools
Mind42's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 46 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 61) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Mind42 has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 62 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Mind42’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 47 of 61, level with 14
- AFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 61, level with 8
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 61, level with 42
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 61, level with 44
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 61, level with 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 55 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Mind42, or make your own?
Keep it
Mind42 is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 46 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade.
What you could make
- Mind mapping: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
What this rests on. Mind42’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Mind42?
Mind42 is a mind mapping editor that runs in the browser and is supported by advertising. Maps are private by default and can be shared by link for viewing or opened for joint editing with other signed-in users. The site says no new features are planned for the current version, only maintenance.
Worth knowing
- No mobile apps, and the FAQ says the editor is not built for touch screens or small phone screens.
- The layout is strictly hierarchical: no free positioning of nodes, no connections between branches and no second main topic.
- The blog archive says no new features are planned for the current version, only maintenance.
- The site shows advertisements and offers a paid ad-free account, but no price for it appears on the pages we read.
Key features
- Automatic hierarchical layout
- Maps use a strictly hierarchical layout, and the lines and positions are drawn automatically. Nodes cannot be placed freely.
- Joint editing and publishing
- Signed-in users can be invited to edit a map together, and a published map can be viewed by anyone with the link.
- Export and import
- Maps export to PDF for printing, and the Mind42 format can be exported and imported again, which is also the way to copy a map.
- Images by web address
- Images are added from a public web address. There is no upload from the computer.
- Emoji as symbols
- The FAQ points to emoji as the way to add symbols that the editor does not provide.
Mind42 pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mind42 is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free to use with advertising, with no stated limit on the number of mind maps.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Full editor and sharing, supported by advertisements. |
Read from mind42.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Mind42 before you buy.
Mind42 alternatives
- Mind42 vs Coggle
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Mind42 vs MindMeister
Free plan · from €6.50/mo
- Mind42 vs MindMup
Free plan · from $6/mo
- Mind42 vs Bubbl.us
Free plan
- Mind42 vs Xmind
Free plan · from $4.92/mo
Common questions
Does Mind42 have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mind42 is listed for Web.
Does Mind42 have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mind42 is listed for Web.
Is Mind42 open source?
Mind42 is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.